Opening TikTok, you come across a video of an excited Swiftie explaining her latest theory. The video’s creator analyzes a cake that says “26,” emojis in Taylor’s recent Instagram post and her extensive use of the color purple. Obviously, this means that she’s dropping Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on May 13, right? 

Apparently not. But hey – she did drop merch for both albums!

Over the past few months, Swifties have been preparing for what they assumed would be a new Taylor Swift album on May 13. Because Taylor’s favorite number is 13 and she has been known to release music on Fridays, fans were sure that she’d do something big. So, of course, they got to work and found “proof” that she would do just that. In their minds, everything she does is a clue. 

When Taylor put three emojis and three exclamation marks in a recent Instagram caption, fans assumed this was a reference to her third album, Speak Now. Lots of people write their captions mindlessly, and Taylor, too, is a human being. What’s funny about all of the theories is that they’re almost always wrong. No, Taylor breathing at 5 p.m. was not a reference to her fifth studio album, and it’s a little ridiculous to look that far into it. It’s fun to learn about theories, but they must be taken with a grain of salt. To state the obvious, Swifties will never get their perfect fantasy. Some fans take “Taylor is life” way too literally. 

Even though the theories are entertaining, they can also be problematic. Fans became so attached to the May 13 theory that when Taylor didn’t drop anything, some people were seriously angry. TikTok users posted videos saying that Taylor owes them an album and needs to speak about the theory. The truth is plain and simple: she can do whatever she wants. She is not obligated to do anything at all. Sure, music is her job, but again, she is a human being. She isn’t responsible for the theories that her fans produce, but she definitely has the right to laugh at them when they’re wrong – frankly, everyone does.

Taylor isn’t the only artist that has a crazy fandom, though. K-Pop group BTS is notoriously fierce and rude towards other artists and fandoms, and are rightfully called the “BTS Army.” When Doja Cat and SZA took home the Best Pop Group Performance Grammy for “Kiss Me More,” the army took to social media and berated the artists, their fans and even the music critics who gave them the award. It’s one thing to be a fan, and it’s another to be a hater of literally everyone but a single artist. While the army rants about how much they love BTS, everyone else gets a good laugh because they look so stupid.

 Swifties clearly enjoy finding easter eggs and creating elaborate theories. Most of the time, it’s in good fun, and we can all use something to look forward to. Still, sometimes their obsession gets lost in translation and they ask for too much. The separation of life and music is an important principle that all listeners must practice. Fandoms are made to be fun and loving. They aren’t an excuse to become a raging psychopath. Support the artists you like, relax and expect to be laughed at if you become too obsessed.