I just went back to the Delicate music video. It’s absolutely insane that in the that music video Taylor has to be invisible to actually be herself and people completely sleep on that fact. Like she goes through it all in that video.
First, she is just Taylor Swift living the life then the note appears which resembles Love. Also it has a gold halo, which is very similar to the one in the Willow music video. After the note, she is casually going through life being the elephant in the room, till the note’s effect settles in. She is making faces trying to seem more happy, smile more. Be ‘likable’ and ‘friendly’. She is startled when the girls get in the room, which could mean how careful she always is around everyone. She tries hard to always be put together.
When the note finally does the magic, she can’t be visible anymore. Guess what? She can’t live her truth. Either she is invisible or either the note disappears, but both? Unlikely. And at first she is panicking yes, but later she is content. But actually for a while, because if you notice, when she is in the dim-lit room alone, she looks a bit down and bored, like she also hates it. Then she cheers up and starts dancing again which could mean she goes through ups and downs with the invisibility state. And when she suddenly panics again and runs, as if she heard something or someone, that’s how scared she is.
At first she is enthusiastic, she first goes through the whole hotel then out, which feels like she is establishing the invisibility thing inside and out. Like when she’s around ‘celebs’ and ‘industry’ people. Then out in the world in front of the fans and general public. It’s almost like a journey, to actually reach her lover and be with them.
In the elevator she is so happy to be seen by someone, only to be hit with the truth. This woman is only putting lipstick on, she is looking right through her not at her. Which is a big brainer. People never see Taylor, she look through her. They don’t know what or who she is, they see a reflection of what they want and hope to see. A reflection of their own opinion, the woman seeing herself = people believing their own theories and opinions.
Then she is out in the world, dancing for no one but herself. Taylor always use dancing as a metaphor for love. ‘And you asked me to dance but I said dancing is a dangerous game’ / ‘We were dancing with our hands tied’. It almost makes me feel like her dancing in the music video is an act of love. Her efforts to keep the relationship alive. Dancing = love = making art about her lover.
She keeps dancing and dancing through bad weather even. At last, she is shivering and looks almost sad and afraid. She is scared her lover might not even be there. Which also almost feels like she is scared that after all of this, they are bored or sick of this whole situation. She closes her eyes like she’s praying then she she finds that her lover eventually showed up as promised. It reminds me a lot of mirrorball. ‘I’m still on that trapeze, I’m still trying everything to keep you looking at me’.
Also she holds the note then Boom she is visible again, which for me simply symbolizes that she chooses to be visible whenever it is safe enough to do so. Around the right people. Obviously Delicate is track 5 = the fifth person in the bar is a girl.
Still this mysterious note is very interesting and confusing to me. Could it symbolize that this person taught her some secret magical way to be herself without anyone noticing? Or it’s a ‘spell’ that turned her life upside down. Or just a symbol of Love arriving suddenly and uninvited? I don’t know, man.
