Taylor Swift might be gearing up to announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version) — and we’re ready for it.
Swift has been making her way through the rerecordings — and rereleases — of her first six albums since her masters were sold to Scooter Braun in 2019. After Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) both dropped In 2021, Swift released Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in July, while 1989 (Taylor’s Version) hit shelves in October.
With just two rerecords left to announce — 2016’s Reputation and her 2006 self-titled debut — fans have begun to look for hints as to which record is next on the list. All signs began to point toward Reputation when multiple singles were featured on various TV shows earlier this summer, like “Delicate (Taylor’s Version)” and “Look What You Made Me Do,” which appeared on Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty and Wilderness, respectively.
Swift has also seemingly been transitioning her wardrobe to incorporate more “Rep era” tones like black, silver and gold, a signature move she often turns to when wanting to hint at upcoming projects.
“Easter eggs can be left on clothing or jewelry,” Swift explained in a 2019 interview with Entertainment Weekly. “This is one of my favorite ways to do this because you wear something that foreshadows something else.” And people don’t always find this one out immediately, but they know you’re probably sending a message.”
Keep scrolling for every hint Swift is about to announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version):
Every Song But ‘I Did Something Bad’
Since kicking off the Eras Tour in March 2023, Swift has performed every song off Reputation during the “surprise songs” section of the concert with the exception of one: “I Did Something Bad.”
Fans believe holding off on the track may be intentional, as it could be a wink and a nod to Rep’s designated “era,” much like she previously held off on performing “New Romantics,” until she announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
Silver, Black and Gold All Over
Prior to her Speak Now (TV) and 1989 (TV) release, Swift subtly changed the color of her Eras Tour outfits to hint at an upcoming album announcement.
During one of her November 2023 concerts in São Paulo, Brazil, the singer rocked a silver jacket for her performance of “The Man” and a silver dress during her Fearless era. Later in the show, her Speak Now gown was a pink design that featured black and gold embellishments throughout. (Black, gold and silver are Reputation’s signature colors.)
Dancers Drop Clues
One of Swift’s dancers on the Eras Tour, Jan Ravnik, took to social media in November 2023 to post a black and white photo of a snake via his Instagram Stories. The reptile served as the symbol for Swift’s Reputation era in 2016, referencing her feud with Kim Kardashian in which the reality star called Swift a snake.
Wink, Wink
After the Speak Now section during Swift’s first São Paulo concert in November 2023, eagle-eyed Swifties noticed that when she walked off the stage, she turned her head around and winked. Fans on social media theorized that the gesture may have indicated that Swift had a surprise up her sleeve during the tour’s other Brazil show dates.
Tick Tock on the Clock
Swift was named TIME’s 2023 Person of the Year in December 2023. As part of the announcement, artist Jane Perkins created a mosaic portrait of the singer packed with more than 30 Easter eggs. On the picture’s right side, fans noticed a toy snake placed next to a clock with the hands pointed at 12 and 7. The snake and clock also sit next to a friendship bracelet that says “Taylor’s Version,” leading many to believe Swift would release Reputation (Taylor’s Version) on December 7, 2023.
Supporting the theory was the fact that Swift’s “Rep Memories” Instagram Story highlights began on December 7, 2017. The first post from the series is a behind-the-scenes video of Swift and Jack Antonoff writing the track “Getaway Car.”
The Devil’s in the (Stylish) Details
Swift stepped out for dinner with pal Blake Lively in January 2024, wearing a green, velvet dress and snakeskin boots. Since snakes have become the signature iconography of Reputation, fans theorized that she was swapping her style to match the era.
Blast From the Past
In February 2024, Swifities noticed that the singer unarchived an Instagram post from November 2017 featuring Reputation’s original cover art. “3 days until #reputation,” the post’s caption reads.
Fans made the discovery three days before Swift was set to attend the 2024 Grammy Awards. As a result, many Swifties theorized that she would announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version) at the awards show.
A New Profile Photo and an Error Code
On the morning of the 2024 Grammys, Swift’s official social media profiles featured a new photo. It was still the image of her holding a lighter from Midnights — but it was now in black and white. The color scheme of Reputation is, of course, largely black and white.
Fans also speculated that the album announcement might be made at the Grammys due to Reputation getting snubbed by the Recording Academy when it was first released. It only received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.
Her official website also seemed to have a fake error message. The code “hneriergrd” seem to be the letters of “red herring” scrambled while the “321” error codes could be a reference to fans screaming “3, 2, 1, let’s go bitch!” during her performances of “Delicate,” a track from Reputation.
