Taylor Swift teases 'The Man' music video as wild fan theories emerge
Taylor Swift is bringing "The Man" to life. The 30-year-old singer announced that she's set to drop a new music video for the fan favorite track off of her latest album, Lover, and on Wednesday, she released a teaser.
The snippet shows a person from behind in a suit staring out the window from a high-rise office building. While the figure appears to be a male, some fans think it might be Swift herself. The pop star also revealed on Wednesday that she directed the video, which will debut at 7 a.m. ET on Thursday, following an hour-long YouTube Q&A with Swift where she'll be "chatting/answering your questions/mansplaining the video."
A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Feb 26, 2020 at 5:01am PST
Prior to the teaser, Swift posted a photo announcing the music video release, which has many fans sharing their theories as to the possible messages behind the image. In the photo, there's a long hallway with multiple white archways, and in between the arches are 19 colorful hands reaching out.
Swifties took a lot of meaning from the image, with many speculating that the video might have been shot at Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West's home due to the similarities in architecture.
There are 19 hands in the hallway
... but only 2 days until The Man Music Video pic.twitter.com/pePLcEwxtQ— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) February 25, 2020
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) February 3, 2020
Another clue that the video could be West-related are the lyrics of the song itself. "They'd say I hustled / Put in the work / They wouldn't shake their heads / And question how much of this I deserve," Swift -- who's had an on-and-off feud with the rapper since 2009 -- sings on the track.
Some fans think this line is in response to the lyric in West's 2016 track, "Famous," where he raps, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b**ch famous."
Swift's comment about 19 hands could also relate to West, as Swift was just 19 years old when the rapper ran on stage and interrupted her 2009 MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech.
Other fans think that the 19 hands imagery means that there will be 19 cameos in the video. This theory was expanded upon by many Swifties, who pointed out that Swift mentioned 18 new artists -- including Lizzo, Camila Cabello and Halsey -- in her Woman of the Decade acceptance speech at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. This could mean that those artists would be the ones to appear in the video alongside Swift, which would make 19 women total.
God [looking irritated]: did they stop licking each others buttholes yet?
Angel: No, in fact they-
God: More Coronavirus.— crème de meme (@MilkMenace) February 20, 2020
SHE MENTIONED 18 AMAZING WOMAN AND ON HER POSTER, THERE ARE 19 HANDS. THAT 18 AMAZING WOMAN + TAYLOR SWIFT HERSELF. https://t.co/BvFUxYNSdU
— jiyarome.exe (@jromeexe_) February 26, 2020
Maybe all the women Taylor mentioned in this speech are in the music video for the man and we are going to die dead soon 🤷🏻♀️ @taylorswift13@taylornation13pic.twitter.com/w2GE5KIde3
— 𝓛𝑜𝓋𝑒, Aicha 🐍✨🌹never met Taylor (@myqueen13taylor) February 19, 2020
As for the significance of the release date, Feb. 27, many Swifties pointed out that on Feb. 27, 1922, voting rights for women were upheld by the Supreme Court. This could also be honored by the 19 hands clue, as it's the 19th amendment to the constitution.
5Etfw" columns="1" hidemedia="No"%
19 hands = 19th amendment @taylornation13@taylorswift13pic.twitter.com/4RpqvnAFU1
— Ruairí (@GlaadSwiftie) February 25, 2020
The full music video for "The Man" will be the third one that Swift has released in support of the song. She first dropped a lyric video, before putting out a video of herself performing the track live in Paris.