This Taylor Swift Theory Points To A Possible Reputation (TV) Release

Taylor Swift just unleashed 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on fans, which naturally means that Swifties are already moving on to investigating what the next “Taylor’s Version” album will be.

The singer has only two of her first six studio albums left to re-record: her 2006 self-titled debut album and her 2017 sixth studio album Reputation. In light of 1989 (TV), fans are re-examining every possible Easter egg she may have laid, which points to Reputation (Taylor’s Version) being on the horizon.

The “Karma” Storybook Theory

Much has been written about the easter eggs in Swift’s “Karma” music video, which is filled with imagery inspired by astrology, mythology, and classic stories. One scene seemingly inspired by The Wizard of Oz has fans thinking that she could be hinting at Reputation (TV).

Swift’s pop-up storybook shows two sides simultaneously — one with an idealistic hillside backdrop, which morphs into a dark, deserted landscape, separated by a split tree.

X user @Loudest_Womann pointed out how the left side has five trees, representing 1989, while the right side has six jagged, torn-down trees, which may point to her sixth album Reputation.

Since 1989 (TV) was released on Oct. 27, the ninth anniversary of the original album, some users think that Reputation (TV) could arrive in just a couple of weeks on Nov. 10, which is the album’s sixth birthday and just happens to fall on a Friday, when most new music is released.

This potential release date has been shared across X and TikTok several times and also lines up with another Swiftian theory that Reputation (TV) will be a surprise drop with Swift not announcing the release beforehand, which would be a marked departure from her previous re-recordings.

That said, a Nov. 10 release would go against another popular theory based on the “Karma” latte nails, which indicates that Reputation (TV) won’t be announced or released until February 2024. It’s only a matter of time until fans find out which theory is correct, if any.

A “Getaway Car” Easter Egg?

Additionally, fans have noticed another possible Reputation (TV) reference in the lyrics of one of the new “From the Vault” tracks on 1989 (TV).

On the Diane Warren co-written “Say Don’t Go,” Swift sings, “We’re a shot in the darkest dark,” which could be interpreted as a nod to “Getaway Car,” on which she chants, “We never had a shotgun shot in the dark.”

That said, Swift’s “From the Vault” tracks prove she’s used metaphors in previous songs that have only popped up in later albums.

In 2021, fans discovered that Swift originally crafted the famous “casually cruel” lyric in “All Too Well” during the Fearless writing sessions, when she used the phrase in a Vault track, “Mr. Perfectly Fine.”

It’s possible that Swift simply recycled the “shot in the dark” metaphor in “Getaway Car,” and didn’t change the lyric for “Say Don’t Go” when she decided to unearth it for 1989 (TV), rather than have it be an intentional Easter egg.