For those of you who aren’t immersed in the Taylor Swift world, it might feel like there’s always groundbreaking news flooding your timeline. But, honestly, most of the time it’s just the entire fandom clowning as we parse through every single thing Taylor has ever said or done, searching high and low for her signature Zodiac-killer-esque Easter eggs. Yes, we’ve been wrong a thousand more times than we’ve been right—but in our defense, Taylor made us this way. But after incorrect theory after incorrect theory, her New Heights interview hinted at promising details in relation to her new album, The Life of a Showgirl—and we think we could be right about a lot of them.
Last night, we were not only gifted with the announcement of her new album, but we also had a two-hour podcast to dissect for clues. I know most people don’t have time to sift through every theory spawned by the interview, but lucky for you, I get to do that and call it work. Plus, my FYP was so flooded with theories, I couldn’t ignore the Easter eggs even if I wanted to (which I don’t, to be clear). So, to save you the search, here are some of the most convincing Easter eggs and working theories that have come out of Taylor Swift’s New Heights interview. And if all of these are proven wrong come October 3… mind your business.
1. The book theory
I’m sorry, but there’s just no way Taylor would let three books sit center stage the entire episode (OK, in the background, but still) without them meaning something. Thankfully, TikTok detectives, like Reagan Baylee, tracked down each book and deciphered their possible significance.
The orange book, titled Basquiat, feels suspicious when you learn that the artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, died on August 12—the exact same day the podcast teaser was posted (at 12:12 a.m., may I remind you), not to mention this is Taylor’s 12th album. Ruth Asawa, another book featuring an artist’s work, died at 87 years old, which also happens to be Travis Kelce’s jersey number. A third book, Extraordinary Records, has Taylor’s signature red lip on the cover. And finally, a book about Marc Chagall and El Lissitzky showcases the duo’s dreamlike art with themes of folklore… yes, you heard that right. What does all this mean? TBH, we don’t know yet, but they aren’t a coincidence. Whether they allude to lyrics or themes throughout the album, these details should all make sense on October 3.
2. The anthology theory
When Taylor mentioned she’d been to two AFC championships in the podcast intro, it looked strikingly similar to her The Tortured Poets Department Grammy announcement. She held up two fingers, then went on to reveal a secret double album at 2 a.m., titled The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology. Fans are speculating that this means that The Life of a Showgirl could also come in two forms: either a second double album or a documentary. The importance of this? Well, she’ll be even closer to completing her very own Beatles Anthology Project (one of the biggest moments in music history), as TikToker Jess Dennison explains.
Plus, all the orange and blue in the announcement can’t just be a coincidental color scheme. I mean, look at Taylor’s orange lipstick while sitting next to Travis in his blue sweatshirt (which she explicitly acknowledges)! With the album clearly being represented by the orange, fans are wondering what the blue represents. Plus, they can’t ignore this consistent color pairing for months (err… years leading up). Whether it’s a double album, a documentary, or both, it’s clear we’ll be getting far more songs than she’s letting on.
3. The 47 theory
Now, Taylor, you didn’t think we were just going to glaze over the fact that you said “47” twice during the podcast, did you? Nothing is a coincidence. There are a few different working theories about what the number means. Some think that in 47 days a single will drop; others believe it’s a nod to Karma, the 47th song on her Eras Tour setlist, which would support the theory that The Life of a Showgirl was originally her scrapped 2016 Karma album. My favorite, though, is the Ophelia theory, as explained by TikToker Alyssa Yung: We already know the opening track is titled The Fate of Ophelia, and in Hamlet, Ophelia’s death occurs in Act 4, Scene 7. Personally, I think this will be directly referenced in the song.
4. The 16-month theory
Only Swifties would start theorizing about an artist’s next album before the current one is even out, but that’s exactly what’s happening with this theory. In the podcast, Taylor says if we just give her “16 months,” she’ll know everything about the sports world. Hmm… what an interestingly specific timeframe. What could be exactly 16 months after the release of this episode? Oh, just her BIRTHDAY. What better time for TS13 to drop than on December 13?
While I hope we don’t get exposed for clowning once again after the album comes out, I think I’ve seen this film before… and I didn’t like the ending. Either way, you can’t deny how fun the fandom-wide Easter egg hunt is. Trust that we’ll find more between now and October 13.
Lauren Blue, Assistant Editor
As an Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of must-read books, movies, home tours, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Goodreads for new releases to feature on the site.
