Taylor Swift released a new music video supporting her upcoming Reputation album today, sending fans on Twitter into a fresh frenzy.
Already one of her generation's best-selling artists, Swift’s stock has risen again in recent months, mostly owing to a flurry of new singles that hint at a shift in musical direction for the singer.
Her newest outing “...Ready for it?” - which was originally released with no video in September - is no different. Rolling Stone describes the song as “dark” and “assertive”, but it is the video that has attracted the most attention.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“There’s a lot to unpack in it,” writes Elle of the high-concept video. “Swift meeting a new, naked cyborg version of herself, that new self destroying her old self (there's an actual platform that says ‘They’re burning all the witches’ - ‘they’ perhaps being Swift’s critics - during the destruction scene), and what ultimately is her rebirth.”
The video prompted fans to speculate about the video’s meaning Twitter:
Others just wanted to share the love:
Others, not so much:
Earlier this year, Swift released “Look What You Made Me Do” at the 2017 MTV VMAs, which went on to break numerous streaming records on YouTube, while last week, she released the track “Gorgeous” and a tour to accompany the release of Reputation.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.