Top 10 Taylor Swift Music Video Cliches
Gorgeous, extremely talented and beaming with elegance; it isn't hard to notice why this gal has become one of the most beloved pop culture icons and musicians today. Join MsMojo, as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Taylor Swift Music Video Cliches.
For this list, we are looking at different visuals, themes or sequences which have a tendency to pop up across Taylor's many music videos.
Special thanks to our user ulllaaaklara for submitting the idea on our Interactive Suggestion Tool at http://www.MsMojo.tv
#10: Fairytale References
We don’t blame T-Swift for including plenty of fantasy elements into her videos because who wouldn’t want to live happily ever after? Whether the fairytale references are primarily used as a base for the lyrics, as heard in “Today Was A Fairytale” or is implemented as the style of the music video as seen in “Love Story”; Taylor loves falling back on these classic ideas. Considering that she likes to focus many of her songs around falling in love, these old school fantasies about princes and princesses are a perfect backdrop.
#9: Dance Parties
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Can you imagine just how awesome it would be to always have a large group of people on standby waiting to have a dance party with you? This seems to be the case in so many of Taylor’s videos and we have to admit that we are totally jealous of it. Take her music video for “We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together” for example. Imagine you just broke up with a guy and instead of feeling down, a bunch of total strangers were there to help you dance all of your worries away. Sign us up for that!
#8: Flashback Sequences
We all like to think back on days gone by and Ms. Swift is no exception to that. Whether they were good or bad memories which she is reminiscing upon, Taylor usually likes to squeeze in a few flashbacks in her music videos. From a storytelling point of view, we appreciate this choice as it gives us more information and context to better understand the story being told to us. This technique is used to exemplary effect in her video for “White Horse”, which uses flashbacks to show a relationship gone sour.
#7: Crying
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Here come the waterworks! Sure, we’ve all shed many a tear before, and in Taylor’s music videos, the reason typically revolves around a break-up. The reasons for her crying can vary from either a guy breaking her heart or things just never, ever, ever being able to work out. There’s nothing to be ashamed of for crying though, as letting it all out is much healthier than keeping everything bottled up, and seeing T-Swizzle have a good cry then shake off her worries - pun intended- shows a great deal of confidence.
#6: Tons Of Acting
Just like the use of flashbacks, many of the music videos by this talented gal provide us with little acting segments to help tell the story found within the song’s lyrics. These can range from a lengthy introductory sequence to help set the stage or something as simple as Taylor and the gang lip syncing all the words, complete with active body language and facial expressions. Admittedly, the acting can teeter a bit on the cheesy side of things but it’s still an appreciated addition to compliment the catchy tunes and make the video all the more entertaining.
<4>#5: Wearing a Dress in Love Songs
We can’t quite pinpoint why wearing a nice dress is a match made in heaven for love songs, but Taylor clearly has it all figured out down to an art form. Perfectly combining with the smooth and wavy pacing of her love songs, the dresses she wears swerve and spin to her movements as well as swaying through gusts of wind as seen in “Begin Again”. The one two punch of listening to the beautiful music and watching Taylor rock such fabulous outfits is truly a sight to behold.
#4: Close-Up While Looking Into Camera
Now here’s a cliche that we have absolutely no problem with and one that also makes us quite jealous of the camera operators for her videos. There are several occasions in these dazzlingly filmed productions where the camera zeroes in on what is easily the most striking sight to see amongst everything else going on: Taylor Swift’s gorgeous face. Getting up close and personal showing off her stunning good looks, we suspect it’s easy for everyone on set to be able to say that the cameras love her.
#3: Handsome Man
We aren’t sure if it’s a specialized casting agency or Taylor literally goes around and hand picks them up off the street, but we want to know how she finds so many good looking men for her music videos. Whether they have a piercing set of eyes, captivating smile or adorable personality, these kinds of guys always find a way into her music videos. We’d fall head over heels for any of these hunks.
#2: Slow Motion
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Slow motion can either make a scene completely cheesy or enhance its cool factor, and for T-Swift’s videos, it’s definitely the latter. Adding drama to the story being told in the song, slow motion movement is a visual flair not uncommon in Hollywood movies which Taylor puts to great use in her own work. But c’mon, the real reason these videos slow down so often is because we just can’t keep up with Taylor’s awesome-ness.
#1: Red Lips
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The obvious choice for the top spot, appearing in the midst of several of the other clichés on this list is Taylor’s most iconic fashion choice: her beautifully vibrant red lips. Not only have red lips become a staple for her music videos, but Taylor seems to have found herself attached to the crimson glimmer of her smile as it’s become synonymous with her overall look. It’s such a stunning part of who she is, and even fans try to emulate the iconic look.
Do you agree with our list? What cliches did you notice popping up frequently in Taylor’s music videos? For more Top 10’s published everyday, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.
