8 Easter Eggs, References, and Theories We've Found on Taylor Swift's Folklore Album

YouTube | Taylor Swift

It probably surprises no one that Taylor Swift's new album, Folklore, is chock-full of Easter eggs and sly references for fans to dig into as they listen to the album several times. Swift has always been one for putting sneaky clues and hidden meanings into her albums, and her surprise eighth studio album is no different! Across the 16 tracks on the album, Swift manages to slip in lines and images that seem to reference her famous pals, her family, her relationships, and her musical history. There are so many layers of meaning that it will probably take a while to unpack them all, but for now, we're rounding up some of the biggest Easter eggs and fan theories from Folklore. Keep reading for the references we've uncovered so far — how many of them have you noticed?

01

The Mystery of William Bowery

"Who is William Bowery?" is the big question of Folklore's release. Swift listed him as one of her co-writers on her Instagram announcement ahead of the album's release, but he doesn't seem to actually exist: no one can find proof of his identity or any other credits.

The assumption, then, is that Bowery is a pseudonym for someone — but who? The leading theories right now are that Bowery is actually Swift's brother, Austin (who already used a pseudonym to do a cover of his sister's "Look What You Made Me Do"), or her current boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. Will we ever find out? Who knows.

02
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The Teenage Love Triangle

Swift told fans in a live video that a trio of songs on the album portray a "teenage love triangle," but she didn't specify which three. The most popular theory is that the three songs in question are "August," "Betty," and "Cardigan," and that each is told from a different perspective.

In this reading, "Betty" is told from the perspective of a character named James, who admits to having cheated on Betty but also is frustrated she's been listening to rumors started by another character, Inez. "Cardigan" gives Betty's point of view and follows her feelings before, during, and after her breakup with James. And Inez gets to tell her story in "August," revealing her summer fling with James that was always doomed because he was still in love with Betty.

03
The "Cardigan" Music Video
YouTube | Taylor Swift

The "Cardigan" Music Video

The first full-length music video off the album, for "Cardigan," features a whole slew of Easter eggs. The first scene features an instance of her "lucky number" 13 and a photograph of her grandfather, while the waterfall segment seems to reference her own past music videos and even the music video of an ex, Harry Styles.

Alwyn also seems to be the subject of a few Easter eggs. The repeated use of the word "favorite" could reference his role in The Favourite, and the gold motif that Swift has used to allude to him before pops up again in the video.

04
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Relationship References in "Invisible String"

Swift has never avoided the topic of her relationships in her lyrics, and "Invisible String" seems to reference not one, but two of her major romances. One lyric sounds like a shout-out to Joe Jonas, an ex: "Cold was the steel of my axe to grind / For the boys who broke my heart / Now I send their babies presents." Jonas and his wife, actress Sophie Turner, are currently expecting their first child, and he's the only one of her confirmed exes who has recently had or expected a kid.

On a happier note, though, there's a section that seems to be about Alwyn, and it's super romantic. "A string that pulled me / Out of all the wrong arms, right into that dive bar," goes one line, which sounds like a reference to the couple's first meeting back in 2016. Then, she brings back the gold that's often symbolized him in other songs: "One single thread of gold / Tied me to you."

05
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Family Stories in "Epiphany"

In Swift's liner notes, which she posted to Instagram, she talks in depth about the inspirations for some of her songs, including her grandfather (yes, the same grandfather whose picture shows up in the "Cardigan" music video) "landing at Guadalcanal in 1942." Guadalcanal was the site a months-long campaign in the Pacific theater during World War II, which was the first major land offensive by the Allies against Japan.

A lyric in "Epiphany" seems to evoke that wartime experience: "Keep your helmet, keep your life, son / Just a flesh wound, here's your rifle / Crawling up the beaches now."

06

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds's Baby's Name

Fans suspected that the song "Betty" is actually a sneaky reveal of the name for Reynolds and Lively's third baby, whom they welcomed last year. In a 2019 tweet, Reynolds seemingly revealed that their third child was a girl (note the use of "daughters" — they previously had two daughters, so if their third child was a son, he'd probably have used a gender-neutral noun), but he didn't share a name.

Since the aforementioned James and Inez referenced in "Betty" happen to share their names with Reynolds and Lively's first two daughters, it seemed like a fair suspicion that Betty would be their third. The name news was confirmed later on the day of the album release.

07
Calling Out Scooter Braun
Getty | Kevin Mazur

Calling Out Scooter Braun

There seems to be a consensus that "Mad Woman" directly addresses Swift's feud with Scooter Braun and his wife, Yael. "They say 'move on,' but you know I won't / And women like hunting witches too / Doing your dirtiest work for you / It's obvious that wanting me dead / Has really brought you two together," goes one set of lines. The whole song reads like it's based off her ongoing battle to regain control of her music after Braun famously acquired the masters for her first six studio albums.

08
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The History of Her House

"The Last Great American Dynasty" drops some intriguing info about Swift's house in Rhode Island and its previous owners. The song follows a woman, Rebekah, who marries Bill, an oil heir, and lives in a house called "Holiday House." The thing is, the story isn't fiction at all: it's the story of Rebekah Harkness, an eccentric socialite and songwriter who owned the house Swift now owns in Rhode Island.