Taylor Swift has made her return to the pop world with her first single and music video in two years.
The 29-year-old singer debuted Me on Friday, an upbeat pop track featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco.
Despite speculation in the build-up of Me's release, in which Swift dropped a number of hints via social media, she did not provide any information regarding a new album.
Me's music video opens with a snake - an animal heavily linked to Swift's last album Reputation and its ensuing tour - slithering over a cobbled street before bursting into butterflies.
Swift and Urie are then introduced as a warring couple who own a pair of cats.
The four-minute video, directed by Dave Meyers, features Swift in a variety of colourful outfits while the song's chorus contains the lyrics: "I'm the only one of me/Baby, that's the fun of me."
ME! Out now! Made this song with @brendonurie and @iamjoellittle. Dave Meyers and I co-directed the video. And everyone knows you can’t spell awesome without DAVIDBRENDONJOEL. Oh wait... https://t.co/xFsUDfSRSJ pic.twitter.com/0FgYZqMeOP
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) April 26, 2019
Shortly before releasing the song appeared on US TV network ABC to preview the track.
She told host Robin Roberts: "It's a song about embracing your individuality and really celebrating it and owning it.
"You know, I think that with a pop song we have the ability to get a melody stuck in people's heads and I just want it to be one that makes people feel better about themselves, not worse."
Swift also thanked her fans for "caring about the music that I make" and said the hints dropped in the build-up to Me's release made the experience "more fun" because to "create music and music videos knowing (fans) will care about little Easter eggs or clues or hints - you have no idea how much fun that is."
Me is Swift's first new release since leaving her previous record label, Big Machine Records, and signing with Universal Music Group in November last year. Taylor's last album Reputation came out in November 2017 to rave reviews.
Swift recently said she finds songwriting a cathartic activity and uses it as a "protective armour".
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