Prior to the release to her much-anticipated album Lover (set to release August 23, 2019), Taylor Swift has released the music video for her pride-themed anthem “You Need to Calm Down.” The video adds the character missing from the original track, showcasing Swift in a colorful trailer park with a cast of equally vibrant neighbors. The video also pays homage to important LGBTQ+ history, particularly the 50th anniversary of the attack on Stonewall in New York; this is seen explicitly with Ryan Reynolds cameo, as he paints a serene image of the club. In addition to Reynolds’s cameo, the video features LGBTQ+ stars including the cast of Queer Eye, Ellen Degeneres, Ciara, Jesse Tyler Furgeson, Justin Mikita, Adam Lambert, Hayley Kiyoko, Todrick Hall, Chester Lockhart, RuPaul, Billy Porter, Hannah Hart, Laverne Cox, Adam Rippon, and more.
Along with the countless cameos, the “You Need to Calm Down” video includes Easter eggs referencing possible songs on the upcoming album and a final nod to her old feud with fellow pop star Katy Perry. The two, dressed in a hamburger and fries outfit (calling back to Perry’s Met Gala after-party outfit), finally bury the hatchet for good as they embrace.
After this wholesome display of friendship, Swift embraces her allyship with the LGBTQ+ community, ending the video with a call for equality by encouraging her fans to sign her petition for the Equality Act on Change.org.
Find the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/support-the-equality-act
Photos: Taylor Swift Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pg/TaylorSwift/photos/)
Written by Sam Spotswood
