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On last night’s Hunger Games Fireside Chat podcast, we discussed the premiere of Taylor Swift‘s new music video “Safe & Sound,” which had gone live at 7:54 p.m. The collaboration with The Civil Wars is one of the most publicized songs off the upcoming Hunger Games soundtrack, and obviously a big get for the movie.
Opinions were split on the video, mostly because it’s more suggestive of The Hunger Games than an explicit music video. Some movie tie-in songs — off the top of my head, The Bodyguard‘s “I Have Nothing” and “Crazy” from Drive Me Crazy – feature footage from the film, or have the singers in costume. Although there’s a definite mood going on here, with Taylor walking through the woods in a vintage nightgown, it’s nothing explicit. Which was probably the best decision they could have made.
Some fans pointed out that if you’re looking for a surer connection, it looks as if Taylor is (spoiler) walking through the ruins of District 12 after the events of Mockingjay. Furthermore, her blonde hair and dress reminded us of Katniss’ little sister Prim (played by Willow Shields in the movie) or the beloved character of Madge, who didn’t make it to the big-screen adaptation. It helps that The Civil Wars’ Joy Williams, with her dark hair, resembles Katniss.
The video gets pretty ominous near the end, with Taylor uncovering the mockingjay pin (nice touch) amidst the charred remains of the cabin where The Civil Wars had been playing. Plus, her breathier singing makes the whole thing creepy. All in all, it’s a great moody song; from lyrics never letting someone go and “the morning light,” I’m betting that it’ll come into the movie when Katniss and Peeta are huddling in the cave together.
Speaking of the movie’s star-crossed lovers, did you catch the brief shot of the red berries? Excellent.
Here’s the entire episode of our podcast, for your listening pleasure:
