Taylor Swift has left her mark on the music industry in a number of ways: From winning 11 Grammys, writing and recording not one but two full albums during a pandemic, to being Artist of the Decade. Most of the time, Taylor shocks us with her standout music videos! Embracing the true lyrical genius she is, Taylor Swift’s music videos have been known for hiding Easter eggs about her next album, which is why her videos always have so many views! Despite having to choose between literally dozens of astonishing music videos, we created a top 10 list of the best Taylor Swift music videos ever. Enjoy!
Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off was one of the biggest songs of 2014 and made several appearances in movies and TV shows. Its upbeat and catchy rhythm makes anyone want to dance, and in her music video, people do just that! In this song, Taylor is letting the haters know that she’s not going to get upset by their mean comments, and instead, she’s going to shake them off! This fun music video is unforgettable, as it showcases different races and groups of people all dancing and having a good time. You go, Taylor!
Out of the Woods was a personal music video for Taylor that shows how her broken relationship helped her find herself. There are rumors this song was written about Harry Styles, and the paper airplane necklace she throws off the cliff seems to be the best indication that this is true (they have both been spotted wearing it).
The music video is aesthetically pleasing and shows Taylor moving through different landscapes, including a wolf-infested forest, a sandy beach, a mountain peak, a glacial summit, and even a mud bank. The video begins with Taylor “losing him” and then going through the rough, outdoor elements, only to end up right where she started, but this time she finds herself. “And somehow that was everything.”
This music video is relatable to many viewers simply because all relationships have different seasons and climates. But no matter how bad it can get, you can always learn something about yourself and grow!
This Romeo and Juliet inspired love song gave Taylor her big break, so of course we had to include it! In this music video, Taylor embraces the fairytale vibes that emanate from her song, and she wears a beautiful white ball gown. You can see her acting out the lyrics to her song, meeting her lover at a dance, and then later waiting for him in a tower. She is absolutely stunning in this music video! Oh, and if you didn’t know, Taylor just re-recorded her Fearless album, including a new version (Taylor’s version) of Love Story. Definitely check it out!
If you love The Office as much as I do, then you probably also love Taylor’s music video for Ours. This video was inspired by The Office; all day long, Taylor daydreams about her lover while at her boring, monotone job. Hey, after watching this video, I think Taylor could have easily played the part of Pam Beesly! Also, there is an extra video that goes along with the music video, a sort of “The Office” parody, that Taylor made.
I’m not going to lie, at first, I didn’t like Taylor’s new look. She wasn’t being her sweet self; but then again, she was treated so horribly that she had to do something to stand up for herself (cough, cough, Kanye West sucks).
In this music video, Taylor lets us know right off the bat she isn’t playing around. She literally crawls right out of her own grave and states that the “old Taylor is dead.” There are tons of symbols all throughout the music video, including snakes, dollar bills, birdcages, and even 20 other versions of Taylor herself from past eras. An the end, fearless Taylor says that she “wishes to be excluded from this narrative,” referring back to the feud with Kanye West.
This entire music video pays homage to Taylor’s damaged reputation; rather than shy away from the bad tabloids, Taylor embraces it and uses it to her advantage! It doesn’t get more badass than this, right? (Ok, maybe in Bad Blood, but we’ll get to that later)!
YES! YES! YES! I just loved this music video, Taylor made such a statement and empowered women’s rights. Throughout the video, she highlights several instances where men get away with things that women can’t, like the dreaded man-spread and peeing on walls in public. The most amazing part though comes at the very end, when Taylor not only stated that she owned, directed, starred, and produced the music video (insert clap emoji here because we don’t have enough female directors in the world), but she reveals that she was the man! Take a look and see for yourself!
Alright, I take it back. Yes, Taylor is more badass in this music video! This story is all about her feud with Katy Perry, and how their relationship is similar to “going to war.” It’s inferred that Selena Gomez (Taylor’s real-life bestie) plays the part of Katy Perry, and the two spend the music video preparing for battle because “Katy” stabs Taylor in the back. There are tons of celebrity cameos in this video, and to name a few, Zendaya, Mariska Hargitay, and Gigi Hadid all make appearances.
Taylor takes a stand on LGBTQ and women’s rights in this empowering song, and the music video only solidifies that message. Again, there are many celebrity cameos, including Ellen DeGeneres, Ryan Reynolds, and Adam Lambert (all proud LGBTQ supporters). In the end, Katy Perry walks into the food fight dressed as a burger, and Taylor runs over to her dressed as fries, with their food initials spellings BFF. Here Taylor is trying to relay the ultimate message: It doesn’t matter what you believe in, who you love, what you look like, or what awful past you came from. Today, right now, just love and be kind. Even Taylor was able to let bygones be bygones, so why shouldn’t we?
Remember, it takes way more energy and time to be mean than to simply just be!
You belong With Me might be the most iconic Taylor Swift music video ever made. Taylor is no stranger to playing multiple roles (just like in Look What You Made Me Do and The Man), and in this music video, she stars as both the girl next door and the cheerleader!
Admit it, after you watched this music video, you wanted your own cute prom story too!
Years ago, Taylor received so much hate in the media about her love life, that she created this music video as if to say, “Yep, you’re absolutely right. I am crazy!” Once again, Taylor is being the bigger person and refusing to shy away from all of the haters. In the music video, she makes fun of the absurd rumors about her by burning her lover’s clothes and even trashing his fancy car with a golf club.
Blank Space booted out Taylor’s previous single, Shake It Off, from the number one spot on the Hot 100. Meaning, Taylor became the FIRST ever FEMALE in the chart’s history to succeed herself at the number one spot. Need I say more?
These are the honorable mentions that almost made the list. As a die-hard Swiftie, I couldn’t complete this article without naming these other amazing videos!
*Cardigan: In this truly transcending music video, Taylor showcases vivid magical realism as she ventures deeper into her music (literally, she climbs into her piano).
*Mean: Taylor stands up for herself and any other person who feels like they’re being picked on. Way to go Taylor!
*Lover: We’ve all been waiting for Taylor to find a man worthy of her, and in Lover, it sounds like she found him (Ahem, Joe Alwyn)! My favorite part of the music video is when the snow globe pans out and you can clearly see the color-coated rooms, each symbolizing a past Swift era.
*Everything Has Changed: How cute is mini Ed Sheeran in this music video!?
Let me start off saying dating in college is a whole other ballpark, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is good…
With college expenses and life on campus, saving up isn’t really such an easy thing, is it? But, when you…
With the revival of Gilmore Girls, what better time than now to revisit the times Gilmore Girls represented your senior…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year...to piece together scarves with boots and post Instagram-worthy mirror selfies of your…
Honestly, business students don’t get enough credit. We may not be going to med school but our major can be…
Northeastern has a very diverse student body, and you’ll find a wide variety of people on campus. From Snell to…
