Swift's music consists primarily of elements of pop, synth-pop, country, country pop and rock. Her later works draw from genres such as indie folk, alternative rock, R&B, EDM, hip hop and trap. Swift described herself as a country artist until the release of "1989" (2014), which she characterized as her first "sonically cohesive pop album". "Rolling Stone" wrote, "[Swift] might get played on the country station, but she's one of the few genuine rock stars we've got these days." According to "The New York Times", "There isn't much in Ms. Swift's music to indicate country—a few banjo strums, a pair of cowboy boots worn onstage, a bedazzled guitar—but there's something in her winsome, vulnerable delivery that's unique to Nashville." "The Guardian" wrote that Swift "cranks melodies out with the pitiless efficiency of a Scandinavian pop factory." Swift's singing voice was described by Sophie Schillaci of "The Hollywood Reporter" as "sweet, but soft".
Musical style
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift | Musical style
Pop, synth-pop, country, country pop and rock. Pop, synth-pop, country, country pop and rock Pop, synth-pop, country, country pop and rock. Her music consists primarily of elements of pop, synth-pop, country, country pop and rock.
what does tim mcgraw think of taylor swift's song
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Swift wrote "Tim McGraw" during her freshman year of high school, knowing that she and her senior boyfriend would break up at the end of the year when he left for college.Lyrically, the track lists items in order to associate a past relationship, one of them being country artist Tim McGraw's music.
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who has sang this song?
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Taylor Swift.
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who composed the music for it?
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The song was written by Swift and Liz Rose, and produced by Nathan Chapman.
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who is the second person mentioned above?
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An American country music songwriter, best known for her work with American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.
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was a video made for this song?
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Yes
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who directed the video?
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Trey Fanjoy.
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what genre of music does this singer contribute to?
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The accompanying music video for "Love Story" was directed by Trey Fanjoy, who previously directed the videos for the singles from "Taylor Swift". Swift decided to collaborate with Fanjoy once again because she had been able to balance both of their ideas for music videos, something Swift appreciated deeply. The video is a period piece that draws influence from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Regency eras. Swift had previously desired to film a period piece music video because of its distinctiveness from modern videos and videos she had filmed. When writing the song, she envisioned it in a prior time period, and encoded it with details accordingly.
Love Story (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
"The Wall Street Journal" Michael Driscoll, meanwhile, compared the video's atmosphere to that of 1980s pop videos, specifically Chris Isaak's 1989 single "Wicked Game". Mikael Wood of the "Los Angeles Times" labelled the visual "a creepy homage" to David Lynch's mystery film "Mulholland Drive" (2001).
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
The accompanying music video for "Our Song" was directed by Trey Fanjoy. While listening to "Our Song", Fanjoy shared her ideals for a music video with Swift. "She had this idea for a front porch performance and then a field of flowers for another performance, then a black-and-white performance shot. It all came together in her head. She was able to translate that so well onto film. It just shows what a truly great director she is", Swift informed CMT News. The video was conceptualized to be very fantasy-like and surreal. The video begins with a shot of Swift's toenails as she paints them.
Our Song (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
American filmmaker Kyle Newman directed the music video for "Style", which was shot in Los Angeles and completed within four days in summer 2014. Before its release, Swift posted several teaser images and short clips from the video on her social media accounts. She planned to premiere the video on "Good Morning America" on the morning of February 13, 2015, but Canadian music channel Much released it at midnight. Swift uploaded the video to her Vevo account on the same day. In the video, English actor Dominic Sherwood plays Swift's love interest. Swift contacted him by text message roughly a month before the shooting; the two had known of each other through mutual friends.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
Coincidentally, on the day of filming, it rained heavily, something which encouraged Swift, since it corresponded to the video's gloomy and dark feel. Swift said it aided in making the video less colorful lighting-wise, and more fixated on muted tones. The last scenes were more difficult for Swift because they involved crying. She attributed the difficulty to the number of people surrounding her and watching, something she was not accustomed to. However, Fanjoy, who was once an actress, guided her into thinking about what made her most solemn, and completing the scene effectively. Fanjoy said the scenes demonstrated what an exceptional actress Swift was, adding she took direction very well.
White Horse (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
Swift's vocal presence is something that concerns her and she has "put a lot of work" into improving it. It was reported in 2010 that she continues to take vocal lessons. She has said that she only feels nervous performing "if I'm not sure what the audience thinks of me, like at award shows".
Taylor Swift | Musical style
It earned an APRA Music Award nomination for International Work of the Year and appeared on year-end lists of "Pitchfork" and "The Village Voice". In the US, "Style" peaked at number six on the "Billboard" Hot 100, becoming "1989"s third consecutive Hot 100 top-ten single. It received triple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which denotes track-equivalent sales of over three million units. "Style" also entered the top ten on charts and received multi-platinum certifications in Australia and Canada. Filmmaker Kyle Newman directed the song's music video featuring actor Dominic Sherwood as Swift's love interest. Premiering on February 13, 2015, the video featured a darker and more abstract atmosphere compared to those for previous "1989" singles "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space".
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Introduction
"Style" was originally written by producer Ali Payami and guitarist Niklas Ljungfelt for themselves. The two finished the instrumentala guitar-driven track inspired by what Ljungfelt called "funky electronic music" artists such as Daft Punk. Payami played the instrumental for Martin at the latter's studio; Swift became fond of the track after overhearing it and decided to record it for her album. Swift, Payami, Martin, and Shellback are credited as the song's writers. Production was handled by all the songwriters except Swift. Michael Illbert and Sam Holland recorded the track at MXM Studios in Stockholm and Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, with assistance from Cory Bice.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Production and release
Jason Lipshutz of "Billboard" characterized "Style" as a pop rock song, while the "Los Angeles Times"s Mikael Wood and "The Observer"s Kitty Empire described the track's style as "funk-pop". "Time"s Sam Lansky categorized "Style" as 1970s-styled disco, and "Rolling Stone" Rob Sheffield noted the song's 1980s synth-pop sound. The refrain's first half is built on D and G major chords that create a relatively radiant atmosphere. The second half incorporates a B minor chord that evokes a glimpse of sorrow. Like the rest of "1989", the track uses heavy synthesizers, vocal reverberation and features an upbeat dance groove, a dramatic change from Swift's trademark country styles.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Music and lyrics
"Style" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her fifth studio album, "1989" (2014). It was written and produced by Max Martin, Shellback, and Ali Payami, with additional writing by Swift, and released to radio stations as the album's third single on February 9, 2015. Musically, "Style" incorporates disco, funk-pop, pop rock and synth-pop. The lyrics are ambiguous; contemporary publications interpreted the song as being about beauty standards and reflections on past romantic relationships. The song garnered generally positive reviews from critics, many of whom deemed it the album's highlight. A few commentators found the lyrics clichéd and shallow.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Introduction
Credits are adapted from liner notes of "1989".
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Credits and personnel
Vox's Kelsey McKinney opined that Swift embraced her sexuality using "sensual imagery" of her touching herself, which showcased her maturity as an artist. Emilee Lindner of MTV called the video "mature, tasteful, and ... sexy". Spence Kornhaber from "The Atlantic", meanwhile, remarked that Swift expressed her sexuality in a more conservative manner compared to her contemporaries that distinguished her from "the pop obsession with women's bodies." "InStyle" writer Hayley Spencer deemed it "Swift's most cinematic video to date." Several images in the video featuring silhouettes of Swift's head overlaid by other scenes of her lover, the forests, smoking clouds, or thunder storms, were compared to the opening credits of the crime drama series "True Detective".
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
Swift's music consists primarily of elements of pop, synth-pop, country, country pop and rock. Her later works draw from genres such as indie folk, alternative rock, R&B, EDM, hip hop and trap. Swift described herself as a country artist until the release of "1989" (2014), which she characterized as her first "sonically cohesive pop album". "Rolling Stone" wrote, "[Swift] might get played on the country station, but she's one of the few genuine rock stars we've got these days." According to "The New York Times", "There isn't much in Ms. Swift's music to indicate country—a few banjo strums, a pair of cowboy boots worn onstage, a bedazzled guitar—but there's something in her winsome, vulnerable delivery that's unique to Nashville." "The Guardian" wrote that Swift "cranks melodies out with the pitiless efficiency of a Scandinavian pop factory." Swift's singing voice was described by Sophie Schillaci of "The Hollywood Reporter" as "sweet, but soft".
Taylor Swift | Musical style
"Pitchfork" ranked "Style" at number 50 on their list of 2014's best songs. On behalf of the publication, Jordan Sargent remarked that while the lyrics embraced Swift's "familiar tropes of Western romance" on previous releases, the instrumentation as well as Swift's "tense and restrained" vocals signaled her transformation in music and image. The song placed at number 24 on the 2015 Pazz & Jop poll, an annual mass critics' poll conducted by "The Village Voice". At the 2016 BMI Awards, the track was one of the Award-Winning Songs that earned Swift the honor of Songwriter of the Year. "Style" also received a nomination for International Work of the Year at the APRA Music Awards of 2016.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Critical reception
Swift was impressed by Anderson's acting skills, considering her lack of experience, and called it "prolific". On the second day, scenes at a high school were filmed; artificial rain was made. Afterward, White and a team of visual effect artists created the setting. "If you watch just the offline edit of this video, it's just green. It's just Taylor walking around a giant green screen. And to think that every single thing in that video was created is amazing, 'cause a lot of people worked really hard on it", White said. The visual effects team were at work for the video for some time, sometimes staying overnight in the office to produce the video.
Fifteen (song) | Music video
"Billboard"s Richard S. He praised "Style" for showcasing "Swift's songwriting at its purest" by evoking "worlds of emotion" despite utilizing a generic song structure. "The Independent"s Andy Gill described the song's theme as a "piquancy", and its music direction as "desperately inclusive electropop grooves and corporate rebel clichés". Allie Volpe of "The Philadelphia Inquirer" viewed the song's lyrics as "shallow" but complimented its sound as her "favorite on the album." "Consequence of Sound"s Sasha Geffen lauded the song's musical styles, but criticized its theme of conventional beauty standards of "white people" as a cliché that blemishes Swift's "girl-next-door likability" on the album.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Critical reception
Fanjoy continues to garner nominations and accolades. Most recently she won Director of the Year at the 2009 CMT music awards for her work with numerous country artists in 2008-2009. In addition, the pairing of Fanjoy with Taylor Swift won the most coveted prize for Video of the Year, as well as Female Video of the Year. She received a 2008 MTV nomination for Swift's "Teardrops On My Guitar". Fanjoy and Swift also nabbed the 2008 CMT Video of The Year for their collaboration on the hit "Our Song," which also won female video of the year at the same show.
Trey Fanjoy | Other appearances
The song's music video, which is directed by Philip Andelman, premiered on February 13, 2012 at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV. As of August 2020, the video has over 170 million views on YouTube. Parts of the music video were shot in a cemetery, including a scene of Swift sitting atop the graves of a couple who died in 1853.
Safe &amp; Sound (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
On February 25, 2020, Swift announced via her social media accounts that the music video will be released in two days' time. The video was directed by Swift, making it her official solo directorial debut. Swift answered fan questions in the hour before the music video's premiere on YouTube on February 27, 2020. She stated that the entire preparation for the music video—including planning meetings, creating mood boards, scouting locations, and costume and set design—took several months. She also confirmed that there would be many of her trademark "easter eggs" in the video. The video features cameos from TikTok stars Loren Gray (the second most followed on the platform) and Dominic Toliver, actress Jayden Bartels, and Swift's father Scott Swift; actor Dwayne Johnson appears in a brief voice role.
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | Background
Swift has collaborated with many different directors to produce her music videos, and over time she has become more involved with writing and directing. She has her own production house, Taylor Swift Productions, Inc., which is credited with producing music videos for singles such as "Me!", and is known for hiding elaborate clues and easter eggs in most of her work. In 2010, Swift co-directed the music video for "Mine" with Roman White. In 2011, she continued to collaborate with White on the music videos for "Mean" and "Ours". Swift developed the concept and treatment for "Mean". In an interview, White elaborated that Swift "was keenly involved in writing the treatment, casting and wardrobe.
Taylor Swift | Music videos
Though the music video was very low budget, it displayed Taylor's aggressive and sexy style, showcasing her as the center focus, with two back-up dancers ; one of them being “Cats” musical star Jeffrey Pavey , and another dancer on opposite sides against a white backdrop. The video is stylistically similar to the cover of "Tell It to My Heart".
Tell It to My Heart | Music video
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has released four video albums and has appeared in fifty-six music videos, five films and three television shows. From her eponymous debut studio album (2006), she released music videos for the singles "Tim McGraw", "Teardrops on My Guitar", "Our Song", and "Picture to Burn", all directed by Trey Fanjoy and released from 2006–08. For the second of these, she earned an MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist nomination. She followed with three other music videos in 2008—"Beautiful Eyes" from her extended play of the same name, "Change" from the "AT&T Team USA Soundtrack" and "Love Story" from her second studio album "Fearless" (2008).
Taylor Swift videography | Introduction
In 2020, Hannah Mylrea of "NME" placed the song among the 10 best songs by Swift, labelling it as "Swift at her best".
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Critical reception
Fanjoy also directed many videos for Reba McEntire, which include "Somebody", "He Gets That from Me", "Strange" and "Consider Me Gone".
Trey Fanjoy | Music videos
The accompanying music video for "Change" was directed by Shawn Robbins. It was filmed at the ballroom in the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana. The video commences with a shot of a stained glass window. It then transitions to Swift, clothed in a white cocktail dress and black cowboy boots, performing alongside her backup band in an empty ballroom. The band members are dressed semi-casual and play the instruments: bass, drums, and various guitars. As the video progresses, Swift is seeing singing and dancing. Cut-scenes feature close-ups of Swift in another setting, clothed by another white cocktail dress and surrounded by hot pink, white, and blue twinkling lights in a black background.
Change (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
The accompanying music video for "Picture to Burn" was directed by Trey Fanjoy, who directed all three of Swift's prior music videos. Swift decided to collaborate with Fanjoy once again because she felt that since Fanjoy directed her prior videos, she knew how to deviate from it and what new grounds to cover. As opposed to their previous collaborations, the video was conceptualized to be edgy and comical. Swift herself was styled edgier than usual, sporting clothing, hair, and jewelry she was not accustomed to. She was intended to wear thigh-length boots, but was not able to find a pair to correspond with her height.
Picture to Burn | Music video
Wardrobe for the video was supplied by Jacquard Fabrics, excluding Swift's dress for the balcony scene. The dress was designed by Sandi Spika with inspiration and suggestions from Swift. "She loves to put her input in her dresses", stated Spika. The two had discussed the dress two months prior to the filming of the video. Accentuates were made on the video set. The video was filmed in two days in August 2008 in Tennessee. On the first day, the balcony and field scenes were shot. On the set, someone had replaced the playback CD with a high-pitch, altered version of the song.
Love Story (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
The video alternates between Swift performing and more film clips. Other scenes include Stewart and Brody riding the brown horse together, Stewart staring out from a red car into the street, Brody swinging from a rope in a waterfall, and the two characters on a date. At the end of the video, the couple are slow dancing in the audience for which Swift sings.
Crazier (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
Inspired by pop music of the 1980s and its experimentation with synthesizers, drum pads, and overlapped vocals, Taylor Swift decided to move away from the signature country styles of her previous releases and incorporate a straightforward pop production for her fifth studio album, "1989". The recording process began in mid-2013 concurrently with the start of Swift's headlining world tour in support of her fourth studio album "Red". Swift announced in February 2014 that she was working again with Max Martin and Shellback, with whom she had collaborated on three songs for "Red". The two produced seven of the thirteen tracks for the album's standard edition; Martin also served as executive producer with Swift.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Production and release
As a result, Swift lent the crew her iPod to play the original track. While filming another scene, sunset was about to occur and, therefore, the process was executed rather rapidly. For the scene, Fanjoy suggested a kiss between Swift and Gaston, but Swift refused to because she believed it would make for a sweeter moment. On the second day, scenes at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee and at a ballroom were filmed. Swift learned the choreography for the latter in fifteen minutes prior to filming. Approximately 20 dancers were used for the scene. The video commences with Swift, clothed in a black sweater and jeans, walking through a university campus and spotting Gaston sitting under a tree, reading a textbook.
Love Story (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
The music video for "Crazier", directed by Peter Chelsom, features excerpts from "" and premiered on March 28, 2009 on the Disney Channel. The video begins in its principal setting with Swift and two backup musicians atop a stage in a crowded barn. Swift is dressed in a fitted pastel sundress and plays an acoustic guitar strapped over her shoulder. The backup musicians play the fiddle, the piano, the drum set, and the upright bass. The video then transitions to a clip from "Hannah Montana: The Movie" in which Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) spots her love interest, Travis Brody (Lucas Till), riding a brown horse.
Crazier (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
The accompanying music video for "White Horse" was directed by Trey Fanjoy, who directed the majority of Swift's prior videos. Swift commented that Fanjoy was her first choice to film the video because she understood the direction Swift wanted to take and how to make the video different than the prior ones they filmed. The video's plot centered on infidelity. However, because the theme had appeared on the video for "Picture to Burn", the scenario was reversed, rather than removed entirely, for Swift thought it was inevitable to include it. It was conceptualized so that Swift was not the person who someone was unfaithful to, but rather the one who someone was unfaithful with: "This girl falls in love with this guy and he's perfect.
White Horse (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
She can still sound strained and thin, and often strays into a pitch that drives some people crazy; but she's learned how to make words sound like what they mean." NPR Music described her singing as personal and conversational thanks to her "exceptional gift for inflection", but also suffers from a "wobbly pitch and tight, nasal delivery". "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote that her live vocals are "fine", but they do not match those of her peers. Swift has been praised for refusing to correct her pitch with Auto-Tune. In an interview with "The New Yorker", Swift characterized herself primarily as a songwriter: "I write songs, and my voice is just a way to get those lyrics across." A writer for "The Tennessean" conceded in 2010 that Swift is "not the best technical singer", but described her as the "best communicator that we've got".
Taylor Swift | Musical style
The single reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart and has received gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which denotes track-equivalent sales of 400,000 units. It was more commercially successful in Oceania, peaking at number eight and 11 on the Australian and New Zealand charts, respectively. The track has been certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and gold by the Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ). It also peaked atop the South African music chart.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Commercial performance
The accompanying music video for "Tim McGraw" was directed by Trey Fanjoy. It was filmed at the former home of Johnny & June Carter-Cash, which burned down the next year. The letter which the boyfriend receives is addressed to "Johnny" for this purpose. In regards to the video's concept, Swift stated, "It deals with the haunting power of music and how hearing a song years after it was first popular can have such an emotional appeal." Clayton Collins portrayed Swift's love interest in the music video. He was cast because of his physical resemblance to the real subject of the song, in that they were both tall with dark hair.
Tim McGraw (song) | Music video
Kornhaber remarked that the "classic" beauty in the lyrics are embedded with racial undertones, and "Consequence of Sound"s Sasha Geffen explicitly said it mostly applies to white people. "Slate"s Forrest Wickman noticed that the song seems to be about "timeless fashions" but actually portrays an unhealthy relationship. On an iHeartRadio live concert on October 27, 2014, Swift elaborated on her thinking of "fashion staples that ... we never throw out of our closet" while writing the song. Four days later, during a radio interview with host Ryan Seacrest, she revealed that "Style" was inspired by one of her romantic affairs that was "always a bit off".
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Music and lyrics
The latter was nominated for two awards at the 2009 CMT Music Awards—Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year. For the video of "You Belong with Me" she won Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. During her acceptance speech, she was interrupted by rapper Kanye West, which sparked controversy and received much media attention. Swift's third studio album "Speak Now" (2010) spawned the single "Mine", whose music video was directed by herself and Roman White, who previously directed two of her videos. This was followed by "Back to December", a video that laments the aftermath of a break-up, and "Mean", which tells the story of bullying.
Taylor Swift videography | Introduction
It's easier to stay in one look, one comfort zone, one musical style. It's inspiring to see someone whose only predictable quality is being unpredictable." Swift named Pete Wentz and Lana Del Rey as her favorite lyricists.
Taylor Swift | Influences
Owens' role in the video was revealed during the Lover's Lounge YouTube livestream, which preceded the music video's release; Swift called him "one of the most talented people" she knows. The video was filmed in a set in Hollywood, California. As of May 2020, the music video has amassed more than 120 million views on YouTube.
Lover (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
They begin the duet seated, with their backs facing each other. The video is inter-spliced throughout with footage showing fans' hand-made signs and cheering. The video ends with Lightbody and Swift finishing their duet on stage. The video was directed by Terry Richardson.
The Last Time (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
In the final scene, Swift herself appears as the video's director to instruct her male alter-ego to be both "sexier" and "more likeable" in the next take—a subtle dig at the entertainment industry's blatant objectification of and sexist treatment toward women. Ending on messages of female empowerment, Swift then turns to praise Loren Gray for her acting performance as a tennis ball girl, despite her role consisting of nothing more than an eye roll. The end credits list Swift as the director, writer, owner and star of the music video, Johnson as the voice of "The Man", and shows photos of Swift's transformation process into the male lead of the video.
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | Synopsis and analysis
The "Los Angeles Times" identified Swift's "defining" vocal gesture in studio recordings as "the line that slides down like a contented sigh or up like a raised eyebrow, giving her beloved girl-time hits their air of easy intimacy". "Rolling Stone", in a "Speak Now" review, wrote: "Swift's voice is unaffected enough to mask how masterful she has become as a singer; she lowers her voice for the payoff lines in the classic mode of a shy girl trying to talk tough." In another review of "Speak Now", "The Village Voice" wrote that her phrasing was previously "bland and muddled, but that's changed.
Taylor Swift | Musical style
Swift and Drew Kirsch directed the music video for "Lover". On August 15, 2019, Swift announced on her social media the music video would be premiered during a live Q&A session on YouTube the day before the album release on August 22, 2019. The video's concept was inspired by the lyric "You two are dancing in a snow globe round and round" from the song "You Are in Love", the fifteenth track on the deluxe edition of "1989" (2014). In the video, dancer Christian Owens, who worked as a background dancer on Swift's The 1989 World Tour (2015) and the Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), appears as Swift's love interest.
Lover (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
The refrain is accompanied by "undulating waves" of keyboards underneath. Alexis Petridis of "The Guardian" compared the song's electronic-oriented styles to those on the soundtrack of the 2011 film "Drive" and Daft Punk's 2013 album "Random Access Memories". The song's lyrics are ambiguous. Several critics initially thought the song talked about romance and beauty standards in a flirtatious manner. Wood pointed out the opening lines "Midnight / You come and pick me up, no headlights" as an allusion to having sex, a subject about which Swift had not previously written. The lyrics, "You've got that James Dean daydream look in your eye / And I've got that red lip classic thing that you like" in the refrain refer to the 1950s actor James Dean and, in the words of "The Atlantic"s Spencer Kornhaber, reflect conventional beauty standards employed by iconic American figures like Marilyn Monroe and Cindy Crawford.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Music and lyrics
The satirical music video explores Swift's life as her theoretical male counterpart, an alter-ego named "Tyler Swift". The video presents numerous prevalent examples of double standards in society, and comments on the objectification and sexualization of women, toxic masculinity, patriarchy, as well as performative allyship. Throughout the video, the male version of Swift is seen rudely inconveniencing the people around him, leading a luxurious and promiscuous lifestyle, manspreading, receiving praise for the bare minimum, and throwing tantrums without consequences. It contains visual references to "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013), a film involving the lyrically name-checked actor DiCaprio and cinematographer Prieto, and tennis player Serena Williams' match controversy with a chair umpire at the 2018 US Open Championships.
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | Synopsis and analysis
The music video was released on the same day as the song's release on Taylor's YouTube channel. Directed by Taylor herself (under the name "Spike Tee"), it features footage of King Combs.
How You Want It? | Music video
"The Man" music video received critical acclaim upon release, with many commentators complimenting the video's concept, and praising Swift's "unrecognizable" and "award worthy" transformation into the male alter-ego. Bryan Rolli of "Forbes", highlighted that the video is characterized by an "exaggerated and cartoonish" attitude "in a self-aware way", typical of Swift's "most memorable videos". He further expanded that "obviously, not every man acts like her [Swift's] character; that's not the point. The point is to make a caricature of the buffoonish men who feel the need to criticize successful women like Swift for merely existing and dissect every public decision they make, whereas their male counterparts would receive praise for the same actions".
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | Critical reception
Over the years, Fanjoy has made a name for herself in the awards circuit. She has been nominated multiple times at the Country Music Association Awards, Academy of Country Music, Billboard Music Awards and CMT Music Awards and MTV Awards with numerous nominations and several wins. Trey has directed videos for artists outside of the United States. British pop group, Atomic Kitten, had Fanjoy direct the video for their hit-single, "Whole Again", which went #1 in over thirty countries. Her video for Five For Fighting's hit "100 Years" stayed on VH-1's Top 20 Countdown for 18 weeks. Most recently, Fanjoy's collaborations for multi-platinum, teen sensation Taylor Swift include hit videos: "Tim McGraw", "Teardrops on My Guitar", "Our Song", "Picture to Burn", "Love Story" and "White Horse".
Trey Fanjoy | Music videos
Jason Lipshutz of the same magazine described the song as a "biting look at gender dynamics within both the pop industry and celebrity-driven culture", noting that it is sonically composed of a rumbling beat and crackling synths and lyrically provides wry humor and an honest perspective. An animated lyric video for "The Man" was released on February 7, 2020 at 12pm.
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | Background and composition
Swift, casually wearing a blue tank top, white hot pants, and straightened hair, is revealed to be engaging in a phone conversation in a bedroom. A cut-scene shows Swift affront her bedroom mirror, which she writes the word "Love", before furtively approaching a front porch, seen in a blue dress and curly hair. Swift then sits near the edge and performs "Our Song". The scene transitions to Swift lying on a bed of flowers and wearing an orange evening gown. She holds a card that spells her first name. Then, clothed by a long, black dress, black cowboy boots, and black gloves, Swift sings with a microphone and a backup band behind her in front of a white backdrop.
Our Song (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
"Entertainment Weekly" thought the video was “another classic bittersweet Swift joint,” writing: “Though her boyfriend doesn't laugh at her jokes and bores her with stories about his family’s Christmas movie-watching traditions, she finds the ultimate salve: Wandering through the streets of Paris, chuckling with handsome dudes in a café (and probably snacking on snails or something). It’s a lovely clip, but a little bit sleepy. Also, there’s something about it that recalls ’Back to December’ — is it the color palette, or just the general moodiness?”. To date, the video has over 180 million views on YouTube.
Begin Again (Taylor Swift song) | Reception
However, Swift wanted to go back to basics and keep the song's integrity by filming the video in Nashville, Tennessee. American singer and actor Tyler Hilton portrayed Drew. He was cast because of prior interactions with Swift. They had a mutual fondness for each other's music. Taking into account his acting on the television series "One Tree Hill" and the film "Walk the Line" (2005), Swift asked him to participate in the video after he attended and performed at one of her concerts. Swift chose Hilton primarily because he accurately presented Drew Hardwick, the fun, funny, fun-loving, blue-eyed boy whom she was friends with and had a huge crush on during high school.
Teardrops on My Guitar | Music video
Elias Leight from "Rolling Stone" stated that Grande "embraces the sound of hard-bitten Southern hip-hop" on the album. Craig Jenkins from "Vulture" wrote that Grande had changed and approached her style to trap and hip hop, filled with R&B undertones on "Thank U, Next", with lyrics about breakups, empowerment, and self-love.
Ariana Grande | Musical style and genres
The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea and John Hanes at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach and mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound in New York City. "Style" was one of the last songs finished by the production team for "1989". The song debuted as a snippet in a Target commercial for the album on October 22, 2014. On December 28, 2014, Scott Borchetta, CEO of Swift's former record label Big Machine held an impromptu Q&A via Twitter. When asked by a fan about "1989"s upcoming single following "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space", Borchetta responded that he was in favor of "Style".
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Production and release
They added that Swift "lit up" the stage, with just a single spotlight, "as she plays the acoustic guitar, the audience cheers along to the feminist anthem". Calling the video "intimate yet grand", "Uproxx" opined that the song "retains its earworm qualities in the acoustic rendition", despite the original version being "a catchy, synth-led tune".
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | Live acoustic version
The accompanying video to "Teardrops on My Guitar" was directed by Trey Fanjoy, who directed the video for "Tim McGraw". Swift decided to film the video with Fanjoy as a result of how positive the experience was when filming "Tim McGraw". She appreciated all the preparation techniques that she taught her and stated, "You have to remember the people who were good to you in the beginning". Swift said the video centered around unrequited love. Some of Swift's associates first believed the video should have been set in a prior era. They then thought about filming the video at a large city.
Teardrops on My Guitar | Music video
The satirical video sees Swift in her theoretical male alter-ego named "Tyler Swift", voiced by Dwayne Johnson, presenting several prevalent examples of sexist double standards in society, including objectification, sexualization of women, toxic masculinity and patriarchy. The video received critical acclaim for its concept and Swift's transformation into a man. It was nominated for the Video of the Year, Video for Good, and Best Direction at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, winning the latter, making her the first solo female artist in VMA history to win the category.
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | Introduction
The music video for "Fifteen" was directed by Roman White, who previously directed Swift's music video "You Belong with Me". White began with the intention of creating a video different than others Swift did in the past. To do so, he believed he needed to set the video outside of high school. White explained, "Well, I think I really wanted this video to kind of be an evolution for Taylor [...] I actually said to her, 'I don't think we should shoot in a high school.' And I don't think she wanted to either." White conceptualized the video's setting by taking into account the literal meaning of the song and transforming into something new.
Fifteen (song) | Music video
He compared her sound to Cyndi Thomson and Hilary Duff. Chris Neal of "Country Weekly" said that Swift "demonstrat[es] an honesty, intelligence and idealism with which listeners of any age will be able to connect" and added that "the more thoughtful material suggests a talent poised to last well past high school." Ken Rosenbaum of "The Toledo Blade" wrote Swift "deftly handles lyrics and subjects in that shadowy area between teenager and womanhood."
Taylor Swift (album) | Critical reception
A music video for the song was released on July 3, 2013; the video features footage from Swift's Red Tour. Crowd cheers from the concert footage can be heard in the background of the song throughout the video. As of January 2020, the video has over 175 million views on YouTube.
Red (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Swift and Roman White. The video chronicles the romantic relationship between Swift and her love interest played by British actor Toby Hemingway which ends with a marriage. The music video was met with great praise from contemporary critics who deemed it as "rather sweet," and "heartwarming." The song was performed live at numerous venues to promote "Speak Now". The music video received the Video of the Year Award at the 2011 CMT Music Awards.
Mine (Taylor Swift song) | Introduction
Throughout the remainder of the video, scenes alternate between previous settings and concludes with Swift giggling while sitting on the front porch. The video premiered on September 14, 2007 on CMT. The video received a nomination for "Number One Streamed Music Video" at the web-hosted 2008 CMT Online Awards, but lost to Carrie Underwood's video for "All-American Girl". At the 2008 CMT Music Awards, the video won the CMT Music Award for "Video of the Year" and "Female Video of the Year". To date, the video has over 176 million views on YouTube.
Our Song (Taylor Swift song) | Music video
Swift's feelings when she first moved to New York City inspired the opening track, "Welcome to New York". The song incorporates pulsing synthesizers, and finds Swift embracing her newfound freedom. "Blank Space", set over a minimal hip hop-influenced beat, satirizes the media's perception of Swift as a promiscuous woman who dates male celebrities only to gather songwriting material. The song targets the media scrutiny of her image, "Every few years the media finds something that they unanimously feel is annoying about me. Me, my character, the way I live my life, the way I talk, the way I react when I win stuff." "[F]unky electronic music" artists such as Daft Punk inspired the production of "Style", a funk-flavored track.
1989 (Taylor Swift album) | Songs
The music video was inspired by the period and fantasy films that Swift watched in isolation during COVID-19 lockdown. She contacted cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto in early July to work on the video; Prieto had previously worked on the music video for "The Man", Swift's official solo directorial debut. As the director, Swift worked with assistant director Joe Osborne and set designer Ethan Tobman. Swift developed the concept for the video, which Prieto described as "more ambiguous", "more personal", and "more of a fantasy" than "The Man". Ahead of filming, Swift drafted a shot list of the video, detailing the video's scenes with specific time sequences in the song, and sent visual references to Prieto and Tobman to communicate her vision of the video.
Cardigan (song) | Production
His diverse style is influenced by artists from a wide range of genres such as Glen Hansard, Amos Lee, Jeff Buckley, Jack White, Jay-Z and Bill Withers.
Taylor John Williams | Influences
Kevin Sellers of Music Emissions describes the sound as “soulful, eclectic and enamored alt-rock,” as well as “walking a fine line between experimentation and formulation.” Taylor has cited influences such as David Bowie, Metric, Death Cab, R.E.M, The Decemberists, Ambulance Ltd, Tegan and Sarah, Radiohead, Robbie Williams, Elton John, Belle and Sebastian, Elbow, INXS, Garbage, Muse, Peter Gabriel, Queen, Sufjan Stevens, Billy Joel, Yoko Kanno, Seal, and The Police.
A'tris | Musical style
On February 9, 2015, Republic Records, in partnership with Big Machine, serviced the track to US hot adult contemporary radio as the third single. The following day, Republic serviced "Style" to US contemporary hit and rhythmic contemporary radio. The song was released to Italy's contemporary hit radio on April 3, 2015.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Production and release
Selling over 3.6 million copies as of February 2011, the track is the third-best-selling country single of all time. Roman White directed the music video for "You Belong with Me", which plot centers on the protagonist secretively loving the male lead, although he has a girlfriend; both the protagonist and antagonist were portrayed by Swift. It won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video in 2009, but during Swift's acceptance speech, rapper Kanye West interrupted, protesting in support of nominee Beyoncé Knowles. The incident caused tumult in the media, with many coming to Swift's defense. "Fifteen" was released as the fourth single from the album on September 1, 2009.
Fearless (Taylor Swift album) | Singles
The setting of the video seems to be set within a chrysalis. The music video opens with a snake slithering on a floor which then explodes into a group of colourful butterflies, a probable benchmark to note the end of her previous era, "Reputation", where snakes were a motif, and welcoming the inception of the upcoming one. The video pans up to show Swift and Urie engaging in an argument in French, with subtitles provided, in an apartment unit, in which Swift refers to her cats Meredith and Olivia as her "daughters". Swift is wearing a black and white tule dress with floral accents.
Me! | Synopsis
While interviewed with Glassons Blog, she was asked what music inspires her and she said "I guess when you're making pop music you tend to listen to other pop artists, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Jessie J. But I also love artists like Emeli Sande, Frank Ocean, Jazmine Sullivan [...] I go through music fads where I will only listen to a particular artist, at the moment it's Kimbra (another fellow NZ musician)." In trends and fashion, she responded that she is a huge fan of Jeffery Campbell for his "shoes". She also said "You seriously feel like you could conquer anything in them [BlackMilk Collections] they're super shiny, nice and stretchy and they always get comments." She cites Blake Lively and The Olsen Twins as fashion influences.
Brooke Duff | Influences and musical style
On April 23, 2019, Swift performed an acoustic version of the song at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts during the "Time" 100 Gala, where she was honored as one of the "100 most influential people" of the year. On September 9, Swift performed the song at the City of Lover one-off concert in Paris, France. Rock singer Ryan Adams covered "Style" on his 2015 track-by-track cover album of Swift's "1989". Adams changed the original James Dean-referenced lyric to "You've got that "Daydream Nation" look in your eye", a tribute to 1980s rock band Sonic Youth. He also incorporated rock-oriented styles, which were compared to works by Irish rock band U2 and its lead singer Bono.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Live performances and other usage
It's very difficult to do. That's why the people that can do it are very few and far between. I'm certainly not that type of a guy. More of a guitar player, more of the kind of [guy] who comes up with enough riffs and ideas to write a song. But to write lyrics and come up with a melody for it, it won't happen." Said Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler of the two guitarists, "Joe is self-taught and his playing comes from raw emotion. Not that Brad's doesn't, but his style is more schooled."
Brad Whitford | Musical contributions and style
In 2016, Fender reported that half of its guitar sales in the United Kingdom were to women, and instrument manufacturers to shift their focus to a previously ignored demographic. Her transition in image from a country singer-songwriter to a pop star has impacted the music industry in various ways. According to the BBC, Swift became a pioneer in experimenting with different musical styles that transcend perceived boundaries. "Rolling Stone" noted that Swift's narrative songwriting, which centers around her personal life and offers a sense of authenticity, "helped opened up a space" for many female artists to "seem so effortlessly themselves" in their music in an era of tabloids.
Taylor Swift | Impact
Directed by Philip Andelman and produced by Arthur Cantin, the story in the video deviates from the song's lyrical narrative in several respects. While the lyrics recount the narrator's (Swift) trepidation of a first date after a bad breakup, the video instead relates a chance meeting in a cafe in Paris. In the video, Swift is seated at a booth, doodling in a small notebook when a Frenchman at another table takes interest and introduces himself. Missing from the video are the Swift's initial moments in the cafe, where her date has arrived early to wait for her, greets her, then helps her into her chair, displaying kindness and respect that was apparently absent from her former relationship.
Begin Again (Taylor Swift song) | Deviation from lyrics
Peter Hartlaub of The "San Francisco Chronicle" believed that Swift's cameo was enjoyable, but also calls it a mistake on the part of the filmmakers, explaining "Swift is so talented that she makes Cyrus seem bland by comparison." Perry Seibert from "TV Guide" wrote, "when genuine teen star Taylor Swift shows up to perform [...] she demonstrates all the spontaneity and authenticity that Miley Cyrus lacks."
Crazier (Taylor Swift song) | Critical reception
The ending of the video implies that the true key to success for women is to lift each other up. Some of the visuals featured in the video bear resemblance to those from the 2010 movie "Inception", which stars the actor name-checked in the song, Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | Lyric video
Swift says that while the song is about "just being mad" and is "completely, brutally honest"; she gave it a comedic edge. While at work after school, Swift "found [her]self just sitting there with [her] guitar going, 'I hate his stupid truck that he doesn't let me drive. He's such a redneck! Oh my God!'," a line which developed into the song's chorus. The up-tempo song is heavy with banjos and drums, while the chorus is marked by distorted guitars and big vocals. The singer penned the autobiographical song "The Outside" as an outlet at age twelve, the year she began writing her own songs.
Taylor Swift (album) | Development and music
Several reviewers welcomed Swift's new musical direction. In the words of Chris Willman from "Variety", the album is a reminder Swift is among the few pop stars who are willing to experiment with different musical styles. "The Guardian"'s Laura Snapes complimented the album for being both the most cohesive and the most experimental among Swift's releases. "Entertainment Weekly"s Maura Johnston deemed the album a bold move for a pop star like Swift to challenge its audience. Roisin O'Connor of "The Independent" praised the album's "exquisite, piano-based poetry" which she found unconventional for Swift's catalog.
Folklore (Taylor Swift album) | Critical reception
"Style" received positive reviews from music critics. Kitty Empire from "The Observer" called it a "percolating" song that "satisfies on every level". "PopMatters"s Corey Beasley was impressed by Swift's departure from country to new styles that "fit her like a cashmere-lined leather glove" and deemed the song "immaculate". "Now"s Benjamin Boles selected "Style" as the album's highlight. "Houston Chronicle" writer Joey Guerra praised the song as "compelling". Mikael Wood of the "Los Angeles Times" also named the track the album's standout for its "sensual" atmosphere. Robert Leedham of Drowned in Sound praised the track's theme of celebrating past relationships and embracing positivity instead of Swift's traditional "[playing] the victim." "The New York Times" critic Jon Caramanica labelled "Style" the "high mark" of "1989" that embodies Swift's "savage, wry, and pointed" maturity from her previous albums.
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Critical reception
Swift decided that the album would not follow one coherent genre, aiming to experiment with as many styles as she could. To this end, she recruited musicians whose works she admired, hoping to "learn from them." Although Swift was determined to incorporate various musical styles, she prioritized the lyrics over the production, striving to convey her emotions most effectively as she had done on her previous songs. She would start writing by identifying an emotion to a song, and the production would follow. This had been a staple of Swift's songwriting process, where she would put in her most personal thoughts as a source of relief.
Red (Taylor Swift album) | Production and recording
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Roman White. In the video, Swift portrays both the protagonist and antagonist, which she respectively described as "the nerd, who is pining away for this guy that she can't have" and "the popular girl." Swift described the popular girl's persona as "horrible and scary and intimidating and perfect". Her love interest is portrayed by American actor Lucas Till; Swift met Till while acting on the set of "" in April 2008. She later asked him to act in the video, as she was intrigued by his "cool look", embodying a "dreamy guy".
You Belong with Me | Music video
Trey Fanjoy is an American country music and pop music video director. Fanjoy has directed over 150 major label music videos. Her videos have appeared on CMT, VH1, GAC, The Nashville Network, CMT Canada, and MTV. She is the first woman to win the Country Music Association Award for Video of the Year and, to date, the only woman to win the award twice.
Trey Fanjoy | Introduction
On the other side of the arch, animated flowers and vines grow across the scenes. People and objects from a high school fade in and out of view. Swift walks through the memories and begins to play an acoustic guitar beneath a tree. Afterward, Anderson appears, sitting at a desk before a chalkboard in the field of flowers. Swift sits down beside her and the two begin to whisper and laugh to each other. In the next scene, Swift plays a namesake Taylor brand guitar while Anderson goes on her first date; she kisses her date, but pushes him away when he tries to go further.
Fifteen (song) | Music video
And she stayed for both the 15-hour shooting days, even when she wasn't in the scenes." Swift wrote the concept for the "Ours" music video and then brought in White to direct, describing her vision of both videos as being "storylines". From 2014 to 2018, Swift collaborated with director Joseph Kahn on eight music videos—four each from her albums "1989" and "Reputation". Kahn has praised Swift's involvement in the craft. In 2016, Swift worked with American Express for her "Blank Space" music video (which Kahn directed), and released the interactive app "AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience". Swift received starring and executive producer credit, and in 2015 won a Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Interactive Program category for the app.
Taylor Swift | Music videos
Taylor, in an interview with "NBHAP", illustrated that while songwriting he aims to hit the "sweet spot" between "abstract" and "relatable" lyrics in order to allow listeners to interpret them in their own way.
Half Alive (band) | Musical style and influences
"Vox" Constance Grady opined that Swift is "one of our great pop storytellers", proved by the video that becomes "the climax of her quest to own her voice". "Billboard"'s Rania Aniftos commended that Swift undergoes an "intense make-over" in the "visually stunning clip", to become a "bearded, belligerent corporate titan whose rocket fuel is non-stop high-fives, fist-pounds, empty praise and rounds of shots with his amped-up bros". "Vulture"'s Zoey Haylock commented that Swift as a man resembles Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal and Joe Alwyn combined, appreciating the makeup and prosthetics as "award worthy". "Vogue"'s Hayley Maitland and Noami Pike described Swift's male alter ego as "the human embodiment of toxic masculinity".
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | Critical reception
The video's production team includes producer Jil Hardin, executive producer Rebecca Skinner, assistant director Joe Osborne, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, production designer Ethan Tobman, and makeup artist Bill Corso. Swift's transformation involved a "muscle suit", prosthetic makeup, eyebrow wigs, and facial sculptures, which took between four and six hours to apply each day. She also worked with movement coaches Stephen Galloway and Spenser Theberge, as well as editor Chancler Haynes. Visual effects were handled by Ingenuity Studios, which previously worked on several of Swift's videos such as "Look What You Made Me Do", "End Game", "...Ready for It?", and "Lover".
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | Background
The accompanying music video for "Mine" was directed by Swift and Roman White, who had directed Swift's previous music videos such as "You Belong with Me" and "Fifteen, and this making Swift's first time to be the director for her music video." White explained that the video features "a lot of time travel, which would explain how those two crazy kids end up with kids of their own in the end." He further added that "the song has a lot of dark elements, but it also has a lot of happy elements" and he praised Swift for her involvement with the production of the music video.
Mine (Taylor Swift song) | Development and release
Six13 employs a wide range of musical styles, including pop, rock, hip hop, doo wop, and jazz. Relying solely on vocals, the group achieves the effects of guitar, bass, drums, and electronic music through beatboxing and multiple layering of vocal tracks on its music videos.
Six13 | Musical styles
She then connected "timeless visuals" with a feeling that "never goes out of style" and explained that the song represented her evolved viewpoints on past relationships by admitting wrongdoings of both sides instead of her "I was right, you were wrong" mindset in previous songs. Several publications noted this change and felt the song's narrative was Swift's reflections on her heavily publicized relationship with English singer Harry Styles, which had ended in January 2013. The lines that suggest Swift's self-asserted maturity are in the second pre-chorus, where she confesses to her unfaithful lover that she too has cheated. I say, "I heard that you've been out and about with some other girl"He says, "What you've heard is true, but I,Can't stop thinking about you and I"I said, "I've been there too a few times"
Style (Taylor Swift song) | Music and lyrics
The song is one of the best-selling singles worldwide, with worldwide sales of more than 7 million units (according to the IFPI). The song's accompanying music video was directed by Roman White. The video featured Swift portraying two characters, a nerd (the protagonist and narrator) and a popular girl (the antagonist and girlfriend), while American actor Lucas Till portrayed the male lead. The video's plot centers on the protagonist secretively loving the male lead, although he has a girlfriend. The video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, but during Swift's acceptance speech, Kanye West interrupted, protesting in support of Beyoncé.
You Belong with Me | Introduction
She notes the other woman is driving the truck, and Swift states angrily he never allowed her to drive it. As Swift's ex-boyfriend and the woman start frolicking inside the truck, the music begins and the video transcends to a concrete room where the singer (clothed in a grey, one-shoulder mini-dress and black leather, thigh-length boots) is playing an electric guitar, alongside her backup band. During the song's chorus, fire ignites behind them. Afterwards, the band is depicted entering a house furtively, using flashlights. Swift is sitting on a brown couch, sporting a black tank top, black leather pants and a beehive hairdo, as the band ransacks the house.
Picture to Burn | Music video
Furstenfeld's vocal and performance style has been likened to Peter Gabriel, Genesis and "Fish" of Marillion.
Justin Furstenfeld | Musical style
The song was mixed for mainstream airplay by Chapman. He pulled Niebank's stems into his Mac OS laptop and used Apple Logic to create the pop version. Chapman made mix tweaks and created new elements with his laptop. In order to do so, he muted the country instruments and replaced them with new elements characteristic to pop music, replacing banjo and fiddle with electric guitar. The pop version's opening beat is a Logic loop in the Ultrabeat beat generator. All the new electric guitars were done with the Amplitube Stomp I/O.
Love Story (Taylor Swift song) | Recording
Critics also noted references to Lady Gaga and Skrillex in the clip. Analyzing the video, VH1 noticed resemblances to Beyoncé's "Mine" video. The video received mixed reviews from music critics. Brian Mansfield of the "Chicago Sun-Times" called the video "chirpy". Direct Lyrics provided a positive review saying the video is "certainly a fun one and it catches rather well the rebellious and care-free spirit of the new Taylor single." Fitzpatrick of "The Guardian" wrote: "The incongruent blend of modern dance, ballet, and breakdancing is fun, but the conceit falls flat."
Shake It Off | Music video
The librarian requests for the two to maintain silence, so they converse quietly. Afterwards, Swift is in a chemistry laboratory, where she is mixing substances. Distracted by Drew approaching her, she accidentally pours too much of one substance and causes it to spill. They both rapidly attempt to clean the mess generated. As the song approaches its bridge, Swift and Drew walk towards each other, both smiling, but Drew walks past her and then passionately kisses his girlfriend, as Swift watches in despondently. The video again transcends to the performance scene, where it concludes. Cut-scenes feature Swift lying on the mattress, crying, and standing beside a fireplace in the bedroom.
Teardrops on My Guitar | Music video
One of Swift's earliest musical memories is listening to her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, sing in church. As a child, she enjoyed Disney film soundtracks: "My parents noticed that, once I had run out of words, I would just make up my own". Swift has said she owes her confidence to her mother, who helped her prepare for class presentations as a child. She also attributes her "fascination with writing and storytelling" to her mother. Swift was drawn to the storytelling aspect of country music, and was introduced to the genre listening to "the great female country artists of the '90s"—Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and the Dixie Chicks." Twain, both as a songwriter and performer, was her biggest musical influence.
Taylor Swift | Influences
The music video was directed by Bluford Sanders and premiered in August 2013. It features live footage of Miranda Lambert performing the song mixed with scenes of various people holding up whiteboards on which they have written messages as to what kind of person they are.
All Kinds of Kinds | Music video
I'm not against any of that stuff, but I do like to find those things with my hands."
Ryan Martinie | Musical style
The video begins with a shot of the inside of an empty theater. As the song begins, the curtains open to reveal Swift, wearing a cream-colored dress and playing a banjo guitar. The stage lights are brightened and Swift is accompanied by her band. They are dressed in vintage-inspired clothing. The stage is set to look like the front yard of a farmhouse. Shots of Swift and her band are alternated with shots that tell several stories about people who are the victims of bullying. One is a boy who is pushed around by members of a football team for reading a fashion magazine.
Mean (song) | Synopsis