After spending all weekend teasing Swifties on Instagram, Taylor Swift finally dropped her star-studded music video for “You Need to Calm Down.” The visuals for the second single from her upcoming album Lover featured LGBTQI+ stars, famous friends, and even some frenemies. Every scene was brimming with star power, but Taylor still managed to squeeze in a few Easter eggs — if you didn’t already know, she loves a hunt. “I think the best messages are cryptic ones,” Swift told Entertainment Weekly last month. “It makes an album more of an event. Easter eggs are a way to […] expand the experience of seeing something or hearing music.” Taylor even got her co-stars in on the action. Everyone from Hayley Kiyoko to Ellen to RuPaul’s Drag Race queens and Ryan Reynolds helped to tease upcoming tracks, collaborations, and appearances, but not everything got past us.
Here are all the Easter eggs you may have missed in Taylor Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” music video.
“Mom, I am a rich man”
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Based on past Easter egg hunts, Swift loves to tease future lyrics and song titles in her videos— and this one contains a lot of words.
The first clue is a framed quote from Cher’s 1996 interview with Jane Pauley, where she famously uttered the now-iconic words: “Mom, I am a rich man.” What does it mean? We could see a collaboration between the two superstars or even a homage to the great Cher. But some of the other clues are a bit harder to crack…
The Mysterious Dice
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The dice have been a recurring symbol since the Reputation era.
The first time they appeared, Swifties speculated that Taylor was titling her next album Paradise, which was clearly wrong, but their reappearance could mean something bigger is on the horizon. A bowl of 13 dice had fans making some frenzied calculations and it got interesting.
Hayley Kiyoko’s Bullseye
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Hayley Kiyoko and Taylor Swift have been friends for a while, so it’s no surprise to see the LA-songstress in the video…
…But it’s more than just a friendly cameo. Shooting an arrow at the number five has fans convinced that Hayley is a guest feature on track 5 of Lover. Is Hayley an archery buff, because she sure can hit a bullseye.
Ellen’s “Cruel Summer” Tattoo
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After stopping by Ellen’s daytime talk show to discuss everything from the new album to whether Taylor washes her legs in the shower, the two joked about Ellen making a cameo in the video. Ellen is seen sitting in a trailer at the whim of a gnarly tattooist (played by Adam Lambert), grinning through a painful forearm tattoo that reads “Cruel Summer.” It could be a hint at another song title, but it also shares its name with a compilation album from long-time enemy Kanye West.
Ryan Reynolds Painting
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Another one of Taylor’s friends, Ryan Reynolds, casually pops up in the video, perched on a stool as he paints the Stonewall Inn.
A historical landmark that marks the beginning of the LGBTQI+ fight for civil rights, the venue housed a surprise appearance from Taylor Swift over the weekend.
RuPaul’s Drag Race Queens
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One of the last scenes in the video sees drag queens standing on stage with the words “Pop Queen Pageant” plastered across a sign.
Dressed as some of pop’s biggest stars, everyone from Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Adele, Cardi B, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, and Nicki Minaj are present, hoping to win the crown RuPaul is holding. Is this a metaphor for Taylor’s ultimate squad or just the best Snatch Game ever?
The Butterfly Back Tattoo
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Taylor Swift has been hinting at her new affinity for butterflies ever since the release of “ME!”
But when she showed off her new ink on Instagram it caused serious chaos. The tattoo, which depicts the metamorphosis of two intertwined snakes into a flurry of butterflies, was first thought to represent the end of the snake era from her previous record, Reputation, but it actually hinted at a long-awaited reunion between two old friends…
A Katy Perry Happy Meal
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Last year, Katy Perry sent Taylor Swift an actual olive branch with a letter admitting she was “deeply sorry,” sparking rumors of an impending collaboration. Their reunion at the end of the video saw the two long-time frenemies embrace, finally putting to an end to their messy feud.
