With a prolific musical output, a remarkably bankable tour, and a name that’s headline catnip, it’s no surprise that Time Magazine has declared 2023 the Year of Taylor Swift.
In its annual issue honoring a Person of the Year, Time Magazine called Taylor Swift a “rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story.” With nearly two decades into her career, the 33-year-old’s star simply keeps rising.
Swift is smashing industry records and her conversation-commanding “Eras” tour is set to bring in an estimated $2 billion in revenue, becoming the first tour to cross the symbolic $1-billion mark. With hundreds of millions of social media followers and a staunchly loyal fan base, she can move any dial with the tiniest of efforts.
“Taylor Swift found a way to transcend borders and be a source of light,” said Time Editor in Chief Sam Jacobs. “Much of what Swift accomplished in 2023 exists beyond measurement.”
By some estimates, her sprawling empire is worth more than $1 billion, and the massive $92.8 million opening this fall of her tour-documenting film is but another jewel on the artist’s crown. The movie’s advance ticket sales topped $100 million worldwide, making it the best-selling feature-length concert film in history.
Swift’s blossoming romance with Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce has also brought the NFL a whole new wave of fans, as her hundreds of millions of social media followers track the couple’s every move. However, Swift is no stranger to having her dating life broadcasted to the world.
“There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once,” she said of the current frenzy around her game-day appearances. “I’m just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”
After winning a mainstream audience for her introspective country songs, Swift went full pop for her fifth studio album, “1989”. It was a moment that saw her seemingly reach her zenith, an imperial phase, as she called it in Time.
However, the years that followed grew increasingly taxing as the public grew weary of constant attention on her, at a moment before US society had re-examined its hyperfixation on and criticism of young female celebrities. Her media-hyped feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian only added to the scrutiny.
Amidst the difficulties, Swift signed a major new deal with Universal, granting her more agency and ownership of her own work. But her relationship with her former label, Big Machine Records, haunted her as the sale of her catalog to a private equity firm triggered a massive dispute over musicians’ rights.
Swift publicly assailed her former label head, Scott Borchetta, as well as her former manager, Scooter Braun, who acquired her catalog, as a “manipulative” bully who took advantage of her professionally when she was a fledgling star.
Her response to the situation marked a bold new era of Swift’s career. She released “Taylor’s Version” of her old albums, re-recording her early hits to regain control over her music and ensure that she benefits from its commercial success.
Taylor Swift’s journey is a testament to her resilience, talent, and determination. From her early days as a country singer to becoming a global pop sensation, she has consistently pushed boundaries and championed the rights of artists.
As Time Magazine rightly declared, Taylor Swift is a rare person who is not only the writer and hero of her own story but also a source of inspiration and empowerment for millions around the world.
Source: The Manila Times
