“It's Taylor Swift’s world, we’re just living in it.” This was a tweet I read back in October 2020 when I was doom-scrolling through X (then Twitter). This tweet caught my attention because of the hyperbole — used by a Swiftie (Taylor Swift fan). Cut to 2023. The statement doesn’t seem that hyperbolic any more. What felt like an exaggeration in 2020 feels like a fact in 2023. This year, in my opinion, has undoubtedly belonged to Taylor Swift. It's now her Era (pun intended), and we’re simply lucky enough to be part of it.
Swift, who was recently named TIME’s Person of the Year and ranked fifth in the Forbes list of World’s Most Powerful Women, saw unprecedented success as an artist in 2023. Her Eras Tour, celebrating her 10 studio albums, became the highest-grossing tour of all time with an estimated $1 billion, at least, as per Pollstar. With this, Swift displaced British legend Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which had grossed about $939 million. Swift also released a movie version of her concert, known as a concert film, in October which raked in $250 million globally.
Swift was the most-played artist of 2023 on Spotify and Apple Music. With a staggering 26.1+ billion streams on Spotify, she dethroned Puerto Rican reggaetón star Bad Bunny, who had held the coveted title for three years in a row. She also became the first artist ever to have five albums in Billboard 200’s Top 10, while still alive, and went on to earn the coveted title of Billboard’s Top Artist of 2023. She was everything, everywhere, all at once.
Not just that, the Eras Tour also left its mark on social media, with trending hashtags and an enormous number of mentions. As per data from customer intelligence platform Sprinklr Insights, shared exclusively with CNBC-TV18, the Eras Tour has clocked almost 8.6 million mentions across different social media platforms since its announcement on November 1, 2022. Between November 19 and December 17, #tstheerastour has been the top hashtag on social media, with 1.87 million impressions, followed by #taylorswift at 3,86,320 impressions and #erastour at 3,15,320.
Source: Sprinklr Insights
Source: Sprinklr Insights
The Eras Tour Juggernaut and The Billion Dollars Club
Swift’s earnings from the billion-dollar Eras Tour and her music catalogue collectively catapulted her to the billionaires’ club, setting new benchmarks for financial success, with some calling her the ‘Queen of Pop’, a moniker which was long associated with Madonna.
The Era’s Tour juggernaut raged throughout the year, smashing ticket sales records, boosting the economies of every city that was a part of the tour, and even causing a minor earthquake.
Every city that hosted the tour got a bump in its local economy, with fans spending on everything ranging from hotels, transportation, and Swift memorabilia, to food and drinks. As per QuestionPro, the tour is estimated to have added $5 billion to the US economy. The craze to be a part of this tour was such that many of her fans, who weren’t lucky enough to get tickets, took up jobs or volunteered at the venues, as per a Washington Post report. People wanted to be at her show and they wanted it bad!
Why did the Taylor Swift mania peak in 2023?
As per sociologist Dr Rituparna Patgiri, the answer lies in what Swift represents, musically, ideologically, and politically, and fear of missing out (FOMO). “Over the years, Swift has become a strong symbol of white feminism, especially with the kind of politics and acceptable feminism that she represents. Also, now, there is a greater acceptance of a female hero, which the world found in her. Her politics is very likeable – she tweeted in support of Black Lives Matter, and she has been a staunch opponent of former US president Donald Trump. Also, she attended a fundraiser in support of Palestine. So her politics is seen as progressive,” said Patgiri.
Patgiri highlighted another aspect that fuelled the frenzy –FOMO and not being included in one of the hottest topics of the year. “People always want to be a part of things and discussions which are popular and they don’t want to miss out. That is one of the key reasons driving the frenzy. Something similar was observed a few years back with Game of Thrones, where people watched it just because they wanted to know what was happening and be a part of the discourse. Sociologically speaking, music, art, and pop culture are great icebreakers and conversation starters, hence the intensifying craze behind Taylor Swift and her tour,” added Patgiri.
Conclusion
Over the last decade, Swift has made a strong impact on the musical landscape and the world of pop culture and has grown from strength to strength. Her music, lyrics, tonality, as well as her personal life, have been under intense scrutiny by fans, critics and the media. She has been trolled and turned into memes, and her lyrics have been taken out of context and turned into jokes, but nothing broke her momentum — the year gone by is a testament to that. This year was when she peaked. The Eras Tour and the madness around it is, in my opinion, the true reflection of the world celebrating an artist, their art and the connection they have with their fandom. Not many artists are lucky enough to experience this kind of admiration. Not many artists manage to stay this relevant after being in the industry for close to two decades, and that’s exactly what makes Swift special and the unstoppable force that she has proved to be this year.
(Edited by : Vijay Anand)
First Published: Dec 18, 2023 5:08 PM IST
