CHAINED to a hospital bed and with a face that’s full of tattoos, Taylor Swift is not short on symbolism in her new video.
The four-minute clip for lead single Fortnight, from her Tortured Poets Department album, dropped today, and every prop in it is weighted with meaning.
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It also gives the biggest hint yet she was secretly engaged to British actor Joe Alwyn.
In an Instagram post, Taylor wrote: “Pretty much everything in it is a metaphor. This video turned out to be the perfect visual representation of this record and the stories I tell in it.”
Her face tattoos mimic those of Post Malone, who collaborates on the vid.
There are also cameos for Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, from 1989 film Dead Poets Society.
In the opening scene, Taylor is seen handcuffed to a bed in an upside- down asylum room wearing a white bridal gown.
She still has a garter around her thigh. It is an American tradition for the groom to remove the garter from their new bride, suggesting she came close, but not close enough, to making it down the aisle with Joe.
Signalling the death knell of their engagement, she emerges in a black Victorian gothic dress for the second half of the video.
In 2022, The Sun revealed that Taylor and Joe, who were together for six years before their split in 2023, had secretly got engaged and had confided in their inner circle.
Fan site Thread Of Gold tweeted of the video: “She really said she was expecting to wear a white wedding dress only to then attend the funeral of her relationship in a black dress.”
It appears that Taylor has also taken inspiration from her close pal, actress Emma Stone, whose film Poor Things was set in Victorian London.
The video also delves into her short-lived romance with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, with her singing: “I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary.”
But Taylor breaks free from the asylum at the end of the video and is seen sitting on top of a telephone box — symbolically out of the reach of Matty and Joe.
If this video is anything to go by, new boyfriend Travis Kelce will be watching his every step.
Taylor also made history as the most-streamed artist in a single day on Spotify following the album’s release, with over 300million streams.
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5 EASTER EGGS IN FORTNIGHT VIDEO
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TAYLOR takes a pill from a bottle labelled Forget Him with the code 121389-041924, which is a reference to her birthday on December 13, 1989, and the album release date of April 19, 2024.
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SHE is surrounded by burning letters as she sings about her ex Joe Alwyn – in contrast to the letters floating around her while singing the heartfelt track Lover about him in 2019 on Saturday Night Live.
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TAYLOR runs into the arms of Post Malone, echoing the way the pair embraced each other at the American Music Awards in 2019.
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SHE swallows a Forget Him pill, in a nod to her 2014 Blank Space video about how relationships come and go.
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TAYLOR could not resist making a nod to Matty Healy’s famous lab coat by dressing Post Malone up as a doctor.
SUSHI NICE TRIP, HARRY
HARRY STYLES makes no secret of his love for Japan.
But now he has taken girlfriend Taylor Russell to experience his favourite country.
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The As It Was singer and the Canadian actress were spotted on the subway in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Harry was seen wearing a black face mask while Taylor, in a chic grey jumper, had her hair in a low ponytail.
It appears she might have changed her schedule to spend more time with her other half.
The Bones And All actress has been cast in Korean thriller Hope alongside Squid Game’s Hoyeon Jung.
It will tell the story of a mysterious discovery on the outskirts of a remote harbour town and is currently in the pre-production stage, according to reports.
Harry and Taylor were also spotted by fans at Toyosu Market, one of the largest fish markets in the world.
It makes sense given the singer’s track Music For A Sushi Restaurant from his third studio album, Harry’s House.
But it is not the first time Harry has had romantic connections to Japan.
The singer was spotted snogging model Emily Ratajkowski on the streets of Tokyo while he was over there for his aptly named Love On Tour concert last March.
But just hours later, the former One Direction star was seen walking home with American-Japanese model Kiko Mizuhara.
Yet it seems Harry may have finally found “the one” with Taylor after I revealed in July that they were dating.
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A RAYE OF MAGIC FOR SOLO JADE
JADE THIRLWALL has joined forces with Brit-winning Raye to write tracks for the Little Mix singer’s debut solo album.
I can reveal Jade and Raye have been meeting in top-secret studio sessions to create material for the record.
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It comes after I unveiled the name of talented Jade’s debut single, Angel Of My Dreams, earlier this month.
An industry insider tells me: “Jade really respects Raye’s work and they’ve known each other for years through the music circuit, so she is absolutely thrilled Raye has agreed to lend her songwriting skills to her debut album.
“Jade has been pouring her heart and soul into the record and wants to get it just right.”
Raye made history at the Brits last month, winning six of the seven gongs she was up for.
Last week Jade’s ex-bandmate Perrie Edwards entered the singles chart at No10 with her debut Forget About Us, after Leigh-Anne Pinnock’s Don’t Say Love reached No11 last year.
In 2021, former Little Mixer Jesy Nelson had a No4 hit with Boyz, before taking a break from showbiz.
I’m sure with Raye onside Jade can get all the way to the top.
ROSE PARALYMPIC ROLE
STRICTLY Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis has landed an exciting new job – in sports.
The ex-EastEnder, who won the 2021 dance contest with Giovanni Pernice, will lead the team for Channel 4’s Paralympics coverage this summer in Paris, becoming the first deaf host.
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A source said: “It’s an exciting new move for Rose and she is really looking forward to getting stuck into the Paralympics and learning about all the sports and teams.
“Everyone on set will be able to sign language in a new move for the TV team.”