People Explains: Taylor Swift's Reputation Album Cover Style Decoded
This week, Taylor Swift threatened to eclipse the actual, naturally occurring, once-in-a-century eclipse with the announcement of a forthcoming new single and her first album in three years. After sending fans into an anxious frenzy that she'd been hacked when all of her social media accounts suddenly went blank, unfollowed everyone, and her website was also totally wiped, Swift slowly put their fears at ease posting the first video of what people correctly assumed was a snake's tail. By Wednesday, the pop star had revealed that this was all in fact just a prelude to her re-emergence and reinvention with the forthcoming release of her new album Reputation, which seems to have some very pointed messages in store aimed at both the media and her haters. And of course as soon as we saw the shot, we had to know every single thing about it from who made her top to the precise shade of lipstick she was wearing. Here's everything we know so far.
Mert & Marcus
Her sweater is by Pinko
If you spotted that distressed sweater accessorized with moth-eaten holes and immediately thought Yeezy, you're not alone. And while that would have been a very appropriate and pointed symbolic jab at the singer's most famous feud with Kanye West, the chain detailing is a dead giveaway that the rapper is not the designer behind this particular piece. Credit for the gray sweater accented with a number of holes stitched together with thin metal chains belongs to Pinko. The pop star wears the brand's P_Jean Attivita Sweater which is not yet for sale, but when it is you best believe every Swiftie worth her salt will be snatching one up in the blink of an eye.
She still has her bangs
The photo makes it appear as though the singer has permanently switched up her hairdo yet again, ditching her signature blunt bangs that we last saw in June in a video she made for Russell Westbrook where she wore them curly and natural. But as a behind-the-scenes selfie photographer Mert Alas posted proves there's no reason to fear as that iconic fringe is still very much intact.
RELATED PHOTOS: Taylor Swift Has a Reputation for Great Cover Art: See the Pop Star's Record Style Through the Years
She chose black lipstick for her sixth album cover
Swift's other beauty signature is undoubtedly a bright, red lip, which she's said she wears because "I just think my face looks worse without it." And it's true you can see the country turned pop star sporting one on pretty much every red carpet she's ever walked. But this album seems to be the harbinger of an all new Tay as that same BTS selfie from Alas proved that what appeared to be her run-of-the-mill rouge in that cover portrait was in fact a very goth, dark black lip. Perhaps the Perry Panther shade from Katy Perry's Covergirl collection?
RELATED VIDEO: Taylor Swift Posts Cryptic Teaser Clip in Social Media Return
The image was shot by Mert & Marcus
While this may seem like no big deal considering Mert and Marcus are two of the biggest photographers in the world, regularly shooting major magazine covers and editorials including Taylor's for Vogue, it is worth noting that these are the same photographer's that Kim Kardashian not only regularly works with, but is close personal friends with as well. The plot thickens.
And it seems like Kim is already bracing for the impact of this single, appearing to preemptively block the snake emoji from her Instagram account
After Taylor completed her Instagram triptych of a CGI snake, rumors started to swirl online that her first single would be a long-awaited response to the #KimExposedTaylorParty that occurred one year ago in July in which the reality star not so subtly referred to Swift as a snake. And it seems Kim is now braced to get her fair share of snake emojis in turn as it appears the reality star has already blocked the emoji from her Instagram comments, inspiring fans to test the limits of just how much she's blocked, writing things like #serpant and #snake, resorting to emojis of caterpillars and dragons in lieu of the real deal. But as for whether the song actually has anything to do with her or not, Kim will just have to wait until tonight like the rest of us to find out for sure.
Are you excited for Taylor's new album? What do you think her first single will be about? Sound off below!