Taylor Swift debuted the visuals for her latest track "Look What You Made Me Do" during Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards. It’s common knowledge that the song takes stabs at Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, but the video takes things to the next level, peeling back the layers of Swift’s current reputation in an over-the-top-yet-self-aware video.
Here are all the hidden references you may have missed in the video for Taylor Swift’s first single from her upcoming album Reputation.
1. The reference to her Nils Sjoberg pseudonym
In the video’s opening graveyard shot, one of the tombstones reads “Nils Sjoberg” – a direct reference to the pseudonym Swift used to disguise her writing credit on Calvin Harris's track "This Is What You Came For,” and the beginning of her snake reputation saga.
2. The diamond bathtub
Swift soaks in a tub full of diamonds and a single dollar bill, an allusion to her legal battle against radio host David Mueller, whom Swift accused of groping her at a concert in 2013. As part of the verdict, a judge ordered Mueller to pay Swift $1, as the the pop star had requested.
3. The piping hot tea
Sitting on a throne surrounded by serpent underlinings, a snake serves her a cup of tea, suggesting she’s got some hot gossip to share, and further reclaiming her snake reputation.
4. Katy Perry
Although longtime rival Katy Perry isn’t mentioned in “Look What You Made Me Do,” one of T-Swift’s hairstyles looks an awful lot like Perry’s new cropped do, which she sported during the promotion of her newest album Witness.
There’s also a reference to a feast in the song, which many fans have speculated might be a reference to Perry’s “Bon Appetit.”
During a looting in the video, Swift wears a sweater emblazoned with a tiger, perhaps a reference to Perry’s “Roar,” while her accomplices wear cat masks (Perry’s fans are called Katycats).
She later crashes a yellow sports car, which might be referencing the one Perry drove in her “Waking Up In Vegas” video from 2009, emerging from the scene with a feline friend on a leash.
5. The looting
Taylor Swift and her posse perform a casual robbery on a streaming company, as the banner in the background flashes “Stream Co,” referencing the pop star’s previous decision to pull her music from streaming platforms.
6. Squad U
After being accused countless times of manufacturing her friendships, Swift playfully drags herself with a friendship factory called “Squad U.”
She also references her squad near the end of the video, when “You Belong With Me” Swift appears, wearing a "Junior Jewels" shirt with the names of her squad members written on it, such as Este Haim, Martha Hunt, and Selena Gomez.
7. The tower of dead Taylors
A fresh rep-era T-Swift stands atop a flurry of Taylors past – including one with a 13 on her hand – a reference to the singer’s lucky number, which she used to write on her hand before her live performances.
8. The receipts
The sportscar-crashing, Katy Perry-referencing Taylor Swift persona talks about getting “receipts” and editing footage, which seems to be a nod to Kim Kardashian's Snapchat video that the reality star posted at the height of the Kanye vs. Taylor Swift beef over the rapper’s song “Famous.”
Revisit “Look What You Made Me Do” below.
In other music news, check out all the highlights from the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards right here.
