Taylor Swift is known for throwing out hints with her style aesthetic well before her album drops.
At the 2022 VMA’s, Singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift, announced that she would be releasing her 10th studio album titled, Midnights. Cover art for the album was teased on Instagram, though the official release date is not until October 21st. However, Taylor Swift is well known for her so-called “easter eggs”, which she uses to tease aspects of the album well before the music is even released. One way she is known to do this is through her fashion choices. Some of the things Swift wears on red carpets, as well as on her social media platforms, often point to what the aesthetic of the album will be. Based on her recent public appearances and social media presence, it’s clear she’s continuing the trend with Midnights.
The VMA’s were Taylor Swift’s first real red-carpet appearance in 2022. For the occasion, she dawned a heavily bejeweled, stunning, short silver dress. Fans noted that the dress was similar to a silvery dress she wore at the 2009 VMA’s, but perhaps a more grown-up version. For the after-party, Swift wowed in a dark blue, silk, romper with stars embroidered on it, and a white fluffy fur coat to complete the look. This particular look, which is the one she debuted immediately after the album name was announced, made fans believe that the album may have “old Hollywood” or 60’s/70’s vibes. The silk paired with the fur coat was reminiscent of an older Hollywood style. More recently, Swift appeared at the Toronto Film Festival to discuss her short film for the song titled All Too Well. At this event, Swift wore a long, gold, sequined dress which had rows of sequins lining her collarbone. Once again, fans speculated that it looked similar to a past long, gold dress she had worn in the mid-2000s. Her most recent red carpet appearance was this past Tuesday, September 20th, when Swift headed to Nashville to accept the Songwriter of the Decade Award. She wore a sparkly black, one-sleeved dress, which had a mid-cut-out. All of these dresses have quite a few things in common. They are all covered in sparkles of some kind; sequins, jewels, etc., and they all are incredibly glamorous, even for Taylor Swift. Some of them may even represent an outfit Swift wore at a past event.
These dresses are also quite the contradiction to what Taylor has been wearing in her social media posts. Her posts, which also have somewhat of a retro- Hollywood vibe, show a more basic and blander Taylor. Wearing colors such as brown, dull orange, and yellow, Swift showcases her more casual side on sites such as TikTok and Instagram. These rather obvious contradictions have led fans to believe that the album showcases the contradictions between Swift’s public “Hollywood” persona/life, and her personal, more private one. As Swift stated herself, the album is ”stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life”. Fans believe that the album will discuss aspects of Swift after the lights have gone out, and the party is over, and what that looks like for her. Other fans speculate that the dresses showcase the specific “sleepless nights” Swift is referencing, by re-creating some of her past iconic looks.
Whether any of these theories are correct or not, Taylor Swift is undoubtedly sending signals about her music through her fashion choices. It’s clear, however, despite what genre or style Swift may have chosen for her next album- be it 70’s soft rock, or indie like her last albums has been- her many loyal fans will enjoy it either way.