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In an ever-dynamic musical landscape, few artists have managed to captivate global audiences like Taylor Swift has. The 14-time Grammy winner has delved into multiple genres and touched the hearts of a generation's worth of people in her journey from a teen star to one of the biggest artists of this generation.
Taylor is famous for her lyricism and music videos. The videos are always rife with callbacks and Easter eggs, and Swifties spend countless hours trying to decipher the references and metaphors behind each moment. Her latest music video, Fortnight (feat. Post Malone), was released a few days back and has racked up more than 38 million views on YouTube in just five days.
On this occasion, we ranked Taylor Swift's top five most-watched music videos on YouTube in her 17 years as a record-breaking musician.
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Taylor Swift's Top 5 most-watched music videos on YouTube ranked
5. Look What You Made Me Do (2017)
With over 1.4 billion views on YouTube at the time of writing, Look What You Made Me Do takes the fifth spot on the list.
The song is her lead single from her sixth studio album, Reputation. Through the song and the music video, Swift talks about the death of her old public image and responds to the controversies and media scrutiny surrounding her at the time of its release.
The video includes callbacks and easter eggs referencing Taylor Swift's career and personal life. Prominent easter eggs include a neon sign reading 'Stream Co.,' eight male dancers representing her eight major relationships, dancers dancing with 'I <3 TS' written on their shirts, and a $1 bill in the bathtub referencing the single dollar that she received after winning her sexual assault case.
It ends with the present Taylor standing with other iconic Taylor Swifts from her previous eras.
4. You Belong With Me (2009)
You Belong With Me from Taylor Swift's Fearless album portrays high school love, in which Taylor Swift plays both the lead and an alter ego. Throughout the video, her primary character tries to get the attention of the boy next door whom she loves with heartwarming gestures. The music video has racked up over 1.4 billion views on YouTube at the time of writing.
You Belong With Me also won the VMA for the Best Female Video. However, the win became even more memorable because of Kanye West's famous interruption of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech.
3. Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar (2015)
With over 1.5 billion watches on YouTube, Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar features a star-studded cast, including Taylor herself, Selena Gomez, Kendrick Lamar, Hailee Steinfeld, Karlie Kloss, Zendaya, and many more.
The video features Taylor and Selena Gomez's characters facing a betrayal, which leads to a fierce rivalry. Taylor enters a dystopian world as Catastrophe, featuring other characters like Destructa X, Luna, and others.
The video received many awards, including the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year and the Grammy for Best Music Video.
2. Blank Space (2014)
With over 3.2 billion views, Blank Space ridicules the follies of the media and highlights their sensationalization of false rumors and speculations about her dating life.
In the music video, Swift plays out a fairytale romance with her on-screen partner. However, things turn dark as she becomes overly possessive and starts wrecking the relationship. In one of the scenes, Taylor Swift tears up portraits and vandalizes a car with a golf club. These exaggerated depictions symbolize how media houses spice up celebrities' personal lives.
The video ends with a twist: It reveals that the entire story was a movie set, referencing how the media works with half-baked truths and rumors. On a lighter note, Olivia Benson, Taylor's real-life cat, also makes a cameo in the music video.
1. Shake It Off (2014)
Taylor Swift's Shake It Off has been watched over 3.3 billion times on YouTube and is her most-watched music video.
The song and the music video symbolize Swift's reaction to criticism and refusal to let it bother her. The video features her comedically trying out various dance styles, showing her self-acceptance and resistance to being bogged down by criticism.
Towards the end of the video, Swift is dancing with many people. They were fans who came to watch the filming and had no idea they'd be called in to participate in the video. The happiness radiating from the fans makes it one of the most iconic moments in Swift's musical career.
Taylor Swift's latest music video, Fortnight (feat. Post Malone), was released five days ago on Saturday, April 20, 2024, and it features stars like Post Malone, Ethan Hawke, and Josh Charles. The video features a montage of references and callbacks and pays a subtle tribute to 1989's classic Dead Poets Society.
The video is a part of her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, and Swifties have already spent hours taking in the lyricism in every song. At the rate Taylor Swift's views are climbing, it is likely that a future music video would soon dethrone the juggernauts from the list.
