I’m not going to lie - I don’t spend a lot of time going through celebrity gossip, and when I do, I hardly ever retain all of it just because there’s so much to keep up with. But the music video for Taylor Swift’s ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ definitely caught my attention.

There’s no denying that Taylor Swift’s newest song and music video have elicited a lot of buzz, both positive and negative. For a while after listening to the song, I was leaning toward the negative outlook as I thought that Taylor had taken a rather immature step while remaking her reputation. But the music video blew me away and increased my respect for her and her team, and here’s why:

1. The symbolism and references in the video are portrayed incredibly.

From a strictly analytical standpoint, this video is so beautiful that it almost made me hysterical. Everything weaves together perfectly and it’s actually extremely interesting to see how many layers it has, as I have discussed multiple times with my friends since watching the video. Personally, I would love to write an essay about it.

2. The visuals and the narrative (at the end) were amazing.

The symbols and references would be amiss without appropriately placed visuals. From the terrifying beginning to the stealthy snakes to the various wardrobe choices, everything fit and enhanced the video to make it a comprehensive summary of how she has been depicted. Additionally, the narrative at the end tied everything together, letting Taylor emphasize her point: she is aware of and has accepted the phases her reputation has gone through over the years and that they are things of the past as she moves on and evolves.

3. She reclaims her reputation.

Sometimes, I think a lot of us forget that celebrities are also human beings who are growing, maturing and making mistakes along the way. We believe that fame comes with responsibility, and we are quick to criticize and place blame. Taylor Swift has long been the target of accusations, some possibly justified and a lot simply not. I believe that she tries to do her part for the world and for her fans, and, like all of us, deserves and has the right to change if she wants to, with a clean slate for herself. We can’t rewrite the past but we can embrace the present.

There are, of course, numerous interpretations of any artistic work. This is just mine.