A deeper look at VMA Video of the Year nominee: “I Knew You Were Trouble

Taylor Swift is no stranger to VMAs… she’s been nominated for one every year from 2008 to 2011, and she won Best Female Video in 2009. Can she pull a coup with this year’s heavy-hitters? We take a closer look.

Right from the start, this video has one major advantage over the other competitors — girls everywhere can totally relate to Swift’s plight. She starts with a monologue set against, as she calls it, the “kaleidoscope of memories” that floods back after a breakup — even though “he never does.”

Girl, we have so been there.

When sweet moments like this flash across the screen at the start of Swift’s epic music video for “I Knew You Were Trouble,” it’s impossible not to commiserate with the internal struggle that comes from remembering brief, shiny moments in an otherwise dark and stormy relationship.

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Of course, as much as we women relate to waxing poetic about past relationships, there’s something that rings even more universal: moving on. The reality of a bad relationship dawns on Swift slowly…

… but surely.

And, truth be told, we like that Taylor wasn’t afraid to look a little rough around the edges. Young girls today are so afraid of being their authentic selves for fear they won’t be pretty enough or cool enough. T. Swift shows that when you’ve got angst, you’ve just got to let it out — that kind of fearless abandon with your feelings is beautiful!

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Another reason this video is in hot contention for the Video of the Year Moonman? It’s a virtual feast of imagery. Everything from the wardrobe choices to the setting boasts such a chic rocker vibe — it’s both gritty and pretty. Swift creates the kind of world conceivable enough for the real girl, yet just glamorous enough to make us wonder if we could pull it off.

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The bottom line here is that this country cutie isn’t a one-trick pony. She is constantly pushing the boundaries of country music and venturing into other genres, and “I Knew You Were Trouble” shows off a new side of Swift.