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"Blank Space" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
, taken from her fifth studio album, ''
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
''. The song was released to US radio stations as the second single from ''1989'' on November 10, 2014, by Republic Records in partnership with Big Machine. Swift co-wrote "Blank Space" with its producers
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
and Shellback. For the lyrics, she conceived the song as a satirical self-referential nod to her reputation as a flirtatious woman with a series of romantic attachments, which blemished her once-wholesome
girl next door The girl next door is a young female stock character who is often used in romantic stories. She is so named because she often lives next door to the protagonist or is a childhood friend. They start out with a mutual friendship that later often ...
image. Musically, it is an electropop song with minimal hip hop-influenced beats. "Blank Space" spent seven weeks atop the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was certified eight times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also topped charts in Australia, Canada, Iceland, Scotland, and South Africa. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported that "Blank Space" was one of the best-selling singles of 2015. Critics praised the song's production and Swift's songwriting; some picked it as ''1989'' highlight. The song earned three nominations at the
58th Grammy Awards The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 201 ...
, including two general categories:
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and Song of the Year. It featured on decade-end lists by such publications as '' Billboard'', ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', and '' Slant Magazine''. Joseph Kahn directed the music video for "Blank Space", which depicts Swift as a jealous woman who acts erratically upon suspecting her boyfriend's infidelity. Photography took place mostly at
Oheka Castle Oheka Castle, also known as the Otto Kahn Estate, is a hotel located on the North Shore of Long Island, in West Hills, New York, also known as the "Gold Coast," a hamlet in the town of Huntington. It was the country home of investment finan ...
, with a few additional scenes shot at
Woolworth Estate Woolworth Estate is a historic estate located at Glen Cove in Nassau County, New York. It was designed in 1916 by architect C. P. H. Gilbert (1861–1952) for Frank Winfield Woolworth (1852–1919). The estate consists of the main residence, kn ...
. The video won Best Pop Video and Best Female Video at the
2015 MTV Video Music Awards The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 30, 2015. The 32nd installment of the event was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, and hosted by Miley Cyrus. Taylor Swift led the nominations with a total of ten, follo ...
. Swift included "Blank Space" on the set lists for two of her concert tours:
the 1989 World Tour The 1989 World Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). Swift announced the tour's first dates in North America, Europe, Japan, and Oceania in November an ...
(2015) and
Reputation Stadium Tour The Reputation Stadium Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her sixth studio album ''Reputation'' (2017). The all- stadium tour began on May 8, 2018, in Glendale, Arizona, and concluded on ...
(2018). The song has been adapted into
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s of different genres by several
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
musicians, including
I Prevail I Prevail is an American rock band formed in Southfield, Michigan, in 2013. They released their debut EP '' Heart vs. Mind'' (2014) and rose to popularity from releasing a metal cover of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" as a single, which eventual ...
and
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams lef ...
.


Background

Inspired by 1980s synth-pop with synthesizers, drum pads, and overlapped vocals,
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
decided to move away from the signature
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
styles of her previous releases and incorporate a straightforward pop production for her fifth studio album, ''
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
'', which was released in 2014. The recording process began in mid-2013 concurrently with the start of Swift's headlining world tour in support of her fourth studio album ''
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
''. On ''1989'', Swift and Swedish producer
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
served as executive producers. Martin and his frequent collaborator Shellback produced seven out of 13 songs on the album's standard edition. Having been known as "America's Sweetheart" thanks to her wholesome and down-to-earth
girl next door The girl next door is a young female stock character who is often used in romantic stories. She is so named because she often lives next door to the protagonist or is a childhood friend. They start out with a mutual friendship that later often ...
image, Swift saw her reputation blemished due to her history of romantic relationships with a series of high-profile celebrities. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' asserted in 2013 that her "dating history adbegun to stir what feels like the beginning of a backlash", questioning whether Swift was in the midst of a
quarter-life crisis In popular psychology, a quarter-life crisis is a crisis "involving anxiety over the direction and quality of one's life" which is most commonly experienced in a period ranging from a person's early twenties up to their mid-thirties (although a ...
. The ''
Tampa Bay Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...
'' observed that until the release of ''1989'', Swift's love life had become a fixed tabloid interest and overshadowed her musicianship. Swift disliked the media portrayal of her as a "serial-dater", feeling that it undermined her professional works, and became reticent to discuss her personal life in public. The tabloid scrutiny on her image prompted her to write satirical songs about her perceived image, in addition to her traditional romantic themes.


Lyrics and music

Talking to '' GQ'' in 2015, Swift said that she envisioned "Blank Space" to be a satirical self-referential nod to the media perception of her image as "a girl who's crazy but seductive but glamorous but nuts but manipulative". She admitted that she had felt personally attacked for a long time before realizing "it was kind of hilarious". She co-wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin and Shellback. "Blank Space" follows the verse–chorus song structure. The lyrics in the verses are clipped, "Magic, madness, heaven, sin," setting a mysterious and dreadful tone. At one point, Swift describes herself as a "nightmare dressed like a daydream". The refrain alludes to Swift's songwriting practice taking inspiration from her love life; the lyrics, "Got a long list of ex-lovers / They'll tell you I'm insane / But I've got a blank space, baby," are followed by a brief silence and then a clicking pen sound, "And I'll write your name." The line "Got a long list of ex-lovers" is often misheard as "All the lonely Starbucks lovers," prompting internet discussions including a response from Starbucks themselves upon the song's release. Swift told ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' in 2015 that when "Blank Space" was released, she noted, "Half the people got the joke, half the people really think that I was like really owning the fact that I'm a psychopath". Music scholar Nate Sloan analyzed that the narrator of "Blank Space" is unreliable, and therefore it is open to interpretation whether it is a true portrayal of Swift's character or not. In contemporary publications, journalists commented that the track represented ''1989'' lighthearted view on failed relationships, departing from the notion of idealized romance on Swift's past albums. Others noted that Swift made fun of her image and the media discourse surrounding her celebrity, which later served as the foundation for her 2017 studio album ''
Reputation The reputation of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity typically as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance. Reputation is a ubiquitous ...
'' (2017), which explores her public experiences and the media gossip. Martin and Shellback employed a sparse production for "Blank Space" as Swift wanted the song to emphasize the lyrics and vocals. Musically, "Blank Space" is an electropop song that is set over minimal hip hop-influenced beats. The song incorporates synthesizers, percussioned
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
strum In music, strumming is a way of playing a stringed instrument such as a guitar, ukulele, or mandolin. A strum or stroke is a sweeping action where a finger or plectrum brushes over several strings to generate sound. On most stringed instrumen ...
s, and layered backing vocals. The track builds up in the refrain, where Swift sings in her higher register. Some contemporary critics compared the song's minimal production to that of New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde's music, specifically her 2013 album ''
Pure Heroine ''Pure Heroine'' is the debut studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. It was released on 27 September 2013 by Universal, Lava, and Republic Records. After several unsuccessful sessions with songwriters, Lorde was paired with Jo ...
''. '' Spin''s Andrew Unterberger commented that, as with the rest of ''1989'', "Blank Space" embraces 1980s pop music authenticity while incorporating a modern twist. Baesley thought that the minimal production may "sound bright and easy, but it's anything but the latter to create", calling it "weapons-grade, professional pop".


Release and commercial performance

Republic Records in partnership with Swift's then-label Big Machine announced in late October 2014 that "Blank Space" would serve as the second single from ''1989'', following the lead single "
Shake It Off "Shake It Off" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, ''1989''. Swift wrote the lyrics and composed the melody with producers Max Martin and Shellback. An uptempo dance-pop song featuring a saxop ...
" in August. The song impacted US rhythmic crossover radio on November 10, 2014. The following day, Republic and Big Machine promoted the song to US
hot adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...
and contemporary hit radio. A
CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
version of "Blank Space" was released in Germany on January 2, 2015, by
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. "Blank Space" debuted at number 18 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on the chart dated November 15, 2014. The single reached number one in its third week on the chart, supported by the release of its music video. It took the number-one position from ''1989'' lead single "Shake It Off", making Swift the first and to date, the only woman ever in ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart history to succeed herself at the top spot. "Blank Space" remained atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks. As of July 2019, "Blank Space" has sold 4.6 million copies in the United States. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the single 8× Platinum, which denotes eight million units based on sales and track-equivalent on-demand streams. The single also reached number one in Australia, Canada, South Africa, and Scotland. It peaked atop the Euro Digital Song Sales, a ''Billboard'' component chart, and the Finnish Download Chart. "Blank Space" charted within the top five of national record charts, at number two in New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, number three in Bulgaria, number four in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Israel, the UK, and number five in Lebanon. It received multi-platinum certifications in Australia (8× Platinum), Canada (4× Platinum), and the UK (2× Platinum). According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the song was the eighth best-selling song of 2015, with 9.2 million track-equivalent units.


Critical reception

The song received critical acclaim. Upon the release of ''1989'', Shane Kimberline of '' musicOMH'' called "Blank Space" one of the album's best songs. ''PopMatters'' Corey Baesley lauded it as "easily a candidate for the best pop song of 2014". Sydney Gore from '' The 405'' deemed "Blank Space" the album's highlight, and Aimee Cliff from ''Fact'' labeled it one of Swift's "most enjoyable songs to date" for portraying Swift's love life in a larger-than-life manner. '' Drowned in Sound'' Robert Leedham wrote that Swift succeeded in experimenting with new musical styles on ''1989'', specifically choosing "Blank Space" as an example. ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'' critic
Kitty Empire Kitty Empire is the pen name of a British writer and music critic, currently writing for ''The Observer''. Early life Empire says that she was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1970 and brought up in Canada, Italy and Egypt before arriving in Britain ...
picked "Blank Space" as a song that showcased Swift's musical and lyrical maturity, calling it "an out-and-out pop song with an intriguingly skeletal undercarriage". Writing for the ''
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'', Mikael Wood selected the track as one of the album's better songs because of Swift's songwriting craftsmanship. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' critic
Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, Caramanica received his bachelor's degree ...
deemed the song "Swift at her peak" that "serves to assert both her power and her primness". ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
''s Andy Gill was less enthusiastic, calling it a "corporate rebel clichéd" song. Retrospective reviews of "Blank Space" have been positive. Critic Alexis Petridis of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' in 2019 declared "Blank Space" the best single Swift had released, praising its success in transforming Swift's image from a country singer-songwriter to a pop star thanks to its "effortless" melody and witty lyrics. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' reviewer
Rob Sheffield Robert James Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American music journalist and author. He is a long time contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', writing about music, TV, and pop culture. Previously, he was a contributing editor at '' Ble ...
wrote: "Every second of 'Blank Space' is perfect." '' Paste'' in 2020 described the song as "remarkably well-made, infectiously catchy, and legitimately funny", and named it the best song on ''1989''. Selja Rankin from ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' also dubbed "Blank Space" the best track on the album, praising the over-the-top lyrics and its catchy 1980s pop sound.


Accolades

''Rolling Stone'' ranked "Blank Space" sixth on their list of the best songs of 2014, 73rd on their list of the best songs of the 2010s decade, and 357th on their list of the greatest songs of all time. ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' named it as the ninth best song in their year-end list. The song placed at number three on ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
''s annual year-end
Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abs ...
critics' poll of 2014. '' Stereogum'' and ''
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'' ranked the song at numbers 49 and 72 on their lists of the best songs of the 2010s decade, respectively. ''Billboard'' named it one of the 100 "Songs That Defined the Decade". Katie Atkinson wrote that the single consolidated Swift's trademark autobiographical storytelling in music while "setting the standard for a new, self-aware pop star" in poking fun at her perceived image. On '' Slant Magazine'' list of the 100 best singles of the 2010s, "Blank Space" ranked 15th. In 2021, ''Rolling Stone'' placed the song at number 357 on its list of
500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...
. "Blank Space" won Song of the Year at the
2015 American Music Awards The 43rd Annual American Music Awards was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on November 22, 2015. It was broadcast on ABC and hosted by Jennifer Lopez. With three awards, Taylor Swift was the big winner of the night. Jared L ...
. At the 2016
BMI Awards The BMI Film & TV Awards are accolades presented annually by Broadcast Music, Inc., honoring songwriters, composers, and music publishers in various genres. Based in the United States, the awards include the BMI Christian Awards, BMI Country Award ...
, the song was one of the Award-Winning Songs that helped Swift earn the honor Songwriter of the Year. It earned a nomination for International Work of the Year at the 2015 APRA Awards in Australia. At the
58th Annual Grammy Awards The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 20 ...
in 2016, "Blank Space" was nominated in three categories—
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
, Song of the Year, and
Best Pop Solo Performance The Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guides, the Best Pop S ...
.


Music video


Development and release

Joseph Kahn directed the music video for "Blank Space". Swift approached Kahn with the idea for treatment, desiring the video to portray her self-deprecation as a "crazy villain" akin to the lyrics. According to Kahn, Swift envisioned "Blank Space" as "a video addressing this concept of, if she has so many boys breaking up with her maybe the problem isn't the boy, maybe the problem is her". Photography took place at two locations in Long Island: primary shooting took place at
Oheka Castle Oheka Castle, also known as the Otto Kahn Estate, is a hotel located on the North Shore of Long Island, in West Hills, New York, also known as the "Gold Coast," a hamlet in the town of Huntington. It was the country home of investment finan ...
, with a few additional scenes shot at
Woolworth Estate Woolworth Estate is a historic estate located at Glen Cove in Nassau County, New York. It was designed in 1916 by architect C. P. H. Gilbert (1861–1952) for Frank Winfield Woolworth (1852–1919). The estate consists of the main residence, kn ...
. The video was shot over three days in September 2014; the last day was dedicated to film ''American Express Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience'', an interactive 360° mobile app in collaboration with American Express. For the video, Swift was thorough in choosing the concepts and imagery. Kahn spoke of his working experience with Swift on '' Mashable'': "When you have an artist wanting to test her imaging, it's always great territory to be in". Kahn took inspirations from Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film ''
A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
'' for the video's symmetrical framing style, calling it "a really funny way to approach a pop video". The video begins as Swift's love interest (played by model
Sean O'Pry Sean Richard O'Pry (born July 5, 1989) is an American model from Kennesaw, Georgia. Early life O'Pry reports having Irish and unspecified Native American heritage. He has an elder brother and a younger sister. He attended North Cobb High Schoo ...
) drives a
Shelby AC Cobra The AC Cobra, sold in the United States as the Shelby Cobra and AC Shelby Cobra, is a sports car manufactured by British company AC Cars, with a Ford V8 engine. It was produced intermittently in both the United Kingdom and later the United ...
towards Swift's mansion. Upon arrival, he and Swift quickly become a loving couple. They engage in various romantic activities together, dancing, painting a portrait for the boyfriend, walking along the estate grounds, and riding horses into the woods. Halfway through the video, Swift notices him texting someone, and the couple begins to fall apart. They begin to fight, and Swift shows erratic behaviors such as throwing vases, slashing the painted portrait, and burning her boyfriend's clothes, which drives him to end the relationship. At a high point, Swift uses a golf club to destroy her boyfriend's car, a reference to
Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records. * * * Woods is widely regarded as ...
' 2009 cheating scandal. As the boyfriend leaves the estate, a new man (played by Andrea Denver) approaches, offering Swift a new hope for love. Swift planned to premiere to the video on '' Good Morning America'' on November 11, 2014, but
Yahoo! Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Manage ...
accidentally leaked it a day before. Swift posted the video onto her
Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
account quickly after the leak. The interactive app ''American Express Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience'', featuring the 360° video version of "Blank Space", was released concurrently. The user can choose to either follow Swift and her love interest throughout the linear storyline, or leave the storyline to explore other rooms in the mansion and find interactive
easter eggs Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tra ...
, such as Swift's childhood photos. The app was available for free on mobile app stores. Kahn talked to ''Rolling Stone'' that the app was created with "superfans" who wanted to "feel even closer to Swift" in mind.


Reception

Upon release, media outlets compared the narrative of the video to that of '' Gone Girl'', in the sense that both Swift and ''Gone Girl'' protagonist "
trip Trip may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Trip (''Pokémon''), a ''Pokémon'' character * Trip (Power Rangers), in the American television series ''Time Force Power Rangers'' * Trip, in the 2013 film ''Metallica Through th ...
away the romantic sheen she's given all her relationships in the past". Randall Roberts from the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that Swift delivered an "
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...
-worthy" performance. ''Billboard'' praised the video's cinematic quality and aesthetics, and found Swift's self-referential portrayal amusing, which served as "icing on the blood-filled cake". Columnist Jessica Valenti from ''The Guardian'' complimented Swift's portrayal of her perceived image and dubbed the video "a feminist daydream", where "the narrow and sexist caricatures attached to women are acted out for ''our'' amusement, their full ridiculousness on display". ''
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'' in 2017 named the video Swift's best music video up to date, calling it a "pure 'art' form". ''Spin'' also dubbed it the greatest video Swift had done so far, praising the video's combination of glamorous aesthetics and hilarious depiction of Swift's reputation. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' in 2020 picked "Blank Space" as the best video among ''1989'' singles, describing it as "the only music video that can be earnestly described as ' Kubrickian'." The video for "Blank Space" won Best Pop Video and Best Female Video at the
2015 MTV Video Music Awards The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 30, 2015. The 32nd installment of the event was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, and hosted by Miley Cyrus. Taylor Swift led the nominations with a total of ten, follo ...
. It earned a nomination for Best International Female Video at the
MTV Video Music Awards Japan The MTV Video Music Awards Japan (MTV VMAJ for short) are the Japanese version of the MTV Video Music Awards. Like the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States, in this event artists are awarded for their songs and videos through online votin ...
. The ''American Express Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience'' app won Original Interactive Program at the
67th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards The 67th Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony was held on September 12, 2015, at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. The event was broadcast in the U.S. by FXX on September 19, 2015. The ceremony was in conjunction wi ...
. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' placed "Blank Space" at number 67 on its list of 100 greatest music videos of all time.


Live performances and other versions

Swift performed "Blank Space" during the "''1989'' Secret Session", live streamed by Yahoo! and iHeartRadio on October 27, 2014. Swift premiered the song on television at the
2014 American Music Awards The 42nd Annual American Music Awards ceremony was held on November 23, 2014, at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums of 2014. Iggy Azalea led the nominees with six categ ...
, where she recreated the narrative of the music video, acting as a psychopathic woman who acts erratically towards her boyfriend. She again performed the song on ''
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'' on November 25, at the
2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show The ''Victoria's Secret Fashion Show'' is an annual fashion show sponsored by Victoria's Secret, a brand of lingerie and sleepwear. Victoria's Secret uses the show to promote and market its goods in high-profile settings. The show features some o ...
on December 2, and during Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball 2014 in London, broadcast on December 5. On February 25, 2015, Swift opened the
2015 Brit Awards Brit Awards 2015 was held on 25 February 2015. This was the 35th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at The O2 Arena in London, presented by Ant & Dec. This was their second time ...
with a rendition of "Blank Space". At the beginning of the performance, Swift sang the song in front of a white background featuring
silhouette A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
s of backup dancers. The song was part of the set lists for two of Swift's concert tours—
the 1989 World Tour The 1989 World Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). Swift announced the tour's first dates in North America, Europe, Japan, and Oceania in November an ...
(2015) and
Reputation Stadium Tour The Reputation Stadium Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her sixth studio album ''Reputation'' (2017). The all- stadium tour began on May 8, 2018, in Glendale, Arizona, and concluded on ...
(2018). On September 9, 2019, Swift performed the song at the City of Lover one-off concert in Paris, France. She performed the song again at the We Can Survive charity concert on October 19, 2019, in Los Angeles. At the 2019 American Music Awards, where Swift was honored Artist of the Decade, she performed "Blank Space" as part of a medley of her hits. She again performed the song at Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball 2019 in London, and at iHeartRadio Z100's Jingle Ball 2019 in New York City. Following the song's debut at the 2014 American Music Awards, rapper
Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
uploaded a remix featuring his rap verse to
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming s ...
on December 15, 2014. Retro music group
Postmodern Jukebox Postmodern Jukebox, also widely known by the initialism PMJ, is a rotating musical collective founded by arranger and pianist Scott Bradlee in 2011. PMJ is known for reworking popular modern music into different vintage genres, especially early ...
transformed the song into a 1940s-inspired track in their cover.
Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band Imagine Dragons performed a slowed down rendition of the song sampling
Ben E. King Benjamin Earl King (né Nelson; September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015) was an American soul and R&B singer and record producer. He is best known as the singer and co-composer of " Stand by Me"—a US Top 10 hit, both in 1961 and later ...
's " Stand by Me" at
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
Live Lounge in February 2015. Metalcore band
I Prevail I Prevail is an American rock band formed in Southfield, Michigan, in 2013. They released their debut EP '' Heart vs. Mind'' (2014) and rose to popularity from releasing a metal cover of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" as a single, which eventual ...
released a post-hardcore cover of "Blank Space" as their debut single in December 2014. The cover reached number nine on ''Billboard'' Hot Rock Songs and number 90 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and received a platinum certification by the RIAA, which denotes one million track-equivalent units. Rock singer
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams lef ...
covered "Blank Space" on his 2015 track-by-track cover album of Swift's ''1989''. On his rendition, Adams incorporated stripped-down, acoustic string instruments, contrasting the original's electronic production.
Indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...
singer
Father John Misty Joshua Michael Tillman (born May 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has also performed and released studio albums under the name J. Tillman. Maintainin ...
released a cover version of the song in the style of the rock band
the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
in 2015. The cover is a reinterpretation of Adams's version and is built on the melody of the song "
I'm Waiting for the Man "I'm Waiting for the Man" is a song by American rock band the Velvet Underground. Written by Lou Reed, it was first released on their 1967 debut album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. The lyrics describe a man's efforts to obtain heroin in ...
".


Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from ''1989'' album liner notes. *
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
 – vocals, background vocals,
songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...
, shouts *
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
 – producer, songwriter, keyboards, programming * Shellback – producer, songwriter, acoustic guitar,
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
, bass, keyboards,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
, programming, shouts, stomps * Michael Ilbert –
audio recording Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording t ...
* Sam Holland – recording * Cory Bice – recording assistant *
Serban Ghenea Șerban Ghenea (born October 13, 1969) is a Grammy award-winning Romanian-Canadian audio engineer and mixer. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1969. In 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. He later attended ...
 – mixing * John Hanes – mixing engineer *
Tom Coyne Tom Coyne may refer to: * Tom Coyne (writer), American writer and professor * Tom Coyne (broadcaster) (1930–2015), British television presenter * Tom Coyne (music engineer) (1954–2017), American mastering engineer * Thomas Coyne (cricketer) ( ...
 – mastering


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


All-time charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number ones of 2014 * List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number ones of 2015 * List of ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary number ones of 2015 *
List of Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles of 2014 This is a list of the Canadian '' Billboard'' magazine Canadian Hot 100 number-ones of 2014. Note that ''Billboard'' publishes charts with an issue date approximately 7–10 days in advance. A Canadian flag denotes a Canadian artist. Chart hi ...
*
List of number-one singles of 2014 (Australia) The ARIA Singles Chart ranks the best-performing singles in Australia. Its data, published by the Australian Recording Industry Association, is based collectively on each single's weekly physical and digital sales. In 2014, fourteen singles ...
* List of number-one singles of 2015 (South Africa) *
List of most-viewed YouTube videos YouTube is an American video-sharing website headquartered in San Bruno, California. Although the most-viewed videos were initially viral videos, such as "Evolution of Dance" and "Charlie Bit My Finger", the most-viewed videos were increasin ...


Footnotes


References


Sources

* *


External links


''American Express Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience''
on American Express {{authority control 2014 songs 2014 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Borderline personality disorder in fiction I Prevail songs Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles Music videos directed by Joseph Kahn Number-one singles in Iceland Number-one singles in Scotland Satirical songs Song recordings produced by Max Martin Song recordings produced by Shellback (record producer) Songs written by Max Martin Songs written by Shellback (record producer) Songs written by Taylor Swift Taylor Swift songs South African Airplay Chart number-one singles MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video Ryan Adams songs