In 2009, Taylor Swift used eyeliner to draw the number 13 on her hands before a concert so she could take the stage fearlessly. (Of course) Thirteen years later, numbers are still an integral part of her work. "I love numbers. Numbers rule my world," she told singer-songwriter Paul McCartney during a conversation in Rolling Stone 's "Musicians to Musicians" on November 13, 2020. Did Swift influence the precise date of the podcast? Almost certain.
The Grammy winner is known for using numbers in mysterious ways. For example, her music video for "Bejeweled" is filled with clues that seem to hint at the upcoming release of "Speak Now" (Taylor's version). She dropped that version on October 25, 2022, exactly 12 years after the original Speak Now was released. Swift also released "Reputation" on November 10, 2017 — exactly 1,100 days after her last album , "1989." As expected, Swift's "Lover" and "Folklore" numbers, and Midnight Album for a total of 13 release dates each .
So why do specific numbers and patterns hold a special place in Swift's heart and play a defining role in her career? Kaitlyn Kaerhart, numerologist and author of "You Are the Code of the Universe: Essential Numerology," broke down Swift's love of numerology, and needless to say, the record-breaking musician Home is truly a planner.
13 Exudes serious goddess energy
Swiftie generally agrees that 13 is a big problem. As she explained to Jay Leno in 2009, Swift was born on December 13, 1989, making her 13 years old on Friday the 13th, her debut album Taylor Swift Taylor Swift ) went gold in 13 weeks. She said a producer told her during her 2007 Country Music Awards audition, "We're going to be over in 13 seconds." Her first single on the Billboard Hot 100, "Our Song," had a 13-second intro , who first performed on The Tonight Show on February 13, 2007, claimed that she often wins at award shows when she sits in row 13 or row M (the 13th letter of the alphabet) hour. Wait, there's more. Four of her songs peaked at number 13. Red 's 13th song "The Lucky One" repeats the word "lucky" 13 times. "As You Like It" has another 13 seconds of intro. (This article was published on December 13, 2022, not for nothing.)
When Swift turned 31 in 2020, she was predictably over the moon. "In my opinion, it's the opposite. It's just 13 degrees back," she told Jimmy Kimmel. The artist released two albums that year: "Folklore" with 16 tracks and "Evermore" with 15 tracks, for a total of 31 tracks...or 13 (Taylor's version).
Carhart said Swift's beloved "13" now has a bad rap (no pun intended) that is at odds with the number's original meaning. According to numerologists, although many people now think that 13 is a "negative" or "unlucky" number, 13 was actually the number of the goddess in ancient times. "A lot of people believe that the suppression of 13 is actually the suppression of the Divine Feminine," Keilhardt tells Bustle. In other words, the bad vibe surrounding this number reflects how historically women have often been held back from reaching their full beauty potential.
If anyone embraces goddess energy, it's Swift; she seems justified in centering "13" in her life and career to embody divine femininity. She often writes about femininity in her music: "Mad Woman," "Blank Space" and "The Man," among others.
5 On Change and Rebirth
It’s no accident that Swift’s fifth songs tend to leave the listener feeling like the crumpled piece of paper they’re lying about. As the singer told fans on Instagram Live in 2019, "I didn't realize I was doing this, but when I was making the album, I thought I was taking a song that was vulnerable, personal, honest, emotional song as the fifth song,” she reflects. "Because you notice that, I started putting those really honest, emotional, vulnerable and personal songs on the fifth track."
Carhart notes that tearjerkers like "All Too Well," "The Archer" and "White Horse" could be placed in the fifth position to represent a turning point. "Five is the number that represents change, free spirit, and adaptability," she tells Bustle. "It's all about new experiences... If you see five five five, that means big changes are coming."
These devastating songs can be interpreted as the rock bottom that often precedes major transitions. These heartbreaking ballads are followed by lighter songs ("22," "I Think He Knows," and "You Belong With Me," respectively) that take each album in a new direction. Each album contains a before-and-after version of Swift, and the fifth track is a rebirth in itself.
Self-expression at midnight
Swift has a soft spot for the middle of the night—midnight, to be exact. Apparently, she references this time in four songs on Midnight : "Lavender Haze," "Anti-Hero," "Midnight Rain" and "Paris." The term has also appeared in films such as "22," "Style," "New Year's Day" and "The Last Great American Dynasty."
Why does this particular time appear so many times ? According to Kellhardt, there's sound numerical reasoning. Apparently midnight can be read by adding the numbers one and two. Experts note that "three is the number of self-expression, creativity, mysticism, and magic." In every midnight reference, Swift sprinkles in some of her signature imagination and magic.
On August 29, the singer invited Swifties to a "midnight meetup" in an Instagram post announcing her 2022 album. "This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night... dedicated to all of us who toss and turn and decide to keep lighting our lanterns and searching - hoping that maybe, when the clock strikes twelve... we'll see Myself,” she joked.
2 AM stands for relationship
She mentioned several times that at 2 a.m., Swifties on TikTok made videos in which they ranked their favorite lyrics. (Some popular picks: "The Way I Love You," "Breathe," and "Mary's Song (Oh, My, My, My)." Honorable mentions include "Mine," which played at 2 A.M. :30 Roll call, "Last Kiss," which she sang for about 1 minute and 58 seconds).
The songstress admitted during an Oct. 21 interview with Sirius XM that she "has been writing around 2 a.m." "It's a really vulnerable, isolating time," she explained. “This is the time when the catharsis of songwriting helps me the most.”
Perhaps in that late night/early morning solitude, the singer can sit with his thoughts and process a romantic encounter. "Two, like 2 a.m., represents partnership," Carhart said. "[Those references] could have been her way of expressing love."
In fact, this timestamp often appears in songs where Swift longs for a past or potential lover. In Charmed , she hopes for a romantic future with a dazzling new love. "This lingering question keeps me up at night/Who do you love at 2 in the morning?" she croons. Her song "I Wish You Could" chronicles the story of an ex-boyfriend who comes to Swift's house during a late-night period of nostalgia: "2 a.m., in your car, you pass my street and the memories start..."
Swift's numerology is part of her power
Ultimately, Swift is a strategic thinker who loves details. Her love of numbers makes sense. “She knows the power of numbers,” Kellhardt said. “The more you work with numbers, the more you become comfortable with code, and the more you start to understand the system we live in and how to hack it.”
Swift seems to have figured this out. On October 31—yes, 31 —she became the first artist to have all of the top 10 tracks on the Billboard Hot 100. Whatever magic she was working on, it was working.
