Why Taylor Swift fans are convinced 'Reputation (Taylor's Version)' will be announced at the AMAs

When is "Reputation (Taylor's Version)" coming? Sooner than you think, some Swifties believe...

The theory currently circulating on social media is that Taylor Swift will make the big announcement at the American Music Awards (AMAs) on Monday, May 26.

But, as to quote Swift, "I think I've seen this film before" as her dedicated fanbase has been wrongly convinced in the past that the highly anticipated re-recorded album was dropping 13 days after "1989 (Taylor's Version)" and when that didn't happen, during the London Eras Tour shows last August.

What are Easter eggs and clues that have Swifties talking this time around? Here is a rundown:

The Handmaid's Tale episode

One of Swift's recorded songs from the 2016 album 'Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)' was used in the latest episode of The Handmaid’s Tale – the ninth episode of season six.

For context, this occurred six days before the AMAs...

The snake necklace

Taylor Swift accepts her awards via video at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 17, 2025. Broadcasted live on FOX. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Famous for dropping Easter eggs for her fans, they also pointed out how Swift wore a snake necklace during her acceptance speech for the Tour of the Century at the iHeartRadio Music Awards back in March - with the snake being the symbol synonymous with the Reputation era).

The Tiffany Haddish connection

Comedian and actor Tiffany Haddish has been announced as one of the presenters at the AMAs, and fans highlighted the fact that she appeared as an on-screen cameo during Swift's Reputation stadium tour in 2018.

During her appearance, she said Swift's famous line, "Sorry the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now. Why? Oh 'cause she's dead!" from 'Look What You Made Me Do'.

Swift has announced new albums at awards shows before

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

When it comes to making big album announcements at award shows, Swift has form.

In 2022, Swift announced her new album "Midnights" during her acceptance speech for Best Video, for All Too Well (10-Minute Version) at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Then she announced her latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department,," at the 2024 Grammy Awards during her acceptance speech for Best Pop Vocal Album for her 2022 album "Midnights".

Although she has never formally announced a new album at the AMAs - but there's a first time for everything, right?

Swift's lucky number 13

It wouldn't be a Taylor Swift album theory without some maths and numbers that add up to the pop star's lucky number 13.

Don't worry, it's not complicated... so the AMAs are taking place on Monday (26/5), and so if you do 2 + 6 + 5 = 13.

A full circle moment?

Taylor Swift performs onstage during the 2019 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 24, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for dcp

One of Swift's most iconic performances was six years ago at the 2019 American Music Awards, where she famously wore a shirt with the names of her older albums screen-printed on as she performed a medley of songs “Love Story,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” "Blank Space “Shake It Off,” and "Lover."

Before this, Swift had taken to Twitter to share that she might not be able to perform and accused her old record company, Big Machine Records, of blocking the use of her old music.

"Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun have now said that I'm not allowed to perform my old songs on television because they claim that would be re-recording my music before I'm allowed to next year," she wrote on Twitter at the time.

The record label denied the pop star’s claim - "At no point did we say Taylor could not perform on the AMAs or block her Netflix special. In fact, we do not have the right to keep her from performing live anywhere," they said in a statement.

In the end, Swift's performance went ahead as planned.

Given this history, it would be pretty symbolic for Swift to announce "Reputation (Taylor's Version)" on this stage...

Merch store clues?

(Above) People noticed the first letters of section headings "Apparel," "Music," "Accessories," and "Sale" spell out AMAs. (Below) There are also items for sale on the merch store that have a 26 per cent discount.

This may be a stretch, but you never know... eagle-eyed fans have noticed on Swift's official merch store that the first letters of section headings "Apparel," "Music," "Accessories," and "Sale" spell out AMAs.

Meanwhile, there are some products which have a 26 per cent discount, leading fans to believe it's a reference to the AMAs happening on Monday (May 26), and so they've concluded that Swift is hinting at "Reputation (Taylor's Version)" announcement.

Elsewhere, The Handmaid’s Tale episode debuts Taylor Swift's 'new' song, and Blake Lively's rep responds to Justin Baldoni's Taylor Swift subpoena.

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