Watch Taylor Swift celebrate the spectrum of individuality in “ME!”
This is the feel-good pop-funk song to get you through the rest of 2019
Taylor Swift revealed that she was releasing a new single - a few hours ahead of its release - to Robin Roberts during the NFL Draft.
There’s no phenomenon in the world that could rival the trail of personal hints that lead up to a Taylor Swift release. Unveiled almost a week after Easter, Swift’s latest offering “ME!” and its music video are the windfall fans hit after the egg hunt. The song, co-written with Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie and music producer Joel Little, is a vibrant pursuit and celebration of the quirky, fantastical, romantic and self. Having set the record straight with 2017’s Reputation, Taylor Swift is finally here to have interminable fun.
The video opens with a serpent gliding on pastel cobblestones, transporting viewers to Emerald City circa now. We’re expecting an angst-ridden track, a revelation sweetened by the intensity of secrecy. But the snake withers away as butterflies take its place and Swift, once again, invites spectators and listeners on a journey unanticipated.
The singer-songwriter jumps into a spectrum of color, donning vivid power outfits, funky hair and an unapologetic self as she joins Urie in an Oz-inspired contemporary world. Swift’s signature sass and drama are present and she winks to let you know that both won’t budge. The videoscape is a refreshing take on self and romantic love, replete with Swift and Urie picking fun at themselves and truly owning their individuality. Here are two people acknowledging that they have weaknesses, but still loving each other and themselves anyway. Nobody is running away.
But the truly winning couple in the song (apart from Swift and Urie’s personas) are the trumpet and drums. The old school pair take this feel-good song to the next level as they amplify the mood and sound of the track, stimulating a tangible pop for listeners. The trumpet rings triumphant in the chorus as Swift belts, “Me-e-e/Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh,” making its debut in Swift’s experimental repertoire of songs, while the drum acts as a resounding lead.
The brief silence towards the end of the track’s climb serves as an effective pause, setting up the stage for an infusion of unabashed and vibrant singing and instrumentals. “ME!” is charged with an energy that is difficult to shake. It’s an instrumental experience that will have even the hardest of people involuntarily snapping their fingers and moving their feet.
In an interview with Robin Roberts during the NFL Draft in her hometown Nashville, Swift said, “I think with a pop song we have the ability to get a melody stuck in people’s heads, and I just want it to be one that makes them feel better about themselves.” Swift has often cited the bond she shares with her fans as the best relationship of her life and “ME!” is an ode to the Swifties. It’s the sanguine song we needed to get through the rest of 2019.
Remember folks, the snake turned into butterflies. It’s a new era. And like the old one, it’s for all of us.
Watch the video for “ME!” below:
