cardigan Easter Eggs — Taylor Swift
The cardigan music video by Taylor Swift (folklore era) contains 3 hidden easter eggs. Key discoveries include Take a close look at the framed photograph, Taylor enters a lush, moss-covered forest through her piano. What does this change in scenery signify?", Taylor is cast into a turbulent sea. What does this environment represent?". Each is timestamped and decoded with a trivia quiz, explanation, and sourced references on Clownalia.
The lead single from Taylor Swift's eighth studio album, folklore. The music video, directed by Swift herself, follows her through a magical piano portal into a mossy forest and a stormy sea before returning her home to the comfort of an old cardigan. Clownalia has documented 3 hidden easter eggs in this music video, each presented with an interactive spotlight, trivia quiz, and full explanation with sources.
All Easter Eggs in cardigan by Taylor Swift
Easter Egg #1: Take a close look at the framed photograph
What to look for: Take a close look at the framed photograph
Timestamp: 0:21
Quiz question: Who is the man in the photograph, and which other folklore track is he the subject of?
Answer: Her grandfather Dean Swift; "epiphany"
Explanation: The man in the photo is Taylor’s paternal grandfather, Dean Swift. This photo serves as a visual bridge to the song "epiphany," where Taylor writes about his harrowing experiences as a soldier landing on the beaches during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942.
- Vevo
Easter Egg #2: Taylor enters a lush, moss-covered forest through her piano. What does this change in scenery signify?"
What to look for: Taylor enters a lush, moss-covered forest through her piano. What does this change in scenery signify?"
Timestamp: 1:01
Quiz question: In the 'cardigan' music video, the forest environment is a metaphor for which phase of a relationship?
Answer: The "evergreen" and magical beginning of a new relationship
Explanation: As detailed in the Vevo Footnotes, the forest represents the "evergreen" beginning of a relationship where everything feels magical, new, and full of life.
Fun fact: To maintain the "folklore" aesthetic, the piano in this scene was covered in real forest moss!
- Vevo
Easter Egg #3: Taylor is cast into a turbulent sea. What does this environment represent?"
What to look for: Taylor is cast into a turbulent sea. What does this environment represent?"
Timestamp: 2:56
Quiz question: In the 'cardigan' music video, what does the stormy ocean scene symbolize regarding the song's narrative?
Answer: The fear and isolation felt when a relationship begins to break down
Explanation: Taylor Swift explained that each environment in the video represents a phase of a relationship. While the forest represents the magical beginning, the stormy ocean symbolizes the period of fear, isolation, and turbulence that occurs as a relationship starts to crumble.
How does cardigan connect to other Taylor Swift eras?
Fans have found connections between cardigan and other Taylor Swift eras through visual callbacks, lyrical references, and symbolic imagery. Explore all the hidden details on Clownalia.
