In contemporary popular culture, there are numerous famous celebrities, such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Michael Jackson. However, few names shine as brightly as Taylor Swift. What makes Swift so famous? Her music is one of the most important reasons for her fame. Swift began professional songwriting at the age of 14 and has since won 12 Grammy awards from 46 nominations. She won her first Grammy when she was only 20 years old, and has sold over 200 million records worldwide. Although Taylor Swift's prominence in the music industry is undeniable, her popularity has reached an all-time high, leading many non-Swifties to question if her fame is “too much” or even potentially dangerous. 

What makes teenagers especially love her so much? Teenagers often seek role models who embody qualities they admire, and this is particularly true for teenage girls who value strong fashion sense. Given her blonde hair and slim figure, Taylor Swift is seen as embodying conventional Hollywood beauty standards. Because of her photogenic nature, she looks appealing in nearly every style. From preppy London girl to female rocker, she appears to adapt nicely to any environment or any trend.

However, Swift's style appears to shift with each relationship. When Swift was dating Joe Jonas, she was in her “Golden girl” period. With Jonas being all about looking suave, Swift followed suit in more glistening dresses. But when she started dating Tom Hiddleson, her fashion changed to an “English rose”, mirroring Hiddleston's persona. While some may praise her adaptability, others view it critically, suggesting it reflects a lack of personal identity, as her fashion seems to be influenced heavily by her partners' styles. In an era when young women worldwide are encouraged to be independent and embrace empowerment, it's concerning if they idolize someone whose self-expression appears contingent upon others (Hendricks, 2016).

Another key reason Taylor Swift resonates so deeply with teenagers is her ability to echo their personal experiences in her music. Her songs often explore various facets of love, a prevalent theme in many young girls' lives, which makes her music incredibly relatable to adolescents. Swift not only sings about love but also addresses other common challenges that teenage girls face, drawing from her own life experiences. For example, in her song "Bad Blood," she discusses feelings of betrayal, allegedly over Katy Perry. Such themes of betrayal, which are not only limited to romantic relationships but also extend to friendships, strike a chord with her audience, making her music a reflection of the experiences many teenagers go through (“10 different themes”). 

This relatability strengthens Swift's connection with her audience, providing reassurance to young girls that even someone as successful as she has encountered rejection and heartbreak. As a result, she transcends her celebrity status, becoming more like a trusted friend to many of her fans. Her approachable demeanor and the way she interacts with her fans as if they were her personal friends further enhance her appeal. In her hit song "Blank Space," Swift tackles societal double standards about dating, resonating with her female listeners who face similar challenges. Consequently, Swift is celebrated not only as a talented songwriter and singer but also as a fashion icon and a genuine friend to her fans. 

Despite Taylor Swift's numerous achievements and her positive public image, her influence over contemporary and previous generations has reached levels comparable to Michael Jackson's fame during his peak. This prompts some critical reflections: Should our generation be as engrossed with Swift as it currently is? Is it appropriate to teach young people that themes of dating and love are of utmost importance, potentially overshadowing self-improvement? Furthermore, should the idea be perpetuated that happiness primarily comes from romantic relationships, as might be interpreted from Swift's music? 

In Asian culture, the culture I am raised in, romantic love is typically seen as less critical compared to finding one's purpose and pursuing life goals. Parents often tell their kids that finding the purpose and a goal in life that they want to pursue should be prioritized. That is not to say that love is not important, but it should be something that happens when it happens rather than spending all of one’s time on it. Having an independent identity apart from one’s partner is vital in Asian culture, and because Asian culture tends to be more traditional, other types of love are emphasized too like friendship, and family, both of which are not covered by Swift. 

On March 17 and 18, 2023, Mayor Jerry Weiers of Glendale, Arizona officially renamed the city to “Swift City” to honor the kickoff of Taylor Swift’s the Eras Tour (Rowley, 2023). In the proclamation, Mayor Swiftie said Glendale is so "enchanted to meet [Swift]." Glendale also had digital billboards along the freeways and in Westgate Entertainment District, where State Farm Stadium is, welcoming fans to “Swift City”. Westgate bars and restaurants will also be serving Swift-themed menus (Rowley, 2023). 

A city has its own history and cultures, which is also what makes a city. The name of the city plays a huge role, so changing a city’s name would mean that the whole city's culture and history would change. According to the Historical Society, Glendale has an interesting history behind its name. During 1883-1885, Mr. W.J. Murphy built the Arizona Canal, and he sold land south of the canal in order to pay debt on the canal, referring to the area as “Glendale”', which means wooded valley or glen (Masley, 2023). The history behind the name is erased and forgotten by changing it for a celebrity’s arrival.

Another nearby city, Santa Clara, renamed the city to “Swiftie Clara” on July 28 and 29. The mayor of Santa Clara, Lisa Gillmore, announced, “The City of Santa Clara is proud to welcome Taylor Swift and Swifties from all over the world to celebrate The Eras Tour” (Larson, 2023). These are only some of the examples of which cities changed just for Swift. Although it is quite touching and very welcoming, it also cheapens the historical significance of the town’s name. Several other cities' official accounts and mayors also posted tweets on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram that they warmly welcome Taylor Swift’s arrival. 

It’s amazing to think how Swift, a single human being, can influence several cities to change their name. At the same time, isn’t this concerning? 

The average secondary market price of a ticket to the North American leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour was $3,801 as of July 10, as reported by Pitchfork using data from ticket analytics firm TicketIQ. It has increased 2321% since her 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour (Gendron, 2023). However, even though the ticket prices were so high, her tickets still sold out in one second. Many of her fans were not able to get a ticket to her concerts. However, they still managed to listen to the concert by listening to it in the parking lot. 

This commitment to Swift is further shown in academia. Stanford University is no stranger to Swiftie-designed classes. Next spring, Stanford will offer students the chance to study "The Last Great American Songwriter: Storytelling With Taylor Swift Through the Eras." For this course, students will dissect a different album each week, studying Swift's storytelling techniques through each era. Students will also examine each of her albums to learn about what that era or album represents in terms of its themes, motifs, and literary references within the songs. 

Other universities, such as Arizona State University, Rice University, and University of California, Berkeley, are also adding courses about Taylor Swift (Attridge). Although the course description is very similar to a literature class, where students analyze diction, figurative language, and themes, Swift’s lyrics also have no literary complexity to analyze. In her song, “Invisible String”, Swift writes, "Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven." (Swift). Meanwhile, the famous Edgar Allan Poe wrote in his “The Raven”, “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—” (Poe, 2022). Comparing these two quotes, they are completely incomparable. Poe’s alliteration and sophisticated vocabulary is superior to Swift’s lyrics.

All of these universities are the top universities in the country, and yet what can students actually learn from a class about a celebrity and her love life? What will students gain from this and what kind of jobs can they get in the future when they graduate? According to US NEWS, the top three current best jobs are software developer, nurse practitioner, and medical and health services manager (“100 best jobs”). Students who apply for these jobs will not benefit by studying a course about Swift. 

This level of fandom has never been achieved by other celebrities. It is reasonable for celebrities to be famous and loved because of their talent, but Swifties have gone to the level of fandom that is like worship. To worship someone means the ability to encourage a huge group of people to do the same behavior. For example, Swift’s new quarterback boyfriend has increased sales of his jersey. 

At this rate, Swift may end up having a church of her own, like Beyoncé, another female celebrity with similar fame as Swift (Beyoncé Mass). This suggests that people view Beyonce not as a normal human anymore, but they view her as a goddess. If this level of fandom continues, will Taylor Swift be next? Since Swift has already infiltrated our economy and our academics, will we also begin to worship her? Lastly, if she becomes our idol, then what will we become in the future and what will our romance-obsessed society look like? 

References

Attridge, Margaret. “These Colleges Have Taylor Swift Classes.” BestColleges.com, bestcolleges.com/news/these-colleges-have-taylor-swift-classes/. Accessed 18 April 2024.

“Average Resale Price for Taylor Swift Eras Tour Ticket Was $3,801.” Business Insider, 12 August 2023, businessinsider.com/resale-price-taylor-swift-eras-tour-reputation-ticket-pitchfork-report-2023-8. Accessed 18 April 2024.

Beyoncé Mass, beyoncemass.com/. Accessed 18 April 2024.

Larson, Amy. “Taylor Swift Santa Clara Mayor this weekend, city renamed in her honor.” KRON4, 18 July 2023, kron4.com/news/bay-area/taylor-swift-inspires-swiftie-clara-name-change/. Accessed 18 April 2024.

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.” Poetry Foundation, 3 October 2022, poetryfoundation.org/poems/48860/the-raven. Accessed 18 April 2024.

Rowley, Glenn. “Taylor Swift Honored With Arizona City Renamed After Her Ahead of Tour.” Billboard, 13 March 2023, billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-arizona-city-renamed-eras-tour-1235285285/. Accessed 18 April 2024.

“Swift City, AZ: Glendale rebrands in honor of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour launch this weekend.” AZCentral, 13 March 2023, azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/03/13/glendale-az-name-change-taylor-swift-eras-tour/69995759007/. Accessed 18 April 2024.

“Taylor Swift's style changes with every guy she dates.” New York Post, 30 June 2016, nypost.com/2016/06/30/taylor-swifts-style-changes-with-every-guy-she-dates/. Accessed 18 April 2024.

“Taylor Swift themes defined and explained with examples.” Literary Devices, literarydevices.net/10-different-themes-in-taylor-swift-songs/. Accessed 18 April 2024.

Wang, Vera, and Jamie Cuccinelli. “136 Best Taylor Swift Lyrics to Quote in Your Instagram Captions.” The Knot, theknot.com/content/taylor-swift-lyrics-captions. Accessed 18 April 2024.

“2024's 100 Best Jobs in America | Best Jobs Rankings | US News Careers.” US News Money, money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/the-100-best-jobs. Accessed 18 April 2024.