To absolutely no one’s surprise, Taylor Swift is Spotify’s Global Top Artist of the Year, just like she was Apple Music’s most streamed artist for 2023, setting a new record for most unique listeners for any artist in a single year in both platforms in the process.
Not content with seven albums in three years, however, fans are convinced the special puzzle Spotify used to gradually reveal Taylor’s achievement is filled with hints for the singer’s 11th studio album.
The “Lover House” goes up in flames
The first major hint was the visual showing the “Lover House” up in flames, which matches perfectly with the lyrics from Ice Spice’s verse in the “Karma” remix, “Karma is a fire in your house / And she ’boutta pop up unannounced.”
For those not fully versed in Tay-lore, the “Lover House” started as a fan theory that each room in the house from the “Lover” music video represented an era (AKA an album). Taylor not only took that theory in stride by adding it to her Eras Tour visuals but has also been running with it by using it in things like merch and, now, possibly, Easter Eggs for a new era.
Now, every Taylor fan knows about the “Karma” theory, according to which Taylor had a complete studio album with that name ready to go, but ultimately scrapped it after the dire situation the Kim Kardashian/Kanye West feud put her in. Reputation was released in its place. Could Taylor be hinting at the secret lost album finally making its big entrance?
Save the date, Swifties
Spotify didn’t just leave visual hints across its various playlists but also included what look like secret messages in their descriptions. The most suspicious of all is the subtle for the “snow globe” playlist which rewords the lyrics from “Lover,” changing “January” to “February.” “We could leave the Christmas light up till… February?” If that’s not suspicious, we don’t know what is.
Of course, years of Easter Egg hunting have turned Swifties into quick-thinking master decoders, and the month of February instantly rang a bell. The mysterious latte-art clock featured in the music video for “Karma (Remix)” has long been accepted as a calendar for upcoming announcements. Each of Taylor’s fingers points towards a month and the nail polish indicates which album is meant to be announced on which date.
The blue fingernail hinted at 1989 (Taylor’s Version)‘s announcement in the 8th month of the year, and sure enough, the singer did go on to drop the highly-anticipated news about the rerecording at her Eras Tour show on Aug. 9. Guess what month Taylor is supposed to go back on tour in 2024? That’s right, the Eras Tour picks back up again in Tokyo on Feb. 7. Maybe the release she’s hinting at isn’t for an 11th album, but the rerecording of Reputation (black nail polish)? Or could it be both?
Swift-dom is on Orange Alert
Taylor’s hair might have not been orange in the final version of Spotify’s poster, but a little glimpse of fiery orange hair in one of the puzzle pieces was all Swifties needed to bring back the “orange theory.” As you might know, dear reader, each Taylor Swift album gets a color. Fans have been convinced for a while now that Karma (the secret album, not the song) was orange. “Karma” was written in orange on the wall in the music video for “The Man” and a random orange door shows up on the screen during the performance of “Karma” (the song, not the secret album) on the Eras Tour.
Still with us? Well, there is also a bright orange vault in another puzzle piece, shooting out confetti and a 1989 seagull. Could this represent TS11? Some have considered that it might just be the Fearless (Taylor’s Version) vault thanks to the guitar seen on one of its sides but were quickly shut down considering this new vault features an electric guitar instead. Fans have long been requesting a rock album from Taylor Swift.
Other lone, brave, determined soldiers are still holding out hope that the use of the color is hinting at the rerecording of Taylor’s 2008 EP titled Beautiful Eyes which, you guessed it, had a bright orange cover.