Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” Video: Review Revue

Robbie Daw | August 31, 2015 9:52 am
Taylor's "Wildest Dreams" Video
Watch Swift's sweeping, cinematic video for her fifth '1989' single.

Taylor Swift premiered the video for her fifth 1989 single, “Wildest Dreams,” just ahead of last night’s MTV Video Music Awards. The visual finds her on the set of an old-time romance movie from Hollywood’s days of yore — think Bogey and Bacall, or Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor — with Clint Eastwood‘s insanely handsome 29-year-old son Scott playing the love interest.

It’s certainly a beautifully-shot epic, directed by Joseph Kahn, who also lensed Swift’s “Blank Space” and “Bad Blood” videos. But what did the online critics think? Below, we rounded up what some other sites had to say about Taylor’s latest.

:: Huffington Post jumps right in and accused Taylor of channeling “white colonialism”: “Instead of the cultural appropriation that has become almost status quo in today’s pop music, Swift has opted for the bolder option of actually just embodying the political exploitation of a region and its people. It’s brave, really. Almost as brave as moving sensuously in the vicintiy of a real-life lion.”

:: Slate says “Wildest Dreams” is a step up from some the other 1989 visuals before it: “All Swift’s other singles from 1989 have gone to No. 1 with the lone exception of ‘Style’, whose music video was mostly only notable for resembling the credits of True Detective. This one is a lot more engaging than that…”

:: Stereogum also compares “Wildest Dreams” to “Style”: “Similarly to the ‘Style’ video, this one deals is pastel colors and fairytale romance scenes. But where she tried and sort of failed to be sexy in ‘Style’, here she nails smoldering. Of course it ends on a great, heartbreaking old Hollywood note.”

:: PopSugar exclaims that the “video is so glam we can’t stand it,” then breaks down all of Taylor’s outfits from the clip.

:: The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy blog thinks it’s a subdued effort from Swift: “While the video isn’t as campy as ‘Blank Space’ or star-studded as ‘Bad Blood’, it yields some lush scenery – and the frolicking with large animals is no accident. As noted at the end of the video, she’s donating the proceeds to the African Parks Association of America.”

:: Refinery29 gushes, “It’s every bit as dreamy as you’d imagine and Swift’s hair and makeup have a distinct Elizabeth Taylor vibe.”

What are your own thoughts on Taylor’s new video? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Twitter and Facebook.