Taylor Swift has played many characters throughout her career. From country gal to pop princess to villain, the girl can wear a lot of hats. And she wears them well. With her latest release, “ME!,” Swift throws it way back and reignites every flame that put her on the map in the first place. Ultra-optimistic, happy-go-lucky, and so-full-of-cheer-you-could-just-scream, she made the choice to shed her out for revenge Reputation image in favor of her brand’s tried-and-true: the upbeat and impossibly catchy love song. Think “You Belong With Me” and “Shake It Off”—singable high notes and blind hope stuck on repeat.
Cute, and almost annoyingly so, is what she’s going for here. The entire track is pure sugar and glitter, and the reason for that: mass appeal. She’s eager to earn herself another #1 hit, and she’ll chew as much bubblegum as it takes for her new song to get stuck in your head.
“ME!” is comparable to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” in the sense that it’s calculated, but innocent enough to peddle to Kindergarteners. Again, Swift wants everyone to jump on the “ME!” bandwagon, so she’s not solely trying to appeal to her older fanbase. That’s why the song is so elementary and void of complexity. It’s simple and mechanical, like following a basic formula. And this is a formula that works.
The song’s accompanying music video is as equally giddy and desperately optimistic as its lyrics. Swift wisely begins the music video for “ME!” with a serpent (the image and symbol of her last album) erupting into a sea of butterflies. The message: goodbye drama, and hello sunshine. She’s letting us know she’s been renewed. 2019 Taylor speaks French, wears yellow pantsuits, models her newest kitten, and partners up with Panic! At the Disco’s Brendon Urie. What might seem like an odd matchup actually winds up working, despite the core differences between the two artists. Urie, hugely talented (but perhaps holding himself back vocally not to outshine Swift), rids himself entirely of his emo roots and joins Swift in her pop perfection. In the end, the two hit a home run and leave us with the catchiest summer anthem to date. Because whether you like the song or not, you’re going to remember it.
The video takes place in a candy-coated fantasy world where pastel colors rule and, just like every Disney princess, Swift is wooed by a never-going-to-give-up Urie. At first, his attempts prove fruitless; however, by the end of the video, the two are dancing in the street in the middle of the rain, singing back and forth to one another like pingpong.
What’s most important to remember about a Swift lead single is that it can often be misleading. “Look What You Made Me Do” was by far the darkest and angriest song on Reputation. Full of speculation and A-list drama, it gave the audience the impression that the rest of the album would be one great big celebrity roast. Nevertheless, Reputation was more an album of love songs than anything else.
It’s entirely possible “TS7” will also be an album of love songs. At the end of the day, aren’t all of Swift’s albums exactly that? But the direction this next album takes will be decidedly more cheerful than Reputation, which is the main reason why Swift released “ME!” as her lead single. She’s pinning for you to remember her as the girl who runs through fields in frilly dresses, never without a beau chasing closely behind. Regardless of your feelings about Swift, she’s evidently determined to recapture the qualities of her early work that turned her into a household name. Welcome back, Sweet Taylor. See for yourself below and be sure to leave some feedback in the comment section:
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