Kelli Giddish Got an Inside Look at How Taylor Swift Preps for a Performance

Though she was nominated for five Emmys, Taylor Swift did not make an appearance at the awards show. Instead, the pop star was cheering on her husband, Travis Kelce, as the Kansas City Chiefs played (and won) their first game of football season. However, she did delight fans by making an appearance in a pre-taped SVU sketch alongside Mariska Hargitay and Kelli Giddish, in which Swift played a rookie detective whose team was trying to uncover whether or not "Taylor Swift" would walk the Emmy's carpet. If you've ever wondered how a veteran performer gets ready to go on stage, PureWow sat down with Giddish, who plays Detective/Sergeant Amanda Rollins, as the actress revealed Swift's surprisingly simple ritual before stepping on-screen.

"I got to see her right before 'Action,' be by herself, preparing for her scene...this is exactly how she probably treats an arena," Giddish told PureWow's senior social creator Kate Kesselman. "Just a moment of solitude by herself, getting her sh*t together. Just being able to bear witness to such a mega star—we all do the same thing. It's a moment of quiet to get yourself together and to prep yourself, to pump yourself up or calm yourself down. It was cool I got to see that even from her."

The sketch was fitting for Swift, who is both a huge fan of the show (one of her cat's names is Olivia Benson, after Hargitay's character) and a lover of clues—AKA Easter eggs—herself. Indeed, the Showgirl songstress used her appearance as an opportunity to drop a basket of clues that had fans buzzing immediately after the segment aired. In particular, Swifties worked rapidly, trying to decode a string of words Swift delivered directly to the camera: "Saccharide, Aries, from the vineyard, north or south."

Many believe it ultimately pointed to the new music video, Patient Zero, Swift premiered at the VMAs (where she was also honored with the inaugural Artist Director Honors), and the four bonus tracks she released for The Life of a Showgirl. However, this fan thinks the Emmys Easter eggs are still pointing to a possible drop of re-recordings for both Swift's eponymous debut and Reputation. What can I say? I'm a holdout.