Taylor Swift isn’t just a musician- she’s a cultural force shaping the world in ways far beyond the charts. With more than 250 songs, 11 studio albums, 4 re-recorded albums, 5 EPs, and 4 live albums, Swift has had a highly successful career. So how exactly has Ms. Swift impacted the world we live in today?
Who is Taylor Swift?
Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13th, 1989 in West Reading, Pennsylvania. She has a brother named Austin Swift, and her parents are Scott and Andrea Swift.
Swift signed her first record deal with Big Machine Records in 2005 at the age of 15. Big Machine Records limited her control over her work, taking all the profit off of her music. She released 6 studio albums with this record label until her contract finally set her free. She then signed with Republic Records, who allowed her much more freedom and rights over her music. She started re-recording her previous albums instead with Republic Records, and claiming it as “Taylor’s Version”.
Taylor Swift embarked on her musical journey as a country star. She then evolved into the pop sensation that she is today. ‘Red’ was the first album that deviated from the country music she normally made, involving themes of rock and pop. This served as a transition to her first ‘real’ pop album, 1989. Swift’s music ranges from country to pop to folk, and she has been praised for this ability to switch genres without losing her fans. Common themes in Taylor Swift’s music include love, loss, and change. She uses her music to speak about various issues. Her music undoubtedly speaks to her fans, because as of July 2024, Taylor Swift has over 85 billion streams on Spotify.
Philanthro-swift
Despite all her success; Swift has shown her altruism with her money. Throughout her career, Swift has been generous with her fame. She has supported countless causes, charities, and struggling individuals. While on her Speak Now Tour, the famous singer gave 6,000 books to the Reading Public Library in the town where she grew up. This donation was targeted towards young children and teenagers. Swift has also donated to many food banks, including Arizona Food Bank Network, Feeding Tampa Bay, and the Trussel Trust. She has also donated to help students, by offering a lucky fan some help with student loans, and by contributing $50,000 in song proceeds to New York City Schools during her 1989 tour. Other causes she has donated to were to survivors of sexual assault, such as the Joyful Heart Foundation and RAINN. There are numerous other charities and causes Swift has contributed to, but another well-known contribution from Taylor Swift was her song “Ronan”. The artist released the song in honor of a little boy named Ronan who fought a fatal Neuroblastoma. Back in 2011, his mother Maya kept a blog following Ronan’s cancer treatment. It shared her and her family’s situation and struggle. He passed away on May 9, 2011. After following and reading the blog, Swift invited Maya to a concert and talked to her about Ronan. Swift wrote a song for him, performed it during the “Stand UP 2 Cancer” TV benefit, and donated all her proceeds from the track to cancer charities. Taylor Swift has given over $100 million to charity in total.
A Cultural and Social Icon
Taylor Swift’s cultural and social impact does not go unnoticed. Swift uses her music as a vessel for change. While many people believe the misconception that Taylor Swift ‘only writes about break-up songs’, this is very much untrue. Swift has many songs that advocate for change. For example, her song “The Man” discusses feminism and addresses how society treats women and men differently. Swift challenged societal sexist double standards. She has also written music advocating for LGBTQ rights, such as her song “You Need to Calm Down”. Her documentary Miss Americana documents her journey from a pop star to a vocal advocate for social and political rights.
Taylor Swift has also become a role model for other artists. Especially with her current Eras Tour, Swift has helped smaller artists to reach a wider audience. Many artists, such as Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Phoebe Bridgers, Maisie Peters, and more have become more successful because of Taylor Swift opening doors to a larger audience for them.
Although she isn’t even in the Football industry, Taylor’s impact on the NFL should not go unnoticed either. Taylor Swift and Chief’s Football Player Travis Kelse have been dating since the summer of 2023. Ever since Swift started being seen in stadiums across the US to watch games instead of only performing, everything from viewership to sales has increased.
In her Political Era
Taylor Swift’s fans value her opinion very much. They listen to what she has to say. She first started voicing her opinions about politics about 2 years after Donald Trump was elected in 2016. She endorsed Democratic candidates for Senate and House of Representatives in an Instagram post. After she prompted fans to sign up in 2023, Vote.org reported a 22.5% increase in voter registrations. On September 10th, 2024, Swift endorsed Kamal Harris, posting a message on Instagram, again prompting people to vote. She posted a link to Vote.gov, and about 406,000 people opened it within 24 hours of Swift posting it. 27,000 people registered to vote, and 80,000 others verified their existing registrations. Taylor Swift’s impact on voter engagement is beyond doubt.
Swift occasionally writes about political issues in her music as well. One of her songs released in 2018, called “Only the Young” addresses the issue of politics, gun violence, and its impact on the young people of America. This political anthem encouraged young adults to use their voices to fight for what they believe. “So every day now/You brace for the sound you’ve only heard on TV/You go to class, scared/Wondering where the best hiding spot would be.”
Swiftly Boosting Economies
Taylor Swift’s world tours have left huge bearings on the places she’s been to. In 2023, Swift set forth for her Eras Tour. This series of performances has become the highest-grossing tour of all time- with a profit of more than $1 billion so far. The Covid-19 pandemic caused the tourism industry to suffer considerably. Around 54,000 fans attended each concert in the US leg of her tour. They traveled to different cities where the concerts were hosted and disbursed money for hotels, transportation, food, and merchandise. This all helped to bring local tourism of cities back to life. One study showed that the average Eras Tour attendee spends around $1,327.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour hasn’t only impacted the US economy; it has had similar effects on other economies as well. Her performance in Tokyo was predicted to gross $228 million for Japan’s economy. Her visit to Mexico City was anticipated to pull more than $59 million. For the 2024 UK leg of the tour, numerous hotels were completely sold out before 2023 even ended.
Fame, Fortune, and Footprints
Not all of Ms. Swift’s choices have impacted our world positively. Taylor Swift has faced much criticism regarding her environmental impact. In 2022, Swift made headlines after a report by Yard, a sustainability marketing firm, claimed that her private jet was the biggest celebrity polluter at the time, emitting over 8,000 metric tons of CO2 in a year. However, Swift’s team responded stating that accusing her of all the emissions is not accurate because the jet is often loaned out to others. Like many celebrities, Swift’s luxury lifestyle leads to a much higher carbon footprint than others.
Her Legacy
Taylor Swift’s influence extends far beyond her music. From reshaping the entertainment industry to inspiring political activism and sparking debates on environmental responsibility, she has touched not only the music industry but the world at large. Whether through her powerful lyrics, her philanthropic efforts, or the controversies she faces, Swift’s actions continue to catch our globe’s attention. Taylor Swift’s legacy is still being written, but there’s no doubt that her impact will be present in our society for years to come.
