Big reputation indeed! Taylor Swift had fans – and us – wondering if she may have announced her next album after she made a very subtle remark about her career on Friday June 30.
The superstar was performing at the Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio when she told the crowd that their "reputation precedes you" during a rare moment when interacting with the crowds. Later, she then gave a bigger hint towards the potential release of Reputation (Taylor's Version) when she quipped: “I started my career 745 years ago… well actually 20… 17 years ago."
The album Reputation was released in 2017, and many fans have worked out that if you add up seven plus four plus five it equals 16: 16 weeks from June 30 is October 20 2023.
On October 20 2017 Taylor released the third single from the album, fan favorite song 'Gorgeous,' rumored to be about her now ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
The easter eggs left by Taylor at the show on Friday come as she continues to re-record her first six albums in order to completely own the rights to the lyrics, music, and songs.
After re-releases of Fearless and Red, her second and fourth albums respectively, Taylor will release Speak Now (Taylor's Version) on July 7 2023. She still has yet to re-release her debut album Taylor Swift (2006), 1989 (2014) and Reputation (2017).
"It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk)," Taylor told fans on Instagram on May 5 hours after she made the announcement during the Nashville stop of her Eras Tour.
"I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing … and living to speak about it. With six extra songs I’ve sprung loose from the vault, I absolutely cannot wait to celebrate Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with you on July 7th."
Taylor referenced July 9 in her announcement, and it comes from the lyrics to 'Last Kiss', which include: "I do recall now the smell of the rain / Fresh on the pavement, I ran off the plane / That July ninth, the beat of your heart / It jumps through your shirt / I can still feel your arms." It is rumored to be about Joe Jonas.
The Eras Tour kicked off on March 17 22023 in Glendale, Arizona and will run in America through August when she plays five nights in Los Angeles. She will then take the tour to Canada and South America, before Europe, Asia and Australia.
The US leg of the tour broke Ticketmaster records with a staggering two million sales in a single day, and it could make this her first billion-dollar tour, eclipsing Sir Elton John's incredible record as the highest-grossing concert tour in history.
Elton's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour has garnered more than $887 million over five years, surpassing the record set by Ed Sheeran's $776 million Divide Tour (2017-2019). Jarred Arfa, Billy Joel’s co-agent and the chief operating officer of Artist Group International, told the Wall Street Journal that he believed the tour's revenue could well surpass $1 billion, while other experts predict a range of $700 million to $900 million