Taylor Swift surprised fans when she revealed that she would be dropping her eighth studio album, Folklore, in the early hours of Friday morning.

The Lover singer tends to create a huge hype around her new releases, teasing trailers and images for weeks beforehand - but this time around, her announcement came as a total surprise.

Swift is certainly a fan of dropping subtle Easter eggs throughout her work, and fans immediately began analysing her song names, cover artwork and announcement for any hidden messages.

Here’s all the details fans noticed in the announcement:

The jacket she wears could belong to Joe Alwyn

Taylor Swift’s English boyfriend Joe tends to feature subtly in her recent songs. The jacket she wears on the cover image appears to be from British brand Barbour, leaving many wondering if it’s a subtle nod to her relationship.

The release date could be a nod to her favourite number

It’s no secret that Taylor loves the number 13 - she references it multiple times in songs and videos.

She once revealed: “Every time I've won an award I've been seated in either the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section or row M, which is the 13th letter. Basically whenever a 13 comes up in my life, it's a good thing."

As a result, fans are speculating the the announcement has something to do with her lucky number.

It’s a return to Red

Red, one of her earlier albums, was a fan favourite. The album was back when she was considered a country artist, but had some strong pop references - and fans think she may be making a return to that era, or even experimenting with cottagecore.

It’s not an easter egg

Funnily enough, the biggest clue is that… there are no clues. Taylor has dropped all of her usual promo tactics for Folklore, leaving fans completely unawares.

As she turned 30 late last year, it could be that she’s embracing a new version of herself minus the marketing for this decade.