Why Fans Think Taylor Swift Might Release A New Secret Album
To be a Swiftie is to be a super-detective. Taylor Swift has had one of the most die-hard, loyal fandoms out there, filled with people that have grown up alongside Swift with each one of her eras. Oh yes, that's a bit of Swiftie Lingo, as each of her albums represent an era which is closely matched to the energy of the music in that album tied with her look whether it's her country moment or dark lipsticks and sequins in the "Reputation" era (via Forbes).
Being a Swift fan is so much more than simply enjoying the music and her style. It's about the thrill of the year-round Easter egg hunt. If you're really a die-hard fan, the odds are you are perfectly skilled at predicting every single upcoming Swift album down to the release date. While it can often seem like a strange internet rabbit hole, fans are often successful detectives, and Swift herself has confirmed over the years that she loves to scatter tiny hints that allow the truly committed fans to follow her plans long before she launches them into action (via PopSugar).
In the world of Swiftie detective work, it's easy to get carried away and overly read into everything, as we all witnessed with the elusive "Woodvale" album theory that never came to fruition (via NME). Well, one fan has broken down all the clues that point to fans getting a brand new album they were stripped of post-"1989" era.
Fans theories around the infamous Karma album
There have been some wild Taylor Swift fan theories over the years. After all, knowing that Swift is prone to dropping some very subtle hints can very quickly lead to things getting out of hand with fans drawing links and conclusions that simply do not exist. One ongoing theory over the years alludes to the fact that fans were robbed of an album in between "1989" and "Reputation."
Due to the feud between Swift and Kanye West, fans believe Swift was forced to go into hiding for a year before releasing her response to the attacks on her character with the "Reputation" album. Fans think this unfortunately took place right as Swift was beginning to curate a brand new era with her bleached hair and '90s punk rock vibes (via Buzzfeed News). Honing in on some clues throughout her music videos, fans believe the album was meant to be called "Karma," and to this day they mourn its loss and have their fingers crossed that Swift will eventually release it. Well, TikToker @TheThriftySwiftie has dropped some videos rounding up all the signs that point to fans finally getting this album in 2023.
Swiftie predicts a double album release
In a five part series of videos on TikTok, the Swiftie breaks down how past clues in music videos. According to her, one of Swift's hints can be found in the music video for "The Man" with a graffiti wall listing each of her albums with "Karma" written along with them, or her singing about "Karma" while locked in a vault in "Look What You Made Me Do." An even further reaching hint fans believe is a clue is the lyric "I come back stronger than a '90s trend" in the song "Willow," which fans believe hints at the existing theory that the album was going to come with a '90s punk era following on from "1989" (via TikTok).
These theories have long existed, but @TheThriftySwiftie has honed in on why she believes it's likely that fans will finally get the album in 2023. She explains in the videos that there are some trademark Swift easter egg hints that imply that a double album will be released with "Karma" coming out alongside the re-release of "1989: Taylor's Version" this year. One of the hints is as subtle as a cake having two marks in it in Swift's most recent music video "I Bet You Think About Me," which fans interpret as meaning two albums will be coming out.
Of course, this can often read as obsessive fans reading a little too into things. But the truth is, it's these very observant fans that have predicted Swift's moves time and time again — so to a true Swiftie, this is as good as confirmation.