Scientist uncovers a hidden pattern in Taylor Swift's songs - and it hints at what she could release next

For a woman whose career has been built on reinvention, Taylor Swift may be far more predictable than fans realise.A scientist who analysed more than 100,000 words from the superstar's song catalogue has uncovered a hidden pattern running through her lyrics.Swift has a 'particular fascination' with colour, counterfactuality (what could have happened if things were different), embodiment, opposition and time.Analysis showed that the artist's most over-represented colour is grey, that she tends to zero-in on body parts and that most songs refer to how other people perceive her.These trends have persisted over two decades and also appear in her latest songs, Dr Naomi Adam, a researcher in literary linguistics at the University of Liverpool, wrote on The Conversation.And the pattern is so strong that these themes are likely to also appear in what she releases next.'Change is a core part of the Swift marketing machine, which revolves around the evolution of her "eras",' Dr Adam wrote.'The lyrics to these tracks, however, prove that Swift can be associated with continuity just as much as change.' Analysis showed that the artist's most over-represented colour is grey, that she tends to zero-in on body parts and that most songs refer to how other people perceive her A scientists has found key patterns that appear in many of Swift's songs across the last few decades. Pictured: Taylor Swift prepares to perform backstage during the Academy Of Country Music New Artists' Show in 2007Dr Adam explains that since the release of her debut album in 2006, Swift has 'transformed from a ringleted country ingenue to a slick city dweller to (for her latest album cycle) a sequin-clad showgirl.'She added: 'That cycle has just been extended with the arrival of The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, featuring four new bonus tracks, including the single Patient Zero.'To investigate the lyrics, Dr Adam created a bespoke digital database of every publicly available track by the artist.It contains 247 songs spread across 12 studio albums, as well as lyrics from extended releases, charity singles and non-album singles.It also encompasses contributions to film soundtracks, songs written for other artists and unreleased demo recordings.The database, called the Taylor Lyric Corpus (TaLyCo) contains 123,553 words in total.'This comprehensive collection of Swift's writing makes it easy to pinpoint recurring patterns over the course of her 20-plus year career,' Dr Adam said.Taylor Swift (pictured in 2007) started as a 'ringleted country ingenue' (left). However, she has 'transformed' over the years (pictured in 2025) (right)A key theme present throughout many of Swift's songs is colour, she explained, adding that one critic previously described it as an 'obsession'. Recurring patterns in Taylor Swift’s songs ColourCounterfactuality (what could have happened if things were different)Embodiment (turning emotions into bodily sensations)OppositionTimeHow other people perceive herClothing Songs such as Maroon, Lavender Haze, White Horse and Gold Rush all reference colour, while on album was even titled Red.One of her latest songs, released as the Encore, is titled Pink Clouding.However, her most-used colour is grey, Dr Adam revealed – for example in the lyrics 'Did I paint your bluest skies a darkest grey' in the song Coney Island, along with the opening lyrics to Evermore – 'Grey November, I've been down since July'.'Aside from an obsession with colour, Swift has also been described as "obsessed by how others perceive her",' she said.'Nowhere is this more evident than in the opening verse of new song Cleveland!'Swift offers a sardonic assessment of herself which borrows heavily from public perception: "And with all of that money, why's she dressed like trash? / When she smiles, it's annoying."'Other songs that offer this outside perspective include 2014's Shake It Off and 2024's Who's Afraid of Little Old Me.Other patterns include repeated references to body parts.Across her four new tracks Swift mentions arms, elbows, faces, hearts, lips and shoulders.There is also an abundance of clothing – cardigans, Eagles T-shirts, skirts that are short or tight or little, black dresses and old faded blue jeans all figure across past tracks.Across Swift's songs, items of clothing are rarely just fashion choices, Dr Adam argues. Instead, they are often used as symbols of identity and self-expression.'Swift's latest Encore tracks have met with a polarised response, including among some fans who have negatively compared the lyrics to those of earlier albums,' she concluded.'Yet our corpus-based studies suggest Swift is writing much as she has always done - producing lyrics which are highly detailed, suffused with speculation and colourful in every sense of the word.'She will discuss the research and its findings in an upcoming book, written with colleague Suzanna McClure, called The Lyrics of Taylor Swift.