Unless you have been living under a rock for the past decade, at some point you must have heard of a singer songwriter named Taylor Swift.
During the past couple of years, Swift has been front and center in many headlines, at events held by the entertainment industry, and most recently (and somewhat controversially), football games.
She has an undeniably huge fan base who have dubbed themselves “Swifties.” If you have ever encountered a Swiftie, they are often a fierce bunch who will defend Taylor to the ends of the earth.
Although Swifties are an intensely loyal group, some of you may be asking yourselves, “Why?” What is so special about Swift that people listen to her entire 243 song catalog on repeat for days, weeks and even months? She sings about being accused of putting “narcotics into all of my songs, and that’s why you’re still singing along.” Taylor explains in her song “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” from her most recent album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Some facts about Swift that may have a hand in contributing to her longevity and popularity have to do with her public persona and reputation. She has repeatedly come back from attacks on her character. Other celebrities have tried to destroy her “Big Reputation” through the press, and although some of these attempts have been successful for periods of time, Taylor’s truth has eventually been heard, even if it takes years to surface.
In 2016, Kanye West famously (pun intended) released a video of himself speaking with Taylor Swift on the phone. The video he released made it look as though he and Taylor discussed a line about her in his upcoming track “Famous.” In Kanye’s version of the video, it appeared that Taylor was in full agreement with the lyrics. However, quite some time later, an unedited version of the video was released which revealed that Taylor was in fact not made aware of some important words he uses to reference her in the song. When the initial video, released by Kanye and Kim Kardashian came out, many of Taylor’s fans turned on her, even making #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty trending on what was then known as Twitter.
This may be reminiscent of one of Taylor and Kanye’s first interactions. Some may remember the 2009 VMA’s when Taylor Swift won Best Female Video. Kanye notoriously got up on stage and took the microphone out of her hand declaring “Imma let you finish.” But then went on to talk about how Beyonce should have won. Beyonce later demonstrated the utmost graciousness by coming out on stage and giving her own time back to Taylor Swift so Taylor could finish her acceptance speech.
Besides being the subject of much controversy – celebrity feuds, jet fuel pollutants, etc, she has also been praised for her treatment of fans and employees, as well as her humanitarian acts. She has been known to stalk the internet to find the most dedicated Swifties and has even invited them to her house to hold a secret studio session prior to the release of her “1989” album. More recently, it was reported that she gave the truck drivers who transported her stage set on the Era’s tour bonuses of $100,000 to $200,000. She also donates to the local food banks of every city she has toured in for the past couple years, and most recently donated $10 million dollars to victims of the California fires.
Taylor is also known to play games with her fans, sending them on scavenger hunts for Easter eggs, hidden themes and meanings. These Easter eggs are relating to when she may release new music, videos, go on tour and things of that nature. She has been working on re-releasing some of her old music that she recently retained ownership of, and fans love to “clown” about possible hidden meanings in Swift’s imagery in music videos, clothing choices, and even nail polish colors.
Are these reasons significant enough to declare Taylor Swift as a bigger star than the Beatles? I spoke with some Swifties, and Non Swifties alike, and here is what they had to say.
Nanci Lopez, a 40-year-old office manager who loves artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Harry Styles, Eminem, Jay Z, Bon Jovi and Ed Sheeran, said that she “dislikes how Taylor presents herself. She seems like a fraud with a good girl persona and seems disloyal because she switches her friends.”
Lopez believes Taylor is still so popular because she is the “pretty, popular girl you loved to hate in high school. It’s hard not to pay attention to her.” Lopez admitted to never listening to a full album by Taylor Swift, but states that she does like some songs she has heard on the radio, such as “Bad Blood,” “Cruel Summer” and “Love Story.”
“Taylor is talented, she’s just overplayed and not my vibe. She’s the Beyonce of pop,” Lopez said.
Kris Gessman who goes by they/them pronouns also said they are not a fan of Taylor. Gessman denies liking any of her songs, saying they have “always been meh in my opinion.” However, Gessman has been impressed by Swift’s charity work.
“While not the biggest fan of her music, her humanitarian efforts are amazing,” Gessman said. Gessman attributed Taylor’s long-term popularity to fans being “obsessed with who she’s dating and who her next album will be about,”.
Gessman enjoys other artists such as Linkin Park, Nordic artists, Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter.
Self-proclaimed Swiftie, sings a different Swift tune. Dodge, who is the program educator at a residential facility for children and adults with disabilities, remembers first hearing Taylor perform in 2007 when she opened for another artist at Bethel Woods in Woodstock, New York. Before this day, she did not know who Taylor was, but said she was “hooked immediately.”
Dodge says that, although she identifies as a Swiftie, she recognizes the extremes some of the fans go to. “I do get into the theories and such but also take a step back sometimes and think logically,” Dodge said. She appreciates Taylor for both her music and public persona, acknowledging that the music is great, but hearing about the good deeds Taylor does is what helps maintain her fan status.
Dodge deduces Taylor’s ability to maintain longevity in an industry that is notorious for chewing artists up and spitting them out, comes from the fact that Taylor is viewed as a genuine person. “You don’t ever hear a person that has actually interacted with her have anything bad to say. She also connects with fans and always gives them the best of her,” Dodge said.
Dodge explained that Taylor’s song ‘White Horse’ means a lot to her because when it came out, she was going through a tough breakup, and that song helped her realize the relationship wasn’t the fairytale she was hoping for. Some of Dodge’s other musical tastes are artists such as Zach Bryan, Drake, and Sabrina Carpenter.
Whether you love Swift, hate her, or love to hate her, the fact is that she is an anchor in today’s music industry. She has a loyal fan base, writes music that evokes intense emotions in her listeners and perpetually does good things for others. Even though some may say she is not a genuine person and many of her good deeds are for publicity, at least she is doing good. She consistently makes the effort to be kind in a world that is in desperate need of more kindness.
Taylor is more than who she dates, what relationships she is writing about and who is currently part of her famous “squad.” She has had entire college courses dedicated to analyzing her poetry and seems to never run out of ideas for songs that can make you dance, scream, laugh or have you curled up in a ball in the corner of your room, bawling your eyes out. Artists with that type of versatility are rare. While Taylor may consistently get hate for even the simplest things she does, such as attend a football game her boyfriend is playing in, she must expect to be hated to some degree. In the words of the singer herself, “People throw rocks at things that shine.”
The most dedicated Swifties will likely continue to eagerly await any music released by Taylor, even if that means it is an old album, re-recorded as “Taylor’s Version.” Although Taylor Swift may be profiting by re-releasing old albums, but she incentivizes fans to buy the new versions by including bonus tracks that didn’t make it on the original’s, new cover art and even giving fans insight into her song writing process with notes and sometimes recordings of her writing certain songs. Taylor Swift seems to know what her fans want, and she often delivers in creative and evocative ways, ensuring loyalty from many Swifties for years to come.
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