Taylor Swift’s ‘Me!’ Is as Unique as She Is! [Listen]
Taylor Swift has had a busy week. She announced Thursday (Apr. 25) that her new single and video, "Me!" would be released that midnight.
That certainly made everyone's Friday, as the new tune — which features Brendon Urie of rock band Panic! at the Disco — proved to be a frothy, bubbly, and just plain fun romp. "Me!" features lyrics apologizing for one's shortcomings, noting "I know there's a lot of cool chicks out there," but asserting that nobody is going to love that special person out there like "me-HEE-HEE!" (And yes, that's exactly what you will be singing uncontrollably for the next few months.)
The accompanying video is matching-ly light in tone. It begins with Swift and Urie initially fighting it out midcentury Italian cinema-style, in a clip introduced by a snake (yep!) that turns into butterflies (yep!) that leads to cats sitting on a sofa (yes, yes, yes, okay). From there it rolls into a pastel-hued fantasy land, celebrating Swift's assertion, "I'm the only one of me...baby, that's the fun of me!" She also reverses the sentiment, making sure to note that the object of her affection is "the only one of you" and that's pretty fun, too.
Swift discussed the song during an exclusive interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts during the 2019 NFL Draft, which was being held in Nashville.
While on air, she relayed a message for her fans: "Thank you so much for caring about music that I make. I'm here tonight and I'm seeing these people who have worked their whole lives to achieve their dreams in this city... 'Me!' is all about embracing your individuality and owning it. With a pop song, we had the ability to get a melody stuck in people’s heads and we wanted it to be one that makes them feel better about themselves.”
The interview also featured Swift driving around town visiting some of the places that formed her as a person and her music.
Before her official interview, Swift admitted that she was crying in the greenroom backstage over this emotional release. The track happens to be Swift’s first new music since 2017’s Reputation, and earlier this month, she teased fans with a social media-led countdown targeting the date of April 26.
A particular clue was a giant mural in the Nashville area, which featured a butterfly with cats, hearts and other pretty things hidden in the wings. As it turns out, the mural reveals hints to fans about her new music.
Swift's next album will be her third purely pop project. After growing her career in the country music world, Swift released her first full-on pop album, 1989, in 2014. Reputation followed in 2017.
Swift's new music will marker her first with Universal Music Group's Republic Records after a career-to-date stint with Big Machine Label Group.
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