13 January 2013
By Joann Lee, Staff Writer
The “I Knew You Were Trouble” music video emerged on December 14, preceded by an elated Taylor Swift announcing that this music video would be “unlike anything we’ve done before.”
It certainly is different. Swift’s music videos usually consist of fairytale endings, cutesy Eskimo kisses and glittery dresses. This particular music video features wild mosh pits, unbuckled seat-belts and sweaty bar fights. Quite a contrast from her Fearless and Speak Now days, Swift’s Red album seems to be ushering in a new era for Taylor Swift of content that targets a slightly more mature audience. The music video opens with a monologue in which scenes of Swift and her ‘grungy’ boyfriend flash by like memories. The solemn confessional is then abruptly interrupted by Swift’s high-speed electric guitar. The transition from the quiet soliloquy to the actual upbeat song was awkwardly executed, creating two clashing atmospheres. After the flashbacks subside, we are introduced to the story of how Swift got so unfortunately mixed up with a bad boy. They break traffic laws, run from the cops and engage in all sorts of impulsive acrivities, stopping occasionally to have a few intimate moments. Girl meets boy. They fall in love. Boy cheats on girl. And of course, the rage of Swift erupts.
The song is undeniably catchy, but the music video is a bit of a let-down. Yes, Taylor Swift, it is a wildly different direction you’ve moved into. However, this just isn’t your style. The over-dramatic voiceover and grungy scenes seem like grown-up clothes on a toddler. It simply does not fit. Taylor Swift is known for penning and expressing all the sentiments of a love-struck female teenager, but this music video did not reflect her reputation as a songstress. The music video as a whole is too manufactured and attempts to appear deeper than it really is. It’s not absolutely terrible, but it is disappointing considering all the hype it received from MTV.
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