Written by Liz Truluck for Autostraddle
“You Need to Calm Down” by Taylor Swift
Calling all Swifties! Taylor Swift has done it once again in her banging new music video. Supporting queer rights through music, dancing, and a upbeat production, the song “You Need To Calm Down” is a queer anthem bashing the hate experienced by many LGBTQIA+ members. By incorporating a catchy beat, colorful props and many queer icons themselves, T-Swizzle shines a light on both the celebration of pride along with the hardships of many queer folk past and present. Billy Porter, Laverne Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, and Jonathan Van Ness are just a few of the incredible appearances throughout the music video. “You Need to Calm Down” challenges gender norms with references such as “can you just not step on his gown?” This lyric is breaking the assumptions that girls are meant to wear dresses and allows a space for self-expression through clothing.
Not only does Taylor stand up for queer rights through her artistic lense, but she also uses the music video as a educational experience for ways people can also help the queer movement. At the end of the music video she linked a petition for Senate Support of the Equality Act on Change.org along with the statement, “Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally.” The music video served as an inclusive and welcoming place for queer people, allies, and anyone who likes a fire pop song. Taylor used her platform to put in the public eye queer artists, actors, and celebrities alike. The bopping tunes and gay flags are woven together through this video capturing how extraordinary queer culture and the queer community are.
While this video served mostly as a queer anthem, it also supported women empowerment and feminism. Two scenes that really shouted those themes for me were when there was a stage filled with drag queens dressed as big pop stars lined up from left to right: Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Adele, Cardi B, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj. They all stood alongside each other on a stage. RuPaul walked towards the stage holding a crown on top of a pillow. Before crowning the winner, he walked to the center of the stage standing in front of all of them. Instead of crowning one winner, he smirked and then threw the crown into the air. As this scene was happening the lyric “We all know now, we all got crowns” began playing. This scene and lyric supports women backing other women. In today’s society, judgement and comparisons about bodies, especially among women, have created a negative space filled with doubt and unworthiness. However this moment in the video pushes against those norms and celebrates all individuals.
The next scene transitions into colorful cake and confetti flying left and right. The camera zooms in on Taylor Swift, who is wearing a french fries costume, looking around confused. It then focuses on Katy Perry, dressed as a hamburger swaying side to side with her head down. Taylor and Katy then make eye contact from across the set and after recognizing each other, awkwardly smile and begin approaching one another. Taylor shyly waves as they get closer and then they embrace in a big hug. Previous to this video, Taylor and Katy were rumored to have a long on-going beef with one another. But this video finally squashed what had happened in the past and ended on a cheerful and loving note.
