Entertainment

Fans Are Freaking Out Over This Detail In Taylor Swift's New Music Video

by Tolly Wright
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images; SimplySfans/Twitter

Nearly all fans know about Taylor Swift's "End Game" music video can be found in one, darkly lit photo, but already the internet is abuzz with speculation. On Wednesday, Swift teased the video for "End Game," her third single off Reputation, on her social media app, The Swift Life. According to Billboard, the Grammy Award-winning artist posted a still of the video on the platform, with the announcement that video will drop on Thursday, Jan. 11, after a trailer for the visual premieres or Good Morning America that morning.

Swift reportedly wrote on her app,

“I wanted to let you know first, the End Game video comes out tomorrow! Gonna be posting a few pictures on here before the trailer premieres on GMA tomorrow.”

In the picture, Swift can be seen wearing a rainbow party dress while sitting on top of a bar. Though this is probably a health code violation, she doesn't care — she's looking down at her phone. There's a balloon in the background and some happy looking bystanders. As some fans pointed out on social media, Swift wore this same dress in the Reputation album's companion magazine. This detail is definitely intriguing.

The picture also noticeably doesn't include either Ed Sheeran or Future, who both gave guest versus on the song.

Still, many people are speculating that Sheeran and Future will at least have cameos in the visuals. Future was spotted by paparazzi on the Miami set for the video, while Sheeran never passes up an opportunity to hang with his BFF. Furthermore, when host Michael Che announced the date for the trailer on Good Morning America, he explicitly said, "You can see the first look at [Swift's] new video for her song 'End Game' that’s starring her, Future, and Ed Sheeran." Notice the use of "starring"? That certainly implies all three of them will take the lead in the video.

That may make you wonder how exactly Swift is going to include her two fellow musicians. "End Game" is pretty explicitly a song where Swift is addressing a love interest. Right at the top, she sings, "I wanna be your end game / I wanna be your first string" and she sings later, "Ooh you and me would be a big conversation, ah / And I heard about you, ooh / You like the bad ones too." While Swift was likely writing the song with her current boyfriend in mind, Joe Alwyn, either Future or Sheeran could play a fictional stand-in for the sake of a fun video. Though would Tay want to use either artist in that way?

The problem with using Sheeran as a fictional love interest is that fans already try to romantically link the two together. When Reputation was released some fans were absolutely convinced that "Dress" was about Sheeran (though he says it isn't). If Swift did treat Sheeran as a love interest in her song, it might be a savvy move in terms of getting views — as if she needs more of those — but it could also cause the internet to basically explode. Future would definitely be a safer bet in terms of preexisting rumors, though Swifties love to look for hidden messages.

What part they'll play, as of now, is anybody's guess.

Anna Webber/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The "End Game" video announcement came on the two-month anniversary of the release of Reputation (Nov. 10). It's been even longer since Swift dropped a music video. The "Look What You Made Me Do" video premiered on Aug. 27 at the MTV Video Music Awards. Her fans could barely contain their excitement on social media:

Other Swifties let their desperation to see the anticipated video shine through.

Some really felt that couldn't wait another day.

And some warned that the consequences of watching the video might be just too much for them to handle.

Considering that the release of "Look What You Made Me Do" broke streaming records even with mixed reviews, it's likely the video for "End Game" will also be absolutely everywhere. In the words of Future in this very song, "I'm so stoked, I need a toast."