Wildest Dreams
As this tall-and-handsome-as-hell object of her affection pulls T-Swift in with promises of escaping, she can see the end unfolding before it even happens. This dreamy pop ballad sounds like the vapor trail their love leaves behind, even as it's still unfolding, with Swift tangling together high notes in a plea that he remember her after she's gone, even if it's only in his wildest dreams. You could say it's a little pessimistic, but at this point in her career, Swift has gone through enough breakups to know.
Did you know?
- “Wildest Dreams” was released as the fifth single off of Swift's fifth studio album “1989.” The single release coincided with the release of the music video, which premiered at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards' pre-show.
- The music video for “Wildest Dreams” was filmed in Africa and California, with imagery that was meant to reference the 1985 film Out of Africa. It received some backlash from critics who believed the video was glorifying European colonialism in Africa while ignoring its brutalities.
- “Wildest Dreams” set itself apart from the previously released “1989” singles by being more of a ballad than a straight up pop song.
- The Columbus Zoo, located in Powell, Ohio, drew Swift's attention when they parodied the music video for “Wildest Dreams” with one featuring their employees and various animals from the zoo. Swift was specifically interested in what it feels like to pet a baby cheetah.
- Swift's credits on the song are listed as lead vocals, writer, background vocals, and, surprisingly, heartbeat. That's right: the beat that drives the song is actually Swift's heartbeat, which she craftily admitted to in the liner notes of the song.