Often referred to as the most romantic language in the world, it’s no surprise that Taylor Swift, a self-confessed hopeless romantic, knows her bonjours from her saluts. From guitar playing to song-writing, Taylors list of talents is seemingly endless. But is there more than meets the eye?
Yes, Taylor Swift can speak some French. In an early interview, the songstress admits that she speaks “juste un peu”, or “just a little”. Taylor has been broadcasting her French skills since she first came onto the music scene, but most notoriously in the opening monologue for her music video ‘ME!’.
Keep reading as we delve deep into Taylors multilingual skills – does she have a thirst for the French language or is she just trying to appease her international fans?
ME!
On 26thApril 2019, Taylor dropped her long-awaited single and its corresponding music video, ‘ME!’. The bubbly pop song was released in collaboration with Brendon Urie, from Panic! at the Disco. In the opening sequence of the video Swift and Urie are seen together in an apartment arguing in French.
Their conversation goes:
Brandon: Calme-toi, s’il te plaît
Taylor: Je sais pas te parler quand tu es comme ça
Brandon: Tu en fais vraiment trop
Taylor: Comment oses-tu? Et devant nos filles, en plus! Nos filles, en plus!
Brandon: Calme-toi, s’il te plaît
Taylor: JE SUIS CALME!
This translates into English as:
Brandon: Calm down, please
Taylor: I don’t know how to talk to you when you’re like this
Brandon: You’re really making too much out of it
Taylor: How dare you? And in front of our daughters, as well! Our daughters, as well!
Brandon: Calm down, please
Taylor: I AM CALM!
Swifties were both shocked and exhilarated by the French dialogue, with some suggesting that it was a subtle Easter egg. Billboard list over 13 clues found in the video and the use of French was said to be a hint towards the title of Swift’s then-upcoming seventh album, Lover. This makes sense since French is known as the language of love.
Over on Twitter, however, Taylors French was heavily criticised. Some native French speakers claimed that if it wasn’t for the subtitles, they wouldn’t have been able to understand her. Speaking to Frenchly, French ex-pat Maxine Aubin said: “Swifts French is very American. Both of them, they don’t sound French at all.” So maybe practice doesn’t make perfect after all?
In behind-the-scenes footage from the music video set, Swift and Urie are captured repeatedly rehearsing their French dialogue. It seems that this was the most challenging scene of the video to film, which goes to show their lack of fluency. Taylor is also seen consulting an on-set French expert about her pronunciation. In any case, it’s clear that Swift is still an amateur French speaker.
Embracing Culture
ME! isn’t the first time that Taylor has exhibited her French skills. In a fan-made compilation video, there are more than 21 clips of Swift speaking French over the years. She tends to repeat the same words and phrases such as ‘bonjour’ and ‘ça va’, which indicates that Taylors French probably derives from a high school introductory class.
One notorious display of French was the 2013 NJR Awards in Cannes, France. Swift performed her record-breaking hit, ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’. But, to the audience’s surprise, Taylor mixed it up by delivering the spoken word part of the song in French. It may only be a few short lines long, but the small gesture proved that Swift really cares about her international audience.
Final Words
To summarise, Taylor Swift can speak basic French. Will we be hearing full pop anthems delivered in French anytime soon? Probably not. But what’s clear is that Taylor j’adoresFrance and has a deep respect for the languages and cultures of the different places she travels to.