Music Videos Enter Their Blockbuster Era Thanks to Taylor Swift’s Showgirl Party

Cinema and music video have both had their ups and downs over the years. For music videos, they’ve gone from MTV highs to mid 2000s lows, when reality shows replaced music videos and potato quality early video platforms crushed production values, eventually experiencing a renaissance thanks to platforms like YouTube. And between covid-19, the Hollywood strikes and the rise of streaming and gaming, the silver screen has had a rough time of it in recent years.

Thank goodness, then, for Taylor Swift. Having spearheaded bringing the tour video to cinemas, she’s turning her attention to the music video with the in-theatre launch event for her new album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’.

​‘Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl’ will see cinema screenings pop up around the world on October 3rd to October 5th and will feature the music video for the song ‘The Fate of Ophelia’, together with a making-of featurette, singalong lyric videos for the album’s other tracks and interviews.

Swift’s Eras Tour cinema screenings grossed over $261 million globally and were, essentially, a savvy repurposing of her performances. With the cinema party, she has, again spotted an opportunity to elevate a music video she would have made anyway. So what makes her so good at innovating on the staples of the music biz?

“Taylor Swift has mastered the art of turning every project into a multi-platform cultural event, where cinema is no exception,” says Megan Chapman, AV lead at independent media agency the7stars. “She utilises cinema in creating premium experiences, pricing tickets higher than regular films and still driving record-breaking sales, showing fans will pay for value and exclusivity. It’s just another extension of her brand, storytelling, and fan engagement strategy.”

For McCann New York’s Senior Music Producer Colleen Dahlstrom, what’s so impressive about this launch is that Swift has mastered the art of creating intimacy at a global scale.
“Fans want a new level of interactivity. They want to be a part of the story they see unfold on screen. Taylor Swift isn’t just releasing a cinematic music video with behind-the-scenes footage - she’s curating a cultural event,” she says.

“Each showing is the opportunity for a regional communal experience," Colleen continues. "The exclusivity of the album release party evaporated with her social media invitation to all, yet each theatre still maintains a level of intimacy, allowing fans to come together and experience something new in real time. She encourages the vulnerability of publicly dancing and singing along, as well.”

Of course, cinema screenings of music videos are not new (Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ and Michael Jackson’s ‘Moonwalker’ are two vintage examples, released in cinemas in 1982 and 1988 respectively), and the production community is well acquainted with specialist events like Bug and the Music Video Preservation Society - but engaging the Swifties marks a move into the mainstream.

It’s a trend that’s been bubbling up in 2025 - this June, Miley Cyrus held a one-night-only cinema event for her ‘visual album’ (an extended music video or series of music videos that spans a whole album) ‘Something Beautiful’. The film was screened in cinemas globally. Meanwhile, punk band Turnstile premiered their visual album ‘Never Enough’ at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and it was screened at limited cinema screenings in Australia, UK, Spain, USA, Netherlands, Portugal, Greece and France.

Good News for the Music Video Community

For filmmakers, it’s an exciting phenomenon. What director doesn’t dream of seeing their work on the big screen?

Dave Meyers is a music video director who has collaborated with Taylor Swift and is also known for mega hits like Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy, Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Taste’ and Missy Elliot’s ‘Get Ur Freak On’.

“It’s a most wonderful new chapter, yes,” he says. “Videos are disruptive and a major source of inspiration for the filmmaking community. To show its commanding cultural impact on the big screen with a shared audience is rewarding and game changing for all, fans and artists alike.”

And at a time when promos are more likely to be viewed on a tiny phone screen, filmmakers are thrilled that there are more opportunities for audiences to enjoy them properly.

Candice Dragonas is VP of talent strategy and an executive producer at PRETTYBIRD and she feels strongly about this. “Music videos have always been this incredible medium where the creative possibilities are limitless. But nowadays, so many people are watching them on their phones, where the true craft and artistry doesn’t get to shine in the same way as the filmmaker intended. The idea of music videos entering a “blockbuster era” is super exciting. It could push filmmakers to think bigger, experiment more, and create experiences that feel cinematic and larger than life. It also means new audiences, better viewing platforms, and hopefully, better budgets."

Cinema as a Social Experience

It’s not just directors and producers who are excited about music videos’ blockbuster era. Cinema advertising specialists are also revelling in the commercial opportunities that accompany music video and visual album screenings.

Kevin McGaw is the head of marketing at North American cinema agency Screenvision Media and for him, putting music videos on the big screen just makes sense.

“Music videos have always been cultural moments, but the big screen gives them new life,” he says. “On a phone they aren’t immersive, on a TV they aren’t communal. In a theatre, they’re both. Fans feel the artistry, the energy and they get to share it together. It’s a space to celebrate fandom collectively, whether it’s a music video or something like Demon Slayer. That resonates with young audiences: 90% of gen z go to the movies each year and the number one reason they give is the social experience.”

Indeed that communal atmosphere is something fans crave, and while tour tickets for top artists are prohibitively expensive for many, screening parties at cinemas are much more of an affordable pleasure.

“Cinemas are hosting music video events because audiences are craving shared cultural experiences. After years of fragmented, on-demand viewing habits, there’s a renewed desire for collective moments and music is a powerful unifier,” says Megan from the7stars. “Looking at our recent research project, we found [in a study from DCM] that cinemagoers agreed that “going to the cinema is about much more than the film – it’s a social occasion”, and with 98% of cinema viewing being co-viewed with other people, cinema is the best platform that encourages these social experiences. So, brands should leverage the power of fandoms and communities, and music fans in particular as they love to come together to watch their favourite artist for an almost concert-like experience.”

It all ladders up to a bigger trend of harnessing cinemas ability to bring people together physically to host different kinds of events and parties, from singalongs (such as ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘The Greatest Showman’ and a little movie you might have heard of called ‘KPop Demon Hunters’) to live-streamed theatre performances.

“Cinema has evolved into a stage for cultural experiences. K-pop singalongs, anime marathons, esports tournaments and concert films have all shown that people want to be in the room together,” says Kevin. “Music videos are a natural next step and they show how wide open the canvas is for theatres
. Young audiences in particular love to turn outings into “events.” Nearly nine in ten gen z say going to the movies feels like an event and they often build the whole day around it, making plans, dressing up and sharing on social. Music videos plug right into that mindset.”

Ultimately, for McCann New York’s Colleen Dahlstrom, the question of why music videos are connecting with cinema audiences almost misses the point.

“I think it’s flipped - music audiences are connecting with cinema right now,” shy says. “For music lovers and dedicated artist fanbases, the love and appreciation for the art form of the music video has persisted over the years. To this day, music videos contribute to the overall artist’s brand, but with the rise of sound first social media platforms, have even more significant reach and impact.

“There’s an undeniable emotional connection that can be made between artist and fan on the screen. It happens in the palm of your hand, but the gravitas of the cinema increases that tenfold.”

How Can Marketers Join the Party?

Inevitably, where there are fans, there will be brands hoping to join the party. So what advice do our experts have for marketers looking to connect through cinematic music video screenings or watch parties?

“These aren’t one-off stunts. They’re cultural touchpoints that bring in young, emotionally invested audiences who leave theatres buzzing,” says Kevin. “For advertisers, that’s a rare chance to align with moments that people remember, talk about and share long after the credits roll. To really resonate, it’s not enough to just release content. You need to stage it, build anticipation and encourage participation. Cinema delivers that kind of heightened, in-person experience that simply can’t be replicated on any other medium.”
And whatever they do, they must understand the profound passion that comes with fandoms, connecting sincerely and authentically.

“The main consideration for brands is to ensure they tap into these fandoms, not just demographics,” says Megan. “These events are driven by passion, not just genre or age. Understand what excites the fans and show up in a way that adds to the moment. Don’t underestimate the buying power of these audiences, they are engaged, loyal, and willing to spend for the right experience so it’s worth aligning your message with that emotional high.”

“If a brand is partnering with an artist, it must be an authentic connection. Fanbases know everything about their favourite artists. A forced concept puts both the artist and the brand in jeopardy,” agrees Colleen. “The best way to ensure authenticity is to collaborate with the artist and allow them to creatively lead. They have gotten as far in their careers as they have by getting to know their fans and developing trust and relationships.”

This new phenomenon may even provide an opportunity for two parts of the advertising world that rarely interact to come together - media agencies and indie production companies. After all, the ultimate experts in music videos are the talented music video directors who have nurtured the art form all along.

“I’d also encourage advertisers to utilize the many phenomenal directors who built their careers making music videos before venturing into other mediums,” says Colleen. “Why not bring in talent who has genuine perspective from first-hand experience?”