I’m not going to lie, I am a huge Swiftie and have been since her first single came out in 2006. I’ve supported her and listened to her albums on repeat since the beginning, so I have seen in recent the years the way that she’s shied away from the public eye.
For a fan, of course, this was sad. I wanted to see more from Taylor, but she chose to delete the content from her social media accounts and disappear for awhile. Her reason for this was explained with the release of her most recent album, but fans get a even-better glimpse of what she did during her break by watching her latest music video. The song “Delicate” is the fifth track on Reputation and talks about having to carefully enter a new relationship because of the pressures surrounding her. However, the music video takes a completely different approach than the message of the song.
This video cuts out the man completely, and focuses only on Taylor. It showcases Tay feeling cut off from human relationships and lonely in public because she needs bodyguards and has to avoid too-obsessed fans. Then, when she’s feeling the full effects of never being seen for who she really is, she is handed a note from an anonymous person that has magic powers to make her invisible.
Once she realizes that she’s completely free to do whatever she wants without being seen (and, therefore, without being judged), a very-happy Taylor dances her way through the video. She leaps into elevators, dances in the rain, and even does the splits on the hood of a car. She’s gleeful. However, by the end of the video she’s happy to be seen again.
This video has a pretty straightforward message: Taylor needed to be out of the public eye for awhile in order to take care of herself. She wanted some time to recenter and be happy again. After the break, she was happy to come back to her fans (which included launching a new tour!).
Also, there are some really cool hidden messages. For example, in the background of one scene you can see a sign for “Joe’s Deli,” referencing her boyfriend Joe Alwyn, and maybe even the fact that he’s the one that she wrote (Deli)cate about? Also, dancing in the storm in her best dress? Throwback to her 2008 song, “Fearless.” There’s also “Track 5” spray-painted on the column during a scene in a subway station, referencing the track’s position on the album.
Overall, this video is genius. It helps fans and critics alike realize that Taylor Swift, despite being a perfect goddess with an amazing voice and heavenly lyrics, is still a person. She needed time to herself so she could be an even-better Taylor for us, and I am more than okay with that.