Taylor Swift surprised her fans on December 12, 2023, by updating the lyrics to two tracks from her 2017 album Reputation on Apple Music. Fans quickly noticed the changes to “I Did Something Bad” and “Delicate” following a recent update that enhanced all of Swift’s albums with Dolby Atmos sound.
In the revised version of “I Did Something Bad,” the Grammy-winning artist now sings, “If a man talks s***, then I owe him nothin’ / And if he calls me a bitch, then he had it coming.” Previously, the lyrics included a different phrasing that has sparked discussions among her dedicated fanbase, known as Swifties.
Fans also observed a subtle change in “Delicate,” where Swift now sings, “Goddamn, never seen that color blue,” replacing the earlier line, “Oh, damn, never seen that color blue.” The alterations have led to speculation about whether these new lyrics were recorded for the anticipated Taylor’s Version of Reputation.
Many fans on social media theorized that the lyric updates could signal a larger project. One fan tweeted, “My clown theory is that we’re getting Reputation vault tracks and originally written/unedited lyrics updated on album tracks.” This speculation ties into the ongoing narrative around Swift’s re-recordings, which have become a hallmark of her artistic journey.
Taylor Swift, now 35, has been actively re-recording her catalog following the sale of her original masters by Big Machine Records. She regained control of her masters in May 2023. In a letter shared with fans, she expressed her reservations about re-recording Reputation, stating, “The Reputation album was so specific to that time in my life, and I kept hitting a stopping point when I tried to remake it.”
Swift continued, “To be perfectly honest, it’s the one album in those first six that I thought couldn’t be improved upon by redoing it.” She indicated that, while she had recorded her debut album, she was waiting for the right moment to release it.
The updates to Reputation coincide with the release of her new Disney+ docuseries, The End of an Era, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at her record-breaking Eras Tour. Additionally, Swift has just released a new concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show, filmed during her December 2024 performance in Vancouver. This film showcases a revised setlist following the release of her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, in April 2024.
Swift’s lyric changes and recent projects highlight her ongoing evolution as an artist and her deep connection with her fanbase, who eagerly anticipate what she will do next.
