Sparkling Summer 2.0: Is It Coming Back Around?
The year was 2019.
Taylor began hinting at TS7, an album that would go on to be defined by its Chiefs colours sunset-like colour palette, a lead single that would be mocked endlessly by the majority of Taylor's "fans" and a failed coming out in the eyes of many Gaylors.
All Roads Were Leading to a Sparkling Summer
Let's do a quick recap!
On March 6, 2019, Taylor begins the "Lover" era with this photo featuring some very sapphic looking colours!
Is it now FINALLY time to step into the daylight, 6 years later?
Taylor started a countdown on her Instagram on April 13, 2019 posting a colourful photo everyday with each photo having the caption "4.26" - counting down to her polarizing lead single "ME!"
Once we reached April 26, 2019 aka Lesbian Visibility Day, the lead single "ME!" was released accompanied by a rainbow-filled music video in which Taylor and her collaborator Brendon Urie run down a cobblestone road toward what looks a lot like the Emerald City.
Despite the backlash over "ME!", Taylor pushed on with the promotion of her upcoming album "Lover" with performances at The Billboard Music Awards, magazine interviews (including the infamous Entertainment Weekly cover), the release of "You Need To Calm Down", a post from designer Christian Siriano teasing a rainbow gown to be worn at Pride and a surprise Pride performance at Stonewall.
Surely she was building up to something big, right?!
How Did It End?
News regarding the purchase of Taylor's masters of her first six studio albums by Scooter Braun were made public on June 30, 2019. Taylor was upset about how the deal was brokered and took to Tumblr to share her feelings on the matter.
From July onwards, Taylor's aesthetic drastically changes from rainbow, sparkly outfits to a more morose colour palette that would be better suited at a funeral and not the rainbow aesthetic of "Lover."
My beloved ghost and ME! sitting in a tree D-Y-I-N-G
Sparkling Summer 2.0: Oh, Here We Go Again!
This pain won't be for evermore as it looks suspiciously like we might be re-entering the "Lover" era despite the fact that this was the first album she ever owned as part of her record deal with Universal Music Group so it doesn't need to be re-recorded and she still has two remaining re-records that are yet to be released ("Taylor Swift" and "reputation").
Why do I (and many other Gaylors) think this Taylor might be trying to reclaim her sparkling summer?
On January 7, 2025, 38 days before Valentine's Day (iykyk), the announcement of a new special edition heart-shaped "Lover Live From Paris" vinyl was announced featuring a gorgeous swirl of colours on each disc. In some countries, this vinyl isn't being shipped until Valentine's Day.
Taylor's transporting us all to somewhere the culture's clever
Today on January 23, 2025, Taylor Nation announced that "the secret to being someone's lover forever and ever" was to surprise them with a "Lover" cardigan!
The perfect gift for your very real, big, burly boyfriend!
Swifties were left confused as to why we're seeing so many "Lover" drops but as per usual, the Gaylors were quick to start decoding what the implications for the TSCU may be.
Not the 5-holed fence being the fence to Betty's Garden
Then we get the most reassuring tweet from Taylor Nation that I have seen for some time!
So Where We Gonna Go?
If we consult our handy dandy roadmap that has helped guide us for the last four years, "The Man" wall, it looks like we could be about to get a redo of 2020's "Miss Americana".
Gaylors have been theorizing for years that we will be getting a redo of "Miss Americana" and with the recent "Lover Live From Paris" and "Lover" cardigan drops, I am also convinced!
Are we about to meet the Heartbreak Prince?
I know it's a very uncertain time in not only the US but the world as a whole so I will be very interested to see where we go from here but I am hopeful that Taylor is about to reclaim her sparkling summer and that it won't actually take 50 years for it to all be declassified!
Who's clowning with ME!? 🤡