Surrounded by a sea of bracelet-clad wrists and outstretched hands, a lone figure cloaked in black emerges from the stage. Waves of sound are washed over with red light—a symbol for the fierce new image of Taylor Swift’s comeback album Reputation (2016). “Are you ready for it?” blares through the speakers, followed by three consecutive beats and plumes of smoke. Fans scream in adoration from the stands, from their seats, and from their screens. Everyone is ready for Taylor Swift.
Since the beginning of her career, the world has grown alongside Swift’s songwriting abilities and captivating artistry. Her position as a musician, which critics dubbed as the “Princess of Country” and “Queen of Pop,” encompasses the wide variety of genres necessary to reach chart success. This innovation combined with the undeniable omnipresence she commands online launched Swift to teen idol status for our generation. Yet, her name in our mouths leaves an aftertaste that ranges from sweet to some, to sour to others.
“I can’t remember a day in the past year where I didn’t listen to or talk about Taylor Swift,” said Erin Yeung, a junior who adopted the honorary “Swiftie” title in 2022. “I don’t exaggerate when I say I see her everywhere. Is someone wearing all black today? Reputation! Is someone buying a red scarf? Re-e-e-ed!”
The reference Yeung made was of the sing-songy anthem fans created to memorize Swift’s many album names. The anthem holds a catchy tune that even I, a rock and rap listener, could not resist; there is an inexplicable addictiveness behind how Lover-r-r-r rolls off the tongue and how evermore floats in the air. Although I was only familiar with the nostalgia-inducing hits “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space,” Swift continues to occupy a space in my periphery.
The best explanation for this phenomenon—aptly referred to as the Taylor Swift Effect—lies in a churning social media machine that exceeds in capturing our attention through its accessible nature. Swift has over 1.5 billion Google search results, 32 billion YouTube views, and 279 million Instagram followers. She was named the number one global artist on Spotify’s 2023 Wrapped, where she amassed 26.1 billion streams on the platform alone. On TikTok and Twitter, the numbers are even more jaw-dropping. Most interestingly, the Wikipedia article solely documenting her cultural impact is nearly 70 pages long.
“She has made herself so relevant in the media, it’s hard to ignore her at this point,” Yeung said.
There is a question of whether Swift’s cementation as a pop icon reflects the state of pop culture today—or is it the other way around? As the subject of girlhood, girlbosses, and the “Era of the Girl” are transformed into trends rampaging TikTok and our vocabulary, the social shift faces the same misogynistic backlash Swift is familiar with herself. Yet, this is also what continues to generate conversation and, subsequently, interest.
“I think especially since she has obtained fame at such a young age and also just being a woman in a patriarchal society, people find ways to turn her into someone she’s not and take her down,” Yeung said.
Senior Alexis Dorf, another longtime Swiftie, added, “Everything is amplified on social media. What keeps me a fan is her powerful feminine presence.”
Dorf also noted Swift as being akin to a being “big sister”: “She’s a huge part of my childhood. I grew up listening to her, and for that she’ll always have a special place in my heart. Her music has gotten me through really rough times. Also, she inspires me to be the best version of myself.”
Swift’s extensive discography offers a compelling sentimentality for the past, in addition to safe escapism for the present. Away from our tests and assignments awaits a reel of her newest Eras Tour performance or a post from her recent magazine shoot. Her songs about relationships, personal identity, and coming of age allow us to explore those worlds from a more experienced figure. Our development in tandem with hers, albeit one-sided, is a source of comfort and inspiration.
“She’s just like all of us,” junior Jaden Liu said when asked why he habitually returns to Swift. “You can see every little fragment of us inside her, and it connects people to each other.”
“Taylor Swift is pretty much taking over the world at this point, socially and economically,” Yeung concluded. “Personally, I don’t see anything that can go wrong, but even if it does, I’m sure she’ll find a way to climb back to the top again.”
