Taylor Swift Just Dropped Her New Song and Music Video—and They’re So Surprising

Christopher Rosa
Updated
The TS7 era has officially begun.

Taylor Swift's new era is officially here. The pop singer just released the first single from her upcoming seventh album. It's called "Me!," and, interestingly, it features Brendon Urie from Panic! at the Disco. Swift revealed on Instagram that both the song and music video for "Me!" will drop at midnight on Friday, April 26.

Check out the song and video for yourself, below:

The ramp-up to this song has been monstrous. Swift switched up her Instagram aesthetic in February, leading fans to believe new music was on the way. Of course, from this birthed several theories about her next chapter. Palm trees, butterflies, and mermaids were all common motifs in the images she was posting, and their significance was a mystery. Some thought the bubbly new vibe just meant Swift's music would be lighter and happier than 2017's Reputation. Others posited the butterfly theme hinted at some kind of metamorphosis, either visually or sonically.

Swift didn't do much to bolster or deny the theories until Thursday, April 25, when she showed up at a butterfly mural in Nashville that many speculated was about her music. Centered on this mural was the word "Me!"

"So... @kelseymontagueart [the mural artist] helped me pull off the best surprise clue reveal today in Nashville!!" Swift posted to Instagram about the stunt. "Thank you to everyone who showed up, I’ve never been more proud of your FBI level detective skills."

"Me!" first gained traction a few months ago, when Swift randomly capitalized it in one of her Instagram captions. She also capitalized the words begin and another, in other posts, so it's safe to say they'll hold some value later down the line.

Taylor Swift originally hinted at new music at the American Music Awards in October 2018, when she said, "I always look at albums as chapters of my life, so to the fans I'm so happy you liked this one. But I have to be really honest with you about something: I'm even more excited about the next chapter."

See the video.