Honestly, if you were online in 2017, you remember the "Look What You Made Me Do" premiere. It wasn’t just a music video. It was a cultural reset that basically broke the internet for 24 hours straight. Most people think of a Taylor Swift reputation video as just that one viral hit, but there’s actually a whole vault of visuals, some of which she quite literally threw away.
Think about it. Taylor was coming off a massive public disappearance. She had been branded a "snake" after that infamous Kim and Kanye drama, and instead of writing a notes-app apology, she leaned into the villain arc. The visuals she created for this era were aggressive, expensive, and filled with so many Easter eggs it took fans years to find them all.
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But here is the thing: the story of the reputation videos isn't just about what we saw on YouTube. It’s about the massive $360 million masters deal in 2025, the scrapped "King of My Heart" footage, and the reason why we might never actually get reputation (Taylor’s Version) as a re-record.
The Video That Started It All: LWYMMD
The "Look What You Made Me Do" video, directed by Joseph Kahn, remains a masterclass in petty brilliance. It holds the record for 43.2 million views in its first 24 hours. That is wild.
Taylor reportedly wrote an "unlimited check" for this production. She didn't use label money; she used her own cash. This is a detail Joseph Kahn recently shared in 2025, noting that she "laid it all on the line" because she had so much fire in her to prove the world wrong.
Secrets hidden in the frames
Most fans caught the big stuff, like the tombstone for "Nils Sjoberg"—the pseudonym she used for "This Is What You Came For"—or the single dollar bill in the bathtub full of diamonds, representing her $1 sexual assault countersuit victory. But have you ever looked at the background of the vault scene?
- The "Blind for Love" sweater: A nod to how she felt the media viewed her relationships.
- Et Tu Brute: Inscribed on her gold throne, referencing the ultimate betrayal.
- The "I Heart TS" shirts: A direct jab at the mockery her then-boyfriend Tom Hiddleston faced for wearing a similar tank top at her Fourth of July party.
- The Squad Robots: A critique of people calling her group of friends a "cult" or "manufactured."
At the very end of the video, she features 15 different versions of herself. The ballerina, the 2009 VMA Taylor, the Red tour Taylor—they all argue with each other. It was her way of saying she knew exactly what the world was saying about her, and she was ready to kill off those personas to survive.
The Scrapped "King of My Heart" Visuals
Here is something most people don't talk about. There was supposed to be a video for "King of My Heart."
In 2025, Joseph Kahn revealed on the Ourselves podcast that they actually started shooting a "highly visual effects" video for the track. It was intended to be a major single. However, midway through, Taylor pivoted. She felt that "...Ready for It?" had stronger potential for the "harder" aesthetic she wanted to project.
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Because of that gut feeling, the "King of My Heart" video was shelved and remains unreleased to this day. It has become the new "All Too Well 10-Minute Version" for Swifties—a holy grail of unreleased content. Now that Taylor has purchased her masters back from Shamrock Capital, there is a tiny glimmer of hope that she might one day "leak" it herself.
Why the reputation Stadium Tour Movie Disappeared
For a long time, the definitive Taylor Swift reputation video was the concert film on Netflix. It was filmed during her last US show in Arlington, Texas, on October 6, 2018.
It was a massive production:
- Two 110-foot tall screens.
- Giant inflatable snakes (one named Karyn).
- A water fountain for the encore.
Then, on December 30, 2023, it vanished. Netflix removed it, and fans were devastated. Since then, the only way to watch that era’s live visuals has been through fan-made edits or the Eras Tour movie, which includes a condensed reputation set.
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The 2025 Bombshell: Is Rep TV Cancelled?
In May 2025, Taylor changed the game. She sent out an open letter explaining that she had successfully bought back her original masters for her first six albums for roughly $360 million.
This was huge. It meant she now owns the original "Look What You Made Me Do" video and the reputation album itself.
In that same letter, she dropped a truth bomb: she hasn't even re-recorded a quarter of reputation (Taylor's Version). She admitted that the album was so specific to a dark time in her life that she kept hitting "stopping points" while trying to remake it. She actually said she felt the original couldn't be improved upon.
"All that defiance, that longing to be understood while feeling purposely misunderstood... it's the one album in those first 6 that I thought couldn't be improved upon by redoing it." — Taylor Swift, 2025.
Since she owns the originals now, she might just release "The Vault" tracks as a separate EP rather than re-doing the whole album. Some fans think the recent lyric changes on Apple Music—where "I Did Something Bad" now includes a "bitch" lyric and "Delicate" says "Goddamn"—are hints that something is coming, but for now, the re-recording project for this era is officially on pause.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the reputation visual world, here’s how to do it right:
- Watch "The Making of a Song" series: This was an AT&T exclusive that Taylor shot herself. It shows the raw, unedited process of writing songs like "Delicate" and "Gorgeous." You can still find clips of it on YouTube.
- Analyze the Apple Music lyrics: Keep an eye on the reputation tracks. The subtle changes in "I Did Something Bad" suggest she is actively tinkering with these files now that she owns them.
- Look for the "King of My Heart" leaks: Since Kahn confirmed the footage exists, keep an eye on official Taylor Nation channels. If she ever releases a "Vault" package, that video is the most likely candidate for a surprise drop.
- Don't wait for a "Taylor's Version" movie: Since she owns the original Netflix film rights now, she could potentially re-license it to a different streamer like Disney+ or host it on her own site.
The reputation era was about reclaiming a narrative that others tried to write for her. By buying her masters and choosing not to re-record what she already feels is perfect, she’s doing exactly that. She isn't just making a Taylor Swift reputation video; she's owning the legacy of the ones she already made.
To see the current state of her discography, you should check her official website's updated "Ownership" section, which lists the projects she now fully controls.