Taylor Swift Debuts Star-Packed “Patient Zero” Music Video at VMAs

Is it a love story? Hardly – ​​it’s a ghost story. Taylor Swift debuted her “Patient Zero” music video at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night for its official world premiere, following up the single’s release earlier this weekend with visuals that take the song’s triangle into more dramatic and even scarier realms than expected. Dakota Johnson and Colin Ferrell ratchet up the tension, which ultimately has repercussions that go beyond just a breakup.

Fans had only seen a 13-second teaser for the video before it premiered on the CBS/MTV/Paramount+ TV show, and now they know whose headstone was during Swift and Johnson’s cemetery visit.

The video is, of course, Swift’s latest directorial effort, and the occasion of her appearance at the VMAs was Swift’s first artist-director honor. It wasn’t his only podium finish; following the initial speech and video premiere, Swift returned later on the show to accept the Video of the Year award for “The Fate of Ophelia”, after which she thanked Dolly Parton for her inspiration.

The singer’s first remarks before sharing the video were brief, following an introduction from Johnson. “First of all, I want to thank MTV for giving music videos this platform so long ago,” Swift began. “I started making and being in music videos 20 years ago, and since then I’ve been involved in directing 60 music videos, so about 60. I’ve written and directed eighteen of them, and I really enjoy writing and directing music videos. I have to tell you, though, that the main reason I enjoy writing and directing music videos so much is because you, the fans, make it so much fun. It’s so rewarding because you get to do it. really care. about what we’re doing So, you know, I want to say thank you to everyone who’s ever worked on a music video that I’ve been able to be a part of.

“And rather than say anything else, I think instead of continuing to talk, I would like, if it’s okay with you, to show you my latest music video, with my friend Dakota Johnson and Colin Ferrell. Photography by Chivo.”

“Chivo” is the nickname of Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who often works with Steven Spielberg and was filming a Swift video for the first time. She seems particularly in love with this collaboration; Lubezki’s name appeared as the first and only on-screen credit at the end of the premiere.

The video shows Johnson and Farrell portraying a couple whose relationship seems fragile, with Swift acting as the woman’s advisor, singing lyrics about how she is the man’s ex and can tell him exactly how things are going to be. Things are just a little less sinister in the lyrics of the song than in the way things play out on screen. Johnson is seen becoming angry with Johnson after a banquet at which he speaks, as the music stops for a driving scene in which he appears to gaslight her with accusations about her drinking, after she becomes upset at the sight of him flirting with female guests.

The video cuts to a flashback of similar experiences in which Swift, his then-partner, reacted more angrily to his infractions. There’s a headline that says: “Heiress Dies of Mysterious Illness – Husband Inherits Billions” (with the added explanation: “Spouse Inherits Estate Amid Unanswered Questions”). Next, we see the two women standing in front of a tombstone with a photo that suggests it is Swift’s character, born in 1986 and deceased in 2022. Johnson places black roses on the tombstone of Swift’s deceased heiress character, unsure of whether or not she has taken lessons from Swift’s purely spectral advice.

Swift was more explicit in her remarks about the new video in a message she posted on social media immediately after the premiere. “The “Patient Zero” video is finally available worldwide! she wrote. “Working with Emmanuel Lubezki was a dream sequence, and I learned a lot from watching his genius in action. I want to thank Dakota and Colin for trusting me with their time, taste, and talent (laughing with your friend because you’re paired up for an entire shoot was a new and truly delightful experience). And Colin’s turn as a villain is even more impressive when you’re with him. He’s an absolute light and as nice as can be. Cara, thank you “You have agreed to play the other vigorous woman. Is that what friends are for? With the “Patient Zero” video, I was able to explore the cinematic and literary genres that I love so much. I wanted to incorporate elements of gothic ghost stories, true crime, psychological thrillers, all in a setting that I hadn’t really filmed in. The house was a metaphor for the coldness of a faded and atrophied relationship. Thanks to Ethan Tobman for your insightful production design. bring that feeling to life. My editor Chancler Haynes outdid himself. And finally, thank you to the VMAs for giving us a world first in the place where celebrating music videos became a thing.

After the VMAs premiere, an alert told fans that they could stream “Patient Zero” on Spotify Premium, Apple Music or Amazon Music. Notably, Swift withheld her recent videos from YouTube’s free tier for a few days after their release before posting them there as well, likely because views on non-paid services are not counted in the consumption totals that power the Billboard charts. It will be available on YouTube starting Tuesday, the alert said.

Ahead of the clip’s release, Swift took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday to post a short clip of herself talking to the camera, with the date first revealing that the “Patient Zero” video was filmed in March. (Needless to say, no NDA is respected like a Taylor Swift NDA.) This confirms that she had the idea for a VMA premiere six months ago and kept it a secret until then.

Swift says in the IG clip, “Passing by here and seeing the way Chivo lit this and the way the sets are and how brilliantly Ethan did this set design, I’m kind of thinking back to when the video came out. Like, I have to find a way to get this on TV or something. I’m kind of like, ‘Google, when are the VMAs?’.” 27, that is to say today.

In this quote, “Chivo” is the nickname of Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and “Ethan” refers to Ethan Tobman, his longtime production designer.

Beyond her VMA nominations for “A Showgirl’s Life” and “The Fate of Ophelia,” Swift was given a guaranteed trip to the podium for any speeches or reveals she might have in mind when CBS announced she would receive the top artistic director award. The award is given to an artist who has achieved success behind and in front of the camera. Producers described it as being analogous in stature to the traditional Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs, although noting that it is unclear whether other artists will receive the new honor in the future.

When she returned to accept her Video of the Year award for “Ophelia,” she said, “Thank you so much for giving this video this award…I just loved making this video because I wanted it to look like one continuous shot, so I learned a lot about how to hide the cuts in places. And I want to thank everyone who helped me on this video shoot because, just the choreography…I love Mandy Moore so much as choreographer…production designed by Ethan Tobin, my editor, Chancellor Haynes, and my Director of Photography on this video that I have worked with before, he is one of the people who gave me the confidence to make videos on my own. His name is Rodrigo Prieto.

“And finally, but most importantly, I want to thank and dedicate this award to one person without whom this wouldn’t happen, and that person is the ultimate showgirl, Dolly Parton. Every song she wrote, her narrative was so vivid and so rich… Listening to her songs, it’s like watching the best music video you’ve ever seen in your life every time you hear what she wrote. And man, she handled this thing with so much grace, joy, love and gratitude for that fact that she was able to do this, and everything that happened in her life or her career, she channeled it into love and gratitude and appreciation for her fans. I’m lucky to be one of them and I will always be one of them. I love you all very much and I think we were all very lucky to share this planet with Dolly Parton for a while.