Taylor's "Anti-Hero" Music Video Is Riddled With Brilliant Easter Eggs

Taylor Swift’s latest single, “Anti-Hero,” is a major hit with Swifties because the lyrics are so vulnerable. Throughout the track, Swift opens up about her biggest insecurities, from feeling like the whole world is against her to thinking she’s not smart or pretty enough. The “Anti-Hero” music video only adds to the meaning behind the song because it brings Swift’s darkest thoughts to life but in a humorous way.

“Anti-Hero” is the third track off Swift’s 10th studio album, Midnights. Days before releasing her record on Oct. 21, Swift announced “Anti-Hero” would be her next single through an Oct. 16 Instagram video. The clip featured a close-up of a cluttered desk with a dry-erase board that listed key dates regarding Swift’s Midnights album promotions. According to the release schedule, she was planning to drop a music video for “Anti-Hero” just hours after releasing her latest album.

Now, the music video is here and fans can’t get enough of it. The video sees Swift inside an old-fashioned house facing her inner demons... literally. For example, at the beginning of the video, she gets scared by ghosts following her around the house. It’s a visual representation of the following “Anti-Hero” lyrics: “When my depression works the graveyard shift/ All of the people I’ve ghosted stand there in the room.”

But that’s not the only reference Swift seems to make in her video. A fan on Twitter pointed out that one of the ghosts has cat ears on its head, which could be a nod toward Swift’s “22” music video.

Then, later on, Swift also plays out the second verse of her song by literally being “too big to hang out” with the rest of her friends. She “lurches” in the background and then suddenly gets hit with an arrow. While this scene is obviously a nod to her “pierced through the heart” lyric in “Anti-Hero,” it’s also reminiscent of her song “The Archer,” during which she sings, “I've been the archer, I've been the prey.” In this case, Swift was the prey.

Instead of parting with her friends, Swift ends up drinking alcohol with another version of herself. Afterward, she’s seen weighing herself on a scale in the bathroom. One fan thought the scene could reference a lyric from her Midnights track, “You’re On Your Own, Kid” when she sings, “I hosted parties and starved my body.”

If you looked closely in the background, there seemed to be a picture of Swift’s grandmother, Marjorie, in the bathroom. Swift also has a song called “Marjorie” on her Evermore album.

Then, during the funeral scene, Swift hides a few Easter eggs in her will. It’s revealed she left most of her assets to Meredith Grey Swift, Olivia Benson Swift, and Benjamin Button Swift. Who are they? Well, they’re Swift’s three cats, who are all named after popular TV and movie characters. Her will also stated that Swift would leave 13 cents for her children. Obviously, 13 is a reference to Swift’s birthday and lucky number.

When one of her children asks if there could be a secret message in Swift’s will, the singer seemed to be poking fun at fans for always overanalyzing her music.

Another fun Easter egg Swift seemed to include in her music video was the name of her daughter-in-law, Kimber, who fans think could reference Kim Kardashian, who feuded with Swift in 2016.

During the scene, one of Swift’s sons gets caught recording the funeral for his podcast, which fans thought could shade Kardashian for once leaking a private phone call with Swift.

The “Anti-Hero” music video is going to be on repeat all week because it seems like fans have only scratched the surface when it comes to all the Easter eggs hidden in the video. Give the video a rewatch below.