Is Taylor Swift’s next re-recorded album release for 1989?
On Tuesday (April 13), the “cardigan” singer appeared on an episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. During the show, she and the late night host took part in a skit that poked fun at her recent re-recording of “Hey Stephen.”
Swift joked that she was inspired by horror author Stephen King, specifically referencing one of his books that was published in 1989 — but the sly references to her hit 2014 record didn’t stop there. During the skit, the pop star managed to mention her 1989 single “Shake It Off,” which sent fans down a rabbit hole.
Some Swifties believe that Swift dropped even more Easter eggs regarding her next re-recorded album when she showed off a collage of Colbert: One photo of the host was taken in 1989, while another photo featured a sticker of a seagull—a symbol prominently featured on the sweatshirt Swift wears on the 1989 album cover.
On Twitter, Swifties trended #1989TaylorsVersion and shared their own theories and clues.
One fan theorized that the first single from the potential re-release album, or even an album announcement, could be coming May 13. Swift spoke about Colbert’s previous work address (513 West 54th St.) and also mentioned his Wikipedia page, which reveals his birth date as May 13.
Another fan realized that when Swift mentioned Colbert’s height (5’11) and his fake social security number (33035…), the numbers added up to 30. At the time of the episode’s airing, May 13 was exactly 30 days away.
See these and more fan theories, below.