Could "Reputation (Taylor's Version)" be just on the horizon? Fans have been theorizing thatTaylor Swift is readyingher announcement of the album, and on Monday night, they got a taste of what to expect as "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)" got a prominent spotlight in a new episode of "The Handmaid's Tale." Although it wasn't quite the complete version of the much-anticipated track, most of the song played out over the suspenseful opening to episode 9 of the series' final season, with a couple of full verses and choruses heard in the two-minute-plus sequence. More from Variety 'The Handmaid's Tale' Star Max Minghella on Nick's Fate: 'Nobody Could Accuse Them of Pandering' Trump Claims Taylor Swift Is 'No Longer Hot' After He Posted 'I Hate Taylor Swift!' Blake Lively's Lawyers Fight Back Against Taylor Swift Blackmail Accusation: 'Unequivocally and Demonstrably False' Previously, excerpts from the re-recording hadpremieredas part of the Prime Video limited series "Wilderness" in September 2023, with part of the song being heard over that show's opening titles and another piece heard during the second episode, as well as in the teaser trailer. Still, fans were eager to hear the uninterrupted stretch of the recording that played out in "The Handmaid's Tale." Swifties have been anticipating the announcement of "Reputation (Taylor's Version)" since it became eligible for her to re-record in Nov. 2022. It currently marks the longest gap between re-records in her discography, as she last released "1989 (Taylor's Version)" in Oct. 2023, and along with "Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version)," it will be one of the last of her two albums viable for re-recording from her prior Big Machine Records contract. In an interview with Time in 2023, Swift spoke about revisiting the album, calling the vault tracks "fire." "It's a goth-punk moment of female rage at being gaslit by an entire social structure," she said of the original project. "I think a lot of people see it and they're just like, Sick snakes and strobe lights." There's been recent chatter that Swift could be gearing up for the official announcement of "Reputation (Taylor's Version)" at the American Music Awards on May 26. On her official merch site, fans noticed that the home page was reorganized as Apparel, Music, Accessories, and Sale — and wouldn't you know it, the first letters spell out AMAs. "Reputation," Swift's sixth album, was initially released in Nov. 2017. The project spawned a string of hit singles including "Look What You Made Me Do," "…Ready For It?," "End Game," "Gorgeous," "Delicate," and more. Listen to "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)" in "The Handmaid's Tale" below: Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.
