I have been the biggest Taylor Swift fan for as long as I can remember, but I'll be the first to admit that when I first heard her new single, "Look What You Made Me Do," I was not super impressed. I understood Taylor was aiming for an entirely different sound with this song, but I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed about her new tune. However, when the music video for the song premiered at the MTV Video Music Awards a few days ago, my perception of the song changed completely and I was reminded once again of the musical genius she truly is.
Although "Look What You Made Me Do" is still not my favorite release of hers, watching the music video made me realize just how strategic and precise every single move she makes is. The detail and thought put into each frame of the video showcased Taylor's creativity perfectly, showing everyone that she's not to be messed with.
Throughout her 10+ years in the industry, she has been the center of countless jokes and hate for several reasons, from the boys she's dated to the way she dances. Besides writing songs about her personal experiences (which Taylor seems to get more hate for than other artists), she has stayed relatively quiet throughout all the drama, only weighing in when necessary. For the most part, she has sat back while the world picked apart her every move.
But in her new music video, she proves that she has been listening to everyone's criticisms over the years and has not forgotten about people's harsh comments and how they have all affected her reputation. She literally starts out the video with a tombstone that reads, "Here lies Taylor Swift's reputation" and continues on to subtly (or not-so-subtly) address every comment she's been the target of.
The video portrays Taylor in different lenses; someone who quite literally creates an army of friends (directly addressing peoples' negative comments about her "squad") and someone who is boy-crazed (an ode to the constant backlash she receives for dating just like normal adults). These are just two of the numerous accusations the media has made about Taylor throughout her career. Similar to her "Blank Space" music video, Taylor begins to actually act in the way the media portrays her, showing everyone just how outrageous these labels truly are. She completely takes control of each outrageous label the media throws out at her. In this video, we see Taylor embrace all the titles that have been associated with her reputation over the years and basically mock them.
With the release of her "Look What You Made Me Do" video, Taylor Swift once again shows everyone that no matter if you love or hate her, no matter if you wish to see her thrive or fail, no matter if you believe in her media portrayals or not, she will make the most of whatever is thrown her way, coming out on top along the way.
