#and just now she was texted me about the new ts album (again)

[sparrowsfallingfromthesky]

so awkward when kate innocently and kindly tries to recommend things to me and I'm like not only have I already read/listened to it, I didn't mention it to you because I didn't care for it 😭

[alarrytale]

Hi! Zerrie anon again,

I don't blindly believe in other people's opinions, yes i do follow them, but i look deeper. I agree, this relationship smelled like a contract, but i have a few doubts.

First: the rumors about Zayn's cheating appeared long before they broke up. In PR relationships, everything is controlled from start to finish and every rumor is immediately silenced. If it was a set-up, their problems wouldn't come out in public.

Second: no contract tells you to get a tattoo of someone's face. And if it wasn't Perrie, why did he cover it up after they broke up?

Third: in the 3 years of their relationship, the paparazzi took fewer pictures of them than for example of Holivia in not even two years.

Besides, Perrie claimed that Zayn broke up with her via text message. If it was PR, they would have come up with something else, i mean more plain, acceptable. You don't sign a contract that will make you an asshole in general public.

To the anonymous person below. Zigi was PR. Gigi was a new face in the modeling world and needed promotion. Her mother Yolanda is the second Kris Jenner, she has a head for business. They had a contract, but they slept together. The child was not planned, but they decided to keep it. Zayn is Khai's father.

Nothing is black and white, things are more complex. Not every relationship between two celebrities is PR. They are celebrities, so of course they attract media attention. just like the fact that if two celebrities get engaged or have a child, it doesn't mean they are in love. They can have a contract, but sleep together.

phew, finally got to the end.

Hi, anon!

I'm really not interested in discussing zerrie, because i concluded over a decade ago that it was a fake relationship, but i do understand the need for you who weren't here to dig into it for yourself. So i'll indulge you.

To your first point; Z was sleeping around yes, because his relationship with P was fake. And it's simply not true that PR relationships are controlled from start to finish. Just look at holivia and the mess of that. They can only control what they can control. They can't control everything and the truth has a way of coming out no matter what.

To your second point; Z got the tattoo to legitimise his relationship with P. The alternative would have been that Z would have to make more of an effort to sell the relationship, pap walks, PDA, events etc. He didn’t want that (it's Zayn) and a tattoo is no big deal. It can be covered or removed. He also got Gigi's eyes tattooed and you just said that was a fake relationship so. H and L also got stunt tattoos. It's a common tactic to sell a fake relationship. You can say the same thing about the engagement, that Z showed sooo much enthusiasm about (this is sarcasm).

Third; Of course we got less pap pics of Z and P than of H and OW. Z and P weren't half as interesting to the general public to get pap pics of as H and OW. They weren't even that popular as a couple within the fandom. Also, see point two about Z getting the tattoo to not have to do as many pap walks.

Every fake relationship need a fake narrative to legitimise it. They needed a reason for the break up (that weren't Z left 1D and with that ended the stunt contract with P). Z breaking up with her through a text does make him sound like a douche, and it's the perfect prompt for LM to write a fuck you to my ex song to show their girl power, which is also exactly what happened (straight from TS playbook). Cow*ll doesn’t care if Z looks bad in this, he's leaving 1D and it helps LM sell albums and get attention.

Now, you tell me why the articles annoucing their relationship happened to be posted at the exact same date as the break up annoucement articles. Screams contract doesn’t it? Also tell me why the break up coincided with Z breaking his 1D contract and leaving. Seems like both contracts were broken doesn’t it? Also please tell me what the likelihood of a Cow*ell controlled, Mod*st managed boybander dating a Cowe*l controlled, Mode*t managed girlbander is. That everything happened organically and were not concocted in Cowe*l's office to expose LM to 1D's fanbase and make them as successful, and have the good looking, mysterious one from 1D date the white, blonde innocent one from LM.

So no, i'm not interested in discussing zerrie. It's a fake relationship and one of the more obvious ones as well.

[foxes-that-run]

Delicate

"Delicate is really a song about the switching back and forth between feeling confident enough to have somebody like you back and then feeling insecure, deeply deeply insecure, that no one would ever like you back and you go back and forth between that emotion the entire song." - Taylor in the BTS

To me, she is saying Delicate is the insecure side to Slut!'s confidence. The video has several references to Harry Styles.

"The entire video has this overarching narrative of this girl is past a magical note from the person she would love to meet up with later that turns her invisible and she's able to sneak out of this event and go meet up with him all the while being completely invisible."

People, she can't make it clearer who this is about. The man who hands the note is dressed like Harry at the 2013 VMAs when she also wore a navy dress when they were seen texting each other (notes). In the BTS we can see more of him - a dark haired male celebrity (also talking to press) in a patterned suit. I know someone that fits that bill. This post is about Ed’s inspiration for Tenerife sea that same night.

In the BTS (1:10) in the scene where she reads the note she says:

So I am reading the note and I am kind of happy, but then sad because I realise I can't be him.. and you know.

The statues behind Taylor reference Harry's Gucci and Grateful Dead Rings.

And Harry referenced the song title in Little Freak lyrics and video for the As it Was and Daylight videos.

The film clip includes 'Joe's diner' in the street, like Ready for it...? in the Ready for it BTS she isn't sweet when highlights that it's pointed and sassy.

When was it made

Taylor wore the outfit in the Making of the Song on 17 January 2016 in La.

Lyrics

[Intro] This ain't for the best My reputation's never been worse, so You must like me for me We can't make Any promises now, can we, babe? But you can make me a drink

A theme of the album is taking back power from drama. The muse is someone TS sees as there for her. Anti-hero is an interesting continuation of this feeling. It is sad to think that now she has an even higher level of fame this feeling may be harder to grasp.

The line about promises is interesting, by September 2016 Taylor was a single 28 year old who could (and did) make promises to YB. It could refer to prioritising her career over personal life. The promises may be able to make because it refers to the Gorgeous, I did Something Bad & High Infidelity timeline, around April 29, 2016, when HS was launching a solo career and TS was with CH.

[Verse 1] Dive bar on the East Side, where you at? Phone lights up my nightstand in the black Come here, you can meet me in the back Dark jeans and your Nikes, look at you Oh, damn, never seen that color blue Just think of the fun things we could do

In Wish you Would and other 1989 songs Taylor talks about late night texts and meet ups. HS was also in New York a lot and wore skinny dark jeans for what seemed like all of 2016.

To me, "oh damn, never seen that color blue" is referring to the depression she was experiencing. In the MV Taylor wears a deep blue dress, she was in a deep depression and connecting with this muse helped her through. Taylor again refers to blue as depression in many songs throughout her discography.

Sometimes when you sleep at night I wonder if .... Sometimes I look in your eyes and pretend your mine I do it all the time Is it cool that I said all that.... Sometimes I wonder when you sleep are you dreaming of being with me... do you ever dream of me

References to dreaming of each other is a theme in the 1989 songs. In 2016 HS and TS were not together, it seems from other songs of this period they met, which makes sense for the line of pretending they are together all the time, whereas YB was single and could and would be with TS.

[Chorus] Is it cool that I said all that? Is it chill that you're in my head? 'Cause I know that it's delicate (Delicate) Is it cool that I said all that? Is it too soon to do this yet? 'Cause I know that it's delicate

The Chorus perfectly captures having a tentative conversation about one’s desire. A lack of communication is a strong theme in TS/HS songs about each other. The chorus acknowledges that they have a history and being romantic is delicate they have hurt each other before. Other songs that refer to not communicating are Two Ghost’s, Maroon, the 1, satellite, and more.

Many songs from HS and TS describe that they cannot get the other out of their head/move on.

[Verse 2] Third floor on the West Side, me and you Handsome, you're a mansion with a view Do the girls back home touch you like I do? Long night with your hands up in my hair Echoes of your footsteps on the stairs Stay here, honey, I don't wanna share

HS bought an apartment on the 3rd floor on the west side while TS was making Reputation. Taylor’s is on the 5th floor. Joe did not live in New York.

Wildest Dreams has a similar lyric: His hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room.

[Bridge] Sometimes, I wonder, when you sleep Are you ever dreaming of me? Sometimes, when I look into your eyes I pretend you're mine all the damn time

A lot of TS's songs about HS refer to dreams:

Blank Space: 'Cause darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream

Style: You’ve got that James Dean daydream look in your eye

Wildest Dreams: Say you’ll see me again even if it’s just in your wildest dreams

This Love: In silent screams, in wildest dreams, I never dreamed of this

…Ready For It?: In the middle of the night, in my dreams

Gold Rush: I can’t dare to dream about you anymore

Snow On The Beach: Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful

Hits Different: Dreams of your hair and your stare and sense of belief

But wait there's still more times Taylor has linked Delicate to Harry:

The Era's visuals are Styles

When she introduced it in Dallas on the Reputation Tour she linked it to being called names (like Slut!) perhaps.

And the Vertical Video was released for their anniversary 20 May in 2018, people even commented how random that was as it had been out for ages.

[the-bau-quinjet]

You Belong With Me

Chapter 5 of In Breakable Heaven!! 

Summary: Penelope has a Halloween party!

Warnings: none 

Word Count: ~3100

You woke up slowly, not realizing you were on the couch with another human. As usual, you tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but instead of landing on the other side of your bed you land squarely on the floor between your couch and coffee table. Spencer shifted on the couch to look down at you as the two of you burst into laughter.

“Are you okay?” He struggled to get the words out through the laughter. 

“Yeah. Yeah I’m fine.” Finally managing to stand up, you grab the trash from the night before and throw it out. Spencer grabs the dishes from behind you and loads them into the dishwasher. You are about to offer Spencer some breakfast when he breaks the silence.

 “I should probably get going, but, uh, I can’t find my phone.” You can’t help but smile at the dejected look on his face.

 “It probably sunk into the couch, here” you hand him your phone “You can call it while I look under the cushions.” He takes your advice, dialing his phone and holding yours up to his ear.

 “It’s ringing.” You can hear it begin to vibrate as you remove cushions from the couch. “Got it!” You hold the phone up victoriously, answering the call. “Hello Doctor. What can I do for you?” You can’t help but tease him a little. He hangs up your phone, trading it for his. 

“Thank you. I really do have to go, but I’m really glad I got to see you again.” “Me too. I mean, I don’t have to go. I live here. I just meant I’m really happy I got to see you again too. And now you have my phone number, so we can talk more!” You force yourself to stop rambling before you say something even more embarrassing. 

He just grins at you, glad to not be the one rambling for once, and waves goodbye as he says “I’m looking forward to it.”

 --

 Around 4 PM a couple days later, you get a text from Spencer. You two had been texting pretty consistently since he left your apartment. But this text feels like a birthday gift from up above when you read the five simple words. Not that you would tell him today is your birthday. That would be weird to just randomly bring up.

 From Spencer: “Are you busy right now?”

 To Spencer: “Nope. I just got back from the bookstore.”

 It takes what feels like eternity for him to respond. Unbeknownst to you, he is pacing his apartment, working up the nerve to press send.

 From Spencer: “Do you want go see a movie? There’s a new Scream that just started in theaters and since Halloween is right around the corner, I thought it might be fun.”

 You can’t help but squeal a little when you read and reread the message.

 To Spencer: “I would love to! I love Halloween.”

 From Spencer: “Great, I can pick you up at 5?”

 To Spencer: “See you then”

 You instantly drop what you were working on to get ready. You have to pick out something to wear that says you’re interested but isn’t too much for going to see a movie. You decide on a pair of dark wash jeans, black combat boots, and a light sweater that ties in the back. It’s cute, comfy, and very fall. Just as you finish your mascara, you hear a knock on your door. You grab your purse and swing it open to find Spencer standing there in a black button up, dark jeans, a maroon cardigan, and of course, black converse. He looks incredible. You can feel the blush on your cheeks as he looks at you. “Ready to go?”

 “Yep, just let me grab my keys.” And with that, the two of you are walking back down to his car. You arrive to the theater 15 minutes before the movie, the perfect amount of time to get some snacks! You insist on buying the popcorn and sweet treats since he bought the tickets. You make your way into the theater and see it’s mostly empty except for a few people in the back. You find two seats in the middle and sit down. You’re honestly a little nervous because even though you love scary movies and haunted houses, you still get freaked out pretty easily. The scare is why you love it, but also why you’re nervous.

 “Are you okay?” Spencer’s question cuts off your train of thought. 

You decide to answer honestly “yeah, I love scary movies. I just… get scared… Wow that was stupid.” You can feel the blush creeping up again as you try to come up with a better way of describing it.

 “That’s not stupid at all. It’s really all because of adrenaline and other fear induced hormones. It is common for people to seek out adrenaline inducing situations because the brain itself won’t determine how much danger you are in. It only recognizes the fear and produces adrenaline to combat it.” You inadvertently cut him off when you hug him, muttering a quiet thank you. He’s too distracted by the scent of your perfume to continue on about adrenaline.  

 Ten minutes in and the movie hasn’t been that bad yet. You can’t tell if you’re disappointed or glad you aren’t screaming like crazy. Just as you let your guard down, there’s a jump scare that has you grabbing Spencer’s arm for safety. He laughs, seemingly unfazed by the cheap scare, and shifts so he is holding your hand. “Just squeeze my hand when you’re scared” he whispers in your ear. You feel the butterflies again as you nod at him. You squeeze his hand on and off throughout the rest of the movie, blushing when his thumb starts to rub circles on your hand.

 When the movie is over, the two of you decide to go across the street to a diner for some real dinner. You are right in the middle of eating breakfast for the third time that day when both your phones go off. Glancing down, you see a text from Penelope.

 From PG: “Y/N!! I am having an impromptu Halloween party and I do not want to hear it that you are too busy. Get your butt over here by 9!!”

 To PG: “You got it! Costume?”

 From PG: “Of course! I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 You look up at Spencer “Penelope’s party?” You immediately try to think of a costume you can pull together from what you’ve got at home. It’s already October 27th, but you hadn’t planned a costume yet. 

“Yep, I guess I have to go find a costume.” Spencer replies, running his hands through his hair. 

“Same here. I have no idea what I’m going to wear.”

 “I can drop you back at your apartment if you want? So you can get ready.” You sigh, he is obviously right but you were hoping the night would last a little longer. 

“That would be great, thank you.” At least you know you’ll see him soon.

 Getting ready goes a lot easier than you anticipated. You pull together a young, country Taylor Swift costume with denim cutoff shorts, cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, a navy tank top, and a matching flannel. You decide to grab your acoustic guitar just to add to the look. It’ll work. You finish your makeup and leave in a hurry. Penelope is not one to be kept waiting.

 You get to Penelope’s apartment at 9:02. “What took so long? I thought you would be right over after I texted.” She scolded as she opened the door.

 “I wasn’t home, so I had to go home and throw together a costume” you laugh as she looks you up and down, doing a little twirl. She looks you in the eye before confirming your costume “Country Taylor Swift, not bad.”

 “Why thank you! Might I add you make an incredible vampire!” You say, lifting your hat off your head. Penelope just rolls her eyes and opens the door wider for you to come in. You immediately spot the rest of the team as other the other guests. Emily, Derek, JJ – who brought Will - Hotch, and Rossi. You didn’t know them all that well, but apparently you made a good impression since you were invited back. You aren’t sure if Spencer has told them anything about the two of you hanging out, so you decide not to say anything either. Instead, you admire everyone’s costumes.

 Emily is dressed as Black Widow in a tight all leather getup. Derek matches Penelope’s vampire costume, something you are sure she made him wear. JJ and Will make an adorable Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl. You are still trying to figure out Hotch and Rossi’s costumes when you hear them arguing. “I am very clearly a chef. Look at my hat.” Rossi says as he emphatically points to his head.

 “And I am from Men in Black.” Hotch declares. You are sure he is glaring from behind those sunglasses. They all turn and greet you when you get close enough.

 “Who are you dressed as?” Derek asks as he looks you up and down.

 “She’s clearly a young TS. The only thing missing is the signature curly blonde hair.” JJ looks shocked that Derek couldn’t put that together.

 “Ooh, since you’re dressed as a singer, you have to go first in karaoke. We can’t start until everyone is here though. Penelope’s rules.” Emily declares.

 “I guess I need a drink then!” You laugh as you head to the kitchen. You pour yourself a glass of white wine, not understanding how anyone can enjoy the vinegar like taste of the red, and walk back into the living room.

 You immediately spotted Spencer. He was wearing a loose white button up with puffy sleeves, a black vest, black jeans, and he had a red bandana tied around his head. Plus, he was carrying a prop sword. The converse didn’t really match, but you could still figure out the look. He was the dorkiest pirate you have ever seen and you loved it. Derek was giving him a hard time, but before you could do anything Emily was pulling you over to the karaoke machine.

 “It’s time to start karaoke!!” She was clearly a little tipsy, but you did not feel nearly drunk enough to sing in front of these people. You downed your wine, earning some whistles, and put the glass on the coffee table.

 “Emily! I have no idea what to sing.” You tried to protest.

 “Nonsense, you can sing a Taylor Swift song.” JJ chimed in “Something from an old album since your dressed country!”

 Emily immediately started a song before you could protest anymore and you were singing almost immediately.

 You’re on the phone with your girlfriend, she’s upset.

 ‘At least it’s an easy song to perform’ you thought to yourself, having done it what felt like a million times. But they don’t know that. Before you knew it, the girls were all singing the end of the song with you.

 Have you ever thought just maybe, you belong with me? You belong with me.

 You chanced a glance at Spencer as you finished the song. You refused to look at him before that, knowing he would make you too nervous. Before you had a chance to comprehend the look on his face, Derek inadvertently interrupted the moment “Y/N you’ve been holding out on us. That was great!” He said. The others joined in on the praise as you turned red. You managed to squeak out a “thanks” before retreating to fill your wine glass. Spencer met you in the kitchen.

 “That really was an amazing performance. You should consider switching careers.” You laughed at his comment, it was pretty comical considering your side hobby. “No really. You would be amazing.”

 You turned even redder with the compliment. “Thanks Doc, I appreciate the confidence boost.” You almost told him then and there, but ultimately you were being called back to the living room to hear Rossi sing Bon Jovi.

 The night continued much the same until Penelope broke off into the kitchen. You were going to follow her, but Rossi pulled you back into a conversation and you missed the chance. Soon enough she was returning with a huge birthday cake. At first, you were shocked. Then you realized she was the Penelope Garcia. Figuring out someone’s birthday is child’s play to her.

 Then you were shocked again, because everyone was singing to Spencer. Apparently it was after midnight and his birthday is October 28th.

 Once everyone has a piece of cake, you walk up to Spencer hitting him on the arm, “Why didn’t you tell me today is your birthday?” 

He deflects the question easily.  “Today only just started, so I really didn’t have time. Plus you haven’t told me when your birthday is.”

 You instantly freeze at that. You can’t possible tell him your birthday was yesterday. That would be so awkward. He immediately senses the tensions and asks “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

You practically run out of the room calling “yep I’m fine, all good, 100% a-o-kay.”

 Spencer, confused by your quick exit, decided to look at your license to figure out your birthday. Maybe he could surprise you with something. Realization dawned on his features as he read the date, seeing that your birthday was yesterday.

 --

 You were relieved when Spencer didn’t chase after you to figure out exactly why you practically sprinted away from the conversation. You decided to just enjoy the rest of the party.

 Around 2 AM everyone was heading out. You hung back a little since Spencer hadn’t left yet, hoping you’d be able to walk out with him. God, you feel like a teenager again. Secretly crushing on a guy who clearly only likes you as a friend. Ugh.

 “Y/N!” You break out of your pitying thoughts to see Penelope and Spencer standing in front of you. Great. How long were you just staring at the ground? “You okay?” Penelope asks, looking at you with clear concern.

 “Yeah, I’m just tired. You threw quite the party!” You tried to joke to clear the air. “Thanks for inviting me, Pen.” You hugged her as you looked around for your purse, grabbing it off the chair. Spencer has been staring at you with a contemplative look on his face during the whole encounter.

 “I’ll see you soon, right?” You looked back as you opened the door. “Of course, my lovely!” Penelope smiled as you and Spencer left, him calling a quick goodbye as he walked out after you. You didn’t say anything until you noticed Spencer was walking towards your apartment with you.

 “What are you doing?” Ugh, real subtle. What kind of a question is that?

“Walking you home. It’s my birthday, you can’t say no.” You rolled your eyes at his playful tone, but there was something serious in his eyes. “Why didn’t you say your birthday was yesterday? We could have celebrated!” He seemed genuinely confused.

 “I don’t know. I guess I’ve never been the kind of person who does well with all that attention. My birthday was never a huge deal growing up, so I haven’t really made a big deal out of it now. Pen wanted a Halloween party, not a birthday party. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.” You couldn’t make eye contact with him. You’ve never really talked about these insecurities with anyone.

 “First of all, she clearly didn’t mind having a party for both because she had a birthday cake for me. I am completely sure that she would have decorated it for both of us had she known. Second, you deserve to have people make a big deal. You are an incredible person, Y/N. You are extraordinarily kind, selfless, and beautiful.” He pauses for a second before pulling something out of his bag. “I didn’t know your birthday was even in October, but I bought these a few days ago. I was going to give them to you after the movie, but then Garcia called and we split up. If you don’t like them I can take them back I just thought since you twist your earrings around so much, maybe they were bothering you and maybe a new pair would help. Penelope actually helped me pick them out, although she doesn’t know that. She just mentioned how she thought you would like them when we were at the farmer’s market.”

 Tears sprung to your eyes as you realized how much thought he must’ve put into this. You couldn’t help but throw yourself into a hug whispering “thank you, Spence. That is so thoughtful.” He rubbed your back until you stepped back from the hug. You opened the box to find a pair of dainty white gold earrings. One was a moon and the other a star. “They are beautiful.” You whispered into his ear as you pulled him in for another hug.

Stepping back again, the two of you made your way to your apartment. Upon arrival, you confessed, “I actually have something for you too. It’s upstairs though, so you have to come inside.” He smiled as you pulled him into your building.

 “I obviously didn’t know your birthday is today, but you told me about breaking your watch and when I saw this in the store window I thought of you and it just looked perfect.” You watched as he slowly opened the watch box, pulling out a simple brown leather band with a white watch face surrounded by a silver casing. It honestly screamed Dr. Spencer Reid. The watch face isn’t too modern and the leather band matches his satchel.

 “Y/N, it’s perfect. Thank you.” He closed the box, hugging you to say thank you. Looking into his eyes, you realized with 100% certainty you are falling for Dr. Spencer Reid. “Let’s go to sleep” is all you can say in response. You pull him into the bed and snuggle as close as you dare, too afraid to say anything else when you don’t know how he feels. The two of you drift into a restful sleep, not even bothering to change from your costumes.

 --

 You wake up due to the muffled voice of Spencer in the kitchen. You can smell the coffee, so you quickly change into some pajamas before walking out to join him. He glances at you apologetically while you pour the coffee into two mugs, adding equal amounts of sugar to both.

 As soon as he hangs up, he’s hugging you goodbye. “I’m so sorry, we have a case. We are supposed to be at the jet in 30 minutes.”

 “Don’t worry about it Doc. Go save the world.” You decide to listen to Superman on repeat for an hour while you clean.

tag list: 

@mac99martin​ @goldeng1rl8​ @eevee0722 @l0ve-0f-my-life @haylaansmi @dinonuggets15 @laurakirsten0502 @green-intervention @burnin-passion @takeyourleap-of-faith @secretpickleprofessordean @awkwardnesshabitat

[bananaofswifts]

When award-winning cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto started working on the video for “Willow” with Taylor Swift in November, he didn’t know that it was a part of her new surprise album, Evermore.

“I thought maybe it was a video for the previous album,” he tells Rolling Stone. “I didn’t even know what the song was at our first meeting.”

Prieto wasn’t the only one in the dark about the new record; Swift dropped Evermore last week with a very similar rollout to her previous LP Folklore, complete with a self-directed music video released at midnight along with the album: “Willow.” The video serves as a narrative continuation of the story in the “Cardigan” music video — which Prieto also worked on — featuring a ton of visual references to tracks from Folklore.

“Willow” starts off in the same cabin where the “Cardigan” video left off, and Swift is once again beckoned to go inside her magical, time-and-space-traveling piano. She follows a golden string (referencing the Folklore song “Invisible String”) and arrives at an autumnal forest clearing under a willow tree, where she sees the reflection of a man (played by her tour dancer Taeok Lee) and a woman in a moonlit pool. The string later leads her to a scene from her childhood, a carnival tent party where she performs inside a glass box, and a wintery seance in the middle of the forest. Eventually, the string leads her back to the cabin where she reunites with Lee.

As with the “Cardigan” video, Swift, Prieto and the production team not only had to keep the shoot under wraps, but also find innovative ways to film the project under Covid-19 safety protocols without endangering the lives of the crew. Prieto spoke to Rolling Stone about the production this time around, and how the team brought Swift’s witchy vision for “Willow” to life.

How did the “Willow” shoot differ from “Cardigan”? It looks like you guys were able to have other actors on set this time around, but how did that change the safety measures you had to follow?

It was still very, very strict. A big part of it was the whole testing protocols, which we also did last time. But when we were doing this video, we knew more [about the virus], and the safety guidelines were more specific. We followed the same ones the DGA has done, that my union Local 600 has done, SAG — they’ve all put in place these protocols that we did follow, and were very careful about it.

For instance, in the scene with the choreography around the tree and the clearing, you know, with a sort of dance around these magical orbs, there was a limit on how many actors and dancers we could have there. That was created by visual effects, actually — they added in more dancers. I think the actual number was 10 dancers when we were filming, and they all have masks on, actually. We can’t see their faces, and that’s partly because they have masks.

There’s only really one moment, in the cabin, where she’s in close contact with [another actor], with the man that she’s been missing at all these different moments. But, of course, both were tested, and they’d only take off their masks in the moment where we’re actually shooting. Everyone else would always wear masks on. And similar to last time, anybody who was in the immediate vicinity of the scene had to have a red wristband — it was all color-coded, in terms of who could be close to the scene and the actors. And certainly, it was very important to have not only a mask, but a face shield whenever we were anywhere close to Taylor or any of the other actors or dancers.

I still used the remote camera on a crane, so there wasn’t even a camera operator close to anybody. We were still following all the guidelines very closely, but now, it felt more relaxed in the sense that we have more information. We could just follow all these protocols. And we knew that we’d be safe because it was all pretty strict.

You mentioned last time that communication could sometimes be difficult on the “Cardigan” set because everyone had to kind of yell at each other or point to things since they couldn’t get in close proximity. Was Taylor able to be more hands-on in her directing this time around, like she was while you were shooting the music video for “The Man?”

That was still was the case — especially when you have a mask and a face shield, and you’re six feet away, you have to be a little louder to be heard. So we did maintain that protocol. But she was still very involved. I would stay at my monitor at the DIT [digital imaging technician] station, because it was the best image, but everyone would all be kind of looking at it from a distance, from six feet away.

But there was one moment that was unforgettable. And she actually has mentioned it, which was, just as we were starting to film on November 7th, we got the news of the election result. We were both looking at the monitor at the DIT station, and she got a text alert or something like that. Obviously, at that moment, we were all working on the video, but in the back of our minds we’re all like, OK, what’s gonna happen? And she was the only one who could actually look at her phone, because in fact, everybody had to relinquish their phones in the beginning so that nobody would take photos of anything, except for a few people like myself, who could sometimes use our phone to take a photograph as reference. And I was only using it very, very sporadically for that sort of thing.

So Taylor ended up being the messenger for the election results on set.

Exactly. So, she’s next to me — six feet away, but she was next to me. And she got this text, and she showed it to me. So I learned of the result from her at that moment, and what I told her was, “I will never forget this moment,” both because it’s such a historically important moment and because she was the one who showed me this information, you know. That was pretty special. Yeah. I felt like celebrating and doing a little dance, but I didn’t — we’re professionals and we’re working and also, I wanted to be respectful of anybody who had voted differently. But it was a very incredible moment, and just the beginning of a three-day shoot that turned out to be an adventure.

This video makes so many references to songs on Folklore and older songs from Taylor’s discography, both obvious and hidden. How did she lay out her vision to you?

The first meeting was talking about the story and the ideas. I still didn’t know the song, but the first thing was figuring out that it’s a continuation of the previous one we did together. At that moment, she was still kind of developing her ideas and trying to figure out exactly what was going to happen — for example, the ending wasn’t quite clear yet. She knew that she wanted to finish again in the cabin and that [the man] would be there, right. But during that meeting, we decided to have them both leave the cabin. That was an idea that came to us as we were talking as a team.

And then we went back and forth — at first she thought it should be night outside because it’s always been night, and then she changed her mind and said it should be daytime, so we were like, OK, what does it look like out there? Is it just the limbo? And then Ethan Tobman, our production designer, said it should be this sort of autumn forest. She was very much appreciative of that and really listened to everybody’s ideas.

There was also discussion about that moment in the clearing, about whether it should be a bonfire or not. First of all, with production, we would have had to shoot it outside and that would have been very complicated. But also she felt that, even with special effects, it was not a good thing to show with all the wildfires going on in California. So she came up with the concept of some type of orbs, something more magical, and Ethan Tobman came up with a bunch of different reference photos for that. That was the way we developed these concepts — even with the willow tree, Ethan sent some images and ideas, and one of them had these magenta leaves on the ground, which was weird and magical. Taylor and I loved that. It was that kind of back-and-forth in the pre-production phase, before we even heard the music.

It’s amazing how you were able to pull this off under such complicated circumstances — communicating back-and-forth over Zoom, and then with the actual video shoot itself.

It’s pretty tricky to get such a complicated and really technically challenging shoot off the ground, but we planned it all beforehand. Ethan Tobman was working with his art director Simon Morgan on designing the sets over Zoom. So, it was all overhead plans, and then you have to go to the set and map it out. For that clearing scene, for instance, Simon Morgan and myself, and my gaffer Manny Tapia and my key grip Donald Reynolds, we went to the soundstage first and taped the space in the center where the magic orbs would be. And then we measured the distance to the background with the blue screen, and taped where all the trees would be, and then figured out where all the lighting would be for there and the carnival set — everything had to be very, very precise, and the distance had to all be worked out. It really helped when we were actually shooting, because it went very smoothly. So, that’s how we made it.

[taetaespeaches]

So sweetie, with the Fearless (Taylor Swift version) around the corner I am dying to know what your favorite TS album is and why (Mine is Reputation, the album ist just badass🖤 even if it's like I am ranking my babies). And I would love to see your album ranking overall. I am really really curious. I am not asking about songs because I can't rank them, I just can't😅 but if there are some special songs I would love to here about it too. I know you're a swiftie and I love to hear about your experience with the Queen herself👑 I hope I don't bother you with this question. I also hope you have a great day. I am sending an enormous amount of love your way❤️

Hi love! Ooooh this is so hard for me because I have different reasons for liking the albums lol. But first of all, this question is definitely not a bother, so no worries at all! <3 and second of all WE LOVE A REP STAN!!!! My best friend mads is there with you (@aurorassadprosee, mads, we found your people). I’m putting my response below the cut so people don’t have to scroll through a bunch of text lol

So I was obsessed with Our Song back in 2007 when it first came out and my old friend and I would listen to it nonstop before and after school. I was also obsessed with Picture to Burn lol. The og yeehaw jams! But I didn’t actually buy an album and listen to it in full until Speak Now. I listened to that album every single day after school for like three months straight lol I was obsessed. But then my family made fun of me a bunch so I stopped listening to Taylor :( I used to be very susceptible to my family’s criticism. (hey parents and siblings! stop being dicks to your children/siblings for the things they enjoy!) 

Then I met my best friend Mads in 2019 and she’s a massive Swiftie, so she slowly started pushing Taylor on me lmao like “hey have you heard Clean?” “Listen to New Year’s Day” and she’d load playlists up with Taylor songs, stuff like that. So the next thing I knew I was obsessed with Taylor just as Lover was coming out. So Lover was my first album since Speak Now. 

My album ranking probably goes roughly like this, but I love them all:  

1. evermore (just musically it’s my taste and lyrically I relate a lot) 2. reputation (it’s super special to mads and we have a lot of designated friendship songs on it. very special album, it’s super good, and yes! badass!) 3. folklore (again, musically it’s perfect for me and lyrically just yes) 4. speak now (my first album!!!) 5. lover (my return to taylor. also lover, inthaf, and daylight are perfection) 6. red (it’s red. it’s amazing) 7. 1989 (pop bops yes queen) 8. fearless (I honestly haven’t spent a TON of time with this album but it’s iconic and fab) 9. debut (baby taylor, we love) 

Thank you for asking this!!!! I love talking about the Queen herself. Also, feel free to ask any questions any time! And share as much as you want about your own experience with Taylor! I’d love to hear it <3 

[zanyalli]

Is Taylor Allison Swift @taylorswift an ally or is she a member of the LGBTQ+ community and building to a coming out…?

I am nothing more than a dedicated fan a Swifty est. 2006 and I’ve spent my time memorizing her music since I was 8 years old. Over the years we’ve known TS to write about all aspects of life from friendship to her family even her career and the struggles that come with it but shes most know for love songs. As any other young lesbian, I could easily think shes an ally trying to show support and fight for something she believes in however I’m not so sure that’s whats going on here.

In 2019 she started an equality act petition and wrote a letter to Senator Lamar Alexander with the focus on protecting those of us in the LGBTG+ community from discrimination. She paired this petition with the release of the video and song You Need to Calm Down from the upcoming album Lover. In this video she co stars with many LGBTQ icons like Ellen, the Queer Eye team, Ru Paul, Billy Porter, and a seemingly extra special guest Hayley Kayoko. As we all know Taylor loves to leave Easter eggs for her fans. In an interview Hayley did with Enews she said “she called me and was like I have this really perfect Easter egg for you to be a part of” ("Hayley Kiyoko Gushes Over Being in Taylor Swift's Music Video | E! Red Carpet & Award Shows" 2019). In this video Hayley holds bow and arrow as her part of the Easter egg. On July 23rd exactly a month before the release of lover a new song and lyric video was released as track #5.

Now that we’ve gotten started lets look at some interview quotes and images of these two women’s friendship… I don’t want to sit here and make you read numerous interviews so ive spotlighted the ones I believe are most relevant to this topic

“You know just a casual t-swift moment once again”

“Taylor had texted me and shes like hey I’m going to the show do you want a special guest and I was like that kind of a special guest”

“she loves emojis, we love emojis”

(Billboard "Hayley Kiyoko on Surprise Taylor Swift Guest Performance at The Ally Coalition | Women in Music" 2018)

 “We should applaud artists who are brave enough to tell their honest romantic narrative through their art, and the fact is that I’ve never encountered homophobia and she has. It’s her right to call out anyone who has double standards about gay vs straight love interests.”

(Taylor Swift "taylorswift" 2018)

“Long story short, I had a day off [from my tour with Panic At The Disco] in Boston the same day she had her Boston show, so our teams were talking ― because I originally was going to go and see her show. And then she was just like, “Oh! Would Hayley want to perform ‘Curious’ with me?”  

“We had great chemistry ― we got along so well ―…”

(Michelson & Michelson "Hayley Kiyoko Explains Why Her Duet With Taylor Swift Is Such A Big Deal" 2018)

Taylor Swift and Hayley Kiyoko perform onstage at Gillette Stadium on July 26, 2018, in Foxborough, Mass.

(Kevin Mazur / TAS18/Getty Images for TAS)

“Hayley is an extremely important artist because of her resolve to be an authentic creator of her music and her message,” Swift told The Times. “She’s serving as an example of a female artist who not only writes her songs, but also directs every music video. Her ability to educate people on what she’s been through as a member of the LGBTQ community and her refusal to tolerate any sexist or homophobic slants placed on her art is what we need. I just feel like she’s the perfect pop star.”

Maybe its wishful thinking or maybe I’m following her Easter eggs properly… a girl can only dream. Most importantly weather Taylor swift is an enthusiastic ally or if shes Bisexual Lesbian or anything else this talented artist deserves only love and encouragement and she furthers her career and the rest of us will watch as these events play out.

Work cited

Billboard. “Hayley Kiyoko on Surprise Taylor Swift Guest Performance at The Ally Coalition | Women in Music.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Dec. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lq31SVVMmQ.

E! Red Carpet & Award Shows. “Hayley Kiyoko Gushes Over Being in Taylor Swift's Music Video | E! Red Carpet & Award Shows.” YouTube, YouTube, 19 July 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=coX7_ltWta8.

Taylorswift. “Taylorswift.” Taylor Swift, 31 Mar. 2018, taylorswift.tumblr.com/post/172426031730/did-you-see-what-hayley-kiyoko-said-about-taylor.

Michelson, Noah, and Noah Michelson. “Hayley Kiyoko Explains Why Her Duet With Taylor Swift Is Such A Big Deal.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Aug. 2018, www.huffpost.com/entry/hayley-kiyoko-taylor-swift_n_5b686bf6e4b0fd5c73dc05d3.

“Hayley Kiyoko Is an LGBTQ Hero and Taylor Swift BFF. Next? Becoming a Proper Superstar.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2019, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2019-07-18/hayley-kiyoko-lesbian-jesus-taylor-swift.

[tayspurrito]

Taylor Come Back To Europe Project: Portugal’s week.

Hi there!

So, as a little explanation before we start: last January I created on Twitter an account called @Europe _ Loves _ TS in order to try to get Taylor back to Europe. It works this way: each week is dedicated to one different country, this one’s being Portugal, and each day I post different stuff about the country, Taylor’s charts there, where she could play and that kind of stuff. I started posting this week because it took me quite a long to finish with all of the preparations but now it has already started, and Day 6 (a.k.a. Tumblr and sign the petition) is about posting everything done on Twitter but on Tumblr, that’s why the texts will be really little. Also, here you have the summary, in case you want to see something first:

Day 1: Where would Taylor play?

Day 2: About the city.

Day 3: Swifties day!

Day 4: Taylor and the city.

Day 5: Conclusion.

Day 6: Tumblr and signing the petition.

Day 7 (does not appear in here): New country announcement.

Here you have the petition’s link https://www.change.org/p/ticketmaster-taylor-swift-european-tour?recruiter=931350637&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition , just in case you want to help us.

And the second country of the week will be... 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗹!

Lisbon, Portugal: Altice Arena.

𝖂𝖍𝖞 𝕬𝖑𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖊 𝕬𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖆?

Altice Arena is a versatile venue that can host events. It comprises three integrated areas and is an ideal solution for show promoters looking to rent versatile, high-quality venues to host their events.

𝖂𝖍𝖞 𝕬𝖑𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖊 𝕬𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖆?

You can choose to rent the venue with full autonomy in the production of your event or you can count on them for all the logistics you need to guarantee the success you expect, with a capacity for 20.000 people.

𝕺𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖘 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖓 𝕬𝖑𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖊 𝕬𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖆:  

-Madonna. -Beyoncé. -Adele. -Ariana Grande. -Enrique Iglesias. -Lady Gaga. -Jennifer Lopez. -Elton John. -Bruno Mars. -Bryan Adams. -Rihanna. -Robbie Williams.

𝕬𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝕷𝖎𝖘𝖇𝖔𝖓:

Lisbon is the capital and the largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 505,526 inhabitants. It is one of the major economic centers on the continent, and it is one of the oldest cities in the world.

𝕻𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖊𝖘 𝖙𝖔 𝖛𝖎𝖘𝖎𝖙 𝖎𝖓 𝕷𝖎𝖘𝖇𝖔𝖓:

-The Belém Tower, one of the most famous landmarks in Lisbon and Portugal.

-D. Maria II National Theatre, one of Portugal's most prestigious venues.

-The monument to Christ the King (Cristo-Rei).

𝕻𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖊𝖘 𝖙𝖔 𝖛𝖎𝖘𝖎𝖙 𝖎𝖓 𝕷𝖎𝖘𝖇𝖔𝖓:

-Eduardo VII Park, the second largest park in the city.

-The National Coach Museum has the largest collection of royal carriages in the world and is one of its most visited institutions.

“As for me, I encountered Taylor when I saw her guest starring in a movie in 2009 and later that year I remember watching the YBWM music video over and over again! Then I went on the journey of discovering every single song from Taylor (officially released or not) and loving all of them -specially the lyrics. I missed out on the opportunity of attending the Speak Now World Tour that happened really close on Spain. The Red Tour didn’t come as close and neither did the 1989 World Tour and the “reputation Stadium Tour”  but these last two I had the possibility of traveling to other countries in Europe just to be on the happiest place on earth.”

-Ana, Portugal (@swifttchick on Twitter).

“Hello! My english is not very good, but I'll do my best. Well, one day in 2015 I was in YouTube and the 'You Belong With Me' music video appeared in my timeline and I clicked to see it. I remember that I loved the song and that it was always on repeat, I was very addicted. Some time later was the time of 'Out Of The Woods', I was very addicted too and I started to like Taylor a loooot and started to search about her life, story, career and became a fan of this incredible woman that I loveeeeee so much!! She has never come to Portugal but I have hopes that one day she will come. I would loveeeeeeee to meet her 'cause she's amazing, she only deserves good things.”

-Rubén, Portugal (@IDSB_but_DBM on Twitter).

“When I was eight years old (in 2012) I received my first little second hand phone. It was from my cousin so it had a lot of songs in it, wich was mainly the reason I used it. I used to spend days and days hearing its songs and I loved every single one of them, but there was one which kept my attention, not only because of the song itself, but because of the too small photo of a blonde girl standing while I heard "I Knew You Were Trouble". I was too young to know how to search about her, so I just kept hearing the song over and over trough the years till I finally discovered her name. I admit, at that time, I just wanted someone to stan, but looking back now that was the best thing I've ever done in fifteen years and now, I love her for so many different reasons.”

-MDA, Portugal (@MDA_TSwift on Twitter).

𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖎𝖙𝖞:

She has never played in Lisbon, nor in Portugal, although most of her albums have debuted on its charts and made really well. "reputation" debuted at #1 of Portugal Albums Top 30, and "1989" debuted at #3.

𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖎𝖙𝖞:

Actually, Taylor's discography has had a great impact on the country all through the years; it went from not appearing on the lists to "RED" debuting at #8 and now to "reputation" breaking records!

𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖎𝖙𝖞:

And, most importantly, its fan base, which has never stopped growing! In a matter of a few years its main fansite account, @taylorswiftpt on Twitter, has reached over 2,800 followers!

𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖈𝖑𝖚𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓:

Portugal is a beautiful country, with beautiful people and an amazing international fandom. It's not the biggest country on Earth, but Taylor's power has arrived there and it makes nothing but growing every day.

𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖈𝖑𝖚𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓:

Also, Lisbon is the perfect city to host the show. It has a big arena and a fandom who deserves nothing but love and recognition because they are true heroes and some of the most supportive people I have ever met.

𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖈𝖑𝖚𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓:

To every single person who has helped with this week's challenge, thank you so so much. Even just retweeting or liking the posts, you make this so much easier and great. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Os amo.

Duh.

https://www.change.org/p/ticketmaster-taylor-swift-european-tour?recruiter=931350637&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=share_petition&recruited_by_id=a8694c60-1e79-11e9-8dcf-1bb98ece69a1 (This one is the link for the petition to get Taylor to come back to Europe).

So thank you so much for reading this! If you want to take a look to the Twitter account, that’s the link https://twitter.com/Europe_Loves_TS and the account is called @Europe_Loves_TS . I would recommedn you to check it, since the stuff will be posted there before and the new country announcement is tomorrow.

Thank you so much again!!

@taylorswift @taylornation