Taylor Swift is one of the most successful pop stars on the planet, and a cultural and economic force.
He has more albums at the top of the Billboard chart, on United State, more than any other woman. In 2022, his album “Midnights” boosted vinyl record sales in Britain, which for the first time in 35 years exceeded CD sales. This year, she became the most streamed artist on Spotify.
His current tour, “Eras,” is about to become his highest-grossing tour. Their concerts are important economic drivers for the host cities which have, on some occasions, had to improve their public transportation systems to be able to transport visitors. He also put the German city of Gelsenkirchen on the world map by giving a concert there.
Popularity analysis
There are countless articles online trying to analyze and explain Swift’s success and influence. Experts from the fields of economics, linguistics, psychology, neuroscience and music management have tried to understand this phenomenon. Universities in the United States and Australia organize conferences about Taylor Swift. There’s even a Wikipedia article dedicated solely to “Taylor Swift’s Cultural Influence.”
Fans in unexpected places
I have to admit, I’m one of those people who, despite all of Swift’s success and records, doesn’t share her fascination. Since the critics failed to convince me, I decided to ask the fans.
I spoke to people who share my taste in punk, and are members of a Facebook group dedicated to the British band Idles. Oddly enough, I found many admirers of the Queen of Pop.
According to 25-year-old Amy Duhigg, Taylor Swift “incredibly embodies what it means to be a teenage girl.” Additionally, he adds that the artist has grown a lot with her music, and many older fans feel like they have grown up with her. “She’s very good at expressing emotion and writing with metaphors that a lot of people can relate to,” he says.
Canadian fan Melanie Horn, 33, says that Swift “knows how to capture the moment and can trigger more memories in me than any other artist.” She is convinced that one day the pop singer will be recognized as the voice of a generation of women.
Cheerleaders are not just girls
Even women older than Swift admire her. Kathy Kosatz, a 45-year-old German, says the music is “wonderful and intimate at the same time,” adding that when listening to Taylor, “you feel as if you are alone in the room with her. She feels intimate and calm.” At the same time, pop music is catchy.”
Kossatz believes Swift’s success is due to the fact that her music connects with the most diverse people.
Other fans state that they admire the singer’s artistic independence.
She loves defending her rights
Even those who don’t care about her music are celebrating how Swift defended herself in a sexual assault case. Jo Shepherd, a fan from Great Britain, explains that she changed her mind about the artist when she appeared in court, and calmly and thoughtfully deconstructed the testimony of the person who put his hand under her skirt. “It was amazing and I was still relatively young,” he confirms.
Taylor Swift’s broad appeal, combined with her confidence and willingness to experiment and grow as an artist, will mean that this phenomenon isn’t going away any time soon, at least as long as fans can relate to her experiments and as long as she continues to do so. He surprised her followers with his music and photo.
(vt/ers)
