We're all for a conspiracy theory and we've been convinced of yet another. Yes, we think it's very likely that Olivia Rodrigo is teasing lyrics from an upcoming – and still unannounced – album, using the most unexpected medium: her concert encore T-shirts.
Across the European leg of her Guts tour – and most recently headlining Lollapalooza in Chicago – Rodrigo has been emerging onstage for encores in a rotating lineup of graphic tees, each emblazoned with cryptic phrases. On the surface, they may seem like quirky statements or inside jokes. But for fans paying close attention, there’s a growing theory: these shirts are deliberate Easter eggs – potential lyrics from new songs. (And as a childhood Taylor Swift mega-fan – we wouldn't be surprised if Rodrigo was following in her scheming footsteps.)
One particularly meta moment came in Manchester, where Rodrigo wore a tee that read, “Did you get that hint?” – practically daring fans to crack the code.
What do we know so far?
The pattern began in New York, where Rodrigo wore a shirt that read “New York City's never looked so blue”. And since then, she’s been spotted in similarly mysterious shirts at every stop, each with an evocative phrase: “Melt with you” in the Netherlands, “You know all the words to Just Like Heaven. Or do you?” at Glastonbury, and “Zombie in my body” in Chicago.
Other notable shirts include “Sticky Sweet” in Madrid, “It’s too quiet” in Dublin, “Looking for an issue” in Belgium, and “Right. Wrong. Totally Insane” in Portugal. Each phrase feels emotionally charged, and very suspiciously like Rodrigo-isms.
But there are also some outliers – like the bumble bee shirt she donned in Milan. Could that be a hint as to one of the four letters in her iconic four-letter album titles? Fans have already been deliberating on social media as to the potential name of OR3. Is it BORN, BRIM, BURN? Only time will tell who guessed correctly...
The singer has a history of breadcrumb-style teases – her Guts rollout included cryptic visuals and subtle hints months before any official announcement. And now that we're at the end of her Guts World Tour, it's looking like there will be a nice gap in her schedule to start promoting something new.
Which encore T-shirts has she worn so far?
View this post on Instagram
At her Osheaga headlining show, she wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the number '3' – we think we know what that means (a third album ofc).
View this post on Instagram
"New York City's never looked so blue" T-shirt at Gov Ball in New York.
View this post on Instagram
"Did you get that hint?" T-shirt in Manchester, night one.
View this post on Instagram
"KillJoy" T-shirt in Manchester, night two.
View this post on Instagram
“Melt with you” T-shirt in the Netherlands.
View this post on Instagram
"You know all the words to Just Like Heaven. Or do you?" T-shirt at Glastonbury.
View this post on Instagram
"Zombie in my body" T-shirt at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
View this post on Instagram
Bumble bee T-shirt at I-Days Festival in Milan.
View this post on Instagram
"Sticky Sweet" T-shirt at Mad Cool Festival in Madrid.
View this post on Instagram
"Looking for an issue" T-shirt in Belgium.
View this post on Instagram
"It's too quiet' T-shirt in Dublin.
View this post on Instagram
“The colours are all flat” T-shirt at Lollapalooza in Paris.
View this post on Instagram
"Hop the fence in the park" T-shirt at Roskidle Festival in Denmark.
View this post on Instagram
"Visit your town like a tourist" T-shirt at BST Hyde Park in London.
View this post on Instagram
“Right. Wrong. Totally Insane” T-shirt at Nos Alive Festival in Portugal.
What do we know so far about the new album?
So far, no new album has been confirmed, but given Rodrigo’s love of narrative detail and theatrical rollout strategies, it wouldn’t be surprising if these shirts are part of a carefully orchestrated build-up.
You can read everything we know so far about Olivia Rodrigo's third album here.
