Blank Space

“Blank Space” is track two on Taylor’s fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). It was released as its second single and is one of Taylor’s biggest hits. She has stated that she wrote the song from the perspective of a character she created based on claims made about her by the media. The character combines the various portrayals of her dating persona; being overly attached and dating just for publicity. The re-recording of the song, “Blank Space (Taylor’s Version)”, was released on October 27, 2023.

Background

Having been known as “America’s Sweetheart” thanks to her wholesome and down-to-earth girl next door image, Taylor saw her reputation blemished due to her history of romantic relationships with a series of high-profile celebrities. The New York Times asserted in 2013 that her “dating history [had] begun to stir what feels like the beginning of a backlash”, questioning whether she was in the midst of a quarter-life crisis. The Tampa Bay Times observed that until the release of 1989, Taylor’s love life had become a fixed tabloid interest and overshadowed her musicianship. Taylor 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.

«Every few years, the media finds something they unanimously agree is annoying about me. 2012-2013 they thought I was dating too much, because I dated two people in a year and a half. ‘Oh, a serial dater. She only writes songs to get emotional revenge on guys. She’s a man-hater, don’t let her near your boyfriend.’ It was kind of excessive and at first it was hurtful, but then I found a little bit of comedy in it. This character is so interesting, though. If you read these gossip sites, they describe how I am so opposite to my actual life: I’m clingy, and I’m awful, and I throw fits, and there’s drama. An emotionally fragile, unpredictable mess. I painted a whole picture of this character. She lives in a mansion with marble floors, she wears Dolce & Gabbana around the house, and she wears animal print unironically. So I created this whole character and I had fun doing it.»

Lyrical Theme

Taylor admitted that she had felt personally attacked by the constant slut shaming for a long time before realizing “it was kind of hilarious”. Talking to GQ in 2015, Taylor 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”. Consequently, her persona in the song has spotted a bad boy and although she knows he is trouble and that the relationship is doomed, she pursues him. This persona the media created seems to equally enjoy the over-the-top fantasy that comes from the first stages of love and the messy crash when her clingy, jealous, abusive side comes out. She told NME in 2015:

Music Video

Joseph Kahn directed the music video for “Blank Space”. Taylor approached him with the idea for treatment, desiring the video to portray her self-deprecation as a “crazy villain” akin to the lyrics. According to Kahn, Taylor 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, with a few additional scenes shot at Woolworth Estate. 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, Taylor was thorough in choosing the concepts and imagery. Kahn spoke of his working experience with her on Mashable: “When you have an artist wanting to test her imaging, it’s always great territory to be in”.

Taylor planned to premiere to the video on “Good Morning America” on November 11, 2014, but Yahoo! accidentally leaked it a day before. Taylor posted the video onto her Vevo account quickly after the leak. The interactive app “American Express Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience,” was released concurrently. The user could choose to either follow Taylor and her love interest throughout the linear storyline, or leave the storyline to explore other rooms in the mansion and find interactive easter eggs, such as Taylor’s childhood photos.

Commercial Performance

“Blank Space” debuted at No. 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated November 15, 2014. The single reached No. 1 in its third week on the chart, supported by the release of its music video. It took the No. 1 position from 1989‘s lead single “Shake It Off”, making Taylor the first woman 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, making it her longest reign at No. 1 until the release of “Anti-Hero” in 2022, which stayed at the top spot for eight weeks.

The single also reached No. 1 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 No. 2 in New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, No. 3 in Bulgaria, No. 4 in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Israel, the UK, and No. 5 in Lebanon. 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.

On August 14, 2023, after the announcement of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), “Blank Space” re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 49, nine years after its release. It last appeared on the chart in July 2015.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Nice to meet you
Where you been?
I could show you incredible things.
Magic, madness, heaven, sin
Saw you there and I thought,
“Oh my God,
Look at that face
You look like my next mistake
Love’s a game, want to play?”

[Verse 2]
New money, suit and tie
I can read you like a magazine
Ain’t it funny, rumors fly
And I know you heard about me
So hey, let’s be friends
I’m dying to see how this one ends
Grab your passport, and my hand
I can make the bad guys good for a weekend

[Chorus]
So it’s gonna be forever
Or it’s gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it’s over
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex lovers
They’ll tell you I’m insane
‘Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
‘Cause we’re young and we’re reckless, we’ll take this way too far
It’ll leave you breathless
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex lovers
They’ll tell you I’m insane
But I’ve got a blank space, baby…
And I’ll write your name.

[Verse 3]
Cherry lips, crystal skies
I could show you incredible things
Stolen kisses, pretty lies
You’re the King, baby, I’m your Queen
Find out what you want
Be that girl for a month
Wait, the worst is yet to come… (Oh no)

[Verse 4]
Screaming, crying, perfect storms
I can make all the tables turn
Rose garden filled with thorns
Keep you second guessing like,
“Oh my God
Who is she?”
I get drunk on jealousy
But you’ll come back
Each time you leave
‘Cause darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream

[Chorus]
So it’s gonna be forever
Or it’s gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it’s over
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex lovers
They’ll tell you I’m insane
‘Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
‘Cause we’re young and we’re reckless, we’ll take this way too far
It’ll leave you breathless
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex lovers
They’ll tell you I’m insane
But I’ve got a blank space, baby…
And I’ll write your name.

[Bridge]
Boys only want love if it’s torture
Don’t say I didn’t, say I didn’t warn you…
Boys only want love if it’s torture
Don’t say I didn’t, say I didn’t warn you…

[Chorus]
So it’s gonna be forever
Or it’s gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it’s over
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex lovers
They’ll tell you I’m insane
‘Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
‘Cause we’re young and we’re reckless, we’ll take this way too far
It’ll leave you breathless
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex lovers
They’ll tell you I’m insane
But I’ve got a blank space, baby…
And I’ll write your name.