Just moments after she posted a photo to celebrate her 33rd birthday, Taylor Swift‘s fans believe they have figured out which album she is currently re-recording. Taylor shared a photo to her social media on the evening of Dec. 13 to show her fans that she was with her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff working on music. She sat on the floor of the recording studio with a cello lying across her lap as she held up three fingers on each hand. Most of her outfit is hidden, but she appeared to be wearing a white tee with cats printed on it and black jeans. Jack sat in a chair next to her with a guitar in his lap.
Thanks for all the beautiful wishes today!! I spent my 33rd birthday in the studio of course 😏 Wouldn’t have it any other way. Love you! pic.twitter.com/axPfJT0d9A
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) December 13, 2022
“Thanks for all the beautiful wishes today!!” she captioned the post. I spent my 33rd birthday in the studio of course … Wouldn’t have it any other way. Love you!”
While to some, the photo may seem like an innocent celebration of her birthday, Swifties believe the “Cardigan” hitmaker left multiple hints to reveal she is recording her sixth studio album, Reputation, which was released in 2017. The first and most obvious clue comes via her hands. While the three fingers she has raised on each hand certainly stand for her age, fans also appear to believe it stands for the number six, which would point to album No. 6, Reputation. Now that’s a useful coincidence.
Some fans also believe that her fingers may represent March 3, 2023, which would be a release date for an album. Some fans think that Speak Now: Taylor’s Version may be in the works and could possibly be released on that date. Just last month, fans were convinced Speak Now was in the process of being re-recorded, which is why some are split about which album is being represented in the cryptic snapshot.
Another hint that points to Reputation is the $1 bill sitting on the top keyboard in the background of the picture. Taylor won $1 in her 2017 assault and battery lawsuit against a radio DJ who groped her during a pre-concert meet-and-greet in June 2013. She then featured a single dollar in her “Look What You Made Me Do” music video (a Reputation single), as seen below next to her right shoulder. Fans believe the dollar symbolized the trial. Now, fans believe the single dollar bill lying on the top keyboard in the studio is another pointer that Reputation is on the way.
It would make sense that Taylor commenced her work for Reputation: Taylor’s Version recently. As mentioned earlier, Reputation was released five years ago, and according to Rolling Stone, many contracts require artists to wait five years before they can re-record an album. This means that Taylor would have been set to begin Reputation: Taylor’s Version on Nov. 11.
There’s a rumor that Taylor may release an album each month leading up to her highly anticipated Eras tour, so it’s not surprising she’s in the studio on her birthday. Regardless, the trailblazing superstar will continue to have her dedicated fans on their toes.