Taylor Swift accused of copying indie artist with Anti-Hero video
Giant Taylor Swift in Anti-Hero music video (L) and Manuela next to tiny cardboard house (R). (Taylor Swift/Manuela/YouTube
Taylor Swift has been accused of copying another artist in her “Anti-Hero” music video.
Swift directed the “Anti-Hero” video, the first taken from her Midnights album, which sees her confronted with multiple versions of herself as she battles against her inner demons and asks if she is, in fact, the problem.
But independent singer Manuela has accused Swift of taking ideas from her video for “Glimmers”.
Taking to Instagram with a side by side reconstruction of the alleged similarities between her video and Swift’s, she wrote: “I’m literally a Swiftie so it’s simultaneously painful and such an honour to even beg this question – am I on a moodboard??”
The idea of having different versions of yourself is also explored in Manuela’s video, released in April 2022.
Manuela highlighted how both videos have scenes set on rooftops, as well as ones where one doppleganger pushes another over, and where the artists are portrayed as giants.
View this post on Instagram
A plate that Swift uses to eat her breakfast on in the video appears to be the same size and pattern as one that appears on Manuela’s Instagram.
Fans on Twitter have been divided over the accusation.
On the one hand, some are arguing that Swift has always used this idea of multiple versions of herself in videos (e.g. in “Reputation”).
They also wonder how likely it is she would have stumbled across a video with only 3,000 views (at time of writing).
On the other hand, others have argued the number of similarities are too much to ignore.
One person wrote: “The “twin” concept is not original or groundbreaking, we have seen it a lot but some scenes do look very similar.
“It might just be a big coincidence or something done subconsciously because why would Taylor not want to credit a less known artist.”
Another argued “looking at the separate videos and time sequences it’s not very similar, if at all”, claiming Manuela’s cut made them seem more similar than they are.
Swift is not the first major artist to have been accused of stealing from other artists. After Beyoncé released Renaissance, Kelis accused her of “theft” for an interpolation of her song “Milkshake”.
Beyoncé responded to accusations by removing the reference from the album.
Right Said Fred also accused Beyoncé of using their song “I’m Too Sexy” without first notifying them.
Beyoncé responded by laying out, in painstaking detail, exactly when Right Said Fred were approached and paid for the use of the track.
PinkNews contacted Taylor Swift for comment.
