What can be said about Taylor Swift that hasn’t already been said? A lyrical genius with ambitions of storytelling, the likes of which have been missing in modern pop, Swift has always aimed at furthering the medium. Her contemporary work speaks for itself, as she has a great grasp on what makes a song compelling. You can see varieties of story threading rampant within her albums and references, which are connected through an invisible string; talk about folklore to be passed down through generations of Swifties. Taylor Swift Is First Artist in Spotify History To Have 9 Albums Each With 2 Billion Streams! (View Tweet).

While Taylor Swift is unquestionably a renowned lyricist, she is surprisingly a mastermind at visualising her words too. Being behind the camera almost every time while shooting her music videos, she has certainly proved herself to be a capable storyteller. With visuals that have no right to be as aesthetic as they are just for a music video, Taylor is someone who knows how to handle the camera. However, before we dive into the list of seven of her best music videos, let’s give a major shoutout to the cinematic masterpiece where it all began: “Thug Story.”

 

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With that out of the way, to celebrate Taylor Swift’s birthday, here are eight of her most visually appealing music videos.

Love Story

Starting off with a blast from the past, Taylor brought her own unique vision to Shakespeare’s tale of Romeo & Juliet. However, she did so by actually giving them a happy ending. A song that put Taylor on the map, the music video does a terrific job of cutting to the past and the present with a narrative that feels seamlessly stitched.

Cardigan

folklore contains some of Swift’s most impressive tracks, and cardigan is at the top of it all. Opening with Swift playing the piano, the music video quickly takes you through different scenarios as Taylor opens up the musical instrument and jumps into it. Honing very well into the themes of isolation, where it feels freeing and terrifying at the same time, “Cardigan” is a well-directed three minutes that certainly plays to the star’s strengths.

Willow

While it features on Folklores sister album, Evermore, “Willow” directly ties into “Cardigan” extremely ‘Swiftly’ (come on, I had to make that joke once, and Taylor herself cracked it in “Bejeweled” too!). While “Cardigan” was, in a way, about isolation, “Willow” is more about finding someone special after a period of hardship with twists and turns.

The Man

Creatively, this is one of Swift’s best. Featuring a man who gets everything he wants, with everyone loving him and him throwing a temper tantrum when things don’t go his way, there are a bunch of layers to this music video. Showcasing the gender inequality that Swift herself has faced throughout her life, she hopes to create a space that provides women with equal opportunities. Not only that, the big surprise at the end is that the ‘Man’ was played by Taylor herself! Her amazing makeup and voice will definitely remind you of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Look What You Made Me Do

If you ever want to know what a great comeback looks like, look no further than Taylor’s Reputation era. With “Look What You Made Me Do”, Taylor made a highly ambitious music video filled with style, glamour, horror and a ton of other adjectives and nouns that can’t fit into one line. Portraying how the media showcases her, it delves into Swift’s modern reputation and plays itself into a fantastic satire. It also has a feminist angle to it at the end particularly in a scene featuring Taylor in a bathtub with a single dollar bill, referencing her court case win against a sexual harasser, which is honestly quite brave of her and really empowers the entire message of it.

Shake It Off

Catchy and pop is the name of the game here, and Shake It Off delivers on it all. A music video that’s filled with some great dance steps with some surprisingly heavy meaning behind it, considering she used to be mocked for her just being excited about things, and a comedic tone that pays off amazingly, it’s all about your identity and how you open up in a world that might feel unknown. Embracing the weirdness and daunting nature of it all, you don’t let it phase you and try to join in the fun - that’s what makes this a treat to watch.

Bejeweled

Another eminent track with a music video that riffs on Cinderella, “Bejeweled” is filled to the brim with incredible scenes. However, you’re not here for the visuals but rather for the Easter eggs that seem to be planted everywhere, to the point Taylor herself needed a PDF to keep a track of them. Before you even start the video, you’ll find one; it’s that good. With a popping tune that will have any Swiftie looking like the meme of Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the TV, this is one of her finest works, and for Swifties is just a treat to go Easter Eggs hunting.

Anti-Hero

And to end the list, we definitely have to talk about the track that has been ruling the charts. Anti-Hero truly defined what Swift’s career has been building up to, and the music video does a great job of personifying it. Showcasing her insecurities and scenarios straight out of a nightmare, it certainly is one of her more personal works, yet it is just bolstered by a sense of it all playing out in real time. Midnights: Taylor Swift's Album Remains at Number 1 For Fifth Week in a Row, Becomes First Female Artist to Remain at the Billboard 200 Spot for 60 Weeks.

Well, Taylor, if you’re reading this, please release the music videos for “Cruel Summer” and “Getaway Car”. It has been a really long time, and I think your fans could use a gift right about now (without having to wait 10 YEARS for it). Anyway, with this, we finish off the list and wish you a very happy birthday. Here’s to being 33 and still growing up!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 13, 2022 10:18 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).