Oh, Taylor, you sure do like to throw us for a loop, don't you? After analyzing fan theory after fan theory of how 1989 (Taylor's Version) was dropping this summer, Taylor shocked the world once again and decided to make a surprise announcement. It wasn't a summer release date for 1989 (Taylor's Version), like all the clues and easter eggs were pointing too, but rather that Red (Taylor's Version) was coming out on Nov. 19, 2021. What? That doesn't make sense. Maybe it's the conspiracy theorist in me, but I am still convinced that 1989 (Taylor's Version) is coming this summer.

Here's why:

The Distraction?

Why would Taylor announce an album five months before its release date? It doesn't seem like her. If we go back to her past three albums pre re-releases, both folklore and evermore were announced the day of, and Lover was announced about two months before, with hints and singles dropping even before that (all with corresponding Instagram posts). I could go back even further, but the conclusion is the same — five whole months just isn't her M.O.

That being said, Taylor first announced the release of Red (Taylor's Version) on June 18, which coincidentally is also Scooter Braun's birthday. Whoop, it's so petty and I love it so much. (If you don't know what this is referencing — which is probably no one if you're reading this article — feel free to catch up here).

While this doesn't specifically seemed tied to 1989 (Taylor's Version), fans are now assuming that the latter album is not coming. I, however, think this was just a ploy that kills two birds with one stone: a) Stick it to Scooter in anyway she can, and b) Divert the fans away from 1989 (Taylor's Version) so that she can have a Beyoncé-level drop with no announcement, no warning, no nothing whatsoever.

The Precedent

When "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" was used in a commercial for Match.com on Dec. 2, 2020, it had not been announced that Fearless (Taylor's Version) was officially coming. The announcement of this song didn't even come until a little over two months later, with the the album dropping around two months thereafter.

If we use this as precedent, the fact that "Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)" can be heard in the Spirit Untamed trailer, it could mean that 1989 (Taylor's Version) is coming very soon. If we assume she's doing a surprise drop like people are speculating (and by people, I mean just me) and we use the above timeline, the album in question will be dropping end of July/early August.

The Easter Eggs

Let's just roll through these...

• The background of this post that looks very similar to this screen grab from the "Blank Space" music video.

• The "Just A Summer Thing" merch line literally says "1989." Obvious? Maybe... but what if?
• Everything she said in this Stephen Colbert Interview

Taylor: ...anymore than my album 1989 is about that year you spent waiting tables ....

Taylor: ..."Hey Stephen" is about Stephen King...and don't even get my started on his short stories

(The short stories in questions, came out in, you guessed it, 1989.)

Taylor: ...I think it's something that you should process, and then take the feeling your feeling...and shake it off...

I have wasted too much time and energy on this theory to be wrong

Y'all, truly the amount of people I have talked to and articles I have read about this are staggering. At the end of the day, this is just a theory, and all we can do is speculate until our Queen Taylor makes the drop. Until then, I wait with bated breath for the remix of "Bad Blood" feat. Katy Perry, and an unreleased song from the vault with none other than my main one, Harry Styles. I mean, this album was about him and now that they're good, he can't not be on a track, right?

Image: Big Machine Records