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When thinking about today’s skyrocketing music industry there’s one singer everyone recognizes all too well: Taylor Swift. Discovered at 14, the now 33-year-old singer became a mastermind at taking the world by storm through her sensational musical and financial success. Though Swift’s musical and business attributes are definitively recognized, her role in changing the music industry and impacting women is her greatest underlying success, proving that everything has changed.
As a 12-time Grammy winner and the second most popular artist on Spotify with a current 100,662,824 monthly listeners, Swift’s musical success is non-negotiable. When Swift announced The Eras Tour on November 1st, 2022, it was bound to be record-breaking. Confirming these predictions, The Eras Tour is estimated to make 2.2 billion dollars in North American sales and is making a direct impact on the American economy. Taylor has yet to start her global journey for the tour which will also generate a multitude of success. With this exponential success people are left wondering: why is this specific singer so successful?
When faced with this question, HBHS student and full-time Swiftie Anya Zoltko offers an observational look on the singer. “The reasons have changed as she’s gotten older. When she was younger she was the ingénue of the industry, this new little country music music star and adorable little thing that was able to be molded and manipulated to what the industry wanted her to be,” said Zoltko. Unlike most singers, Swift starting her career at 14 is extremely unheard of due to the constant competition within the profession. “Once she realized she was getting more popular she allowed herself to transition into other genres that would make her more successful… she’s just a smart person and I think that’s what let her go where she wanted with her songwriting…something a lot of artists can’t do,” Zoltko adds.
Zoltko’s mention of Taylor’s interchanging of genres can be seen through Swift’s concept of Eras. Each “Era,” as Swift calls it, draws a different aesthetic and in some cases musical genre. For example, Swift’s album Speak Now is considered country, 1989 considered pop, while Folklore is considered indie-folk. It’s the unique use of “Eras” that singles her out from other artists and creates a never-before-seen fascination of creativity and fun in her fandom. “It’s just smart. It’s just a fun way to draw people in. You don’t see any other artist being like ‘Oh we’re going back to this era of my music’; she’s one of the first people to ever do that,” Zoltko adds.
With Swift’s success, musical talent, and combined creativity, she has become a prominent symbol for both women in the music industry and women in general. But why is this specific singer so utterly popular when it comes to women? “Honestly as a teenage girl, she’s just really relatable,” said fellow Swiftie and HBHS student Gaby Spear ’25. Many of Swifts songs touch upon everyday issues that teenage girls or women of all ages have experienced like love, high school, or the many expectations women face in life. “A lot of the things she says in her songs and what they’re about…it’s like there’s a song for everything. I feel like she’s just been in your shoes and knows what you’re feeling,” said Spear. Able to relate to why Swift holds a soft spot in many hearts, Zoltko appeals to the emotional toll Swifts music inspires. “It’s just that indescribable feeling of having somebody who gets you,” said Zoltko. Even though both interviewees are in the teenage girl category, their statements still help show why 52% of her fandom is women of all ages because they both mention girlhood, something every woman has experienced either good or bad.
In an industry that’s dominated by men, Swift’s success is rare as a woman, which is why she’s been a leading contributor in changing the music industry. Because of her popularity with women, the question, “is she a representation of what women are capable of?” is one that lingers in the heads of many. “She shows that as a woman she has the power to take back what was taken away from her. Also she’s so successful. She’s maximizing the success for herself and not caring what other people think and I feel like that’s a very important role model to have,” Zoltko said. Until Swift picks the tour back up in November after a long rest, fans are left pondering what the singer will achieve in their wildest dreams.
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