Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation (Taylor’s Version)’ May Be Doomed

Ever since Taylor Swift began re-recording and re-releasing her first six albums, millions of diehard Swifties have been waiting patiently for her to get to Reputation and turn it into Reputation (Taylor’s Version). There have been countless moments when her fanbase was certain the set was about to be announced — or perhaps even drop suddenly — but each of those dates came and went without the project. Now, there’s a good chance the much-anticipated full-length may never materialize… But it’s not all bad news.

Taylor Swift Acquires Her Masters

On Friday (May 30), Swift announced that she has finally acquired the rights to the masters of all the music she recorded during her first six eras. The rights to that work had been sold more than once away from her more than once, and it turned into one of the most public spats in recorded music history, between the star and super manager Scooter Braun.

That situation inspired her to begin recording and releasing the Taylor’s Version editions of her first half-dozen full-lengths, which made her a household name. In a letter posted to her website explaining the development in full, the singer-songwriter stated, “All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs… to me.”

What This Means for Reputation (Taylor’s Version)

The outright ownership of her music has always been Swift’s goal, so today’s revelation is cause for celebration. It does, however, throw a wrench into her recording plans.

The superstar didn’t shy away from acknowledging the elephant in the room. She even began one paragraph by saying, “I know, I know. What about Rep (TV)?,” the question countless Swifties surely asked either aloud or in their minds once the singer revealed her acquisition.

Swift admitted candidly that while many expected Reputation (Taylor’s Version) to be the next installment in her re-recording series — and many fans predicted that it was already on the way — she hasn’t “even re-recorded a quarter of it.” She explained that the album was so specific to one point in her life and career that whenever she started to work on the project, she paused and put it off for later.

From the Vault Material Might Still Arrive

Swift hinted that some sort of project may be in the works to allow her legion of followers to hear her “from the vault” tracks — cuts she wrote and recorded around that time that never made it onto the original Reputation album. These bonus tunes surely would have been one of the biggest selling points behind Reputation (Taylor’s Version). No release date was given for such an effort, and Swift seems to have set the stage for them to never appear.

A Bittersweet Moment for Swifties

Swifties must be feeling a mix of joy and disappointment after reading Swift’s letter. It’s incredible news that she has achieved a goal she’s been working toward for, as her letter states, 20 years, but the deduction that this development likely kills any hopes of Reputation (Taylor’s Version) seems unavoidable. Her missive did leave a bit wiggle room, and nothing is impossible…but the tone suggests that she may not finish what she started after all.

The full-length likely would have been another huge blockbuster for her, but Swift isn’t exactly hurting for those, and she acknowledged that she already has her self-titled debut ready to go at some point.

Fans may have to make peace with never hearing completely re-recorded versions of all the tracks featured on Reputation — although a handful, such as “Look What You Made Me Do,” have already been previewed in various forms, and those “from the vault” cuts could emerge in some unexpected form.