Despite what haters think, Taylor Swift still makes the “whole place shimmer”.
With over 105 million monthly listeners on Spotify, it’s baffling to see people still argue and water-down Taylor Swift’s impact on not just the music industry, but pop culture itself.
From sold out stadiums to iconic award-show moments, Taylor Swift has revolutionized the idea of a pop star. Her fanbase is far from low-key, and it is for a reason. Swift’s musical brilliance and global fan base make her one of the largest influences on pop culture and music today.
Her most recent “Eras Tour” generated 2 billion dollars in ticket sales alone, and is meant to pay homage to her iconic albums and their re-recordings. Despite what many believe, though, Taylor’s tour did not just benefit her.
It was reported that Taylor Swift gave over 195 million dollars in bonuses to all of her Eras Tour employees, giving one employee a 100,000 dollar bonus with a hand-written note and bouquet of flowers. She gave each of her equipment truck drivers a 100,000 dollar bonus as well.
The economic impact was felt by entire cities that she performed in each leg of her tour. Melbourne reportedly generated 1.2 billion Australian dollars, London generated 300 million pounds, California made 320 million dollars and countless other cities also reported experiencing tremendous economic boosts as Taylor came through their city.
So, while some claim that Taylor Swift is “stuck-up” or too far removed from her fan base to understand just how much income she generates, the singer-songwriter has been more than generous with her earnings.
Many also make the argument that Taylor’s songs are recurrently male-centered and lacking in substance or value, and while these are only her most popular songs, there are also many other female artists who do the same.
Sabrina Carpenter just recently released her album “Man’s Best Friend,” which features over 10 songs that either center around or mention a guy. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sabrina’s music too, I’m just saying it’s a bit hypocritical to bash on Taylor but not Sabrina when it comes to male-focused music.
Additionally, reporters have consistently pushed the narrative onto Taylor Swift that she is “boy-crazy,” even from an extremely young age.
In a 2015 Grammy Awards interview, reporter Nancy O’Dell asked Taylor Swift if she would be going home with “lots of men” that night, to which Taylor replied, “I won’t be going home with any men. I’m going out with friends and then home to my cats.”
When you take a look at the songs that have gone the most viral — “Blank Space,” “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” — they are consistently male-centered.
Her true fans know that her music is much more than songs about the latest teen heartthrob or her recent heartbreak. Her album, Folklore, features an intricate and well thought out story about three characters: Betty, Augustine and James. The songs tell a beautiful story about infidelity, teen romance and innocence.
Taylor’s song “Dorothea,” rumored to be about her friendship with Selena Gomez, describes a narrator telling a story of her childhood best friend who moved to Hollywood to pursue her dreams of fame and glamour.
Other songs such as “Ronan” and “Marjorie” feature important people to Taylor, aside from romantic partners.
Swift was inspired to write the song “Ronan” after reading a deeply moving blog post by the boy’s mother, who described how her son had passed after battling stage four cancer. Taylor used direct quotes from the blog in her song, even crediting Ronan’s mother as a co-writer on it, ensuring financial support for the mother as she was going through this difficult time.
“Marjorie” is featured on the album Evermore, and is a tribute to Swift’s grandmother and opera singer Marjorie Finlay. In the song, Taylor discusses how she wished she would have treasured all the time and memories she had with her grandmother because she didn’t know how short it would all feel.
An excerpt of one of her grandmother’s performances can also be heard in the background towards the end of the song.
Taylor’s discography includes dozens of other songs that truly capture the beauty of female friendship and childhood innocence, proving that she is not limited to songs about boys, boyfriends or husbands.
She’s also extremely connected to her fanbase and remains transparent through interviews, podcasts, and documentaries. In 2020, Swift released the “Miss Americana” documentary on Netflix, where she discussed a range of personal topics from her childhood to her political views.
She is now releasing a new documentary on Dec. 12 titled “The End of an Era” on Disney+. The six-episode series will cover behind-the-scenes footage from her multi-million dollar Eras tour and give fans a glimpse into all that goes into a global tour.
It’s time to put a stop to the Taylor hate-train. Her musical talent, lyrical genius, and immense platform growth make her stand out in the music industry. There’s no need to hate on another female artist on top, and she’ll probably just shake it off anyways.