What (and Who) Do Taylor Swift Fans Want To See In A ‘The Man’ Music Video?
She told us it was coming. And now, it’s official: Taylor Swift’s fourth single is finally here. “The Man” lyric video debuted on Friday, Feb. 7. 2020 (because it adds up to 13 — do the math). As it climbs the charts, Swifties can’t help but wonder if a music video is next. Here’s what we know, and what we’re hoping to see.
Taylor Swift latest ‘Lover’ single is ‘The Man’
Very little was known about “The Man” before Swift’s seventh album, Lover, was released on Aug. 23, 2019. However, it’s clearly a favorite of the singer-songwriter’s. She’s employed the lyrics as captions in multiple social media posts. And she used it to make a statement as the opener for her American Music Awards performance.
So it wasn’t particularly surprising to Swifties who’ve been paying attention that, on Feb. 6, 2020, the artist announced a “The Man” lyric video would be dropping the next day. This makes the song her fourth single, not counting the promotional single “The Archer.”
The lyric video is out now
In her new Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, Swift was seen working on the lyrics to “The Man.” Speaking to co-writer Joel Little, about the meaning behind it, she said, “You are kind of doing a constant strategy in your head as to how not to be shamed for something on any given day. But then you get accused of being calculated for having a strategy.”
Now, we have the artwork to illustrate these ideas. The stylized, 3D-animated video shows a woman trapped in a world full of men, working to overcome obstacle after obstacle. Eventually, she lands in a world of women, and is able to stop running and just walk.
Fans are hopeful for a full music video
When it comes to Taylor Swift videos, the lyric video typically proceeds the music video by somewhere between a few days (“You Need to Calm Down”) or a week (“Lover”). The only times that wasn’t the case (during this album cycle) was with the lead single, “Me!” which was released the same day, and “The Archer,” which didn’t get a music video.
So while Swifties were excited about the lyric video, they were even more enthused by what it (likely) indicates: An upcoming music video, complete with dancing, captivating visuals, and Easter eggs.
Here’s what they want to see
The message of “The Man” being one of female empowerment, the No. 1 thing that Swifties want from a music video are cameos from amazing women. Twitter user shelley wrote that they want a video with “all the main pop girls” listing off Miley Cyrus, Halsey, and Swift’s close friend, Selena Gomez.
Others chimed in, suggesting celebrated women like Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, and Kesha. What’s really interesting about this idea is that it calls to mind a previous video of Swift’s: “Bad Blood,” which won Best Music Video at the Grammy Awards years ago. After her losses at the awards show in 2020, this just might be the perfect way for her to get back at the Recording Academy — by making a video they can’t help but nominate.
