Is Taylor's New Video Inspired by True Detective?

On Friday, as if answering a prayer you forgot to send, angel of music Taylor Swift debuted the video for "Style," and it's not what anyone was expecting. With a neo-disco dance beat and a title like "Style," the music video easily could've been A Devil Wears Prada-type romp of sartorial porn. Or likewise the lyrics ("You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye/And I got that red lip classic thing that you like") could've turned this into a PG-rated Lana Del Rey video (which, sans an old man, is still not a stretch). Instead, the style inspiration seems to come from an unlikely source: True Detective.

Yeah, seriously. When Swift teased the music video earlier this week, we pointed out that the that style of this music video felt like a straight-up cut from the True Detective opening credits. And sure enough, you could slap on some credits and dub "Far From Any Road" over Swift's video and it would basically be the same. So I'm just saying, would it be possible to fit her into the second season last minute? I mean, new mystery, new cast, new adventures...

If you're still thinking I'm making this up, watch both videos below, and then look at our side-by-side comparison of the similarities.

1. Heads filling with various vapor

In True Detective, the figure is filled with a cloudy backdrop. In the "Style" music video, it looks more like a trip to the most vanilla hookah bar ever.

2. Heads filled with nautical nonsense

You know what someone has on their mind? JELLY FISHING, JELLY FISHING, JELLY FISHING! As for Swift, she has an entire beach and person inside her, but, to be fair, there's a handful of those shots in True Detective too.

Weird no matter how you slice it.

3. Ever so slightly out of sync overlaps

Lots of use of mirrors the "Style" video. Lots of use of moderate-level Photoshop in the True Detective opening credits.

4. Facial projections all over the place

In short, this technique shows up in many different forms in both. It's the recurring link between each piece. Side note: "facial projections" sounds way dirty, doesn't it?

5. Roads leading to nowhere

Some of them are projected on Woody Harrelson's face. Some are being taken by Swift's boyfriend with the David Bowie eyes. All of them lead us down dark and uncertain paths, probably.

6. The elements of destruction are superimposed over our protagonists

THEY ARE SURROUNDED IN CHAOS, YOU GUYS. TWENTY YEAR MURDER MYSTERIES AND YOUR SHITTY ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN BOYFRIENDS ARE BOTH STRESSFUL THINGS TO DEAL WITH.

7. Arms outstretched dramatically

ALL TOGETHER NOW! So yeah, all in all, it's basically the same thing. Case closed.

Images: Youtube (9)