Taylor Swift emerged as one of the most influential artists when her debut album came out on October 24, 2006, almost 17 years ago. With nearly 100.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, she is the second-most famous artist in the world. The Eras Tour, her most recent stadium tour, has occupied headlines across social media. Her tour announcement in Nov. 2022 quickly became a headliner on Twitter.
Even though she is thriving as a musician, there has been a large amount of discourse over the quality of her work. Many people believe that Taylor Swift is “over-hyped” and not deserving of her celebrity status. In 2016, she released her album Reputation which was a reference to the hate and backlash she received after the 2009 VMAs, where Kanye West interrupted her speech by coming onto the stage and taking her mic. In her Netflix documentary “Miss Americana” released in 2020, Swift talks about her struggles with an eating disorder throughout her life. In the documentary, Swift opens up about her eating disorder and how she was affected “[About listening to Taylor Swift as a kid] For my younger sister it made her feel more confident, for sure.” says Eamonn Grubb ‘25. Taylor Swift influences young girls worldwide, and the impact that she has on the confidence of developing girls is prominent.
In Swift’s song “You’re On Your Own, Kid” Swift says “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it”. In response to this line, Swifties all over the country made friendship bracelets and traded them with strangers at the Eras Tour concert. Taylor Swift was spotted sporting friendship bracelets, along with members of her family and her personal security team. The Eras tour friendship bracelets brought the community of listeners together, whether that was with a certain section of the venue, or with Swift herself. The community of Taylor Swift fans created a safe environment for people to trade their bracelets, as well as to dress up in outfits representing their favorite Taylor Swift Eras. Violet Perloff ‘24 said that if she had been able to attend the tour, she would have loved to experience it. “Guys are the problem, and I need to stay true to myself. I don’t need to change for any man.” Says Ava Rubano ‘24. Ava said that Taylor Swift helped build her confidence as a kid, and helped her make friends. When asked to comment on Taylor Swift, Mr. Morton, a WFS history teacher, said “What is clear, however, is that she inspires young people, and it would appear that she does serve as an inspiration to millions of young women.” Mr. Morton is popular throughout the WFS community for having strong opinions, and his opinion of Swift is surprisingly positive.
The question remains, however, is Taylor Swift’s dating history damaging to the movement that she stands for? Violet Perloff ‘24 says that the media will attack her for her “serial dating” regardless of her popularity. The music industry is a very competitive field, the rumors and dissatisfaction are sure to be persistent for any female artist in our current day and age.
