She could be your guilty pleasure, the most influential role model of your young days, or that celebrity that gets on your nerves. Still, Taylor Swift is officially the artist of the decade and has two of the best albums in 2020. With her globally successful singles, and those a bit more unknown, she made history and inspired millions worldwide.
Her music videos did the same, accompanying some of the hits that our generation would never forget. That's why we've picked Swift's top ten music videos' most intriguing and inspiring moments, from her biggest pop radio hits to her country roots that warm your heart. Choose your fighter, or enjoy all of them!
10. "Love Story"
"Love Story" was the first major hit for Taylor
It would be hard to imagine this list without some of the sweetest fairytale moments of Swift's career. "Love Story" went far with Swift's idea of meeting Prince Charming while waiting outside her mansion, in a white dress and lovely bun. Plus, Taylor nods to Shakespeare and his classic play, "Romeo and Juliet."
While we wouldn't be able to relate in this decade, it remains one of our childhood dreams, quickly coming back when you let yourself be carried away by the scenes of Taylor and her Prince Charming. Dancing at the ball and whispering the sweetest words of pure love without boundaries… Wouldn't it be a dream come true?
9. "You Belong With Me"
Taylor played two extremely different high-school girls
One of the most relatable songs from Swift's early days is definitely this country classic, accompanied by the first music video where Taylor played the role of both sweet and sour kind of human nature. It's most likely that we all felt like fair-haired Taylor reading on the bench, looking at the dark-haired, bold girl taking what she wanted to take while waiting for her chance, lost in her fears.
The real reason why the end of this video at the party leaves us captivated is its innocent nature and our tendency to hope that "the good" will win and that Amor Vincit Omnia - love conquers all. Swift obviously won with this one, too.
8. "Bad Blood"
"Bad Blood" is star-studded like no other Taylor Swift video
We'll have too many music videos from the "1989" era here! Still, it's clearly her best period visually. Can you imagine inviting all your famous friends to participate in a single 4-minutes video that also includes a developed plot, much action, and drama?
Seeing real-life best friends, Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift, fighting with fiery weapons and sharpened knives probably isn't something you would expect. Still, their roles, with the help of Ellie Goulding, Cara Delevingne, Zendaya, and many more, made this exciting revenge song even more thrilling, shaping it into a movie material. And it all started with a feud!
7. "Style"
It's hard to forget such a unique video as "Style"
The wild sea waves sparkling in the sun, Taylor's necklace swaying in her hands, white sheets and white sundresses, burning red lipstick and broken glass – Taylor Swift got artsy more than ever, and it was her best decision ever. This music video is all about aesthetics that changed the game in pop music. Despite being a country sweetheart for almost a decade, Swift released "Style" as part of her very first pop album, and since that day, it has been called " the pop perfection."
Today, the video is one of the synonyms for sensuality and aesthetic that lived in the 10s and still lives. The stormy and sultry atmosphere perfectly drives the listener and viewer crazy, showing them that's what they came for. Oh, and of course, there's that rumor that a certain guy from One Direction inspired this song.
6. "I Bet You Think About Me" (From The Vault)
Jake Gyllenhaal probably didn't sleep peacefully the day this diss track came out!
Even the fact that songs from Swift's "vault" receive astonishing music videos is enough to be happy for her albums' re-recordings! "I Bet You Think About Me" used to be another hidden gem that didn't make it to the original "Red" tracklist. Still, it came out more vital than ever, getting the music video directed by Blake Lively!
Lively did a great job on her directorial debut, so she basically created a short film, just like Swift did with "All Too Well." You'll crave for more once this video ends, but before it reaches its peak, you'll see Swift ruining her ex's wedding in the best way possible. Grab some popcorn and enjoy watching because Swift was never afraid of having fun in her videos!
5. "I Knew You Were Trouble"
"I Knew You Were Trouble" has one of the longest intros in music video history
Swift doesn't use monologues in her music videos that often, but it was like a cherry on top in the "I Knew You Were Trouble" video. Following the intense and passionate story about a doomed relationship, the monologue closing with the line "I don't know if you know who you are until you lose who you are" is something that would be exciting to see in her future projects. However, her powerful lyrics can already make the story on its own.
In the video, both Swift and her partner look perfectly aligned with their characters. After a rough night, Taylor waking up on the "cold, hard ground" felt like the perfect company to her partner Reeve Carney, who looked rather dangerous and gave off that "bad boy" vibe.
4. "All Too Well" (Ten-Minute, Taylor's Version)
This short film proved that the ten-minute version was worth waiting for Taylor to release it almost a decade after the original
If we had to rank the songs without paying attention to the visual aspect, "All Too Well" would top the charts and beat every ballad released in this century. However, the glorious ten-minute version will fit perfectly in fourth place, as one of Swift's well-known music videos masterpieces!
All the positive reviews she received for this short film are basically the biggest compliments Swift has ever got. Yet, this was only her directorial debut! Sadie and Dylan's acting, their dedication and effort, and how they visualized Taylor's magnum opus is a moment in her career that'll stay timeless!
3. "Wildest Dreams"
"Wildest Dreams" showed us a different Taylor
Dark-haired Taylor Swift, with vintage hairstyle and clothes, kissing in the African rain, falling deeply in love with her co-actor on set, swaying in her yellow dress in the desert wind, surrounded by lions and wild nature? There's nothing more aesthetically pleasing than that, so Swift followed the same path she took with "Style."
This time with a story of unrequited love, even more beautiful scenery, and thrilling feelings of pain and unrealized desires, wildest of them. Everything about this video feels wild and soft simultaneously, accompanying the song that literally sampled Swift's heartbeat. Is it too much comparing it with some of the best works of Michael Jackson?
2. "Look What You Made Me Do"
"Look What You Made Me Do" is full of Easter eggs
Admit it or not, but savage Taylor conquered the world with her social media blackout and the song "Look What You Made Me Do." Her dark-themed album "Reputation" is a fan-favorite, with the lead single accompanied by her best music video production to date. There are various outfits and creative, metaphoric scenes in which she plays her role of a woman whose life was broken. Still, she's shedding her skin like a snake, rising like a phoenix.
Some scenes, like the one where Taylor crashes her Maserati, sparked rumors that her intention was to diss Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and other "enemies." This was her biggest comeback to date at the end of the day and one of the last decade's most turbulent comebacks. It's a shame that Grammys couldn't see it.
1. "Blank Space"
Taylor Swift parodied her public image in "Blank Space"
Being arguably the pop song of the decade, "Blank Space" has a special place in Taylor's discography and music video history. The famous mansion where she shot the video remains Swift's signature place, where she embodied her social media image and mocked it in style. She used more than ten fabulous dresses, danced in the hall with her "the one," and painted his picture before tearing it to pieces.
They say it's essential to stay calm when people judge us. Still, Swift made it even better – out of her "serial dater" image, she made a furious female character whose mascara runs down her face. At the same time, she belts out, "They'll tell you I'm insane." She did what an artist should do in a perfect music video with a story.
Because Swift has much more than ten fascinating music videos, your top ten list from her catalog might look different. Yet, all of these are still fantastic to watch!
Do you prefer her sweeter videos like "Teardrops On My Guitar" or are "...Ready For It" transformations more kind of your cup of tea? Let us know in the comments section.
Photo: YouTube screenshot