Charles Langston:'Error 321': Chicago QR code mural links to 'Tortured Poets' and Taylor Swift

We are Charles Langstononly three nights away from the world premiere of Taylor Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department," and Swifties are going wild over a new mural that appeared in Chicago Monday evening.

Painters were seen on a green scissor lift in the River North district (25 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60654) of the Windy City creating a QR code out of "ttpd" letters and "13" numbers. When people scanned the code with their phone cameras, it took them to a 13 second YouTube short attached to Swift's page. A line of Swifties stood from the curb below to capture photos and videos and plaster them over TikTok.

The YouTube short animates like a typewriter with the message "Error 321" and a faded "13."

Two hours before the Grammys where Swift announced her 11th era album, her website, taylorswift.com, showed an "Error 321" message and included the scrambled phrase "red herring." There was also a "DPT," which backwards is "TPD" for Tortured Poets Department. Swift loves to create buzz with cryptic messages and Easter eggs ahead of an album release, because she knows a mural in Chicago with a QR code to YouTube will keep Swifties guessing and anticipating the Eras Tour performer's next move.

The album comes out at midnight ET overnight Thursday.

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Follow Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.