On Friday, Taylor Swift unexpectedly dropped her new album, Folklore — and people have been looking for hidden meanings in the songs pretty much nonstop since then.
After all, in the words of Taylor herself, "One thing I did purposely on this album was put the Easter eggs in the lyrics" — which naturally got the whole internet like:
So, without further ado, here are some of the biggest fan theories about Folklore:
1. First, the lyrics of "Betty" announced the name of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's daughter.
2. "Cardigan," "Illicit Affairs," and "Betty" are all the same story from three different perspectives.
the love triangle is betty and james and the girl james cheated with cardigan - betty pov illicit affairs - the girl he cheated with pov betty - james pov i just have the mind of a mastermind tbh
Although there's some debate as to whether "Illicit Affairs" or "August" is the third part of the love triangle, fans have found some consistent themes of love, youth, and cheating across the songs. Let's use James' cheating as an example: "Cardigan" lyrics include "Chase two girls, lose the one," and "Betty" says, "Slept next to her, but I dreamt of you all summer long." Coincidence?????
3. "Betty" is about a girl Taylor had a thing for.
4. Taylor may have broken up with Joe Alwyn IRL.
idk maybe i’m not listening right but did taylor swift and joe alwyn break up??
Sure, Folklore isn't the most cheerful album — can't fathom what global events may have shaped that one. Still, Folklore does have a few breakup songs — leading some fans to speculate that Taylor and her partner Joe broke up. For example, lyrics in "The 1" include "But it would've been fun / If you would've been the one." Still, Taylor herself has said that her "imagination has run wild" with this album, so the inspiration behind these lyrics might not be the present day.
5. Joe cowrote two songs on the album.
6. "Mad Woman" is about Game of Thrones.
7. "Cardigan" is about Harry Styles.
NOT TO BE LOUD BUT THE CARDIGAN MV HAS PARALLELS WITH FALLING BY HARRY STYLES FVCKING HELP ME #CardiganMusicVideo #Folklore
There are certainly some visual parallels between the videos for "Cardigan" and "Falling" by Harry Styles. The two used to date, and we know that Taylor is hardly a stranger to writing about her exes. Let's hope that when you pull at this cardigan's thread, it won't unravel.
8. And "Invisible String" calls out Joe Jonas.
taylor swifts still writing lyrics about joe jonas 12 years later makes me feel at home
Let's take a look at these lyrics: "Cold was the steel of my axe to grind / For the boys who broke my heart / Now I send their babies presents." Know which one of Taylor's exes is about to have a baby? Yup, Joe Jonas. However, these lyrics come afterward: "Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven" — suggesting that Taylor's heartbreaks have led her to a happier love (aka Joe) now.
9. "Epiphany" is about Taylor's grandfather and the coronavirus.
10. "My Tears Ricochet" is about Taylor's old songs being owned by Scooter Braun.
11. Finally, "The Last Great American Dynasty" is about the people who used to own Taylor's Rhode Island home.
the last great american dynasty is about the former owner of taylor swift's rhode island mansion, Rebekah Harkness. She also known as betty just like one of #Folklore track. HER MIND!
The song references "Rebekah" and "Bill" — which are the real-life names of the people who used to own Taylor's home in, as the song says, Rhode Island. Plus, the lyrics include "The doctor had told him to settle down / It must have been her fault his heart gave out," which seems to reflect how Bill died and also continues Taylor's motif of exploring sexism in her work. Rebekah's nickname? BETTY.