"She switched gears": Director reveals why Taylor Swift’s “King of My Heart” music video was filmed then shelved

A decade-old music video for Taylor Swift’s Reputation track, “King of My Heart,” was once in the works but never made it to the screen, according to longtime collaborator Joseph Kahn.

Speaking on the Ourselves podcast, the director revealed that while the project was already in motion, priorities shifted. Kahn explained:

“We started shooting it. We never finished it because she switched gears in the middle of it to do 'Ready for It?’”

According to the director, the video had already been filmed in full but was paused before it could undergo post-production.

“It was highly visual effects."

Joseph Kahn, who’s worked on eight Taylor Swift music videos and one commercial, first teamed up with the pop icon during her 1989 era. That collaboration began with an unexpected call while he was watching A Clockwork Orange. He recalled:

“She wanted me to direct the ‘Blank Space’ music video."

He went on to direct other staples of that album, including “Bad Blood,” “Out of the Woods,” and “Wildest Dreams.” Their work extended into Reputation, with one meeting after the 2017 Super Bowl setting the tone for the album’s visual direction.

At the time, Taylor Swift was navigating intense public scrutiny. According to Kahn, the fallout from her feud with Kim Kardashian, which famously involved a snake emoji storm. It pushed them toward a bold new concept. He told her:

“Let's embrace the snake. Snakes are cool. There's a lot worse things they could have called you. We decided to make the snake the concept in the video.”

That decision would lead to "Look What You Made Me Do," a high-budget production that Kahn now calls his most elaborate.

“She wrote an unlimited check and went for it. She paid for all of that stuff, and she didn’t have any rights to it. I’m so glad that she has it all back now, because she’s the one that was writing those checks.”

Joseph Kahn emphasized that Taylor Swift bankrolled the entire vision.

“It was her personal cash, and she made the investment on every one of those videos and was the force that made it all happen. I was the lucky guy who executed them, but she laid it all on the line.”

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"Robbed": Fans sound off online as director details Taylor Swift's unreleased track

The news sparked fresh chatter among fans, especially Swifties known for tracking unreleased projects.

"idgaf if it’s a 10 second unedited clip in 240p I NEED TO SEE THE SCRAPPED FOOTAGE ASAP," a fan wrote on X (Twitter).

"She knew reputation couldn’t be messed up and made her best album because of it," another commented.

"they need to release the scrapped video asap idc if it’s 10sec long WE ALL NEED IT!" an internet user also chimed in.

"Wait… we almost got a King of My Heart music video?? Robbed," one added.

There's no word yet if the “King of My Heart” video will ever surface, but if Taylor Swift’s track record with vault releases holds, fans may keep hoping.