Every Easter Egg At Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' Spotify Library In LA

Taylor Swift is leaving easter eggs about The Tortured Poets Department! On April 16, Spotify organized a temporary exhibit at The Grove in Los Angeles, where fans had the opportunity to explore a library-themed room filled with hidden clues about Swift's new album.

The pop-up, scheduled to run until April 18, had been “highly curated to represent the direction of the new record.” According to the press release from Spotify, it will be updated each day “with additional aspects, creating a one-of-a-kind experience.”

Aside from featuring a book containing fresh lyrics from the album, the exhibit also incorporated numerous visuals hinting at the content of the upcoming album, along with potential references to Swift's past relationship with actor Joe Alwyn.

Shortly after the pop-up opened, Swift surprised fans with a teaser shared on social media, revealing that her new music video would premiere on April 19.

Like many of her other music videos, the clip is packed with easter eggs. It begins in a room themed around "Midnights," progresses down a white hallway, and leads into an office featuring two desks, two typewriters, and a clock set to 2:00.

Here is a compilation of some of the most significant easter eggs from the Spotify exhibit and speculated on what they might indicate for the upcoming album.

In the heart of the exhibit rests an open book showcasing fresh lyrics from Swift’s upcoming album. Initially, the featured lyrics read, “Even statues crumble if they’re made to wait,” but the display was updated at 2 p.m. on April 16 to unveil new lyrics: “One less temptress. One less dagger to sharpen.”

Fans have already begun to draw connections between Swift’s new lyrics and her past songs; for instance, she previously sang about her castle crumbling overnight in Reputation and referenced daggers in tracks like “Daylight” from Lover and “Tolerate It” from Evermore.

Among the items on the shelves, there's a glass jar holding puzzle pieces adorned with lines and letters. Speculation has arisen that these pieces might form a Bgraamiens Puzzle-The Lines, renowned for its challenging nature. Given Swift's penchant for lyrics centered around problem-solving and assembling fragments, some suggest this could symbolize a troubled relationship that proved difficult to mend.

In another part of the exhibit, a vase containing dried flowers catches the eye, suspected by some to be lavender and cornelia rose, alluding to Swift's romantic ballads "Lavender Haze" and "Cornelia Street." Could Swift be symbolizing the conclusion of a relationship that inspired these songs through the presence of withered flowers?

The exhibit includes a gold cage alongside a statue depicting birds perched on a branch. Swift has frequently incorporated bird cage imagery, notably during her Speak Now era and in the "Look What You Made Me Do" music video, where she is depicted swinging in a bird cage. (Bird cages have also been featured in her living spaces, including in New York and Nashville.) What's particularly noteworthy about the imagery in the pop-up is the open cage, symbolizing freedom for the birds.

In the pop-up, there's a desktop calendar displaying Swift's birthday, December 13. Interestingly, it's marked as a Friday, though Swift was actually born on a Wednesday in 1989. The year 2024 aligns with her birthday falling on a Friday. Is this discrepancy hinting at a potential project release on her birthday later this year?

Within the exhibit, various books line the shelves, each titled after songs from Swift's forthcoming album, such as "The Manuscript" and "The Albatross." One particular item stands out: a simple notebook with "US" scrawled in sharpie. Fans speculate that this nod could be a reference to Swift's song "The Story of Us" from Speak Now, which recounts the journey of a relationship from its beginning to its demise.

In a section of the exhibit, fans have noticed a quill and a fountain pen placed near a piece of paper. Swift has previously discussed categorizing her songs into three types: quill lyrics, fountain pen lyrics, and glitter gel pen lyrics. Quill lyrics feature "antiquated" language, akin to "Ivy" from Evermore, while fountain pen songs offer a "modern storyline or references, with a poetic twist," as seen in "All Too Well" from Red.

It's notable that there was no glitter pen present in the pop-up, which Swift has associated with songs that are "frivolous, carefree, bouncy, syncopated perfectly to the beat." Considering this, it appears that the songs on Tortured Poets Department will blend elements from Evermore and Red.

Among the bookshelves, there seems to be a statue resembling Diana of Ephesus, a figure from Roman and Hellenistic religion known as “a goddess of domestic animals” and “fertility deity”. According to Britannica, women invoked her to assist with conception and childbirth. Diana is often identified with the Greek goddess Artemis.

Swift has previously integrated Greek mythology references into her work, notably featuring goddesses like Dike, the goddess of justice, in her "Karma" music video. This suggests that Swift may be delving further into Greek and Roman mythology with her new album.

At the heart of the exhibit, rows of drawers are arranged, with many fans speculating that they form a library book catalog. While this catalog could symbolize Swift's music repertoire, a notable detail is that there are 72 boxes, with six left open. Fans have observed that 72 months equates to six years, which was the duration of Swift and Alwyn's relationship before their separation.

Within the installation, a window adorned with lace curtains hints at a wedding veil for some fans. However, what has captured the attention of many is the fact that the windows are obscured. Numerous theories have emerged suggesting that this could be a nod to Swift's breakup song "You’re Losing Me," where she reflects, "Remember lookin' at this room, we loved it 'cause of the light / Now, I just sit in the dark and wonder if it's time.

There is a clock displayed in the exhibit set precisely to 2 o'clock. Notably, Swift's recent teaser on social media also showcased two clocks both set to 2 o'clock, one in a Midnights-themed room and the other in a Tortured Poets Department-themed room. This detail has sparked various theories among fans.

Among these theories is speculation that Swift might be planning a double album drop, potentially including Reputation (Taylor’s Version), or simply that she could release a deluxe edition of The Tortured Poets Department at 2 a.m. on April 19, reminiscent of her approach with Midnights (3am Edition).

On a shelf, there's a small statue depicting a peace sign, reminiscent of the one Swift made when she announced The Tortured Poets Department at the Grammys. While this could allude to Swift's song "Peace" from Folklore, where she reflects on her inability to offer tranquility to her partner due to the turbulence of fame, it's worth noting that the number two has been a recurring theme in the lead-up to the album's release.

Additionally, the pop-up includes a globe with a pin near Florida, a reference to her song with Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine. Notably, Florida was also the initial stop on Swift's Eras Tour following the public announcement of her breakup with Joe Alwyn, as fans have previously observed.