In 2008, Swift channeled Romeo and Juliet for her Fearless hit “Love Story.” This morning (Oct. 25), she revived yet another classic tale for her second Midnights single, “Bejeweled.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Ahead of the video’s release, Swift wrote on Instagram, “Midnight, what a storied and fabled hour… On this sparkling evening, I’ll be releasing my twist on a fairytale we all know. The one about the girl and her step sisters and the clock striking 12…This video is wild, whimsical, and created SPECIFICALLY for you, my beloved fans who have paved this shimmering path. Look out for some dazzling cameos! Join us later for a very Bejeweled premiere.”
Written and directed by Swift, the video sees the singer play Cinderella alongside her evil stepsisters (played by HAIM) and her evil stepmother (played by Laura Dern). The story starts off where you’d expect: a ball, a prince, and an exiled Swift.
Soon after, things take a turn, shifting from provincial settings to New York City. Best believe I’m still bejeweled / When I walk in the room / I can still make the whole place shimmer, Swift sings, decked out in diamonds and making her way to the penthouse of some skyscraper.
The rest of the video continues along this vein. Swift brings along renowned burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese for a cameo, wearing matching outfits and swirling around in human-sized martini glasses. It seems Swift looked to the line, I polish up real nice, for the video’s inspiration.
In the end, like the real Cinderella, Swift gets the prince (Jack Antonoff) but subverts the story once again by “ghosting him” and taking the castle for herself. Check it out below.
The video for “Bejeweled” follows one for “Anti-Hero,” which dropped alongside the album on Oct. 21. The video, also directed by Swift, sees her spend a wild night out with herself.
(Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
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