The world is going crazy for Taylor Swift, which means that anyone who writes, whether for an audience or for themselves, has at some point been ontologically required to write how they feel about the global superstar. I thought now was as good as ever to throw in my two cents.
There are multiple ways to dissect Ms Swift. First off, she is a musician and a performer. Her songs aren’t my go to – you rarely hear me say “Hey Alexa, play some Taylor Swift” – but when they do inevitably reach my eardrums, I usually enjoy them. Enjoy is the operative word; her songs about breaking up with boys or being uninvited don’t speak to me in the way some people seem mesmerised by her wordsmithery. She is a good singer, with some very catchy songs, who is a great performer, seems likeable and is strikingly attractive. It isn’t surprising that she has become a mega star; the winds are at her heels.
But while this is rarefied air, she isn’t alone. Lots of people like Beyonce, who is arguably a better singer, a much better dancer, seems like a nice person, has catchy(ier?) songs and is also attractive. But while still incomprehensibly popular, Taylor seems to have gone the step beyond. The Eras Tour, her current global jaunt, has made the 34 year old a billionaire, and become, for once correctly used, a sensation. We have heard stories of Taylor’s concerts causing economic booms for the cities they are in; others have experienced short-term inflationary impacts. Leaders and policy makers must be salivating; all the benefits of an Olympics, but only needing to add some extra seating to your nearest stadium and making sure the diet cokes are on ice before the show. The cost-benefit analysis must be breathtaking.
So that’s the what, now for the why (or at least my thoughts on the matter). First off, it’s not the boyfriend. While Travis Kelce is a star of the NFL, he isn’t a super star. He’s not a LeBron James, Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo level player or personality; he’s a good player with a funny podcast who dates Taylor Swift. I could see the power-couple explanation be more cogent had her boyfriend been a true out-of-the-box relationship, the aforementioned stars for example, or if it turns out she was secretly having an affair with Obama. For now, I will add the boyfriend as a bonus, but not the full piece of the puzzle.
Instead, I believe that we are seeing is a replication of the 1964 Beatles World Tour, where what was a great band created a virtuous cycle of hype that became self-reinforcing. Sure, going to see The Beatles would have been great, but when you have politicians, media figures, economists, and even bloggers (!) pumping out articles, thought pieces, white papers and the like, the more the intensity goes up. You read articles about how 25% of Australians were in the ballot for tour tickets, or how someone resold a single ticket for $35k, and all of a sudden, YOU need to be part of the movement. This is your revolution, your storming of the Bastille, your Boston Tea Party.
At least it feels like that, for some. Personally, I think I’ll just bob my head when it come on in the grocery store.
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