9. She Went To Great Lengths To Keep Her Shake It Off Music Video Secret
Shake It Off is an insanely catchy single, and a bold breakaway from the country vibe that made Taylor famous. The music video is equally entertaining. It features Taylor attempting a variety of dances ballet, breakdancing, twerking, and more and failing spectacularly at all of them. In todays modern, digital age, its increasingly hard to keep a tight lid on anything. Albums, films, games they all leak days, weeks, and even months before their scheduled times. Perhaps this is why Taylor kept such a tight lid on her Shake It Off music video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM She and director Mark Romanek made the video (codenamed Project Sparrow) two months ahead of its release, and security was absolutely insane. Lengthy non-disclosure agreements. Confiscated cell phones. Badges and wristbands. They even surrounded the soundstage with speakers, and blasted heavy metal music to drown out the sound. And the one fan who bragged about being invited to the casting call? Immediately uninvited. You dont mess with T-Swizzle.
Kevin is an AP English Language teacher and freelance writer from Queens, NY. His focus is on American pop culture and American issues. He wrote a weekly column for Complex called "Throwback Thursdays," which spotlighted video games and trends from previous console generations. Kevin has also been published in VIBE, Salon, PopMatters, Joystiq, and Racialicious. Follow him on Twitter to learn more.
