Director of Taylor Swift's Delicate video accused of copying Spike Jonze’s Kenzo advert

The video for Taylor Swift’s Delicate has been accused of copying Spike Jonze’s advert for Kenzo World. Released on Sunday 11 March and directed by the singer’s long-time collaborator Joseph Kahn, the video sees Taylor bored at a swanky gala in an opulent building, before becoming invisible and letting loose by dancing and pulling faces to enjoy her anonymity.

The award-winning Kenzo World ad by Spike Jonze, released in August 2016, drew from his iconic video for Fatboy Slim’s Weapon of Choice starring Christopher Walken, and depicted ballerina and actress Margaret Qualley following a similar narrative.

Online critics include New York Magazine’s senior producer of original video, Kenny Wassus, who called Taylor’s video “the drunk sorority knockoff” of the Kenzo ad and tweeted a slew of direct comparisons between the two films. By way of proof, this checklist features stills from the two films side by side to show likeness, including Taylor’s bout of silly faces and “angry gorilla dance”, her gesturing wildly at an oblivious bystander, a “lonely contemplative look off-camera”, “the dolly shot ending with a luke-warm smile”, “the profile tracking shot of [a] militant walk” and a ballet leap. Others have pointed out the similarity in scenery, costume and overall tone of the entire video.

Page Six has claimed that a Kenzo representative commented on the video, stating “Listen Tay, I feel you. It’s hard to stay fresh. Call us, we can help.”