Emily Yahr of The Washington Post has cracked the Taylor code in a compelling five-step theory that explains why Taylor Swift’s new album will be released on October 23. The devoted Swiftie has considered Swift’s social media posts, her superstitious nature, upcoming concert dates and even album release history. She even predicted a back-up date—November 13—for crying out loud!
With a more-than-tumultuous summer behind her, Swift is likely to release a surprise album, Yahr says, avoiding any pre-release interviews. And, yes, Swift is definitely famous enough to pull off this Beyoncé-esque move. Yahr didn’t forget that Swift’s 10-year music anniversary is October 24—just two days after her first concert date in almost a year.
Throw in Swift’s obsession with the number 13 and the fact that Sunday releases are statistically more successful, and Yahr has cleverly narrowed it down to 10/23/16 (1 + 0 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 6 = 13) or 11/13/16 (1 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 6 = 13). We couldn’t be more impressed.
We just hope she’s right because it’s been too long without a signature Swift single—a catchy pop song that expresses every single emotion we have ever felt.