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Quick, quick, tell me something awful, like you had no idea there was a Taylor Swift TikTok challenge going on right now. There is no need to go full-on “I Hate It Here,” though, you still have until September 12 to play brilliant games and win brilliant prizes.
The Taylor Swift The Eras Tour Bead Collection activity began back at the start of summer, on June 20, and carried on with new tasks every week through which fans could collect virtual album-themed beads to create a Swiftie friendship bracelet that they could then proudly display on their profile page as a frame for their profile picture.
There are a total of 11 beads, starting with a typewriter bead for The Tortured Poets Department, a jewel bead for Midnights, a pine tree bead for Evermore, a mirrorball for Folklore, a heart for Lover, a snake for Reputation, a bike for 1989 (Taylor’s Version), a “22” hat for Red (Taylor’s Version), a flower for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), a guitar for Fearless (Taylor’s Version), and, finally, a butterfly for Self-Titled.
Here’s how you can collect them all
Picture yourself as Thanos in Infinity War, except you have to create TikTok videos instead of terrorizing entire populations to collect your little gems. You can go back to complete the tasks of previous weeks until Sept. 12.
Step 1: Search for TSTheErasTour on your TikTok search bar
Start by searching the hashtag “TSTheErasTour” or “The Eras Tour” on your TikTok search bar. Beware this only works on the mobile version of the app. A banner will pop up with the option to “Explore Now” — click that.
Step 2: Go week by week to collect the 11 beads
After clicking “Explore Now,” TikTok will take you directly to the most recent challenge, so make sure to scroll left to the very first week: TTPD. Click “Unlock the Bead” and you will receive a list of tasks. The first week has the lengthiest list, asking fans to follow both Taylor Swift and Taylor Nation’s TikTok pages. Then, like every other week, you have to share the link to the bead challenge with a friend, watch a video, add a song to your favorite streaming app, and create a post with a given hashtag. You can do this by clicking the white button near the task. After you’ve carried it out, it will automatically turn grey and change to “Done.” Posting a video might require leaving the challenge page and returning for the task to be marked as complete.
Every week has a variation of this “to-do list.” After you’re done, you will collect the bead. There were also temporary album-themed profile frames available but they’ve expired now. However, after you collect all 11 beads you will still be able to show off your Certified Swiftie Profile Frame until Sept. 12. Some fans have expressed frustrations with this frame, saying they haven’t received it despite unlocking the bead, so keep that in mind.
What is all this for?
That is what fans are still trying to figure out. It could just be an initiative to promote The Eras Tour (as if it needs any more outreach) and create a sense of community for Swifties. But, as usual, with Taylor Swift, there is a real chance there could be more to it. The singer is famous for utilizing Easter Eggs to tease upcoming projects, making the egg hunt now a crucial aspect of Swiftie-dom and conditioning every fan to believe she’s up to something at all times.
With the bead challenge, the leading theory is that sporting that Certified Swiftie badge might make you eligible for some kind of surprise gift. Fans have been receiving tickets for the Eras Tour through TikTok recently, for example. So, could this challenge be a pre-selection for some especially lucky Swifties? Or will this count toward future secret sessions (album listening parties that Swift used to throw at her own house back in the day)? Maybe some hidden clues hinting at a future release? No one knows for sure.
Sept. 12 is fast approaching, and we will find out then whether this was just a bit of a fun, or a bigger scheme all along. Either way, the beads are *said in James Reynolds’ voice* gorgeous.