Taylor Swift has long been known for her incredible high production value music videos. For this Swiftmas update, we’re taking a look at the best music video from each of Taylor’s musical eras.
From the early days of her career, Taylor Swift has produced high quality music videos of impressive build. One thing that sets her apart from other artists is the number of them who are storytelling focused, with a full story being told within minutes. As part of the celebration of Swiftmas, I’m sharing my favorite time-lapse clip from each album.
Debut: Tears on my guitar
There are many fantastic videos from Taylor Swift’s debut album, but “Teardrops On My Guitar” not only has an amazingly mid-2000s makeup look for Taylor, but also captures the kind of storytelling she would become known for. The video shows Taylor in a school, yearning for her crush Drew, and in the hallway, library, and science lab. It captures the high school experience in the same way as his first album.
Intrepid: you belong to me
This is not only the best clip of the Intrepid era, but the best Taylor music video of all time, if you ask me. Starring Lucas Till and Taylor Swift (twice), it perfectly recreates the song’s love triangle story. Those notes through the window footage became iconic, as did Taylor’s Junior Jewels band camp t-shirt. It would be worth it to choose just to dress and dance in her bedroom, but the school’s dramatic end of the dance is a high-profile teenage drama. And introduce yourself as the cheerleader villain as well as the wallflower protagonist? Pure genius.
Speak now: the story of us
If you like the dark vibes of academia, then “The Story of Us” is definitely the clip for you. Many videos of Taylor in the Speak Now was a little more moderate than she Intrepid those, but having a video in a library for a song based on stories and chapters is a smart touch. If the prep school tie and button-down look is a bit of an overkill, perhaps we can blame the popularity of Gossip Girl for that. Either way, it’s a fun setting for a video, and Taylor and an ex awkwardly staring at each other from separate study tables are certainly relevant to a lot of those who’ve dated and broken up with someone. who they went to school with.
Red: I knew you had problems
the Red music videos saw a more mature version of Taylor Swift and this video certainly sums it up, as she sees her lover through everything from tattoo dates to bar fights. It’s a more grungy look for the singer than we’ve ever seen before, with pink tipped hair, as an entire relationship unfolds onscreen with poignant storytelling at the start and end of the movie. video. It also stars Reeve Carney, of the cast of Hadestown on Broadway, who recently played the role of Tom Ford in the film, Gucci House. The obscurity of the video makes it clear that while the song is upbeat and fun, it is a toxic and painful relationship.
Red (Taylor’s Version): Too Much Short Film
I couldn’t talk about Taylor Swift’s best music videos without mentioning the new short film “All Too Well” which debuted with Red (Taylor version). The song, although a fan favorite, was not a single on Redand never had a music video, but now fans have a fifteen minute long movie starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien. It shows the toxic and manipulative relationship depicted in the song, with several pauses for dialogue. It highlights the inequalities created by the big age gap depicted in the new lyrics of the extended version of the song and how manipulative the man in the relationship is.
1989: empty space
1989 saw Taylor Swift change her image, fully transitioning from country sweetheart to pop superstar, but she also saw her play to her media reputation on the track “Blank Space”. The clip is a gorgeous portrayal of the kind of glamorous yet insane man-eater that the tabloids (and many commentary forums online) loved to portray as the singer. Shot primarily at Oheka Castle, the video has been compared to Missing girl when he came out for his themes. It is not only perhaps the most beautiful of Taylor’s music videos, but it also features his best performance as an actress.
Reputation: look what you made me do
The album Reputation saw Taylor Swift once again respond to the press description of her. In this spooky video with a frankly insanely high production value, we see a zombie version of Taylor, Taylor on a throne surrounded by snakes, and earlier versions of Taylor fighting. The video contains an incredible amount of Easter Eggs for things that have happened in Taylor’s life, from the drama with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West to her relationship with Tom Hiddleston. Like “Blank Space,” the video satirizes the version of Taylor Swift that the media describes her as.
Lover: The Man
While most of the album Lover is a beautiful tribute to Taylor’s relationship with longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn, “The Man” addresses the sexism that plagues the entertainment industry. In the clip, Taylor Swift transforms into a businessman with makeup and prosthetics. It reminds a lot The wolf of Wall Street, which is entirely appropriate considering the reference to Leonardo DiCaprio in the song. We see the male version of Taylor spilling out onto public transport, with lots of beautiful young girls on a yacht, and being praised for doing the bare minimum to care for a child. It’s a straightforward commentary on sexism in the industry and the video itself was both written and directed by Swift herself.
Folklore: willow
The last few eras have been much shorter since Taylor Swift started releasing surprise albums. While Always never had a music video, Folklore had a couple, and “willow” is absolutely gorgeous. It continues what Taylor started in the “cardigan” music video, but also plays on the album’s “invisible string” pattern. The costumes and sets are gorgeous and it once again proves Taylor’s abilities as a director.
What’s your favorite Taylor Swift music video? Is there a song Taylor is going to re-record that you’re hoping we get a clip for? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.
