Bruce Springsteen has now posted three mysterious images to his Instagram over the past days. The photos, which depict somewhat psychedelic natural imagery of trees and dessert scenes, have all been posted with no captions or explanations from Springsteen.

Unsurprisingly, fans have been sent into a flurry of speculation about the meaning of the Instagram posts. Many initially interpreted the first to be in celebration of Earth Day given the timing of the post, but the following photos over the next two days have given hope that Springsteen may be set to release new music soon.

Springsteen is just coming off a run of his Broadway show Springsteen on Broadway, which rapped up last December. As his show came to an end, rumours circulated that the E Street Band might set out on a new tour. In response, Springsteen clarified on his Instagram that they would not be touring in 2019:

Springsteen wrote that his break from touring would be spent focusing on "various recording projects I've been working on"- perhaps his recent posts tease this new material. One popular fan theory is that the images depict Joshua trees, leading many to wonder if a collaboration with U2 many be in the works. Springsteen and his representatives have not released any comment about his recent posts, so for now, all fans can do is guess.

Surprise album releases and social media puzzles have become increasingly popular with many artists. Taylor Swift has been dropping clues about her forthcoming album, flaunting a new pastel look with little explanation. Beyoncé, who is probably most well known for surprise releases, has given fans an especially exciting week, first dropping a new Coachella concert film on Netflix, and then releasing her album Lemonade onto all major streaming services.