American Music Awards 2025: Will Taylor Swift announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version)? Clues and fan theories explained

Swifties have been patient ever since the star rounded off her huge, record-breaking Eras Tour last year. While Taylor has taken some well-earned time off to relax with her beau Travis Kelce, there is speculation that the singer-songwriter’s comeback is just hours away.

Famous for dropping easter eggs and mysteries for fans to decipher, Taylor, who is in the process of re-releasing her back catalogue, could be set to announce the highly-anticipated release of her sixth studio album Reputation.

Fan theories have been circulating online that point towards the American Music Awards being a major date in Taylor’s diary, with Swifties hoping that they’ll get some sort of news about the latest Taylor’s Version record during the ceremony. Taylor is up for six awards at the ceremony, including Artist of the Year.

But why do fans think Reputation (Taylor’s Version) is coming? Here are all the biggest fan theories that point towards Taylor Swift’s possible announcement.

Suspicious posts

Eyebrows were piqued when Taylor Nation, which acts as Taylor’s official marketing team/gateway to Taylor, posted on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this month encouraging fans to vote for Taylor at the fan-voted American Music Awards. But it was the caption that was used that aroused suspicion from Swifties.

Taylor has used random capital letters in the past to send secret messages (including in her alleged call out of Kim Kardashian in the song thanK you aIMee) and this one did not go unnoticed. Taylor Nation said: “And our town, it looks so sMall from wAy up here.”

The letters spell out AMAs, with fans convinced this means that Taylor is planning something big for the event.

Merch store clues

Fans have also spotted that Taylor’s website recently changed up its merchandise section, with some thinking that the new ordered sections of ‘Apparel, Music, Accessories, and Sale’ again spell out AMAs.

Swifties are known for their detective-like investigation skills and there is no doubt that they have been at work on this. They have even noticed that her online store currently has 12 items for sale - her next release will be the 12th in her discography - at a weirdly specific 26% off. Fans think that this seemingly random discount percentage just so happens to be the same as the date of the AMAs - May 26.

Snake necklace

With two albums from her back catalogue still to re-release, Swifties have been pondering for months whether Taylor will re-release Reputation or her self-titled debut album first. But eagle-eyed fans may have spotted a clue at a recent award ceremony.

Taylor didn’t attend the iHeartRadio music Awards on March 17 but did send in a thank-you video after winning Tour of the Century for the Eras Tour. As she thanks fans for their support, some spotted that she was wearing a snake necklace around her neck. Snakes were a huge motif for Taylor during her Reputation era - and fans are now convinced that Taylor was sending a message that Reputation will be her next release.

The Handmaid’s Tale connection

One of the biggest clues that Reputation is on its way is that Taylor has actually already teased one of the re-recorded singles from the album. The re-recorded version of Look What You Made Me Do, which was first released in 2016, was recently heard in the ninth episode The Handmaid’s Tale.

The song premiered in the TV show only six days before the AMAs take place, possibly hinting that Taylor is ready for the world to hear Reputation (Taylor’s Version).

Lucky number 13

It wouldn’t be a Taylor Swift easter egg without mention of her famously lucky number 13. The singer has previously littered the number throughout her career and used ‘13’ as a clue to fans in the past.

Now, while Taylor likely couldn’t have an impact on exactly when the American Music Awards were planned for, fans have gone crazy doing some classic Swiftie maths. the AMAs will take place on 26/05 - fans have spotted that adding these digits together (2+6+0+5) equals 13.

Now, this could of course just be a coincidence, but knowing Taylor, it could all be part of her elaborate plans...

The significance of the AMAs

If Taylor was going to announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version) anywhere, there would be no better place to do it that the AMAs. One of the performer’s biggest award show performances came at the event in 2019, when she took to the stage donned in a white shirt that had the names of her previous albums printed on it to perform a medley of hits.

Prior to the performance, Taylor tweeted that she might have to drop out after accusing Big Machine Records, the record company’s founder Scott Borchetta and record executive Scooter Braun of threatening to block her from using her old music. The record label denied these claims, saying in a statement that “we do not have the right to keep her from performing live anywhere.”

At the time, Taylor was embroiled in a bitter dispute with Borchetta and Braun after Braun’s company Ithaca Holding bought Big Machine Records, and in turn became the owner of all of the masters of Taylor’s first six albums. In fact, the dispute lead to the creation of the Taylor’s Version re-released albums, with Taylor still owning the copyright to the music and lyrics.

Therefore, it would be quite symbolic for Taylor to return to the AMAs stage at the height of her stratospheric fame to announce a Taylor’s Version album...