Taylor Swift has been the subject of public scrutiny ever since she began her music career as a teenager. Ten years ago, she had to shut down fan speculation that she was secretly dating her then-BFF, Karlie Kloss.
More recently, she debunked claims that she had made her speech at Selena Gomez’s wedding all about herself, including allegedly telling the bride that she had “beat her to the altar.”
Following the release of her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, netizens have spun up new theories about the singer-songwriter, this time centered on her album cover.
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Sharing a still from her music video for The Fate of Ophelia, in which Taylor appears to be wearing the same outfit in the same location as her album cover, one user wrote, “The unedited photo for the album cover is frying me so bad.”
At the end of the music video, the Lover singer is seen lying in a mint green bathtub, looking straight into the camera in a showgirl outfit.
On the album cover, she’s in the same location and striking a similar pose, but sporting a far bolder makeup look.
Image credits: Instagram/Taylor Swift/Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot
People quickly began comparing the two photos and sharing wild theories about the differences.
“‘The unedited photo’ u have to be kidding me because that’s clearly not the same person,” one user claimed.
“EXACTLY like who is that woman?” said someone else, while a third agreed, “That’s not even the same tub, and obviously not the same person.”
In both the album cover and the Fate of Ophelia video, the singer appears in a mint-green bathtub wearing a metallic outfit
Image credits: Instagram/Taylor Swift/Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
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Others didn’t go that far but suggested that the star had altered her face with fillers or Botox, writing, “This is probably before all those fillers and liftings.” Another fan lamented, “Fillers and Botox are ruining women’s faces.”
Similar claims about cosmetic procedures surfaced following Taylor’s appearance on the Graham Norton Show and her interview with Zane Lowe.
Fans quickly shared theories about the apparent differences, claiming that the images depict different people
Image credits: Youtube/Taylor Swift
A professional photographer weighed in on the difference between the photos, explaining that the music video still (the “Taylor with less makeup”) was shot with a wide lens, which causes distortion and makes features appear elongated.
In contrast, the album cover was shot with a lens meant for portraits, which distorts the face less.
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“I’m not sure if this was all from the same shoot. Her makeup looks different but they coulda edited that in post… I am leaning towards that bc she’s so busy, doing the same shoot twice sounds like a waste of time,” the photographer theorized.
Analyzing the superstar’s hair, they suggested that Taylor likely posed for the album cover first before filming the music video in the same location, with makeup adjustments made later by a photo editor.
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Meanwhile, a group of fans expressed a preference for the more “natural” photo, saying it better reflects the album’s theme of the “life behind the glamour.”
The Love Story hitmaker recently opened up about the criticism she’s received for her album, saying she’s not bothered in the slightest. While she didn’t directly address any conspiracy theories, she said she welcomes negative comments as free publicity.
A professional photographer explained that the video and album cover were likely shot on the same day
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“I welcome the chaos. The rule of show business is if it’s the first week of my album release and you are saying either my name or my album title, you’re helping,” she noted.
“Everybody is allowed to feel exactly how they want. And what our goal is as entertainers is to be a mirror.”
The 35-year-old singer recently announced the next big move in her career: a six-part docuseries about her record-breaking Eras Tour.
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Taylor shared the news on Good Morning America and on social media on Monday (October 13).
“We wanted to remember every moment leading up to the culmination of the most important and intense chapter of our lives, so we allowed filmmakers to capture this tour and all the stories woven throughout it as it wound down. And to film the final show in its entirety,” she wrote.
Taylor has just announced a six-part docuseries on her Eras Tour, set to stream on Disney+ and Hulu
Image credits: Instagram/Taylor Swift
The Grammy winner revealed that the behind-the-scenes footage will be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu on December 12, with two episodes dropping each week.
The docuseries will be released alongside the Final Show movie, which features the Tortured Poets Department section of her concert, including an on-stage appearance by Taylor’s fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce.
Her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, was released on October 3
Image credits: Instagram/Taylor Swift/Mert Alas, Marcus Piggott & TAS Rights Management
Image credits: Instagram/Taylor Swift/TAS Rights Management
The series will also show Taylor getting ready for her concerts with family, friends, and performers, including Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Florence Welch, and Ed Sheeran.
“The unedited version got too much personality,” shared one fan
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