The release of Lover, Taylor Swift’s new album, is imminent, and the rumors are flying. After turning bad blood into cookies and fast food with former nemesis Katy Perry, Swifties are wondering if the famously collab-happy Swift invited other pop stars to appear on Lover. Rumors first began about an Ariana Grande-Swift duet (and were later summarily dismissed), but the chatter persists. Words on the tweets has it that Perry and Selena Gomez are featured guests on Lover.
The rumor started, as many do these days, on a Swift stan account. According to Twitter user @blessedswifty, an alleged attendee at Swift’s secret listening party in London leaked the alleged goss. “There will be a Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez and Katy Perry collab,” says the account. “The song is all about women empowerment.”
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According to a fan who was invited and attended to #LoverSecretSessions, there will be a Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez and Katy Perry collab. The song is all about women empowerment. pic.twitter.com/IVXtaDAMgO
— Taylor Swift Facts (@blessedswifty) August 3, 2019
Let’s examine the veracity of this rumor. Swift’s raison d’etre is all about empowering women, so the unknown song’s subject matter wouldn’t be a surprise. Gomez and Swift have been close friends for a long time, and have never performed on a song together. Gomez is also reportedly back in the studio, after attending to physical and mental health issues. It’s entirely possible that she might have recorded a guest bit for Swift while at the mic.
As far as Perry goes, we already know that the two had problems, and they appear to have solved them. Their reunion was met with fanfare, and Swift and Perry hugged it out in the music video for “You Need To Calm Down,” while dressed as French fries and a hamburger, respectively. Was Perry’s appearance in the video a clue about a bigger collab?
Meanwhile, skeptical Swifties aren’t betting their Happy Meals on it. Replies to the original tweet are a mixed bag, with many challenging the ethics of leaking information from a secret listening session.
Refinery29 has reached out the Swift for comment. Lover will be released on August 23.
wtf? do yall legit not understand the meaning of secret session? yall are not supposed to leak any fucking details abt the album. we have to respect taylor's decision. she put a lot of trust in yall sessioners
— khayhaytay (@khayri_hay) August 3, 2019
I don't care if it's true,but if you're invited to the secret sessions you should keep it a secret and not waste Taylor's kindness??
— TS-LG (@astudentincn) August 3, 2019
Yall just make it too damn easy to trick you pic.twitter.com/5kEGSput4G
— Schmidtty (@plzdiekthnx13) August 3, 2019
— จักรินทร์ดาวร้าย. (@happiiw) August 3, 2019