Music

Taylor Swift fans unlock new song titles with mysterious Google puzzle

Swifties noticed something suspicious when they typed their favorite pop star's name into Google — sending them on a rewarding hunt.

Taylor Swift on tour at "Eras"
Chris Pizzello / AP
SMS

We Need to Calm Down! 

Taylor Swift teamed up with Google to send fans on a mission to unlock titles of tracks that will debut on her "1989 (Taylor's Version)" album on Oct. 27. 

Fans first noticed something interesting when they Googled the pop star's name and an animated vault emerged on their screen. 

Swifties figured this had something to do with Tay's "vault" songs, which refer to tracks that didn't originally make the cut on previous albums. Now that the pop star is re-recording old albums in a power move to take ownership of her own music, she's releasing songs "from the vault" that were once contenders.

The mysterious Google game would eventually unlock the names of four previously unreleased songs that will now drop on Swift's upcoming album. While there are 89 different puzzles that each person could complete — there was a catch. It wasn't until 33 million puzzles overall had been solved that the vault song names would be revealed. 

While the number sounds daunting, Taylor Swift fans are never to be underestimated. Swifties completed the games at a remarkable pace, even causing issues with the search engine at one point due to all the activity.

Google addressed the technical issues in a post on X: "Swifties, the vault is jammed! But don't worry, there are no blank spaces inside. We're in our fix-it era and will be out of the woods soon." 

With more than 33 million puzzles completed, the song names were officially revealed. Their names are: "Is It Over Now?" "Now That We Don't Talk," "Say Don't Go" and "Suburban Legends." 

Though the names are unlocked, Swifties can still enjoy the puzzles.

How to play

- Type "Taylor Swift" in Google's search bar 

- Wait for the blue vault to drop down the screen 

- Click on the vault to start the game 

- Use the search bar to unscramble letters and solve up to 89 different riddles 

Fans are always looking out for Easter eggs signaling what Swift — who loves to send subliminal clues to fans — may be up to next. Things from attire to phrasing to numbers all seem to mean something in the Swiftie world, even if some challenge that certain details could be coincidental. 

But Swifties believe in all the hidden messages, staying true to the lyrics in Taylor's "Mastermind" track: "What if I told you none of it was accidental."