As a lifelong Taylor Swift fan, I was ecstatic when I learned that Taylor was planning on posting a “Lavender Haze” music video, which was released Jan. 27, 2023. The fact that it was written and directed by Swift herself only contributed to my growing enthusiasm. The song alone is one of my favorites off of Swift’s newest album, Midnights, and the music video did not leave me disappointed either.

If you are a fan of Taylor Swift as well, then you know that she puts an abundance of Easter eggs into all of her pieces, whether it’s a music video or simply the song lyrics themselves. This new video is no exception, as it is filled with sly mentions and double meanings. 

The music video for “Lavender Haze” starts with Swift lying in bed, with the camera panning up until it hits a clock that changes to read 12:00—midnight—just  as the lyrics start, “Meet me at midnight.” It is the perfect beginning, especially considering the fact that we see the first Easter egg soon after: a vinyl album labeled Mastermind—another song from Midnights—that is decorated with scenes from space including the Pisces and Sagittarius star constellations. This is significant because Joe Alwyn, Swift’s boyfriend of six years, is a Pisces, and Swift herself is a Sagittarius; this is only the first subtle detail to be found.

One of my favorite Easter eggs found is in the middle of the music video when Swift is watching TV. On the TV, we see her love interest talking on the weather channel—where, I would just like to mention, there is a chance of midnight rain. But the reason that I admire it so much is because of the reference to “Karma,” another song from Midnights, which has the lyrics, “Karma is my boyfriend,” and later, “Karma is the guy on the screen / Coming straight home to me.” Her supposed boyfriend is the weatherman who would eventually go home to Swift.

The way that Swift described the video as a whole when announcing it, as a “1970s fever dream,” is exceptionally accurate. The entirety of the music video is bursting with various hues of lavender, from the smoke that Swift is dancing into the flowers that are growing in her living room. The colors mostly have a darker, more muted tone. Throughout the video, it gradually gets brighter until the smoke that Swift dances in with her love interest, played by Laith Ashley, is a vivid purple rather than the smoky, grayish hue that the smoke was at the start. This choice of coloration aids in the fever-dream vibe.

I feel that most music videos—both Swift’s and other artists—don’t make a lot of sense. Rarely is there a true plot, and it is often simply the artist giving the audience their interpretation of what the song would look like if it were to become more than words. I can appreciate this because it would most likely be very difficult to create a plot that made sense with most song lyrics. “Lavender Haze” isn’t much different; there are many deeper meanings, but no storyline. Luckily, this does not hinder the energy of the overall music video because of how well it matches the feel of the song as a whole.

Altogether, the “Lavender Haze” music video is remarkable. Not unlike most of her other music videos, there is an abundance of hidden messages and meanings that add to the fun if you know to look for them. It makes me extremely excited to see if there are any more music videos she will release from Midnights.