The music video for Taylor Swift's latest song, "Look What You Made Me Do," premiered at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night. There's a lot to unpack here — you've got a corpse-like Swift emerging from her own grave and having a conversation with her past selves, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. But there's also a not-so-subtle reference to one of Swift's exes, hiding in plain sight.
About halfway through the video — if you're watching it on YouTube, it's the scene starting at 02:06 — Swift emerges through a set of doors wearing a long-sleeved green tunic, black high-waisted briefs, and fishnet tights. But it's not her outfit that's significant here. A group of male backup dancers open their blazers to reveal they're all wearing "I Heart T.S." shirts.
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Considering Swift usually deals in indirect references to the people in her life, fans were shocked and thrilled to see her taking control of the narrative about one of her most public relationships. Last summer, Swift dated Tom Hiddleston, and he was spotted wearing a white "I Heart T.S." tank top during her legendary Fourth of July celebration that year. (Hiddleston later told GQ that "of course" the shirt was real after fans doubted the authenticity of their relationship.)
If we learned anything from "Blank Space," it's that Swift isn't afraid to address the rumors about her life. And based on this video, it looks like she's not backing down. In addition to the "I Heart T.S." shirts, Swift also staged a conversation with various versions of herself, one of which accused another of "playing the victim." It's a powerful (and savvy) move for Swift to recognize the conversation surrounding her and her relationships. And it's also powerful of her to remind people that she's still in control of her own narrative. Whether you love or hate the song, you have to give Swift credit for that.
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