Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” isn’t just breaking records in music—it’s also setting unprecedented levels in the conspiracy theory charts. Since its release, fans and foes alike have been tying themselves in knots trying to decode hidden messages and supposed celebrity beefs layered within each track.
One track, “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” has sparked a frenzied debate over whether it’s about her cat Meredith’s disdain for her other pets or a coded message to extraterrestrials confirming Earth’s coordinates. Meanwhile, the cryptic QR codes linked to the album popping up in cities have led some to believe Swift is launching a new cryptocurrency, “SwiftCoin,” aimed at buying exclusive concert tickets or perhaps founding her own secretive country.
Adding to the mayhem, Swift’s brief reference to “The Tortured Man Club” during her Grammy speech led to a viral meme fest. Fans pictured Joe Alwyn, Paul Mescal, and Andrew Scott in medieval armor, waging war with quills and sonnets, rather than swords.
Despite—or perhaps because of—the swirling rumors, album sales have soared as Swifties and conspiracy theorists alike rush to uncover the “truth” hidden in its lyrics. Whether these theories hold any water or are just the result of overactive imaginations, one thing is clear: Taylor Swift knows how to keep the world spinning in her lyrical web.