Todrick Hall on how he helped shape Taylor Swift’s super-queer music video
Todrick Hall and Taylor Swift in ‘You Need to Calm Down’ (YouTube)
Todrick Hall has opened up about his role in helping to create the vision for Taylor Swift’s cameo-filled queer music video for “You Need to Calm Down.”
The music video for the singer’s Pride anthem dropped on Monday (June 17), featuring appearances from a who’s-who of LGBT+ culture, including RuPaul, Ellen DeGeneres, Laverne Cox, Billy Porter, Hayley Kiyoko and the Queer Eye Fab Five.
“Twerking in the Rain” star and Drag Race regular Todrick Hall, who co-executive produced the video alongside Swift, has revealed how it all came together.
Todrick Hall: It was the most fun on a set ever
In an interview with Access, Todrick Hall explained: “She said ‘I would love for you to be part of the video’ and explained to me the concept, and before we knew it I was giving her suggestions of all my fabulous friends.
“We didn’t even know if everybody was even going to be available… it felt like we were just two friends brainstorming who we were going to put on a skit with.”
He added: “I’m friends with everybody who was in this video so this was the most fun, and Taylor said this as well, ‘This is the most fun I’ve ever had on any set in any video in my entire career.’
“The people from her team were like, ‘Todrick, can you get Taylor to come back to our trailer for hair and makeup’ because she didn’t want to leave the drag queens.”
Taylor Swift is ‘excited’ by political activism
The music video ends with a call-to-action for fans to support the Equality Act, a bill that would outlaw discrimination against LGBT+ people in all 50 states.
Explaining the star’s decision to get political, Todrick Hall explained: “This is who she’s always been and the person that I’ve grown to know and love, but there’s a moment in people’s career where they decide, there’s nothing Taylor can’t do now.
“She’s always been standing up for gay people, but I think she’s come to this point where she realises, ‘I want to stand up for every right for every human being that looks like the dancers I work with, the people who do my hair and makeup, and the best friends I hang out with every day.’
“I have never seen her so excited as she is when she’s posting things and seeing her fans go and vote and retweet and sign these petitions.
“She’s equally excited to do these political ventures as she is to create music.”
Todrick Hall and Taylor Swift in ‘You Need to Calm Down’
He added: “I do think there was a point years ago when this [political activism] would have been scary for her.”
Todrick Hall also posted a tribute to Taylor Swift on Instagram.
He wrote: “Thank you @taylorswift for letting me be such a huge part of something so special and SO important!
“Thanks for listening to me talk or sometimes rant about social injustices and using your platform to change people’s hearts and minds with your music.
“Thanks for allowing me to bring all my besties to the party.”
