April 28, 2018 – One of my favorite things growing up was when Easter was really late, like this year. The reason? Because it makes my birthday feel longer. Or maybe it’s also that this year my birthday fell on a Friday, which in and of itself makes it feel like my birthday lasts the whole weekend, not just that one day. Heck, make this one an almost-three-day weekend because, at about 1:30 in the afternoon on Friday, I shut down, then went for a haircut at a nice place. I did a few other “me” things too, culminating with my sister having food delivered from my favorite place, the slightly overpriced restaurant at the base of my hill called Pace. And she ordered everything I said I liked: vegetable salad, wood grilled salmon, the accompanying veggies being her choice — mashed potatoes and asparagus, which I loved, plus bread, and bread pudding, with an entire container of whipped cream. I made those selections last through Saturday. Also, on the weekend-day afternoons, I finally got to clean the house. I’ve been doing only reno-work for every weekend since my family came, and the poor house was getting really untidy. So, for birthday weekend, I have a clean house; I have a really good hair-do (almost all my own natural color, which has been a long-time coming, just the strawberry color on the ends now, pretty, in a natural kind of summery way); I had really good food, and really good sleep (somehow today I slept until almost 9:00 a.m.). Oh and presents….
I needed things, some in preparation for another quick trip/visit from my brother to help knock out the remainder of the house projects, some just because, so I made some Amazon orders: black men’s undershirts (big for comfort, and black, allegedly for the best UV protection), work undies (don’t ask, but they really are necessary), Sonicare toothbrush re-fills, bird-food pellets for my parrot, and some Infusium shampoo, my favorite when I have my actual natural hair because that shampoo makes my hair look fluffy, and for some reason, it’s really hard to find these days. Each individual package arrived on Saturday. I sat and opened each one. There were so many, and each of them was fun to open because I didn’t actually know what was in the envelopes; sure I knew what they were, but not what each one was. So my presents to myself were fun too.
And there was a music present too – a new Taylor Swift song, released on my actual birthday, actually birthday-eve for me, because it was released at midnight of April 26. Midnight in California is 9:00 p.m. the day before.
I like Taylor Swift. I’m not supposed to, given my card-carrying rock status, but I do. So I streamed the premier of the song on Thursday night, in video form, you know, in real-time. At first listen-watch, I found the song to be a bit juvenile, a bit too boppy-poppy for my taste, but I have to admit, it’s better in the car; I heard it when I was driving home on my birthday outing, adding to the song being my birthday present-song. Plus, the press that accompanied the song mentioned that “Easter eggs” were hidden in the video, and, like I said, Easter connections to my birthday make me doubly happy. So those things helped my view of the song.
The song is called Me. It’s a collaboration with the singer from a pop group called Panic at the Disco. The video is colorful, in a pastel way. It has butterflies and even a unicorn. Taylor turns down flowers and an engagement ring from her suitor, but accepts a kitten. I like a girl with butterflies, a unicorn and enough fortitude to turn down an engagement ring, all while being super girlie.
As for the Easter eggs, I honestly had to have the Swifties find them. Taylor says both the name of her next single and the name of her album are in the video. I only see the word “Lover” (with a heart for the “O”) and the spoken words hey kids, spelling is fun. I don’t know if those are the song and album title, and probably that’s too obvious. Well, it is too obvious because Taylor posted on Twitter that nobody has guessed it, and plenty of people guessed those. These Taylor posts are cute; they are Taylor Swift saying … look over there, just a like a mom at Easter. There’s an egg hidden under the …. That’s a fun Easter-birthday thing too.
Just so you don’t feel left out, here are examples of Taylor’s Easter eggs that people are talking about:
There are 13 clouds – 13 is Taylor’s favorite number, so that ties to something. Or perhaps it’s just her coming out of her depressed era over the fights with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West that resulted in her last image and album, the snake motif of the Reputation album;
There is a pink pastel snake in the beginning which turns into many butterflies – Taylor’s metamorphosis, see the first point.
There is elaborate sidewalk chalk in the beginning: a reference to Taylor’s poem from the Reputation era where she tied her life memories and her struggles to sidewalk chalk. Again, see the first point.
There are 7 briefcases – this is Taylor’s 7th record, TS7 if you will, or perhaps the record will be released on 7/13;
There is a clock with the time 8:30, so perhaps the album will be released on August 30, or perhaps a song on July 13, and the entire record on August 13, or perhaps the record on July 13, and a tour announcement on August 30. Are you tired yet?
There is a Christmas tree in the living room scene, perhaps a reference to Taylor’s childhood (she grew up on a Christmas tree farm), and combined with the pastels of childhood, are a collective reference that Taylor will return to her childhood loves. Country music, anyone?
There are chicks with sunglasses and a photo of the Dixie Chicks (the country singing trio) on the wall, perhaps a reference to a collaboration with the Dixie Chicks, or a call-out to an interview some time past where Taylor said her first musical memories were learning guitar to the Dixie Chicks. Again, country music anyone?
There are scene recreations to Mary Poppins, Hair and Singing in the Rain, not sure why;
There are lyric references to other of Taylor’s past songs, some I follow; some I don’t.
And there is a really obscure Easter egg theory that I hope is true:
In one scene, Taylor is dancing while wearing cowboy boots, allegedly combining that with a silhouette of herself with her former hairdo — the long wavy-do she wore when she was “country”, people are speculating that these are perhaps additional Easter egg clues that this record will contain country songs, or at least have country influences.
I have to give Taylor credit for this. She has every major outlet trying to guess. She has her Swiftie fans on YouTube with many videos telling the audience their theories. And her song Me is the most streamed song ever in a 24-hour period.
Personally, I am hoping the Easter eggs that point to a song or two in the country format are true. And of all the Easter eggs, I think the curly hair is the most important one. I can tell you the power of looking at yourself in the mirror in the way you looked when you were younger, much younger. I get it. When I saw my hair be cut, area by area becoming the color it was when I was a very young woman, I literally said to the mirror, I know you….
Mind you, by the end of the month, and yes, that’s in only two days, I could want black, dark brown, red, blonde, or whatever, hair instead of this mousy natural color it is (or almost is) from my birthday haircut, but I really do understand the power of regression and the symbolism that one’s hair from their early years can have. If that’s what Taylor is doing, getting new hair that’s old hair, to find her original self, I’ll be really happy. Anyway this goes for her though, whether the album is just pastel-happy-pop, or if it has a country vibe, congratulations on the success of your Easter egg song, Taylor. I look forward to the new record and to the answers to the mysteries of the Easter eggs. Oh, and Taylor, thanks for the birthday present.