As always, the Swifties have been scheming. Their latest findings have resulted in a rumor circulating around social media about the potential for 1989 Taylor’s Version to be a double album release. Now, Swift‘s hints can often be ambiguous. All her easter eggs could mean multiple things and the Swifties have been wrong before. This time though, we have to agree with them. At the very least, we’re holding out hope that we might be in for such a treat.
Videos by American Songwriter
With the album (or two) coming out on Friday (October 27) we don’t have long until the answer is revealed, but we have our minds made up. Find the evidence for the two versions of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) below, and decide for yourself if you want to get on board with this theory.
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Two is Better Than One
Those outside the Swiftie sphere will find this all to be a little farfetched. If you know Swift though, you’ll understand that nothing is too minute to cling to. Swift uses every opportunity she can to tease upcoming releases. There are easter eggs hidden in her music videos, Instagram posts, ticket prices, and anything else she has control over.
For the first piece of evidence of the double album, we have to revisit the “Bejeweled” music video.” This reference-filled video has revealed many secrets about Swift’s re-recording plans. A year later, it is still providing us with much-needed clues.
Fans have long pointed out that Swift used an elevator in the video with 13 floors to represent her favorite number. The other floors are color-coded, representing her album releases. At one point she goes to floor No. 5 (1989 was Taylor Swift’s fifth album) and as soon as she reaches her destination, everything is doubled. As one fan, @BejeweledBabe13, points out, she and renowned burlesque performer Dita Von Teese are seen in matching outfits and performing in giant martini glasses that are mirrored images of one another.
Another music video that has been used frequently for easter egg hunting is “The Man” from Lover. In one scene, Swift (dressed as a businessman) is seen in a subway station. On the wall above her is various Swift-centric graffiti. In the same frame, she teased the Midnights track “Karma” two years in advance—so we know this is a trustworthy source. As TikTok user @alexantonides points out, in the left corner of the frame, there are two different versions of “1989” written on the wall—one black, one white.
Elsewhere in an Instagram post announcing the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Swift finished her message with two blue hearts separated by another emoji. By now, Swift has to know everything she does is overanalyzed. Why would she put two blue hearts (the color coding of the albums is very important to the Swifties) if she didn’t want them to run with the double idea?
These are very abstract clues, but Swift doesn’t like to make it easy for her fans. In fact, she is making her easter eggs harder and harder to crack. We will have to wait and see if their extreme sleuthing will pay off on Friday.
What We Want to Hear
Let us humor ourselves and accept that Swift is in fact sharing a double album. What might that look like? While we obviously don’t have any iron-clad idea of what this release could consist of, we know what we hope will happen.
1989 was a majorly collaborative era for Swift. From the celebrity cameo-filled “Bad Blood” music video to her star-studded 1989 World Tour, Swift had no trouble amassing a host of special guests back then—so why couldn’t she do it now?
We, like many fans, are holding out hope for a collaboration album to pair with the original track list. Many separate theories point to the same conclusion: Swift will have a number of special guests on this re-recording. However, the already released track list for the album doesn’t list any featured artist, further driving home the double album theory.
In her sneaky 1989 “vault tracks” puzzle, one of the clues was the word “Sagittarius.” Soon after, Swift got up on stage at the VMAs to shout out Nicki Minaj and called the rapper “her favorite Sagittarius.” Suspicious? Many Swifties, including @sussan_mourad, think so.
Kendrick Lamar famously hopped on a remix of “Bad Blood” back in 2014. Given that version is so beloved by fans, you’d think Swift would bring the rapper back on for the updated project, yet he is not on the track list. Could he possibly feature on the joint collaborative album?
Now, there is no real evidence for this one, but we’d like to help put it out into the universe for manifestation purposes. Many fans have been holding out hope for a remix of “Style” with none other than Harry Styles. The pair dated around the 1989 era, leading many to attribute the anthem to the boybander. Given that the pair have become friendlier over the last few years, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Taylor please, we beg you.
Swift generally likes to appease her fans, but only time will tell if she decided to give them two enticing releases instead of one.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
