Another day in the pandemic, another new album drop by Taylor Swift. Yep, the singer just released her second unexpected album of the year. 

Back in July, Swift surprised fans with her eighth record, folklore. It saw the artist step away from pop synths and big beats, returning to a more acoustic, stripped-back sound. As opposed to writing autobiographical lyrics, which Swift is known and loved for, lockdown inspired her to create characters who tell their escapist and nostalgic stories. 

It was a hit with fans and critics alike, and has been nominated for a Grammy. But yesterday (10 December), Swift released a statement saying the stories were not yet over – and she would continue telling them on a sister album, evermore. 

“To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs,” Swift wrote in a statement on social media. “To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in.”

She added: “Ever since I was 13, I’ve been excited about turning 31 because it’s my lucky number backwards, which is why I wanted to surprise you with this now. You’ve all been so caring, supportive and thoughtful on my birthdays and so this time I thought I would give you something! 

“I also know this holiday season will be a lonely one for most of us and if there are any of you out there who turn to music to cope with missing loved ones the way I do, this is for you.”

As you can imagine, any Swiftie worthy of the title given to Swift fans, was quick to share their theories around the new album. And there’s one that a lot of people are talking about…

Is Taylor Swift’s evermore album dedicated to Emily Dickinson?

People on Twitter are convinced that evermore was inspired by and dedicated to American poet and important literary figure Emily Dickinson.

Here’s the evidence being presented to the case:

• Swift made the evermore announcement on 10 December, which is also the birthday of American poet Emily Dickinson.
• Emily Dickinson ended a poem called One Sister Have I in Our House, which was one of her most romantic poems for her lover Sue Gilbert, with the word “forevermore”.
• In a recent Entertainment Weekly interview, Swift talked about an idea for “this girl sleepwalking through the forest in a nightgown in 1830” (the year that Dickinson was born).
• Swift’s good friend Hailee Steinfeld played Dickinson in AppleTV+’s recent series about the famed writer.
• Dickinson lived in isolation for much of her life.
• And just the general “cottagecore” vibe that Swift’s got going on. 

Upon listening to the album when it was released today (11 December), fans are now saying that the plot has thickened because of the song Ivy.

“If the Emily Dickinson theory pans out, I definitely think Ivy is about her and Sue,” asserted one fan.

“Ivy is about Sue and Emily Dickinson. no further questions at this time,” stated another Swifty.

“OK but really, no one else is seeing Emily and Sue in Ivy? Because I’m literally going insane because of it,” a fan who we’re slightly concerned about tweeted. 

You can listen to Ivy and the rest of the evermore album for yourself now to see if you think this theory is correct.

Images: Beth Garrabrant