- Taylor Swift’s love for the number 13 originated from her birthday, December 13, 1989.
- Many of Swift’s career milestones involve the number 13, like getting signed to RCA Records at age 13.
- Swift interacts with fans using the number 13, often showing the number in music videos and releasing content on the 13th day of the month.
Why is 13 meaningful to Taylor Swift?
Taylor Swift’s birthday is December 13th, 1989. She also celebrated her 13th birthday on Friday the 13th in 2002. Her 35th and 52nd birthdays will also fall on Friday the 13th.
She signed with RCA Records at age 13. 13-year-old Swift had already made several trips to Nashville, Tennessee, trying to get a record deal, and she got her artist developmental contract with RCA after she began writing her own songs. She decided not to renew her contract after a year, however, because she only wanted to record songs she had helped write.
Her first album went gold in 13 weeks. Taylor Swift released her debut self-titled album on October 24, 2006. The album sold just under 40,000 units in its first week and continued to rise in popularity. Swift was surprised by the album’s success and thought she would be lucky if the album reached gold status.
5 of her songs peaked at 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Many of her songs ranked on the Billboard Hot 100, but only 5 peaked at exactly 13. The songs are “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “White Horse,” “Ours,” “Gorgeous,” and “Mastermind.” “Mastermind” is also track 13 on Midnights. Since the release of the Taylor’s Version albums, her songs “Red (Taylor’s Version) and “Mine (Taylor’s Version)” also peaked at 13, but their original recordings did not.
Her first Number 1 hit had an (unintentional) 13-second intro. Taylor Swift’s single “Our Song” reached number 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs. It held the spot for 6 weeks and made Swift the youngest person to write and sing a Hot Country Number 1 at 17 years old. Swift has stated that the 13-second intro was unintentional. Swift has since released other songs with a 13-second intro, like “The Lucky One” and “Call It What You Want,” and her popular song “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” is actually 10 minutes and 13 seconds.
How Taylor Swift Uses 13 in Her Career
She used to draw a 13 on her hand before playing live shows. Because 13 is her lucky number, Swift often wore it for performances. For the Fearless Tour and Speak Now Tour, Swift would draw a 13 on her hand in eyeliner and Sharpie before each show. She believed the number would help her have a successful show.
She announces or releases content on the 13th. Fans have come to expect news from Taylor Swift on the 13th of a given month. This seems to be especially true for the month of October. She released a clip of “Out of the Woods” on October 13, 2014, announced the bonus tracks of Midnights on October 13, 2022, and released the Eras Tour Movie on October 13, 2023. The Eras Tour Movie will also be available to rent on December 13, 2023.
The 13th tracks on her albums are often meaningful songs. Track 13 is often reserved for Swift’s most personal and vulnerable songs. The 13th track on folklore, “epiphany” compares healthcare professionals’ COVID-19 experience to her grandfather’s experience fighting in World War II. Her album evermore features “marjorie,” a tribute to Swift’s late-grandmother, as track 13. Fun fact: Swift’s grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, was an opera singer, and her vocals can be heard in the background of “marjorie.”
She often references 13 on social media. Taylor Swift often incorporates her favorite number into her online interactions. Her X username is taylorswift13, which is also 13 characters long. When interacting with fans on livestreams or in comment sections, she often comments a string of 13 emojis. When she posts a screenshot of a song she’s listening to, it’s always paused at 13 seconds.
She likes to sit in row 13 at award shows. In 2009, Swift stated that whenever she won an award, she was in row 13. Because the number gave her luck, she would always try to sit in seat 13, row 13, or row M (the 13th letter of the alphabet).
The number 13 is often shown in her music videos. Taylor Swift loves leaving easter eggs for her fans. While these are often hints to upcoming songs or albums, sometimes they’re just nods to Swift herself. For example, in the music video for “Ours,” Swift’s cubicle is on the 13th floor, and in “Out of the Woods,” she falls 13 times. She also references her past in “I Can See You” by drawing a 13 on her hand.
She incorporates the number into her merch. Swift sometimes adds 13 as a personal touch to the things she sells. The number was printed on the top of her fragrance boxes, and she included 13 polaroids of herself with the original 1989 CD.
She wrote an unreleased song called “Thirteen Blocks.” Sometimes called “Can’t Call It Love,” this song is rumored to have been written for Swift’s debut album, Taylor Swift. The use of 13 is ironic here because Swift’s lucky number is being used to depict a failing relationship.
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