The 10 best Easter eggs in Taylor Swift's 'You Need To Calm Down' music video
From tributes to female icons to references to lucky numbers, here are some of the hidden messages in the video for Swift's second single from her upcoming album, Lover
Hunting for clues is a great excuse to watch the YDTCD video over and over again - not that we needed one. Pop star Taylor Swift is a big fan of Easter eggs – not the chocolate variety, but the kind that come in the form of clues or messages hidden in films or other types of art. This week, the singer dropped the music video for her latest single, You Need To Calm Down, and it is chock-full of hidden references. Did you find them all?
Watch the video first:
Mom, I Am A Rich Man
The video opens with Swift waking up in a caravan. On the wall, there is a framed quote that reads, “Mom, I Am A Rich Man”. This is a reference to a 1996 interview with American music icon Cher. During the interview, Cher says, “My mom said to me, ‘You know, sweetheart, one day you should settle down and marry a rich man.’ I said, ‘Mom, I am a rich man’.”
Lover phone
After Swift wakes up, she checks her phone, and then throws it on her bed where it promptly bursts into flames. We see that her phone case has the word “Lover” on it, which is the name of Swift’s upcoming album.
Kitten watch
When Swift sings the lyric “It’s 7am”, the camera cuts to a view of her wristwatch. The clock face features a picture of Swift’s new kitten, Benjamin, while the number “1” on the clock has been replaced by a “13” – Swift’s lucky number.
Dice
On a table in Swift’s trailer, we see an assortment of kitsch-looking items, including a bowl of 13 dice. Given that Swift has made references to dice in the past, fans were quick to jump on this detail. They added up the number of dots that were visible and, sure enough, the total comes to 67, which from the video’s release date on June 17, is the number of days until the release of Swift’s new album on August 23.
Back tattoo
The camera follows Swift as she leaves her trailer and heads to the pool, and we see that her back is covered in a huge tattoo of a snake surrounded by butterflies. These are both recurring motifs in Swift’s work. Snakes were one of the main symbols of Swift sixth album, Reputation, while butterflies have come to represent her upcoming seventh album, Lover. And the music video for ME!, Swift’s first single from Lover, features a snake that bursts into thousands of butterflies.
Love Letters Only
As Swift stands in front of her burning trailer, we see a letterbox next to her with the words: “Love Letters Only” written on it. Fans think this could be the name of a song on Swift’s new album.
Bi flag hair
Later in the video, Swift sports a seriously cool pink, purple, and blue hair ’do. These just so happen to be the colours of the bisexual pride flag. Given that the You Need To Calm Down video is a celebration of LGBT pride, these colours are probably not a coincidence.
‘5’ target
Among the many celebrity cameos in the video is one by singer Hayley Kiyoko, who is seen firing an arrow at a target that has the number “5” written on it. Fans believe this could be a reference to the fifth track on Swift’s new album, as according to Swiftian lore, the fifth track is always the most emotional on each album.
‘13’ necklace
It wouldn’t be a Taylor Swift video without references to the singer’s lucky number, 13. As well as appearing on her watch, the singer also wears it around her neck.
Cruel Summer tattoo
The video also features a cameo from none other than US comedian and TV host Ellen DeGeneres, who is seen getting a tattoo that reads “Cruel Summer”. Fans suspect this could be the title of yet another song on the new album.
You might also like:
You Need to Calm Down and read our first thoughts on Taylor Swift's new single
Taylor Swift announces TS7 album Lover coming in August
7 thoughts we had while watching the video for Taylor Swift's new single, ME!