The theory definitely gains credence, when you consider the accompanying music video. It depicts Swift holding aloft an apple whilst singing that chorus. Not to mention that the book in which she writes said names is revealed to look not unlike a Death Note. But to what extent is all this conjecture concerning Taylor Swift's Death Note credentials true? |
There have been rumours circulating that Taylor Swift is a Death Note fan, since she released her 1989 album in October 2014. In particular, since a certain lyric turned up in Blank Space - her first single issued from the album: 'I've got a blank space baby, and I'll write your name...' Sounds a bit Kira to you? ![]() Taylor Swift's Blank Space |
What is Taylor Swift's Blank Space About?
As one reviewer put it, these stories framed her as 'an overly attached man-eater who dates for songwriting material' (Sam Lansky, 1989 Marks a Paradigm Swift, Time Magazine, October 23rd 2014)
So the singer had a bit of fun with that.
Blank Space is all about her hunt for a new boyfriend, whom she'll date in a highly possessive manner, then turn psycho upon. In the meantime, his name will be added to her notebook entitled My True Loves.
Anti-Hero Taylor Swift as Blank Space Villain
And some Death Note fans start to see Misa Amane in her overly-possessive retribution for the slight.
Director Joseph Kahn said that Swift came to him with the idea for the treatment, saying she was all too aware of the jokes made about all of her ex boyfriends and how she likes to include them in her songwriting. Taylor said she wanted to address the general thought of her in the clip in a fun way by playing a crazy villain.
“When I heard this concept, I thought ‘This is amazing!’” Kahn said. “This is a deconstructivist version of Taylor Swift!”
- Hugh McIntyre, Yahoo Accidentally Leaks Taylor Swift's New Music Video For 'Blank Space', Forbes, November 14th 2015
The notion of Taylor Swift as anti-hero or villain was helped along by Kahn taking much inspiration from Kubrick's classic A Clockwork Orange.
But what other popular cultural references were pinged in Swift's Blank Space music video? Some fans and other commentators think they know.
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Socio-Cultural References in Taylor Swift's Blank Space Video
They also highlighted The Great Gatsby and Titanic. Plus poses from an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue.
KQED Arts spotted the nod to Katy Perry's Mean Girls in the way Swift cuts holes in her man's shift. Also included in Bustle's purportly definitive list of all Swift's Blank Space cultural references:
- Ghost Rider;
- Partition - Beyoncé;
- Twilight;
- Shake It Off - Taylor's earlier music video;
- Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood;
- Mean Girls - Katy Perry;
- Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte;
- The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde;
- The Parent Trap;
- Once Upon a Time/Beauty and the Beast;
- Romeo and Juliet.
And not one of them mentioning Death Note.
Twilight or Death Note: Taylor Swift's Apple
Unless they are Death Note fans, then Taylor becomes a Death God a la Ryuk - loving apples enough for a celebratory spin, before taking a hearty bite.
![]() Twilight by Stephanie Meyer |
![]() Death Note Ryuk action figure |
Are Twilight's vampires known for writing names in notebooks? Because Death Note's shinigami and their notebooks' human owners sure are!
Taylor Swift Admits Being a Death Note Fan?
I instantly thought I'd hit pay-dirt, when I found this:
Though Mikikazu Komatsu is indeed a prolific contributing writer for Crunchyroll. There was nothing of the sort posted on February 6th 2015, as the archives for that date reveal.
So what do you think? Is Taylor Swift alluding to Death Note in Blank Space? Have you heard/read her say as much? Or just noted it yourself in watching its music video?
Here it is again for your viewing pleasure: