An appearance in The Handmaid's Tale's new season hints that Swift has re-recorded four Taylor's Versions of her past albums, with the latest being1989 (Taylor's Version) in 2023. Chronologically, judging from her discography, Reputation would be next up for a revamp, but Swift has yet to make an announcement declaring when or if it's coming.
Last night, viewers got to hear a snippet of "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift that appeared during season 6, episode 9 of The Handmaid's Tale. Capitalizing off of the buzz the scene created, Hulu has ed the scene to their YouTube channel, as can be seen below.
The scene intensifies speculation that an announcement about the release of Reputation (Taylor's Version) could be pending any moment now, with this television appearance being treated as a single release.
The Handmaid's Tale Using "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version) Is A Good Sign
Taylor Swift's Single For Her Reputation Re-Release Gets Its Biggest Platform Yet
It's worth noting that this is not the first time that Taylor Swift's repackaging of "Look What You Made Me Do" has been heard by the public. Previously, this version of the song was featured in a teaser trailer for Wilderness ahead of the miniseries' 2023 release. The song also played over the show's opening credits. However, by comparison, the six-episode Jenna Coleman vehicle from the United Kingdom has a much smaller audience than that of The Handmaid's Tale. Most shows are smaller than the Emmy-winning juggernaut, but Wilderness' mixed reviews ensured that the song premiere flew under the radar.
[The song's] visibility taking place on the most popular original series on Hulu feels like a power move, as if Taylor Swift and co. were building toward something bigger on the horizon.
The Handmaid's Tale is the biggest use of "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)" yet. Hulu alone is big enough of a platform where even someone who has never seen an episode before would be hard-pressed to miss the news of Taylor Swift's inclusion on the streaming service. Its visibility taking place on the most popular original series on Hulu feels like a power move, as if Taylor Swift and co. were building toward something bigger on the horizon.
This Fits With Speculation About A Reputation (Taylor's Version) Announcement
Fans Expect Taylor Swift to Make an Announcement at the American Music Awards
Interestingly enough, something bigger is coming up for Taylor Swift on the horizon. The 51st annual American Music Awards will be televised on May 26, exactly six days after this new episode of The Handmaid's Tale premiered on Hulu. Some could argue that the timing is merely coincidental, and for all intents and purposes, it could. That being said, it's hard to peg this on coincidence when there have been additional signs and easter eggs suggesting that Taylor Swift is preparing everybody for a Reputation (Taylor's Version) announcement coming soon enough.
After all, when Taylor Swift announced the original Reputation, it came following a hiatus from social media. Currently, Taylor Swift has been on her longest hiatus since that same Reputation album. If history is destined to repeat itself, then Taylor Swift could be ready to return to social media with a major announcement, unless she saves it for the AMAs. The last award show she appeared at, the iHeart Awards, she wore a snake necklace, implying a subtle, yet major hint of Reputation (Taylor's Version).
How "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)" Compares To The Original
How Taylor Swift's Revamp Compares to the Original, Explained
In the re-recording of "Look What You Made Me Do," Taylor Swift and her production staff were able to recreate the same synth tones and beats from the original track produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff. Impressively, production-wise, the song is almost identical to the original, with the most significant differences coming in Taylor's vocals. The original came out two-thirds of a decade ago, and in the time since, Swift's voice has matured gracefully into something more confident. At the very least, her performance of "Taylor's Version" sounds more confident.
One Taylor Swift Reputation Track Deserves The All Too Well Treatment
There's one track on Reputation that Taylor Swift should give the same attention to that she gave to "All Too Well" on Red (Taylor's Version.)
The execution in the original features a subtle seething of emotion, whereas Taylor Swift's revamp sounds a little more calm, particularly on the chorus. It's a combination of her voice being naturally older, while also gaining the experience of improving upon her vocal range. That's been the biggest upside to each "Taylor's Version" record that has been released thus far. Songs like this show the growth and steady improvement that Taylor Swift has had over the course of her career, and if a Reputation announcement is coming, it's worth getting excited about.
Source: YouTube