Taylor Swift’s ‘Ready For It’ music video is about Tay-bot 2.0’s electrical force field?

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Before we discuss Taylor Swift’s new music video, let’s spend a moment discussing her beloved collaborator, director Joseph Kahn. I know Kahn is the go-to guy for many of pop music’s most beloved divas, but this guy is problematic as f–k. Kahn has also become sort of a de facto spokesperson for Taylor in recent years, doing her dirty work in tweets and interviews, slamming Kim Kardashian and Kanye and all of Taylor’s real or perceived enemies. It’s one thing to argue “Kahn can say whatever he wants, Taylor’s not making him say that stuff,” but the fact that she continues to hire him again and again for her music videos speaks volumes.

Anyway, last night Taylor dropped the music video for “Ready For It,” which is – thus far – the best song I’ve heard on Reputation. “Look What You Made Me Do” sucks as a song and sucks even harder as a music video (just my opinion) and “Gorgeous” is juvenile trash. “Ready For It” is at least a good workout song and it has a decent hook. I didn’t know what I expected from the music video, but it wasn’t… this? I don’t even know what this is, honestly. Some sort of Star Wars/Ghost In the Shell/Blade Runner/X-Men/Ex Machina dystopian nonsense where Taylor is a robot and she’s checking in on Tay-bot 2.0. Tay-bot 2.0 comes with an electrical force field and a mirage pony.

No, really: what the sh-t is the message of this video? I felt like Taylor lost the thread a bit with the video for “LWYMMD” – it was billed as Taylor “clapping back” at criticism, when she was merely restating the criticism and embracing her inner and outer snake – but that video made more sense than this mess. Also: can we talk about how Taylor isn’t good at “moving” on camera? It’s not a huge deal, many people look and feel unnatural when they have to move, walk, strut or dance on camera. But it’s sort of funny that Taylor looks so uncomfortable as she basically only has to walk in a straight line repeatedly in this video. Anyway… I’m sure all the Tay stans are going to yell at me because I obviously don’t GET how this is like the deepest and most important music video of all time and how she’s obviously taking it to her haters and shedding her SNAKE SKIN OF JUSTICE. Have at it.

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Screencaps from ‘Ready For It.’

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152 Responses to “Taylor Swift’s ‘Ready For It’ music video is about Tay-bot 2.0’s electrical force field?”

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  1. A Croatian says:

    I just find the video to be too dark visually, I couldn’t even make out the contrast of it.
    Otherwise, it feels unfinished but I like the song.
    Her nose looks funny in the second to last photo.
    And don’t get me started on the boobs.

    • Sophia's Side eye says:

      That photo looks like she’s wearing a fake nose, right? She looks so different, but it’s only in that one shot, weird.

      • velourazure says:

        This video is the result of a singer like TS with her previous record sales having an amazingly bloated PR and marketing budget. The video budget is so huge they can spend as much as they want on whatever they want. And you get this.

    • kibbles says:

      Ready For It is the best single off her new album thus far. I can’t even listen to Look What You Made Me Do and Gorgeous. It’s just bad pop music, and I say this as someone who likes Taylor’s music and looks forward to a catchy single from her that I can listen to when I’m at the gym or walking to work. The video isn’t bad at all although I’m semi-side eyeing her attempts to be edgy with her nude bodysuit that emphasizes her implants.

    • geekychick says:

      Hello to fellow Croatian!!! 🙂 Bok! :)))
      I just love it. I guess my music taste is not something extra, but I have to admit that I love the song. After almost two years, pop hits of this summer and fall really make me wanna go out and dance all night. My BiL, who’s a musician and a producer,thinks this will be a year-long hit-the possibility for remixes are endless, and that means-clubs.
      I love the music video, I just don’t understand who is who in it. 😉

  2. Cheyanna says:

    Uh..why is when ppl express opinion it’s always “yelling”?
    There are barely any Tay stans on this site.In fact I’d say it’s the exact opposite.
    The video is stupid.

    • Cheyanna says:

      Looks like I spoke to soon,lol. However they don’t seem to be yelling or being.. Unhinged. I’d don’t even like Tay but hey, it’s nice to seem some positivity I suppose.

    • Liberty says:

      I know what you mean. I kind of feel like crotchety hall monitor ladies have taken over sometimes, checking our uniforms. ;-/

  3. detritus says:

    I have not been enjoying her makeup, she’s very pretty and it does her no favours. Second thought, has she been getting lipwork?

    • Handwoven says:

      It could be the makeup, her lips look different but not like they’ve been injected.

      Maybe Squad member Gigi Hadid taught Tay her patented Catwalk Stomp Walk?

  4. Handwoven says:

    Haaaaaa this Emily the Strange, middle-schooler discovers Goth thing gets more and more hilarious.

    Oh Taylor. It’s so off-putting to watch you try to be sexy.

  5. Jaii says:

    I didn’t get it at first, prob cos I watched it at 7am but a trip to tumblr soon sorted that, and there are plenty of Easter eggs in it . I just think Taylor isn’t aiming these vids for general public or the critics , her dad said at one secret session this era was solely for the fans , and Yh I think that’s true . She looks beautiful in the video either way.

  6. Whoopsy Daisy says:

    Who is this about?

  7. Lolo86lf says:

    I am glad Taylor is trying a different style of music and video imagery. Her previous two albums got a lot of harsh criticism for mostly portraying herself as fairy tale princess. You can’t please everybody so you have to try your best and that is all you can do and be expected to do. Taylor’s talent and beauty are indubitable though.

    • Handwoven says:

      I don’t think either of those things are indubitable for her…

    • Cranberry says:

      Her “talent” is quite dubitable, and her looks will be too if she keeps getting work done. She’s pretty, but she’s too made up. She always looks like she belongs in a Revlon commercial. I guess that’s the problem. She’s a walking commercial.

  8. Beth says:

    WTF was that? I really miss the 80’s and 90’s when music and music videos were actually good

    • Toot says:

      Me too, Even the early 2000s were better.

      • Beth says:

        Those were the days when a singer didn’t try to look sexy by strutting around in a raincoat with thigh high boots or walking around and sitting on a horse while naked covered with a couple of laser beams. This video was ridiculous

    • deevia says:

      Even Christina’s “Getting Better”(?) cheap AF music video is more entertaining cuz she has more than one facial expressions.

    • Milla says:

      Oh yes. I’m stuck in 70s, 80s and 90s.

      As for this… I saw post on BuzzFeed and i had no interest to watch the video. I know people hate look what you made me do, but i liked it, which was my first real Swifty experience.

      I’m just gonna go back to not loving or hating her. She’s just there, not hurting me in any way…

      • Liberty says:

        i don’t really feel one way or another about her though the Tyddleston Summer was amusing. But I was in a car going uptown to a mtg in NYC a few weeks ago and the Elvis Duran show was on the radio and there was a TS spot ad, with her saying she is so happy her fans are always nice to each other etc. sort of like praising children.

        And my driver happened to comment that he wondered at which point you as an adult performer say, it is weird that my fans are 11 years old, what do I do next? And we speculated her new videos are her way of kind of awkwardly trying to go from junior high straight into adult life, musically, but they do it on a business level, not like someone who has emotionally matured.

  9. Meryl says:

    Her tumblr likes are insane. That’s what really makes me side eye her. A 28 year old celebrity commenting and liking posts that hero worship her and rewrite history in her favor. It’s nuts.

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      Same as Leann Rimes.

      • Sophia's Side eye says:

        Does Leann still have any fans? lol That would shock me.

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        @Sophia’s Side Eye-

        I would doubt it, with the way she cancels concerts, and is so incredibly thirsty all the time.

    • Shambles says:

      Yup. And after reading one of the above comments, I went and read a People Mag article on all the “Easter eggs” in the video. Firstly, it sounded like she sent it to People herself. Secondly, holy sh!t. The depth of her self involvement is so staggering. The navel gazing. It’s like she truly hasn’t been paying attention to anything for the last 10 years except the microcosm of her own little universe.

  10. Alleycat says:

    She has been really struggling in this new era of hers, hasn’t she. The song is alright, but this video is really stupid and incredible boring. And her music videos are the best part of her brand. I wonder (and hope) if 1989 was her peak. I need new blood in the music scene.

  11. Nicole says:

    She’s honestly so awkward as a mover. Like she cannot dance or even two step. I guess not everyone has natural rhythm.

    • Josie says:

      Exactly she has poor co-ordination period:

      https://media.giphy.com/media/iVEgSkT89vTAk/giphy.gif

    • graymatters says:

      I have a terrible sense of rhythm. Once, I was asked to lead a gym class in jumping jacks and confused everyone because I couldn’t even match my jumping to my counting.

      She isn’t dancing in this video, though, and her clutziness worked well for Shake It Off. So maybe she knows her weakness.

    • Ozogirl says:

      Rihanna, Britney, Gwen, Taylor, Nicki…are all terrible dancers IMO. It makes me uncomfortable watching them try! Anyway, I like this song, but the video is forgettable.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        Yes! Glad to hear someone speaking the truth, Ozogirl.

      • Cranberry says:

        Rihanna, Britney, Gwen bad dancers? What?.

        Not saying they are great dancers, but plahlease don’t even try to equate them to Taylor’s ineptitude.

        I watched Rihanna perform for the grammys (I think was). She and her dancers hit the roof. Britney is at least a good enough dancer do sexy moves and keep up with her backup dancers.
        Gwen was never known as a dancer-performer before. Is that what she does now? I’ve seen Gwen’s singing moves and some stage dancing, and she definitely knows how to physically Express music which Taylor absolutely does not.
        That’s the problem with TS. It’s not as though anyone is expecting her to be a great or even a good dancer. But she is terrible at just basic expressive movement. And that’s something all music performers are going to be judged on. So if you really ain’t got it, just stay behind the mic.

  12. Nanny to the Rescue says:

    I’m the opposite of the majority here, it seems: I actually like the video but don’t like the song. Boring & forgettable. Plus, using autotune as “artistic effect” is lazy and sounds terrible. Not just in Taylor’s case here, always.

  13. Emily says:

    Taylor Stan here. At least we didn’t get accused of being Trump supporters this time. (And just to be clear. I’m very much not.)

    • milla says:

      I dont think she supports him at all. She even reminds me of HRC. Her friends are all anti potus, but its her right not to talk about politics. The likes of Miley and Perry just made it worse IMO.

      • Shijel says:

        Her problem is that he claims feminism and solidarity with women in general when it suits her brand and hell, she even donates, but she remains completely mum. It’s well known that a huge chunk of her fanbase are white racists and the more extreme parts literally trot her out as their Perfect Aryan Princess. It’s even been discussed on Celebitchy before.

        She wants to have her cake and eat it too. She can play it safe, and I can think her a coy little jerk who thrives on the support of the hatred such a sizeable chunk of her fandom oozes.

      • Enough Already says:

        I don’t know her political stance and I don’t think she has a responsibility to tell us. She said in interviews that Stevie Wonder’s speech for Obama moved her to tesrs and that election night 2008 was one of the greatest nights to “be alive” but no, she has never publicly endorsed a party or candidate. We would just be guessingbif we tried to pin her down.

      • Emily says:

        Ummm… The neo-Nazis are NOT a huge chunk of her fanbase. (FAKE NEWS lol). Sure they exist, but they’re a creepy minority.

        Weirdly, Swifties seem to be divided 50/50 between Democrats and Republicans.

        http://time.com/3543579/facebook-taylor-swift-politics-jon-stewart/

        I think Taylor deliberately keeps quiet about politics for selfish reasons ($$$$$$) but seeing as how Kanye literally hung out with Twitler in Trump Tower, it really seems like she’s being held to a different standard here.

        This being Celebitchy, I think everybody has the right to hate on whatever celebrities they want, but I do get irritated when generalizations are made about the fandom. 😛

      • Cranberry says:

        Like EnoughAlready, I don’t think she has to come out publicly about politics. If she is able to be a-political, especially in this environment, then fine. I would rather that than yet another uninformed celebrity getting air time just because they’re famous.
        Not saying she’s uniformed, but if she doesn’t really have strong opinions and insight on issues then she should just keep quiet and stick to her own business like she did in court with that DJ that groped her. That was the best public example to set for her young fans and women in general, and I give her a lot of credit for that.

      • magnoliarose says:

        She hasn’t denounced Breitbart or the racists. That isn’t political it is just the right thing to do.

      • Lynnie says:

        Kanye got eviscerated for taking a picture with Trump on here where were you for that thread ¿?

        For me her showmanship feminism isn’t even the real issue. It’s the fact that we all know she has the capability to stalk/self-monitor her image and control it at anytime, but time and time again she’ll play dumb and silent when push comes to shove in order to protect her revenue stream. You cannot tell me that someone with the capability to copyright strike etsy vendors, spend time on tumblr liking theories to help shape narratives, and frequently pushes out dissertations via pr to help sell albums is unaware and/or clueless on how to respond when Breitbart/neo-nazis proclaim her as their Aryan princess. If she and fans can’t understand why she’s getting dragged for that then…

      • Cranberry says:

        @Lynnie, you make a very good point. I didn’t know that about Breitbart/neo-nazis. In general it’s hard for me to blame any celebrity that wants to cower from the attention of Trump supporters. I’m sure many celebs in that position want to think that if they don’t acknowledge it at all, it will hopefully just go away. I’m sure most all of them are either fans or consider her one of their own. But you’re right, in the case of Swift, she’s too famous and successful to just be let off the hook so easily.

  14. Hola says:

    I love it all. I love the song, I love the video, most of all I love that Taylor is a woman in control of herself and her career and her self-expression and she doesn’t have any f—is to give about what anyone else thinks. A+

    • Meryl says:

      Except she very clearly cares about what every single person thinks? I don’t understand the love for her “idgaf moment” when she absolutely and obviously still give lots of f%*cks. Which is fine, caring isn’t always a bad thing. Just wish her fans would stop acting like she invented this spin, when it’s simply a recycled angle so many have played before her.

      • Handwoven says:

        Yeah, putting an Easter egg in your video referring to your boyfriend’s birth date is not “for yourself”.
        It’s also a good signal to run for the hills, Joe!

      • magnoliarose says:

        Her PR is so obvious and cold because it is too orchestrated. As is this “romance”. Ugh.

    • Nicole says:

      I think that’s the funniest lie I’ve EVER heard. Taylor cares and she cares too much. When you have to slam people in every single using blind items, lie about people to gain sympathy and play the victim this much you care.
      When I don’t care I don’t spare a second thought about the person. That’s when I know I’ve truly let go. Taylor spends so much time caring what people think and trying to win at some fake game she made up in her head. The only difference is we are tired and over her “poor me” stance.
      Man stans are always good for a laugh.

    • QueenB says:

      If there is a woman in the world who clearly gives a crap what everyone thinks its her.

  15. Enough Already says:

    Is there something between a hater and a stan? I swear I’ve tried to break up with Taylor so many times but the secret charity work and the baking and the forever butt hurt and the dork dancing and the fucking kittens keep pulling me back in.
    *stares into middle distance*

    • Jaii says:

      If there is , I’m there. I just enjoy her for what she is and what she does do.

    • Handwoven says:

      Well, if the charity work was actually secret, you wouldn’t know about it, and plenty of celebs do real secret charity work.

    • Enough Already says:

      Handwoven
      This wasn’t a celebrity charity comparison. I respect anything anyone does to make someone’s life better. Some of Taylor’s giving is public but we know about some of the private giving because family members, hospital staff etc always, invariably gush on social media. She’s known for being unusually generous and I lime that about people.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        I agree with this. It wouldn’t be charitable if she made the children/family/hospital staff sign NDAs. If you give someone a gift, it is rude to place restrictions on how they can enjoy it. If she donates time or money, the recipient should be able to celebrate that and not have it reflect poorly on the giver.

      • Enough Already says:

        Tiffany
        I never thought of it this way but it makes sense – it would be arrogant af to whip out the NDA before the checkbook lol.

    • detritus says:

      yeah, I feel you.
      She’s smart, driven, hard working, pretty, talent. And also petty, self absorbed and a giant pain in the arse.

      And I sometimes even like her music.

    • MC2 says:

      I am with you in this grey room listening to her tunes (when no one’s watching). I came back for the cute kitties- damn them.

      But, really, the court case with the horrific dj db. She did an amazing job, I was so proud of her & she gained many points in my bank that will last a long time. I also like the new music.

    • Enough Already says:

      In-betweeners unite! Anonymously!
      Lol, chocolate chip cookie anyone?

      • monette says:

        Don’t like cats, but I’m so with you guys! I liked her outfits and her papstrolls in NY, last year. And some of her songs. And her work ethic and her pettiness.
        But she is problematic AF with her apolitical stand and her desire to make as much money as possible by not offending the white supremacists that worship her.
        So yeah, I’m torn!

    • Tiffany :) says:

      I’m with you on Taylor. There are so many problems, the lyrical and video clues about boyfriends is pretty immature, but there are other things that I do like about her. So my thoughts on her fall in this weird middle area.

  16. Julianna says:

    It looks so dated, like it’s straight out of the mid 2000’s. Not in a throwback way, just in a ‘are we really still doing this kind of video’ way. It feels like a lesser Britney video from the In The Zone or Blackout eras.

    Anyway, so far reputation seems like a big flop compared to her last efforts. Despite all the initial hype LWYMMD dropped from No. 1 real fast and is now barely clinging to the top 10, this single isn’t even in the top 50 and Gorgeous starting falling on all the download charts within a day, so I can’t see it being a hit. I don’t think this is how Swift thought her big reinvention was going to go.

    • jetlagged says:

      “It feels like a lesser Britney video”…That’s the director, Kahn. Back in the day he directed Britney’s Toxic video and a few others. Most of the work he’s done in the last few years has been for Taylor.

    • Lofi says:

      It’s the director, seems like Khan really only knows how to do like one or two types of videos… oh and say really problematic racist s**t but Taylor loves him and his stale repetitive videos. 😒

  17. Anna nuttall says:

    All I can say is – I really hope Taylor doesn’t go down the techno/dance/rap route with her music as it really doesn’t suit her. *sigh* Didn’t like video, look to much of a Ghost in the shell rip off and it made no sense.

  18. K says:

    I don’t mind the song, like the article said it’s a good work out song. But I don’t understand the video at all.

    Someone above said there are a lot of waster eggs, what are they because I really didn’t get how the video connected to thd song.

    • Jaii says:

      I can’t remember them all Off hand but they are all to do with Joe. His year of birth 91 next to 89 at the start, his name grafettied on one of the walls, something else to do with the numbers on the keypad, there is also more grafetti, and oh the chinese writing translations too.

      • K says:

        Thanks. I don’t understand why she has all these Easter eggs about her life, I mean she isn’t game of throne she is a person her life shouldn’t require that many clues and games. If she wants aspects private I get and respect that but then don’t drop weird hints in a song.

        But again thanks for answering

  19. bread says:

    I understood everything but the horse. What was with that sudden horse?

    • Lori says:

      I think she is supposed to be a warrior drone? And warriors sometimes ride horses? Im over thinking it..

    • Mei says:

      Maybe it’s that she is her own knight in nude bodysuit armour and doesn’t need anyone else to succeed? She also did have a song called White Horse in her country days.

    • Susannej says:

      When Taylor is on the white Horse, she has a song of the same name on her album “Fearless”, which was right before the “image” of Taylor started. Basically the original Taylor is emerging and she’s asking, “Are you ready for it?”

  20. Brandi says:

    I don’t get the message (if there is one) but it looks cool.

    • Hella says:

      Do you all honestly not understand the video? I don’t get what’s not to get. The “good, white” Taylor was trapped in a box and the “mean LWYMMD black” Taylor who replaced her was taunting her. So the white Taylor bashed free, killed the black Taylor, and now she’s free.
      I don’t like it, but I’m also not confused by it.

      • DiligentDiva says:

        But how does it match the song lyrics? This video might have made more sense on a different song. The lyrics to the song aren’t about her getting a new guy…..

      • Brandi says:

        Hella, I didn’t say I was confused. I think it looks cool. Thats the extent of it. It’s just a music video. Doesn’t have to have some deep meaning. I don’t care about dissecting a video.

      • Fleurucci says:

        I only watched it once but no, I did not get the meaning, so thanks!

  21. Lori says:

    I really hate the rapping bits. But the chorus is so catchy. I think the video is beautiful but so annoying because I dont see the point of it.

    Basically I feel very confused about this song… I’d rather listen to Style 😂

  22. Alexandria says:

    Ok let me get all these out of the way:
    She’s problematic, a snake, a flawed faux feminist, dramatic blabla. I don’t understand the video, looked like she or they were trying to harness electricity. I prefered the song LWYMMD to this song.

    But I enjoyed this video and I will still talk about her songs and her videos. So there. She still catches my attention, I still sing to her songs, whether I like it or not.

  23. skyblue says:

    I’m sitting here imagining Taylor staring in the mirror as she practices her lip curl ala Elvis. She cracks me up!

  24. Shirurusu says:

    Aha ahahaha! I’m sorry I apologise to the Taylor Swift fans here – I respect that you like her. But this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen, never heard the song before, had no idea Taylor was trying to do some sort of horrid rnb or rap number. Also her name in graffiti in the intro? Using grammatically incorrect english like “he don’t try at all though”?. No one is further from street smart or cool than Taylor. Unintentionally hilarious, whoever helped produce this album to sound like this should be fired asap.

    • Jamie says:

      meh i have seen worst. if you think this is a bad music video, you must not have watched enough. lol this is fine, the message is a bit confusing but the cgi is good.

      • Shirurusu says:

        Haha no I really think it’s terrible. And it’s not from lack of experience in watching videos. You like it. That’s fine 😉

  25. DiligentDiva says:

    I watched the video and was utterly confused. The lyrics didn’t match the video. The video was a very interceptive thing all about two versions of herself, the song is about her getting a new man?
    Unless she’s trying to just say she’s in love with her own image and thus “creating” a Taylor robot to love her. Which given how Joe looks like her twin might be what’s going on between them…..

  26. Horse Marine says:

    I like the song. It’s alright and the chorus is catchy. The video looks like it cost a lot of money, but… meh. I wish it made sense. It has nothing to do with the song.

  27. browniecakes says:

    Her front row flailing coming up at video and music award shows is what I think about. We had a year of no Tay at those.

  28. Madly says:

    Wouldn’t it be funny if her album dropped after only a few weeks and yet Thor smashed records? Just to me? Not even watching her videos.

    • jammypants says:

      I don’t see how one has anything to do with the other. They’re two very different things and audiences. Did I side eye the album release date? Sure. But I never doubted that either will do well on their own respectively. But I will say this is Thor’s biggest success from tracking reports while Taylor’s latest efforts are underperforming.

      • Madly says:

        I am saying this because her stans think Tom’s career is over and that she is a legend. That is why it would be funny.

      • jammypants says:

        If it’s a form of karmic justice since her crew seems to love the word yet have no idea what it actually means, sure 😁

      • Beth says:

        @jammypants, do you know who or forget that her ex, Tom Hiddleston plays a main character in Thor? I hope the mighty Thor and the god of mischief, Lokis movie is a huge hit

      • jammypants says:

        Hm I just saw this comparison and see now https://twitter.com/patfromearth/status/923907043542650881

      • Yandy45 says:

        Madly, what? Why would her Stan’s even care about Tom? There seems to be no bad blood between the two.
        His career will be what it is no matter what, Taylor can’t and hasn’t tries to ruin his career and that doesn’t even make sense.
        Ppl who hate Tom because of Taylor are just as dumb as ppl who hate Taylor because of Tom.
        There is no drama.
        Ppl are making drama.

      • jetlagged says:

        @Yandy, I’m aware of my own hypocrisy here because I keep revisiting Hiddleswift 18 mos after its end, but her stans do still bring him up, for the simple reason that in their eyes he couldn’t make her happy so they need to find fault with him. It’s true of all her boyfriends, except whoever happens to be boyfriend dujour. In some cases Taylor encourages that (via song), and sometimes she doesn’t. I really hope the Tom-Taylor drama is over, and there is nothing on this new album anyone can even remotely relate to him.

        It’s true she hasn’t bad-mouthed Tom or tried to ruin his career and/or reputation – directly. But soon after the breakup there was an organized effort to place all the blame for the ridicule they both suffered directly at his feet, while Taylor – once again – played the victim card. I lost track of all the tabloid stories that had “sources close to Taylor” who said repeatedly being so public with their relationship was all Tom’s idea and it was Taylor who begged him to be more private and worried he was just using her for her fame. One or two stories like that I can chalk up to tabloids pulling things out of thin air, but this was many articles, from many places, all with more or less the same wording.

  29. A says:

    I have nothing to say about the song or the music video. But I’m starting to get tired of the whole “Taylor clones” trope that she keeps reusing in this album. Like, we get it. Thanks for beating us over the head with that imagery. Can we move on now?

  30. purple prankster says:

    If it’s just for the fans then why did she discount lwymmd just before bodak yellow took number 1

  31. chlo says:

    Why does she still have those bangs.

    • Coraline says:

      She’s always had bangs even back in 2012 when she had straight hair for her album 22. Meh, it doesn’t suit her face at all. But I guess she just doesn’t like her forehead.

      • KLO says:

        @Coraline I have the same kind of hair and bangs is a really good/easy way to maintain the style when you have really fluffy/fine hair on your hairline. It just looks neater. And it doesn’t damage the hairline as much. I got my bangs cut for the exact same reason.

  32. Dj Jazzy Jen says:

    I was actually looking forward to seeing it and I am far from a fan of hers, but I was really underwhelmed. The preview she released looked interesting, but I feel like something got lost in translation because I didn’t get the point. And the witch will burn or whatever graffiti at the end was a bit much, but this is Taylor so I guess it’s to be expected. I actually like the song, bummer the video doesn’t seem to relate at all to it.

  33. lightpurple says:

    Assassin’s Creed + Metropolis + West World + Ex Machina + Thor!

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      My thought was that it is totally derivative of West World.
      Haven’t seen Thor, I do get the Assassin’s Creed thing with the hooded cape, don’t know Metropolis. How does Ex Machina fit in there? Is it just the FemBot aspect?
      It seems so much more West World-y to me.

      • lightpurple says:

        Check out the trailers for Thor Ragnorak. He’s shooting lightning and his eyes glow light.

      • jetlagged says:

        The director just tweeted that the cinematographer worked on Westworld. Nice catch.

      • Franny Days says:

        I thought of Westworld as well. I can kind of see her playing a robot on there lol. Seemingly human but not quite.

      • KLO says:

        I also see Terminator. She does the “arrival squat” (you know what I am talking about) in the first half of the video.

    • KLO says:

      @NotSoSocialButterfly I think Ex-Machina is the part where theres 2 Taylors separated by glass. That was visually a big part of that movie.

  34. jammypants says:

    So extra. New Taylor is Old Taylor. Still
    a victim.

  35. OK… she looks pretty in this video?

    • KLO says:

      her hair is so good in it. I have very similar naturally curly /wavy/ fluffy hair and I am taking some serious notes right now.

  36. HelloSunshine says:

    I don’t get the video at all and I generally enjoy TS and this song specifically. I think she looks really good with the weight she’s gained too (is it appropriate for me to say that? I usually keep comments like that to myself cause I don’t know)

  37. Kate says:

    What’s that??!

  38. So and so says:

    Not distinguishable as Taylor Swift. She’s floundering. Could easily be a Katy Perry song. Or even Ellie Goulding…

    • jetlagged says:

      I am so not her target audience, but it feels this time around Taylor is just phoning it in. Her lyrics are grade-school level, repetitive and unoriginal. The videos, although lavish, seem lifeless – as is her performance in them. It’s all just a giant, muddled mess with high production values.

  39. Shannon says:

    I feel pretty objective because I really have no strong feelings about her personality, I do enjoy a lot of her music. This song, I can dig it. I could see pumping that before a nervewracking work meeting or something. But the video had me like, ‘wtf?’ It seemed cheesy, honestly, like ‘Tron’ 80s vibes, but not in a cool way. I honestly thought the video would be more sports oriented. My 10-year-old son really likes ‘Gorgeous’ – it came up on my shuffle on youtube, don’t judge – which means I’ll probably end up like it too. I sure hope the video is better than this one though.

  40. Southern belle says:

    I don’t get the hostility against TS from you (the writer of this thread). She is a lot better than a lot of the Hollywood people who make it a point in life to give their opinions about politics despite it not affecting them or just sounding unappreciative AF.

  41. virginfangirl says:

    Her songs and videos are just about finding clues. Fans don’t just listen and enjoy, and maybe relate the song to something personal to themselves. As a mom and middle school teacher, I find this way of attracting people to her music very similar to the immature behaviors I witness in my classroom. I guess I’m just too old to be interested in all her bs.

    • killemsat says:

      the nuttiest part is she’s two years shy of 30….how long will she keep this schtick up??

  42. Poop says:

    I couldn’t finish it because it sounds really generic and a lot like her other songs. IMO, she needs to either come out with a REALLY catchy song (Shake it Off) or something that sounds vastly different in order to stand out and withstand the test of time.

  43. AVVSAJNC says:

    As always, exhausting.

  44. KHLBHL says:

    I find it shameful, as a Korean-American, that Joseph Kahn, a fellow Korean-American, is appropriating Ghost in the Shell imagery (an extremely problematic film due to whitewashing) and Chinese characters on the sign for “cool”, “aesthetic,” “atmospheric” effect. All the exoticization and cultural theft without any of the weight and complicated identity issues of actually being Asian-American in this country. It’s not okay. And the fact what makes this worse is that this is a video for a bland, vanilla white girl who espouses white feminism when it is convenient for her. Taylor Swift wants to put these images in, consults the one Asian she knows–as if he speaks for all Asians–and since he thinks it’s cool and okay, she goes ahead and does it. It’s insulting, ignorant, and offensive.

    • killemsat says:

      Kahn is such an obnoxious POS. He thinks because he is asian that those points don’t hold water. He’s always been an assh0le thats run his mouth.

      His tweet about asians and dogs that he wrote as a joke…wtf is wrong with you, dude??????? You think because you are asian that its funny and okay to write that??????

    • Boo Peep says:

      @khlbhl As an Asian American, I agree. It’s so disappointing that Kahn’s work normalizes the exoticism and appropriation of Asian cultures. And his personal tweets open a whole new bag of worms (cough sexist cough).

  45. Erica_V says:

    This is my fav of the three singles and I really like the mood and the look of the vid but I feel like it’s… unfinished. Like we’re only getting half the video here. I wanted more.

    RFI is the first track on the album and I have a hunch she’s doing a visual album this time so I wonder if the video for track 2 will be the other half to this story I feel like is missing.

    I also agree that the lyrics don’t seem to go with the video. She’s obviously talking about a relationship in the song but we don’t see anything romantic in the video. I didn’t think it was going to be her rolling around on the beach singing to an off camera love interest but this is sort of the furthest thing I was expecting for the song.

    My favorite easter egg is the all the song titles written on the walls behind her. I don’t know what All Eyes On Us is going to sound like but I’m already obsessed.

  46. IsThisReal? says:

    The song is catchy. Too bad about the video.
    Overly produced and overly wrought. So clear.
    Someone or some two were too much in their own world of self-congratulations they missed the boat entirely.

  47. StillTotalled says:

    So that opening strut…am I the only one who got Shania Twain does Bladerunner vibes?
    Just wonderin’…

  48. Rubber Ducky says:

    Could she get any whiter?

  49. Madly says:

    New behind the scenes photos clearly show either butt implants or padding. Girl has never had those kinds of curves naturally.

  50. Bread and Circuses says:

    So it’s a love/lust song, and she’s…singing it to herself?

    Maybe this is the perfect Taylor video. She’s Narcissus, adoring a reflection of herself to her own detriment.

  51. Amaria says:

    I’m not really a fan, and certainly not her demo target (twice as old, I guess) – but I kind of like how she’s trying something different. I guess my attitude to her changed after reading an article about how TS chose revenge instead of humility, snake over sweetness and how she’s not the perfect, nice, American girl everybody expected her to be… And it pissed me off so much. I felt it was fairly misogynistic – “how dare this woman be something else than our eye candy and pop princess”! So I support this attempt at something new by TS, as imperfect as it is. LWYMMD was weak, but RFI and Gorgeous are catchy songs that, to my surprise, I like – never listened to her before, so maybe it’s the freshness factor for me. I won’t sh*t at her for her lack of coordination or “whiteness”, because that’s just silly – well, duh, she has no coordination and is white, that’s not gonna change. I like that a woman based some of her work on negative feelings – I’m tired of people expecting us to be always smiling, always positive and catering to others, always being what others expect us to be. I like that she embraced her inner mean girl, that she’s shamelessly petty and boy-obsessed, how she flaunts her victimhood. She has her faults, she can be problematic – and it’s fine. I want a woman to be all that and still succeed in pop. Like someone said- between a stan and a hater, there’s a whole gray area.

    • Lynnie says:

      You went too deep and missed the point. Taylor’s whole MO throughout her entire career has been basing her work off of “negative feelings” and pettiness. It’s just that up until 1989 she was hiding it behind the pop princess persona she fashioned and upheld herself. That cognitive dissonance is what many of her early detractors had a problem with. Now people have a problem with how she’s almost 30 and has not grown up at all in terms of songwriting, themes, and general awareness. Add in the fact that the execution this time around is seriously struggling and people are just tired of her act in general (people enjoy petty when executed well and male entertainers who get too into their feelings get sideeyed too so those points are moot as well).

    • KLO says:

      @Amaria really really good points. I never thought of it being a good thing to embrace powerful negative feelings for inspiration as a female pop artist but your words made me realize that it IS in fact misogynistic to think otherwise because famous male musicians do this all the time. Thank you!

      I realize I have been brainwashed.

      Comments like yours are the reason why I come here. Fun and education all at the same time.

  52. Bxhal says:

    Watching this vid made me kinda miss the 90s and early 00s. Specifically, it made me miss Natalie Imbruglia. I remember ‘Wrong Impression’ and ‘Torn’. She’d just stand there and you’d connect coz well, the song was catchy (I couldn’t relate at that age) and she had …oomph. She could somehow convey her emotions with her eyes and the way she sang. Someone mentioned Shania Twain and I remember the first time I became a fan, watching her vid. Her eyes, her vocals, her chemistry with the screen, she had ‘it’. I don’t get that here with Taylor. Its as though someone took an innocent Catholic girl and brought her to a Britney video shoot set. To be fair, Catholic girls are mostly wild at heart so that may not be a decent comparison. Taylor is giving off a lot of ‘I’ve been told to do this so I’m just doing it but its so not me’ boredom vibes. She isn’t “fierce”. I would have expected her to bring it, like Beyonce in ” Ring the Alarm” or “Don’t hurt yourself”. The beats of the song and even the tempo, are screaming ” Go hard!” But she’s just.. There.. Completely lukewarm. Perhaps she’s just too self-conscious to be alone in a music video. Even when she stands there, I half expect something to pop up because she just went and stood lazily like my goodness, and shell sell a Millie with this, honestly skin color is a privilege.

    • KLO says:

      Tay is totally vanilla but somehow I like it. I am sick of popsingers whose visuals are SO in your face. I really enjoyed your analysis btw.

  53. yoon says:

    i feel like this video is just confirmation that she’s in actuality a cylon.

  54. sereneeirene says:

    Ugh. Predictable and boring.

  55. KLO says:

    I expected to not like the video but I actually found that it looks really good. I also love the sci-fi and Terminator references. And she looks really good. The song is nothing special but I would voluntarily watch this video again. I thought the visuals were very enjoyable and well done.

  56. bikki says:

    this is coming from someone that genuinely enjoyed her last two albums…

    lyrically these are not working for me. I don’t see how she can expect a grammy with repetitive songs like these.

    I agree the video, to me, seems kind of pointless. maybe it holds deeper meaning with TS fans who may know what is what when it comes to TS and her life.