Taylor Swift, who impressed critics and fans alike with her last video, “Blank Space,” by showcasing how easy it is for a woman to go from calm to crazy in a relationship, takes her cachet down yet another notch with the video for her newest single, “Style.” In it, we’re supposed to be wowed by the fact that Taylor figured out her head silhouette could fit easily in with a cave’s opening.
It’s your typical video premise: a man pines away over the loss of his former flame (Swift), haunted by his memories and her image in seemingly every aspect of nature. As he sits in a dark room watching Swift’s face projected over his curtains, he runs his hands through his hair dramatically, no doubt thinking, “I just lost the best pussy I ever had.”
Things get even more faux artistic when Swift’s love interest puts a broken mirror with her mouth on it up to his own mouth and stares at us pensively. But wait, then she puts a broken mirror with his eyes on it up to her own eyes. It’s all very meaningful in the most contrived possible way.
So what does “Style” infer about Taylor Swift’s latest direction? She’s trying desperately to come across as more than just a pop powerhouse–she wants to be seen as a person of substance as well. But perhaps hanging out with Lena Dunham has given her the wrong impression of what that actually entails.
