“Haters Gonna Hate”

Stabbing cakes, Victorian clothing and ripping apart paintings are all a part of Taylor Swift’s new music video, indicating quite a shift from the country sensation that arose in 2004. There has been a huge buzz around her recent music video for the song “Blank Space” in which Swift is in a relationship with an average, well-standing guy; they live together in a castle and she prances around in gorgeous gowns with him. But all havoc breaks loose when Swift realizes that he is cheating on her (hence the cake stabbing and paint ripping).

Since Swift’s rise to fame, she has been scrutinized under the media for her many relationships and for jumping from man to man. In “Blank Space” she seems to snap back at the critics of her personal life, making fun of their accusations of her. “Got a long list of ex-lovers/ They’ll tell you I’m insane/ ‘Cause you know I love the players/ And you love the game”, this line alone takes the stereotypes reporters have made of Swift and throws them back in their faces.

Swift is known in the public eye as a girl who dates people to make breakups so she can bust out more Billboard 100 hits, but now Swift has a new grip on her identity. Swift’s writing style has definitely evolved since her first album, in which she only wrote about her relationships and heartache. Her new album, “1989,” points to a women-empowering message, in which Swift talks more about embracing herself and owning her identity. For instance, in the video “Shake It Off”, Swift goes through a variety of different dance environments of people all conforming to the same moves, and the singer dances her own way, breaking off from the pack. While she once was cautious of what she wrote about, she is not afraid to write about her emotions and tell her story anymore. Swift says it best: “Haters gonna hate.”

In a recent interview, Swift said that she feels her words should not be twisted when she is writing about her feelings and laying her secrets out; they should be celebrated. However, the media always dissects her lyrics and finds loopholes to other men in her social circle.

Swift definitely shows that she is a hard working, independent woman; she writes the majority of her own songs and is not controlled by her record label. While a lot of critics commend and applaud her for so obviously being a feminist, others aren’t so sure, as Swift doesn’t openly say that she is or isn’t. Some say she doesn’t openly express one way or the other because feminism in our culture sometimes has a negative haze. Celebrities associated with being openly feminist tend to be more controversial: Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, and Nicki Minaj are a few.

While Taylor Swift’s new video can be interpreted in many different ways, there’s no denying that Swift is continuing to dominate the charts and change the music industry. Feminist or not, it is fun to follow her journey and watch as she continues to inspire people across the nation to sing into their hairbrushes and belt out lyrics in their cars.

Sources: www.theguardian.com, www.portable.tv