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Here’s What Taylor Swift’s ‘New Romantics’ Music Video Should Look Like

Baby, she should build a castle

Three weeks ago, Taylor Swift threw fans for a loop when she announced “New Romantics” as the seventh single from her Grammy-winning album 1989. The glittery synth pop anthem was frustratingly relegated to a bonus track on the deluxe edition of 1989 (despite being arguably one of her best songs), so the news came as a surprising but ultimately welcome development in the Swiftie universe.

The only problem? Ever since the announcement on February 19, fans have lived in a constant state of terror, knowing that a “New Romantics” video could drop at seemingly any second. Moreover, there have been no hints at what to expect from the impending vid. Curiously (and somewhat disappointingly), Joseph Kahn -- who’s directed most of the videos for Taylor’s 1989 era, including “Blank Space,” “Bad Blood,” “Wildest Dreams,” and “Out of the Woods” -- has claimed he is not helming a “New Romantics” vid.

Taylor is nothing if not fiercely strategic and artistically self-aware, so she must have a plan for her “New Romantics” video all clinched and ready. But what is it? Here are a few of our own ideas:

A Vegas all-nighter.

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The reckless and restless energy of Las Vegas is the perfect backdrop for a “New Romantics” vid. I’m envisioning Taylor and her friends outfitted in glittery dresses, gallivanting down the Strip with the neon lights flashing all around (giving literal meaning to the line “the lights and noise are blinding”). The lyric “It’s poker, you can’t see it in my face/ But I’m about to play my Ace” would obviously get a literal interpretation as well, with a flirty gambling scene inside a casino. Bonus: Taylor’s boyfriend of one year, Calvin Harris, has a Vegas residency at Omnia nightclub, so the video could end with her shaking off her heartbreak on the club’s dance floor while Calvin mans the DJ booth -- symbolizing her willingness to give love another, all-consuming chance.

A real castle adventure.

In August 2015, tabloid rumors started swirling that Taylor was planning to purchase a 16th-century castle in Scotland. She cleverly shot down the bogus claim using her own “New Romantics” lyric… but what if her video actually made that rumor a reality? It’d be a tongue-in-cheek way of interpreting the lyric “The rumors are terrible and cruel, but honey most of them are true.” I’m envisioning Taylor holding court in a sky-high tower, blasting music to drown out the thirsty gossipers who scurry around on the ground below. They’re unable to affect her because she’s risen above them all and built a literal castle out of all the shit they’ve thrown her way.

A sequel to “22.”

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The fun and dance-y “22” video was the perfect way to capture single life, showing Taylor and her real-life best friends in a shared state of natural, carefree bliss. "New Romantics" is a lot like "22" in that sense, so it'd only be fitting that the new vid continue Taylor and her squad's adventures.

A 1989 Tour video.

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“New Romantics” combines the dark humor of “Blank Space” with the euphoric joy of “Shake It Off” for a song that’s basically the thesis of 1989. So it would only be appropriate that the vid be a tour video in the vein of “Red” or “Fearless” that celebrates Taylor’s relationship with her fans. “New Romantics” is ultimately a declaration of independence; a promise to keep living and loving, no matter how many times your heart’s been shattered. That’s the kind of hope that Taylor’s given her fans through her music, and that’s what she reminded them every time she performed the song live during her 1989 Tour. To actually watch Taylor in action, giving that message to fans all over the world, would be utterly epic.

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