See Sugarland’s ‘Mad Men’-Themed ‘Babe’ Video That Was Taylor Swift’s Genius Idea
The song "Babe" may belong to Sugarland, but the new video for the tune is without a doubt owned by the song's co-writer, Taylor Swift, who stunned and delighted fans by unexpectedly appearing in the video as a redheaded vixen.
As it turns out, Sugarland reveals Swift came up with the concept for the video herself. The retro-themed clip has Swift channeling Christina Hendricks-esque Mad Men vibes, playing the part of a sexy midcentury bad girl testing a married man’s morals. Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles plays the wife in the love triangle (clad in a variety of fab '60s outfits, including a marabou-trimmed robe), actor Brandon Routh is the cad in question, and the entire production was actually shot on the real Mad Men set in Los Angeles.
Nettles and musical partner Kristian Bush were thrilled not only with the song, but Swift's idea for the video as well. “She actually reached out to us and said, ‘I’ve got a great idea for the video,’ and she wrote the treatment,” Nettles tells People.
"We looked at it,” adds Bush, “and said, ‘Oh my gosh, this is awesome.’”
“She loves this song,” Nettles insists. “She loves our recording of it. She’s been such a champion of ours, not only for many, many years, but also where this project is concerned. She’s just super excited that we’re doing it.”
Swift personally approached her friends in Sugarland — who recently regrouped after several years’ hiatus — to gauge their interest in recording the song. “She reached out; we have obviously known each other for many years,” Nettles told PopCulture backstage at the 2018 ACM Awards.
"Babe" is off of Sugarland's new album Bigger, which dropped Friday (June 8). They're currently out on their Still the Same 2018 Tour after a hiatus from making music as a duo.
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