Taylor Swift has serenaded her fans every Eras Tour stop with the lyrics, “Are you ready for it?” and the answer is, of course, we are. For about a year now, fans have speculated, theorized and clowned for “reputation (Taylor’s Version),” but when will the vault finally be cracked?
Is This Taylor’s Version?
Swift has released four of her six albums that she has set out to reclaim. “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” was released in the spring of 2021 and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” later that fall.
Swift is notorious for her meticulous planning and shocking announcements, so it didn’t surprise fans when on May 5, 2023 she announced on stage the release of her version of “Speak Now.” The stadium and fans at home went ballistic at the announcement.
Aug. 8, 2023 was eight years, nine months and 13 days since the original release of “1989,” which could’ve meant nothing, but for Swifties it meant everything. Swift debuted four new blue dresses that August night and during her acoustic set she announced the release date of “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”
Billboard praised Swift for her re-recordings, saying, “She has pulled off a coup of re-marketing her own career to a new generation of fans, while forging an even deeper connection with long-haul Swifties.”
A Clowned Fanbase: Grammys 2024
The 2024 Grammys was a night filled with Easter eggs, awards and announcements for Swift. The morning of the Grammys, Swift changed her profile picture from her “Midnights” album cover to a black and white version.
Which album cover is black and white? “Reputation.”
Some of Swift’s closest friends, including Gracie Abrams, Jack Antonoff and Boygenius arrived in their somewhat coordinated black and white outfits.
In a floor length white gown, Swift arrived, with Lana Del Rey in a black dress. At this point fans were certain that this could only mean one thing.
When “Midnights” was announced as the winner of the “Pop Vocal Album” award, Swift gave an unexpected speech saying, “I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years, which is that my brand new album comes out April 19.”
No one guessed that this announcement would be a new album instead of a re-recorded album.
Theory Talk
New theories circulate on social media every day, but the most creative theory I’ve seen stems from the Harry Potter and Marvel universe.
In Swift’s 2023 Time “Person of the Year” article, she commented on her re-recording journey.
“I’m collecting horcruxes. I’m collecting Infinity Stones. Gandalf’s voice is in my head every time I put out a new one. For me, it is a movie now,” she said.
The infinity stones are colored dark blue, gold, red, purple, green and orange; Swifties believe this is directly correlated with the colors of her re-recorded albums. With a similar idea, it’s speculated that Swift was hinting at a connection between the horcruxes’ destruction and reclaiming these albums.
The theory I believe is a pattern that Swift has followed: one year she drops two re-recorded albums and the next a new album. I secretly hope this pattern doesn’t continue because I want “reputation” sooner than 2025. My belief is that she will announce “reputation” at the end of her tour, with a dramatic performance of “I did something bad.”
The truth is, although fans have become smarter and more investigative, we can almost never expect what Swift has in store for us next.
h.edmonds@dailyutahchronicle.com
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