Why Taylor Swift Didn’t Announce <i>Reputation (Taylor’s Version)</i> at the AMAs

Many Taylor Swift fans were convinced that last night’s American Music Awards would end with a major announcement: the release date for Reputation (Taylor’s Version). Their theory? A subtle Easter egg on Swift’s website, where the shop categories—Apparel, Music, Accessories, Sale—appeared to spell out “AMAS.” But the night came and went without a word from Swift—and there’s a clear reason why.

Swift didn’t win any of the six awards she was nominated for, leaving her without a chance to make an acceptance speech—and with it, no moment to share an album announcement. In fact, she skipped the Las Vegas ceremony entirely and remained silent on social media throughout the event.

The Taylor Swift shop organization that some fans theorized was a AMAs Easter egg.

Swift did drop a subtle Reputation tease in March at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, where she accepted the Tour of the Century award via a virtual speech. Eagle-eyed fans noticed she was wearing a snake necklace—a clear nod to the Reputation era’s aesthetic. She wore an even more dramatic version of the same accessory in the “Look What You Made Me Do” music video, the lead single from the original album.

Taylor Swift at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

The singer has been enjoying a break from the spotlight following the end of her Eras Tour. This weekend, she was spotted far from Vegas in West Palm Beach, Florida, enjoying a dinner date with her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

Last week, Swift gave a big hint that Reputation (Taylor’s Version) is coming when she allowed The Handmaid’s Tale to use a snippet of “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)” in one of its final episodes.

The star hasn’t revealed when exactly she’ll begin promoting her music. WNBA player Caitlin Clark, who knows both Swift and Kelce, recently shared rare insight into their whereabouts, telling an interviewer that they’re “in vacation mode right now. So I hope they enjoy a nice little break out of the spotlight.”