After weeks of dropping hints on social media, Taylor Swift finally released her new single ‘ME!’ on April 25th. The upbeat lead single from her forthcoming album features Panic! At the Disco frontman, Brendon Urie, and a music video containing more Easter eggs than a talking rabbit could handle.
The response from Swift’s fans has been overwhelmingly positive – the music video currently has over 3 million likes on YouTube, and many have praised the lighter tone of the song and video, standing in stark contrast to the darker aesthetic of Swift’s previous album, Reputation (2017).
Admittedly, even some of Swift’s fans have pointed out that the lyric in question is overly sappy. Regardless of its decisive reception, however, this shift in tone marks a significant development in Swift’s music. Reputation (2017) was released in the aftermath of a feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West that resulted in Swift being branded a ‘snake’ and a ‘liar’ online. The resulting darkness stemmed from the fact that Swift was producing content for a public that had seemingly turned against her.
The dreamy, wide-eyed single reflects Swift’s new general demeanour. It seems that the public have generally moved beyond using Swift as a punchline, and are finally starting to take her seriously. She has plenty to be happy about – and it shows.
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