Secret Message Unveiled in Taylor Swift Mural Found in Chicago

Taylor Swift Mural in Chicago Contains a Secret Tortured Poets Department Message

Taylor Swift Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

The countdown is on for Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, but what exactly does the number “321” signify?

Swifties in Chicago found themselves pondering this question on Monday, April 15. A mural appeared on a building at 33 W. Grand Avenue, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. Painters worked on a black-and-white piece on the side of the building, and upon completion, spectators noticed a QR code amongst a jumble of chaotic lettering.

Upon closer inspection, the type and QR code were both made up of lowercase “ttpd” letters and the number “13.” The text appeared to be printed from the typewriter Swift used in the promotional material for the album set to release on Friday, April 19.

People who scanned the QR code with their phones were led to a hidden Short on Swift’s official YouTube page. The video features an ink-smudged piece of paper with the words “ERROR 321” being typed out slowly. As the words appear, a faded “13” is revealed on the paper, scrolling down alongside the text.

Swifties recently experienced another encounter with “Error 321.” Just before Taylor Swift revealed TTPD following her Best Pop Vocal Album win at the 2024 Grammys, her official website crashed. Visitors were met with what seemed like a jumble of code, alongside a message: “Error 321 Backend fetch failed / Backend fetch failed / hneriergrd / DPT: 321 / Vanish Cache Server.”

Fans were quick to decipher the coded message, revealing "red herring" and "DPT" as the reverse initials for the Tortured Poets Department.

Leading up to the release of TTPD, Swift, 34, left numerous clues for fans to uncover, including hidden words on the Apple Music lyric pages of her songs. When the platform's X account updated its bio to tease "a word a day till the [Swift] album drops," fans eagerly searched for clues. They soon found capitalized letters in the lyric page of "Glitch," a track from Midnights, which spelled out the word "Hereby."

Since then, two more words have been uncovered: "Conduct" and "This." Some fans speculate that the hidden message in the Apple Music easter eggs will be "I Hereby Conduct This," while others believe the next word could be "POST."

The release of Taylor Swift's new album, "The Tipping Point of Destiny," has prompted some fans to reassess her relationship with actor Joe Alwyn. The couple, who had been together for six years, called it quits in April 2023. Despite their seemingly friendly breakup, sources revealed that Alwyn struggled with the attention and pressure that came with dating one of the world's most famous musicians.

Fans’ perception of Alwyn appeared to change when Swift shared a series of Apple Music playlists focused on the stages of grief. These playlists included tracks related to denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Fans particularly noticed that many songs on the "Denial" playlist were thought to be about Alwyn or cowritten by him using his pen name, William Bowery. The title track from Swift's 2019 album, Lover, was also featured.

In explaining the playlist, Swift described the songs as being about becoming so engrossed in an idea that it becomes difficult to see any warning signs, leading to moments of denial and perhaps a touch of delusion.

Editor's P/S:

The article provides an intriguing glimpse into the enigmatic world of Taylor Swift's upcoming album, "The Tortured Poets Department." The use of cryptic messages, QR codes, and hidden clues has created a buzz among her dedicated fans, who are eagerly trying to decipher the meaning behind it all. The number "321" has become a central focus, appearing in various forms, including the mural in Chicago and the error message on Swift's website.

While the exact significance of "321" remains unknown, it has sparked speculation that it could be related to the album's release date, April 19 (1+9=10, 3+10=13). The appearance of the number "13" alongside "ttpd" in the mural and QR code further adds to this theory, as Swift is known for her affinity for the number 13. Additionally, the inclusion of a typewriter and ink-smudged paper in the promotional material hints at a vintage or literary theme for the album.