When I first heard that Taylor Swift’s new music video takes place in a castle, I assumed that her new song would be reminiscent of the enchanting “Love Story” she told just a few years ago. Much to my surprise, her new anecdote does not end with happily ever after.
Swift’s song “Blank Space” is a tale of intense love from beginning to end, but contrary to most of her hits, it was originally written as a joke. The song pokes fun at the way the media characterizes Taylor Swift as a serial dater, as it portrays a crazy girl who dates a lot of boys and then writes songs about them as a form of revenge. While she has continued to write love songs despite the criticism she so often receives, “Blank Space” stands in its own category along with “Shake It Off” as a retaliation to the people trying to bring her down. Swift is finally calling out the fact that people demonize her for dating many boys, or as they are usually referred to, “victims”.
In the video, her first casualty is played by male model Sean O’Pry, who was hand selected by Swift herself. The story opens up with O’Pry arriving at her Gatsby-esque mansion in a vintage AC Cobra. She invites him in and we see their whimsical relationship unfold as they ride bikes around the house, carve their names in a heart on a tree and ride white horses off into the sunset.
This reverie takes a turn when Swift accuses O’Pry of cheating on her, then proceeds to do everything in her power to assert her insanity and ruin his life. This includes: dropping his phone in a fountain, standing on a horse, setting his clothing on fire, smashing his Cobra with a golf club, and poisoning him with an apple. Once he realizes that she is certifiably insane, he speeds away in his barely functional car. He is then swiftly replaced by Taylor’s next “victim”.
No expense was spared in the making of this cinematic narrative. The AC Cobra alone is close to $175,000, and renting the Oheka castle Olmstead Suite for one month is not exactly on the cheap side. Swift sports more than twenty outfits, each meticulously crafted by prominent designers such as Ellie Saab and Oscar de la Renta. Also featured in the video were a selection of animals including horses, deer, goats and even Swift’s cat, Olivia. All of these factors and more make the grand total somewhere in the $250,000 range, but every penny was well worth it in creating the sumptuous quality that is almost tangible while watching the video.
The song is catchy, the video is brilliant, and the sass is clear. This is the first time Taylor Swift has directly addressed the scrutiny she receives from the media and it has been met with untouchable success. People can no longer use the classic “maybe she’s the problem” punchline because she has explored this possibility herself. Taylor Swift is slowly but surely getting the tabloids off her back, and she has made it clear that she will stand on however many horses necessary in order to do so.