Is Taylor Swift Teasing Something (Again)?!

Being a Swiftie in 2025 should count toward a degree in digital forensics, or, at the very least, investigative journalism. Taylor Swift has mastered the art of dropping hints, and so too have we trained our eyes and ears to find them. And sure, do most of these supposed easter eggs turn out to be nothing more than figments of our imaginations? Well, yes. But we don’t talk about that. Instead, we talk about how, this time, something’s definitely up. For real this time… (he writes, eyes twitching, down to the last strand of red yarn.)

This year, and even in the past week, fans have noticed a curious pattern involving Taylor Nation’s social posts, a suspiciously stylized letter, and, maybe, even a countdown to something big. Here’s what we know so far!

The Letter

As most of you know, every Taylor Swift album marks a distinct era of her life, and because she’s a literal mastermind when it comes to her marketing, she fully leans into that concept, giving each era its own color palette, scenery, and tone. For example, 1989 is often attributed to Summer, sea glass blue, and the memories of windows-down drives or exploring big cities, whereas an album like Evermore feels more like an overgrown garden with muted earth-tone colors – something that makes the album feel just as folksy and introspective as it sounds. 

Her most recent album, The Tortured Poets Department, is no exception, and she has been using its aesthetics on her website, including the typography and logo. However, when Taylor announced the reclaiming of her remaining albums, fans noticed something… different. 

In this letter announcing the big news, a brand-new logo is featured at the top, reminiscent of The Great Gatsby, with a more Art Deco, 1920s-inspired flair. On top of that, there is an obvious second page, subtly tucked away behind the letter. Now, it's possible that these things could simply be stylistic choices made by her marketing team; however, it's not a total stretch to say that the Taylor we know might like to be a little more meticulous than that. Or, at least, she's convinced us she does. I really don't know at this point. 

It’s also worth pointing out that, if you look closely in the first paragraph, you'll notice she used twelve Is in the word "This". Which is interesting, considering her next album would be (say it with me) her 12th. I know, I know, you’re probably rolling your eyes. But hear me out. Back in 2021, when she announced Fearless (Taylor’s Version), the caption she posted had scattered capital letters that spelled out “April 9th” — the exact release date. To add fuel to that fire, just a few months ago, Taylor posted an Instagram story to celebrate her best friend Selena Gomez's new album, and, once again, she used 12 letters, writing, "I LOVE THIS ALBUM SO MUCH OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDD." Now, statistically speaking, the odds of her hitting a key 12 times on two separate occasions are pretty ridiculous. Roughly 1 in 10 million, to be exact. So, it's either a wild coincidence, patterned behavior, or… a good ol' Taylor easter egg. 

The Countdown - Recently Debunked

We’re just getting started, so in the immortal words of Kevin McCallister: “You guys give up, or are you thirsty for more?” Let’s set that letter aside for now and shift our focus elsewhere, specifically to Taylor’s official fan engagement and marketing team, Taylor Nation, and the countdown that had us all burning red with anticipation. That is… until they tossed a banana peel our way and left us flat on our faces. But perhaps there’s something still there, in which case, I pass the baton to you, fellow Swiftie. Because if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that teamwork makes the dream work. On Friday, July 18, Taylor Nation took to Instagram to post a kind of “welcome home” to Taylor’s debut album, announcing a listening party scheduled for 1:00pm EDT. 

No one really batted an eye, aside from maybe dabbing away a nostalgic tear for the album that started it all nearly 20 years ago. But the next day, things shifted. Fans began reaching for their trench coats and magnifying glasses when Taylor Nation posted again — this time about Fearless, complete with details for another listening party, now scheduled for 2:00pm. In the days that followed, Taylor Nation posted for each album, and each time, with the listening party scheduled exactly one hour later than the last. Here’s why it was interesting: if this really was some kind of countdown, as many fans believed, then The Tortured Poets Department listening party would have fallen on the night of July 28 at 11:00pm EDT. Which meant the midnight slot on July 29 would be wide open… and we all know how much Taylor loves her midnights. However, things came to a halt when the pattern unexpectedly ended with Reputation being the final album celebrated, and Taylor Nation itself addressed the countdown online, saying it’s simply a celebration of the 6 eras Taylor has reclaimed. So, yeah, that’s what we call a bummer. 

But then, while this so-called count-up may not have led to a 12th album announcement, hope isn’t lost just yet. There’s still one more suspicious Jenga piece to suggest that T12 might be coming sooner rather than later: a now-deleted tweet from Hits Daily Double, which stated, “Seismic rumblings of a new Taylor set keep the Republic [Records] team as aggressive as ever.”

And on top of that, in a TikTok that Taylor posted back in October, she’s seen walking with her cat Olivia straight toward section A12 of the Miami stadium… Twelve! Maybe it’s just a coincidence. But at what point do we admit she might be spelling out a message right in front of our faces? This is Taylor we’re talking about, after all.

Skepticism 

Okay, here’s where we have to keep our clown makeup on standby, because if there’s one place the Swifties like to hang out, it’s Clown Town. While all of this is quite enticing, there are a few things for us to keep in mind before we get our hopes up (again): (1) Taylor is notorious for keeping secret album drops tightly guarded, sometimes even hiding them from her own label until the day before to prevent leaks, and (2) Taylor Nation, as reliable as they are, have never been known to drop credible hints about new albums, since they’re often among the last to know.

However, even the skeptics among us have hope. While some may not believe a 12th album is on the way, many think we could be getting an Eras Tour documentary, which could be equally as exciting. I don’t know about you, but I was a sucker for Miss Americana, and I feel that a new behind-the-scenes look at her record-breaking tour would be unbelievably fun. 

Do you want to know the best part of all this? While we’re out here running around, basically re-enacting the 23-19 scene from Monsters, Inc., our unbothered queen is just… baking sourdough. That’s right. Safely tucked away in her own little world, she sent Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco a loaf of homemade sourdough bread with a sticker that says, “It’s a loaf story."

And you know what? No matter what she chooses to release — or not release — we couldn’t be happier for her. At the end of the day, she’s still our era-defining genius (and arguably the greatest songwriter of all time).

So what do you think? Are you Team New Album, convinced it’s right around the corner? Or do you side with those expecting an Eras Tour documentary instead? Or maybe you’re saying “Humbug!” to the whole thing and believe it’s all just noise. I guess time will tell. Will our super-sleuthing pay off once again? Or are we just setting ourselves up to leave teardrops on our guitars? Regardless, we’re in this together.