Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” music video is out and, honestly, it’s a real work of art. Controversial, to be sure, but powerful and stunning.
As you can imagine, Taylor’s fans and detractors have been working overtime to analyze every piece of subtle and not-so-subtle symbolism and
One thing seems clear: Taylor Swift’s famous squad is different from what it used to be. Like, conspicuously so.
“Look What You Made Me Do” isn’t quite the best Taylor Swift song.
We’re not even sure which one is, but it’s from 1989.
(I’ve listened to “Look What You Made Me Do” dozens of times, don’t get me wrong, but she’s had stronger songs)
The video, however, is next level.
Not only is it stunningly gorgeous beautiful and enthralling, but the aesthetic of it all was breathtaking. We think that it’s safe to say that this video represents Taylor at her very best.
The symbolism’s pretty in-your-face (and far from cryptic), but there were subtler messages in the video.
But when we see Taylor’s personas towards the end and then at the very end of the video, one of them is of the Taylor from the “You Belong With Me” video.
That’s from nearly a decade ago, back when Taylor’s music still sometimes had that off-putting country twang.
This time around, Taylor’s loose-fitting white tee is covered in the names of her squad members.
Her current squad members.
Because it looks like there have been some definite shake-ups.
We knew that some things had changed over time.
(And Taylor’s squad had so much overlap with the Kardashians that there was bound to be some fallout)
But numerous sleuths watched the video again and again, catching every appearance of the shirt, and here are the names that they believe make up Taylor’s current squad:
Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, Ed Sheeran, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Lena Dunham, Patrick Stewart, Abigail Anderson, Martha Hunt, and Claire Kislinger.
Also the Haim sisters: Esta, Alana, and Danielle.
And Todrick Hall, who actually shows up in the video wearing the “I [Heart] TS” shirt.
Lorde and Ruby Rose aren’t seen, but their names could have been on the shirt but not made it on camera.
(Also they’ve both been very supportive of Taylor, even recently, so they’re at least on friendly terms)
You know who sure as hell isn’t on that list?
Karlie Kloss.
Karlie Kloss used to have a room in Taylor’s home, you guys.
There’s no telling what happened between them or how it went down, but … yikes.
(Maybe a song from her album will tell us more)
Some even suggest that the part of Taylor’s video in which she swung back and forth within a gilded cage was targeted at Karlie.
It’s possible.
In some cases, people aren’t so much analyzing as they are reaching.
Jumping to conclusions doesn’t make you seem smarter, folks.
Is Taylor’s current squad a little different from her old one?
Absolutely.
Is Taylor trying to copy Beyonce’s “Formation” or whatever?
No.
Is Taylor bathing in jewelry just her making fun of Kim Kardashian for being robbed at gunpoint?
No, you guys. Of course not.
There’s always this danger to analysis, where people start to see connections and conspiracies when none exist.
That’s why conspiracy theories and Alex Jones types are so successful — humans are wired to look for connections and hidden things, even when there aren’t any.
Anyone who’s ever read one of those goofy (but frightening, when you remember that these people take it seriously) “Halftime Show Analyzed” videos where people point out “illuminati rituals” that they believe a secret elite cabal carry out brazenly for, like, devil-related reasons or whatever.
As far as the very real symbolism is concerned, the best bit of shade that Taylor threw as when she was very transparently dressed as Katy.
She poses in front of the cameras, seeming to relish in the attention, while holding up a Grammy award.
Now, that whole thing about Katy is funny.
But the best part is the Grammy Award, because Katy Perry does not have even one Grammy.
She’s been nominated thirteen times, so she’s having a Susan Lucci “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” situation with that particular award.
One to which Taylor, of course, is no stranger.
Anyway, Taylor’s whole video was art and also pure Slytherin excellence, but we love that she used something as subtle as a t-shirt prop to let people know who’s in and who’s out.
