Swifties are freaking out over these supposed Easter eggs, but they shouldn’t be
Taylor Swift fans are always sitting on the edge of their seats, suspicious that anything from the handbag in her latest outfit to a totally normal sentence said by someone she happens to know ties back to her next big announcement.
And sometimes – actually quite often – that means being embarrassingly wrong.
Put on your clown nose, the Swifties are at it again! Getty
Fans are eagerly awaiting news of an almost sure thing: Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version), the re-recorded version of her 2006 debut record, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary on October 24.
When Swift announced she had purchased the master recordings of her first six albums, ending the need for her Taylor’s Version project, she said she’d already completed the updated versions of the very first songs she ever put out.
“I really love how it sounds now,” she said in her 2025 statement, teasing it would still have its moment “to re-emerge when the time is right”.
It’s not guaranteed, but marking 20 years of her music career certainly does seem like the right time.
Fans are naturally excited. And that makes them easy to troll.
Today, metaphorical Swiftie alarms began blaring when a large fan account shared the image of what looked like intertwined “TS” initials, painted in green on a black wall in an undisclosed location.
And then … crickets.
Despite the collective clowning, further information about where the sign was, or if it was even real, was nowhere to be found.
Eventually, they realised they had fallen for AI.
In contrast, billboards teasing the release of Swift’s Toy Story collaboration appeared in major cities, quickly spreading thanks to many different, verifiable photos, and were backed up by further teasing on social media.
Taylor Swift at her first major awards show red carpet, the 2006 CMT Music Award. WireImage
It really would be impossible for a real Swift announcement to remain so ambiguous. I mean, this is the woman whose existence causes so much commotion that some US publications have dedicated Taylor Swift correspondents!
To make matters worse for eager fans, one of the internet’s biggest trolls is a building.
The Empire State Building’s social media team added to the hoopla by sharing a photo of the building lit up green – the colour fans associate with debut – online.
“WhaTS happening?” the posts teased.
Swift has partnered with the iconic member of the NYC skyline before, hosting a music-to-light show during the 2014 release of her album 1989, so there is a history to draw on – but no, the Empire State Building doesn’t have secret, insider knowledge of her movements.
It just has an excellent social media team.
The building’s social media keeps close tabs on the theories of Swifties, often referencing conversations within the fandom in its posts.
It also loves a Swift nod. In July, the building lit up to be her “something blue” as she married Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden, and last year it glowed orange in celebration of her The Life of a Showgirl album announcement.
A Swift music announcement is bound to be on its way, but not like this. Getty
This time, all it takes is a moment’s pause to pull it all apart.
At the time the account shared this, it was around midday in New York City – definitely not dark enough for lights!
The building last lit up green in March for Eid al-Fitr and in April for Earth Day.
Oh, and the post linked directly to its observation deck ticket page. Clever! And infuriating! Give that social media team a raise!
Swift has been on a huge run of success recently, including the Eras Tour. Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Swift is one of the hardest workers in the business. Since the pandemic, her output has been extraordinary, releasing at least one project a year.
The release of Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version) is (probably) not an “if”, but a “when”.
And as fun as it is, hopefully the eventual promo is a little more official than a skyscraper-sized troll.
