Taylor Swift fans just got pranked with the oldest trick in the book

Never gonna give you up...
Taylor Swift fans just got pranked with the oldest trick in the book
Wait, what? Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Messing with Taylor Swift fans on the day she returns to the spotlight is a big no-no—but that did not deter one brave, unknown soul who decided to risk it all.

Someone out in the world cunningly preyed on the eager hearts of Swifties on Thursday afternoon (just hours before the midnight release of the first single off of her forthcoming sixth studio album, "Reputation") by creating a website with a countdown.

The site, reputationworldtour.com, suggested the single would come earlier than expected. It didn't, and what came instead was a prank as old as internet time.

The website looks legitimate, with links out to each of Swift's social media accounts. But the most important part of the site—the space that reads "single release in 00:00:00" and "check back at 11 A.M. Eastern"—was quickly replaced by a YouTube video of, you guessed it, Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Swifties, in the year of 2017, you have unfortunately just been rick rolled.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

If you're a fan who fell for the prank, don't worry, you are not alone. People jumped on Twitter to exclaim their pride, and disappointment, in the mastermind behind the prank—and at least one person out there was convinced it was Swift herself behind the joke.

Either we have a conniving genius on our hands or this is Swift's way of hinting that Astley will be joining her on the eventual world tour.

Who even knows anymore?

(H/T Buzzfeed)

Topics Music

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