Fans of The Handmaid’s Tale were delighted to hear a Taylor Swift song in the latest episode, but they might not have realized that the “Look What You Made Me Do” snippet was a possible hint about Reputation (Taylor’s Version).
During the Tuesday, May 20, episode, June (Elisabeth Moss) and the rest of the resistance stormed Gilead while the Reputation single served as the rebellion’s soundtrack. Eagle-eyed fans noticed, however, that this was not the version that debuted in 2017 — it was a new rerecording, featuring vocals by an older, more experienced Swift.
Moss, who also directed the episode, was instrumental in securing the track for the show.
“I said to my editor, Wendy [Hallam Martin], ‘I really want to find a place for a Taylor track in the last two episodes of the show,’ and we wanted to find a music queue for the opening of [episode] 9, and all the credit goes to Wendy for picking this track for this moment!” the Emmy winner, 42, told Billboard after the episode premiered.
The Mad Men alum is a Swiftie herself, having attended a Toronto stop of The Eras Tour last year with her Handmaid’s Tale costar Bradley Whitford.
“I’ve been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I’m so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment,” Moss continued to Billboard. “Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for [costar] Yvonne [Strahovski] and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it’s such an honor to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show.”
Swifties’ Latest ‘Reputation (Taylor’s Version)’ Theory is Pretty Legit
So does this mean Reputation (Taylor’s Version) is finally coming? No one but Swift knows for sure, but the clues are certainly piling up. Fans have been combing her website and social media for weeks and have theorized that she’s planning to announce something at the American Music Awards, which air Monday, May 26. (She’s nominated for six trophies this year, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for The Tortured Poets Department.)
Swift, 35, hasn’t released one of her rerecorded albums since October 2023 when she dropped 1989 (Taylor’s Version) — just three months after Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). She only has two albums left on her list to rerecord: 2017’s Reputation and her 2006 self-titled debut.
Fans originally thought she would announce Reputation (TV) at the Grammys last year, but instead she used her acceptance speech for Best Pop Vocal Album (for Midnights) to reveal that The Tortured Poets Department would be coming out in April.
