All The Latest Reputation (TV) Easter Eggs

As Swifties know, nothing is ever “just a coincidence” when it comes to Taylor Swift. Her devoted fans have examined every outfit, Instagram post, and music video in an effort to unveil any Easter eggs that might predict her next move, and their track record is quite impressive. They’ve predicted her album titles and song collabs, and even correctly foretold that she would announce the release date of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on Aug. 9, aka 8/9 — the last U.S. Eras Tour stop.

Reputation (Taylor’s Version) is the latest album with fan theories comparable to CIA-level investigations, and once again, the fans found some convincing Easter eggs to corroborate their claims that the re-release of her 2017 album is coming soon.

Out of all six of her re-records, Reputation (TV) is the one album Swift has been the most discreet about. With her other albums, she dropped singles, created puzzles based on her lyrics for fans to solve, and even wore each record’s signature color in cryptic Instagram posts to boost excitement. However, with Rep, it wasn’t until August 2023 when the album’s hit single “Look What You Made Me Do” was included in the season premiere of Wilderness, a new Prime Video series, that fans even knew that the re-recording existed.

So, no, Swift hasn’t come right out and posted her album cover with a release date attached, but fans aren’t surprised, as they anticipated this would be her approach to the press for Rep based on an Instagram post from 2017. Just two months before the album’s first release, Swift posted the cryptic caption, “There will be no further explanation. There will just be reputation” — a shock drop that people believe will be replicated for the re-release.

While Swift has been nodding to her album for years, the Easter eggs for Reputation (Taylor’s Version) have only gotten clearer. Here’s what you need to know.

The AMAs Clues

Fans are convinced that Swift will announce something big at the American Music Awards (aka the AMAs) on May 26. Ahead of the award show, fans noticed that the categories listed on the singer’s merch site — Apparel, Music, Accessories and Sale — spell out AMAs. On X, formerly called Twitter, Taylor Nation also hinted at the AMAs holding some significance. “And our town, it looks so sMall from wAy up here. Screamed, ‘vote for the chairman’ at the night sky. #AMAs,” the account posted on May 6. (Notice that the letters “AMAS” are capitalized in this post.)

The AMAs hold historical significance for Swift. In November 2019, Swift performed “The Man” at the award show, months after Big Machine Records sold her Masters to Scooter Braun. She wore a white shirt for the performance, decorated with the names of the albums she did not own. (Before the AMAs, Swift claimed that Big Machine was blocking her pre-Lover music, preventing her from performing a career-spanning medley at the show. They denied her claim, and she was eventually able to perform her older songs to celebrate being named Artist of the Decade.)

While fans hope the 2025 AMAs could set the scene for Swift to announce the re-release of Reputation, some think a different project could be on its way. Fans on X have pointed out that 12 items are on sale on Swift’s site for 26% off.

The alternate theory? Swift could be announcing her 12th album, aka TS12, at the show. Reminder: The AMAs are being held on May 26. The date of the show (5/26) only adds more fuel to this theory. 5+2+6=13, Swift’s lucky number.

Her Outfit Choices

As soon as every re-release rolls around, Swift seemingly embraces the fashion and beauty aesthetics of each original album. For Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), her rotation featured romantic shades of purple and pink. With Red (Taylor’s Version), she wore the fiery hue in practically every IG post ahead of its Nov. 12, 2021, release. Unsurprisingly, after she announced the release date for 1989 (Taylor’s Version), she was spotted wearing a lacy blue dress (reminiscent of the dress she wore in the “Style” music video) for a friend’s wedding.

While fans await the Rep re-release, they’ve been noticing every time Swift has channeled the aesthetic — including snakeskin accessories, reptilian jewelry, and Versace “Medusa corset.”

For Mother’s Day on May 11, Swift wore a midi dress from Christy Dawn. The black dress was covered in daisies, which Swifties think could have been a reference to one of her Reputation lyrics. In “Don’t Blame Me,” Swift sings, “I once was poison ivy but now I’m your daisy.”

The 2025 Theory

After The Tortured Poets Department, Swifties picked up on a pattern in how Swift was putting out her re-releases. So far, Swift has released two (Taylor’s Version) albums in 2021 and 2023, and new albums in 2022 and 2024. If this continues, Reputation and Taylor Swift should come out in 2025.

In April, Swift’s team filed the final trademark extension for Reputation (Taylor’s Version) and Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version). She has until Aug. 16 to prove to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) “intent to use” the terms before the trademark expires — that does not mean that either album will be released by that deadline, just that she submits evidence of her intention to USPTO. Otherwise, she will need to re-file for these trademarks.

The 321 Error Code

On Feb. 4, 2024 — Grammys night — Swift’s website went down, displaying a 321 error code. But fans quickly discovered that particular error code did not make sense since it is reserved for phone lines with poor connection. And which Swift song is both connected to glitches and prominently features a phone call? That’s right: “Look What You Made Me Do,” the Reputation lead single.

Her 2023 MTV Video Music Awards Speech

Another cryptic pattern of Swift’s? Revealing things about her upcoming releases at the MTV Video Music Awards — in 2022, during her acceptance speech, she even revealed that Midnights was coming. In 2023, she used a four-minute speech to plant even more Easter eggs into the minds of Swifties everywhere.

While accepting the award for Best Pop Video, she included that she “loves slinking around different genres” — a not-so-subtle phrase that Swifties caught immediately. “What do you think of when you hear the word slink? That’s right, a snake,” commented one TikTok creator. “Also did you see her hand movements when she said slinking? She literally turned into a snake,” posted another.

Swift’s all-black outfit further confirmed fans' theories. Instead of staying true to the 1989 aesthetic, she chose a black Versace gown and a snake bracelet — further alluding to the return of Rep’s edgy style.

Her Time Profile

On Dec. 6, 2023, Swift covered Time Magazine as the publication’s “Person of the Year,” and the interview was notably very Reputation-coded. A large part of the write-up focused on Swift’s 2016 argument with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, which infamously inspired much of Swift’s dark 2017 album. The profile’s accompanying photos nearly all styled Swift in black outfits or in a black-and-white filter, emblematic of the Reputation era. Swift also used the profile to tease her Reputation (Taylor’s Version) vault tracks for the first time, promising the upcoming releases will be “fire.”

“TRuSt ISSueS”

After the Time article went up, Swifties noticed some very sus activity on Swift’s Instagram. In a post celebrating the honor, Swift wrote about the “tRuSt iSSueS” she’s had with the media in the past. Fans honed in on the capitalization choices, theorizing the “RSSSS” was a wink to Reputation and the hissing of a snake, that album’s mascot.