Hi there! I’d quite like to try to contribute to all of your theorising, I hope that’s alright ☺️
Returning once more to the subject of the number 9 (because theorising is almost more fun when there may never be a definitive answer, and all interpretations can be considered!) I saw an interview the other day in which Mika discussed that he liked the number 3, calling it a ‘magic number’, a term often used to refer to 3 owing to its significance in many things such as religion, biology, and how it’s the perfect amount of things to list for effect (see what I did there 😉). Mika said he used to wear things such as watches in threes because he liked the number.
9 is 3 squared, aka 3x3, so could that make 9 significant to him for being almost the ultimate magic number? If this album is him showing how he has developed and become stronger it could point to him having strengthened from 3 to 3x3?? This would perhaps fit with the x9x you spotted on his shirt too. I’ll be the first to admit this is all probably too far fetched as an explanation, but I wanted to share it anyway!
Here’s a piece which offers some examples which explain three’s status as a ‘magic number’- https://www.phactual.com/3-the-magic-number/
and here’s the video I saw Mika mention it in, starting at 1:19- https://youtu.be/bjqiNVAalHw
He also happens to confirm in a question afterwards that if he was an animal he’d be a duck, which I guess could link to the geese thing you were discussing earlier?? 😅