With the release of her new album “Midnights,” Swift has received an incredible amount of attention on all social media platforms. Per usual, fans have flocked to pick through her songs, hoping to decode a lyric or unveil a secret. On TikTok, her song “Karma” has already proven important for a new trend of revenge against ugly and toxic exes — which we’re absolutely here for. RELATED: Decoding the Meaning Behind Taylor Swift’s New Album ‘Midnights’ Outside of people creating new trends with the album, there are also millions of new theories about Swift’s music. From intentional connections to Harry Styles’ music, references to previous albums, alleged baby names, or even ties to mysterious poet June Bates — can we handle any more rumors hidden in this album? The “June Bates Theory” has fans thinking Swift may be a published poet under a secret pen name. We can’t be all too surprised, as everyone and their mother knows Swift is known for her easter eggs.
Is Taylor Swift writing poetry as ‘June Bates’?
Swift’s new album has ties to poetry released by an elusive author named June Bates, prompting fans to think the two might be the same person.
June Bates’ work is linked to Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ album.
On October 18, Bates released a poetry collection titled “The Lavender Haze: Sapphic Poetry.” The book’s release came after, on October 6, Swift unveiled the tracklist for “Midnights” ahead of the album’s October 21 release. RELATED: Backlash Towards Taylor Swift’s ‘Fatphobic’ Music Video Is Missing The Point On that tracklist was a song titled, you guessed it, “Lavender Haze” and this is where the theory originates. TikToker and dedicated Swiftie Emily Stokes released a video on October 24th, three days after ‘Midnights’ was released, hashing out the June Bates theory. “i used to hope karma would get you in your sleep. now i just prioritize my peace.”
Next, Stokes links a poem to Swift’s song, “Long Story Short.” Bates writes: “brave girls dive headfirst into love because we trust ourselves enough to survive the fall” In Swift’s song, she sings: “Pushed from the precipice / Climbed right back up the cliff / Long story short, I survived.” RELATED: 8 Times Taylor Swift & John Mayer Have Called Each Other Out Publicly Stokes goes on to share more poems with many more alleged connections to Swift: references to cats, making tea, having garden parties, direct relations to songs and referencing lovers as “sunshine." The reference to “sapphic poetry” in the collection’s title has also added to the theory that Swift is alluding to her queer identity in her music.
So, who is June Bates?
Some have speculated that the collection could be a fan’s clever conception but others have noted that the timeline between the tracklist release and the collection publishing is way too tight for an outsider to pull off.
Taylor Swift has discussed writing poetry in the past.
Apart from picking apart Swift’s lyrics for clues, fans have also resurfaced a Jimmy Fallon interview with Swift where she discusses writing poems very often over the past few years. RELATED: 9 Strict Rules Taylor Swift Allegedly Makes Her Boyfriends Follow — kat (@purplepinkskys) October 25, 2022 I guess, Swiftie or not, we’ll have to bear the anticipation of Swift possibly addressing the rumors to find out the truth. RELATED: Who Are Taylor Swift’s Songs (Allegedly) About? Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango. They cover topics ranging from pop culture analysis to human interest stories. They are currently based in East Lansing, MI. Catch up with them on their Instagram or TikTok.
