New Taylor Swift Video Released & The Countdown to the New Album Begins
Taylor Swift just released the video for her new single, “You Need to Calm Down,” off Lover, her new upcoming album.
This is definitely the most politically-charged song to date from the global pop star with a celeb-packed video in ardent support of the LGBTQ+ community and a clear transition away from her last album, so do not tell Swifties (a.k.a. Taylor Swift fans) they need to calm down.
Swift is using the video and her ginormous platform to get people talking about important issues the world is currently facing. In a recent interview, she stated “I definitely think there are political undertones in the new music I made. I’m not planning to stop encouraging young people to vote and to try to get them to talk about what’s going on in our country. I think that’s one of the most important things I could do.”
In true Taylor Swift fashion, there is not a lyric or detail in the video that doesn’t intentionally add meaning, give clues, or pose as a riddle.
Let’s break it down…
Did I Say Something Way Too Honest?
Taylor blatantly calls out haters, critics and internet trolls in the first five lines.
“You are somebody that I don’t know / But you’re takin’ shots at me like it’s Patrón / And I’m just like, damn, it’s 7 AM / Say it in the street, that’s a knock-out / But you say it in a Tweet, that’s a cop-out”
Moving swiftly into the second verse, she makes it clear she is addressing anyone against the LGBTQ+ community when she sings “You are somebody that we don’t know / But you’re comin’ at my friends like a missile/ Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD? / Sunshine on the street at the parade / But you would rather be in the dark ages / Makin’ that sign must’ve taken all night.”
Shade Never Made Anybody Less Gay
Swift had shied away from publicly voicing her stance on political issues until the 2018 midterm elections and she recently backed a bill called the Equality Act.
The subtle reference in the second verse to the pro-LGBTQ+ organization GLAAD and June release date is fitting since June is Pride month. However, Swift takes an even firmer stand and not-so-subtly tells homophobes to “Control your urges to scream about all the people you hate / ‘Cause shade never made anybody less gay.”
Taylor Swift really just said that.
You can bet that last line will be used for a long, long time as the official rallying cry of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies.
As a celebrity whose heterosexual relationships have been a focal point of her career, Taylor’s only coming-out has been as an ally and advocate for gay rights, inclusion, legal protections and other concerns on the gay agenda. “To be an ally is to understand the difference between advocating and baiting,” Swift recently commented on Tumblr.
RuPaul plays a judge of the Pop Queen Pageant and is seen tossing the winning crown in the air as Taylor sings “we all got crowns,” which means: There’s no Queen of Pop – they’re all queens. In case you also missed the similar ending of the movie Mean Girls, the lesson here is: We should stop pitting women against each other.
Thanks for the reminder, Taylor.
#SquadGoals
Can we just take a second to talk about the A-list cameos by Swift’s friends (all queer or queer allies) and former ‘enemy’? If you blink, you might miss some of them.
Within the three-and-a-half minute video, you’ll see Ellen DeGeneres, Ryan Reynolds, Adam Lambert, Todrick Hall, Billy Porter, Ciara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Justin Mikita, Hayley Kiyoko, Adam Rippon, Chester Lockhart, Dexter Mayfield, Hannah Hart, Laverne Cox, Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown and Tan France as friendly neighbors in the rainbow-colored trailer park.
Drag queens Tatianna, Trinity the Tuck, Delta Work, Trinity K. Bonet, Jade Jolie, Adore Delano, Riley Knox and A’keria Davenport are dressed as Pop Queen participants Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Adele, Cardi B, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj in a pageant scene judged by none other than RuPaul.
The real Katy Perry makes an appearance too, but more on that later.
You Never Get Just What You See
The list of pop culture references and Swift-isms referenced in this video is just as overwhelming. Here are a few key ones to look out for…
First up – the framed “Mom, I Am A Rich Man” art at the beginning of the video is a quote from a 1996 interview given by Cher, which is probably more relevant today that it was two decades ago. Whether this is an homage to Cher or a clue of a possible collaboration, it’s still a modern-day commentary on sexism and feminism, and presumably, Swift’s subtle response to the expectations for women in their 30’s to settle down, find a man to support them and have kids.
(Also note – the quote hangs over a bed in a tiny trailer decorated exclusively in pink and clearly only big enough to sleep one person. Hello, modern woman.)
Any Swiftie could tell you the singer’s favorite number is 13. Taylor used to write the number on her hand during concert performances, but signs of the infamous number appear in the video on her necklace and watch (in place of the 1).
And did you catch the appearance of her new kitten, Benjamin Button, on the face of the watch she’s wearing?
Just when you thought there were no celebrities left to make an appearance…
Is that Ryan Reynolds painting a picture of the iconic Stonewall Inn towards the end of the video? Yes, it is.
The Stonewall Inn, a historic gay bar and tavern in New York’s Greenwich Village, was the site of the 1969 riots. This single event is considered the most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and modern-day fight for LGBT equalization in the US. Coincidentally (or not…because nothing seems coincidental with Taylor Swift), Swift put on a surprise performance at Stonewall and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (also seen in the video) made an appearance on-stage with her.
Snakes And Stones Never Broke My Bones
Next – Taylor’s back tattoo.
If you thought Taylor would address the haters hiding behind screens and protest signs without mentioning her own long-running feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, think again.
“I’ve learned the lesson / That stressing and obsessing / ‘Bout somebody else is no fun / And snakes and stones never broke my bones,” she reflects.
It’s as if Taylor is saying “Yo, Kanye and Kim, I’mma let you finish, but your words can never hurt me.” Seeing as how Kim Kardashian referred to Taylor as a snake (and then her Reputation album was laced with images of snakes), the giant tattoo on her back of two snakes intertwined and decapitated with butterflies coming from where their heads should be is clearly a sign of metamorphosis.
Plus, the tattoo is on Taylor’s back so, whatever the meaning, it is literally and figuratively behind her.
Throw Cake, Not Shade
Speaking of the past, the years-long feud between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry has officially and publicly ended. The pair hug it out in the last scene of the video. Katy Perry is dressed in her hamburger dress from the Met Gala after party and Taylor appears dressed as an order of french fries. No riddles here. It’s clear they may be different, but they go together.
(Side note – the crowd is throwing cake while the two embrace. Lesson: Throw cake, not shade.)
The video ends with a written call-to-action, asking people to sign a petition for the passage of the Equality Act, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and identity. Taylor Swift asks, “Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws treat all of our citizens equally. Please sign my petition for Senate support of the Equality Act on Change.org”
Taylor Swift co-directed the video with Drew Kirsch and co-produced it with Toderick Hall. With over 15 million views, numerous reviews, and countless comments across every social channel in just under 24 hours of its release, it is safe to say Taylor Swift accomplished what she set out to with this video. People are talking (and celebrating!).
“You Need to Calm Down” is the second song to be released from Lover, Taylor Swift’s forthcoming and seventh full-length album, which debuts on August 23. Let the countdown start now!
