Taylor Swift just released the music video for her 2019 song, The Man. While the lyrics of the song itself stirred up quite a storm for the singer, with her calling out male privilege and double standards in the industry, the video has proven to be an added bonus.
The singer recently lost the rights to her first six albums after Ithaca Holdings owned by Scooter Braun took over Taylor’s record company Big Machine Label Group. So she decided to make the video of her song in which she not just calls out Scooter, but also all the men in the industry who are considered ‘strong’ and ‘confident,’ while she is labelled aggressive. Obviously who better to play ‘The Man’ than the singer herself.
In the lyrics, as well as the video, Taylor makes a fleeting reference to Leonardo DiCaprio as she sings “I’d be just like Leo in Saint-Tropez,” while sipping champagne with models on a yacht. This scene is a dig at the fact that Leonardo is famous for dating 20-something models and posing on boats with them, without being questioned about his relationship status, as Taylor often is.
Here’s what Twitter has to say about the video:
Last but not the least, Taylor ends by breaking the fourth wall and appearing as the director who asks her male version to ‘look more likeable,’ something every woman is tired of hearing. Her male avatar’s is voiced by Dwayne Johnson, the only ‘man’ to be a part of the credits.
Watch it here:
Finally a music video ‘owned’ by Taylor Swift.