Taylor Swift References Nearly Every Past Era in ‘Anti-Hero’ Music Video, From ‘Speak Now’ to ‘Evermore’
Taylor Swift just released her 10th studio album, Midnights, and fans are already on the lookout for Easter eggs. The music video for the first single, “Anti-Hero,” is full of references to her life and career, including most of her acclaimed albums.
Taylor Swift drops plenty of Easter eggs in the ‘Anti-Hero’ music video
Swift loves to use Easter eggs, which are small details planted to reference something else. The pop star uses these to give fans clues about upcoming singles, inspirations behind certain songs, and personal life details. The music video for “Anti-Hero” is chock-full of Easter eggs, which makes sense. The Midnights single is a deeply personal song about Swift’s insecurities and fears.
In a video discussing the song before its release, Swift said, “This song really is a guided tour throughout all the things I tend to hate about myself.” These include scenes where she drinks too much, destroys one of her guitars, and focuses on her weight.
“Anti-Hero” also calls back to almost every single album era Swift has gone through as an artist. She tends to change her hairstyle and clothing to match her album aesthetics, making these Easter eggs instantly recognizable to long-time fans.
‘Anti-Hero’ includes references to ‘Speak Now,’ ‘Lover,’ ‘Folklore,’ and more
In one scene, ghosts confront Swift, which send her running and screaming around the house. The ghosts aren’t very scary-looking, though—they’re sporting bedsheets and goofy accessories.
These accessories refer to different stages of her career. One is wearing a cowboy hat, which could be a nod to her beginning in country music. Other ghosts wear heart-shaped sunglasses and sparkly cat ears, like those Swift dons in her 2012 music video for “22.”
In another scene, Swift gets struck by an arrow. Some note this connects to “The Archer,” a track off of 2019’s Lover. In the same scene, she picks up a bottle of wine. On it is Swift’s crest, a logo that features the number 13 in Roman numerals, a snake, a butterfly, and three cats. This crest can be seen on windows in the music video for “Lover,” as well as in a photo she posted during the release of 2020’s folklore.
Swift also calls back to Speak Now, which she released in 2010. In one scene, Swift plays a blue guitar with koi fish printed on it. Fans in the know will recognize it from the Speak Now World Tour, where she played that guitar every night.
Does Taylor Swift shade Kim Kardashian in the ‘Anti-Hero’ music video?
The Easter eggs don’t end there! In a bathroom scene, a photo of Swift’s grandmother hangs on the wall. This is a callback to 2020’s evermore, which contained a track called “Marjorie.” The song’s name comes from Swift’s late relative.
One of the most memorable scenes from the music video is a funeral scene where Swift’s sons and daughter-in-law fight over the money the pop star left them in the will. The daughter-in-law, played by Mary Elizabeth Ellis, is wearing a dress from Swift’s 2009 Fearless tour.
Some think this character might also be shading Kim Kardashian, who has been feuding with Swift since 2016. The daughter-in-law’s name? Kimber. Additionally, Midnights was released on October 21 — Kardashian’s birthday.
Swift’s 2017 album, reputation, was the first to contain songs referencing the public fight between her, Kardashian, and the reality star’s then-husband Kanye West. Could the character of Kimber be an Easter egg for that album? Knowing Swift, probably!
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