“Swifties” know she typically drops a few hints about her life in her music videos.
“Cardigan” is no different.
“One thing I did purposely on this album was put the Easter eggs in the lyrics, more than just the videos,” Swift said during a live chat on Friday.
The clock
It’s no coincidence that the hands in the clock on the wall are at one and three, Swift’s lucky number is 13. ‘
Wedding bells?
Swift is seen wearing a white dress in the middle of a magical forest at one point in the video, causing some to speculate that a wedding might be on the horizon. The singer has been dating Joe Alwyn for the past four years.
“And when I felt like I was an old cardigan/ Under someone’s bed/ You put me on and said I was your favorite,” she sings.
Let’s not forget that Alwyn starred in the 2018 movie, “The Favourite.”
A message for Harry Styles?
Could Swift also be sending a message to her ex-boyfriend, Harry Styles? The “Cardigan” video shares some familiar qualities with the video for “Falling,” which Styles released earlier this year. In both, the artists play pianos with close-ups of their hands, wearing rings. Each of their pianos overflow with water, causing them to become submerged with nothing but their instrument. Perhaps it’s a visual reference to how music has saved them in difficult times?
Gold
Perhaps another nod to Alwyn could be her reference to gold in this video and her album. In one scene from “Cardigan,” she opens the piano to find a burst of gold light, which she then climbs into. Some viewers think that gold hue could represent her boyfriend, something fans have noticed in previous songs she’s released during their relationship, including “Dress” and “Daylight.” And, in her new song, “Invisible String” she sings, “One single thread of gold tied me to you.”