Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" music video conveys common pop music representations through different musical groups dancing and singing. Taylor is portrayed as the lead in each group, acting more carefree than the determined dancers. This makes her the most interesting person on screen, reflecting her independent and free age. Furthermore, the backing dancers being around Taylor's age suggests the target audience is also that age. Later, Taylor interacts with a more "normal" group without stereotypes, making fans feel included. The song uses both Taylor singing lyrics to the camera and physical movements symbolizing lyrics. Editing introduces groups with cross-cutting and builds pace, keeping energy high until the end. Slow motion is also used to capture dance moments between

1. Textual
Analysis:
Taylor Swift
By Alex Hunter

2. The music video conveys to the audience common
representations of music’s pop genre through introducing a
variety of differing musical groups in dance and singing
routines. In each group it seems Taylor is portrayed as being
the lead; acting in a more careless attitude towards the
routine that the rest of the dancers seemed to be
determined too. This effectively makes her the most
interesting person on screen and her careless attitude
reflecting an age where she is free and independent; her
age. Furthermore, the fact that the backing dancers are all
around her age suggests the target audience of the song is
aimed and people around her age.
However, towards the end Taylor interacts with a more
‘normal’ group; not dressed to present stereotypes and
occupy a white (neutral) background. This effectively makes
the audience (most likely a fan) feel as they have a part
within this music video. This normality firstly makes an
appearance however through Taylor’s more relaxed and
free choice of dance as it indicates that within the
stereotypes she is in fact the ‘normal’ one.

3. ‘Shake It Off’ use of vocals during the music
video is a combination of lyrics being sung in
to the camera by Taylor herself as well as
visual movements being used to symbolise
certain lyrics.
Firstly, the song appears to take on board the
idea of symbolising lyrics through
movements and gestures as even by these
extracts from the song on the right. For
example,
Secondly, we see moments within each verse
and chorus where Taylor would sing the
words to the camera. Examples include;
“That’s what people say”
“I go on too many dates”
“At least that’s what people say”
Etc…
“Shake it off. Shake it off”
“To this sick beat”
*instrumental*
Physical movement of
wiping and shaking ‘it off’.
Stereo is clear used to
symbolise music or
‘beats’.
Mimicking playing some
form of instrument like a
saxophone matches to the
instrumental parts of the
song.

4. The song introduces the variety of
stereotypes through large amounts of cross-
cutting. When a new group is freshly
introduced, they are mostly given a whole
verse/chorus of on-screen time until the next
group is shown.
Half-way into the song though, once the
groups are introduced, cutting builds up in
pace in order to successfully keep up the
energy of the song. By the end, editing is
used gracefully to result in fast paced cutting
that manages to carry the energy on to a
great end.
However these phases in the song have their
breaks. Slow motion is used in order to
capture dance moments within each group
for brief moments. Such as instrumental
parts within the song that break up the
verses and choruses. This effectively provides
the audience with very interesting and
attractive talents like flips and rhythmic
moves.