Swiftly Dispatched
YOU South Africa|7 September 2017

In the glittery video for her new single Taylor Swift throws shade at her critics – and makes fun of her reputation

Kirstin Buick
Swiftly Dispatched

SO AFTER nearly a year of radio silence the cutie who made country cool is back – but this is Taylor Swift as you’ve never seen her before. Gone is the squeaky-clean starlet who burst onto the scene when she was still a teenager and in her place is a take-no-prisoners pop princess who’s clearly not above holding grudges.

It seems the 27-year-old has used her time off to take note of every bit of shade ever thrown her way. The feud with Katy Perry? Check. The Kanye West debacle? You betcha. The beef with ex Calvin Harris? Yup. The much-mocked fake relationship with Tom Hiddleston? That too.

It’s all neatly packaged in a music video for her new song, Look What You Made Me Do, which was unveiled at the recent MTV Video Music Awards. TayTay didn’t attend the ceremony but she was still the talk of the town afterwards. Perhaps it was all part of the surprise song reveal: make all the impact you can and don’t hang around for any post-mortem chats.

In the video Taylor transforms herself into a host of characters, starting as a zombie clawing her way out of a grave marked with a tombstone that reads “Here lies Taylor Swift’s reputation”. Then she’s the leader of a squad of female cyborgs, followed by a bank robber and even a star involved in a car crash caused by relentless paparazzi.

The most telling moment is where she skewers various iterations of herself: the sweet country music sensation, Red Tour Taylor Swift of 2013 and the 2009 VMA Taylor on the night Kanye West upstaged her award speech. That version of herself stops the others’ bickering with her infamous line: “I’d very much like to be excluded from this narrative.” To which they scream in unison: “SHUT UP!”

But she doesn’t only poke fun at herself – she also has a go at her critics.

THE SSSNAKE

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 7 September 2017 من YOU South Africa.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 7 September 2017 من YOU South Africa.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من YOU SOUTH AFRICA مشاهدة الكل
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
YOU South Africa

PUSHED TO THE LIMIT

The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
YOU South Africa

HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY

Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache

time-read
10+ mins  |
5 September 2024
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
YOU South Africa

THE GROWN-UP BRAIN

If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!

time-read
3 mins  |
5 September 2024
THE eyes HAVE IT
YOU South Africa

THE eyes HAVE IT

They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area

time-read
1 min  |
5 September 2024
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
YOU South Africa

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER

It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry

time-read
4 mins  |
5 September 2024
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
YOU South Africa

I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!

Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
YOU South Africa

'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'

When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
YOU South Africa

SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!

A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
YOU South Africa

READY TO SMILE AGAIN

A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
YOU South Africa

HARRY AT A CROSSROADS

As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life

time-read
8 mins  |
5 September 2024