Inside Taylormania: What does it really mean to be a fan of the world’s biggest super-star?

Seventeen years on from the release of her first album (self-titled, Taylor Swift), Taylor Swift is bigger than ever. Existing in a glittery frenzy of red lipstick, camera flashes, break-up songs, and friendship bracelets, she is 55 shows into a record-breaking international stadium tour.

In between shows, Swift travels by private jet around the US to dine with stars, leaving crowds in hysterics as she- golden-skinned and almost-smiling- walks from cars into buildings. After her online ‘cancelling’ in 2016, it seemed impossible that she could fall back into public favour. Yet, not only has Swift managed this, but she has also reached a new height of public obsession (becoming a billionaire in the process). Her success is stratospheric—she is the superstar of superstars.

To try and find out what exactly it is that sets Taylor apart from other celebrities, I decided to spend some time with Swift Society. In late October, I attended the society’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) listening party. It took place in Academy 2, with over 100 attendees. The event was so popular that the society issued an apology on their Instagram to those ‘upset’ by the fact they could not get tickets. Luckily, I was able to attend thanks to a very kind invite from the committee, and went along, unsure of what to expect.

On the door, we were each given a handwritten card with a Taylor Swift lyric. Mine had a verse from Clean. I would have kept it had I not accidentally stained it with tomato sauce, which is ironic. With these notes, the decorations (including a photo backdrop), and free pizza, the effort that went into organising the event was evident.

I spent my time approaching various tables to talk to attendees. Striking up conversations with these strangers was unusually comfortable, as it was one of the kindest rooms that I have ever been in. This was a common answer when I asked people what it was that they liked about the society: “It’s Taylor Swift society, so you know everyone is going to be nice” / “Everyone is just nice” / “It’s very wholesome vibes here— everyone is nice”.

When I met with three committee members (Bea, Ella, Jess) a couple of weeks earlier, their answers were very similar; there was an overriding notion of ‘community’. Seeing how attendees communicated with inside jokes, song trivia, and general warmth means I can attest to this.

“When I was applying to uni,” said Bea, “my sister pointed out every uni in the country with a Taylor Swift society like ‘you have to go to one of these’. I just knew I’d get along with people. You know you will have loads in common: you have the same values.”

I can see how, with Taylor acting as a backdrop to conversation, real friendships form among the members. It was nice to be in a room where people were all there because of their shared adoration of something. I am not part of a fandom, so such a positive connection with strangers is not something I typically encounter. It was refreshing. Too often, we are defined by and positioned in relation to what we are against.

I asked if there was anything else I was missing by not being involved in a fandom.

Ella told me that it was, “community, and excitement because it’s just fun! You see the announcements, and then you can talk about it in group chats. You get to wake up at 5 a.m. for releases, and there is a big build-up. Last year, when Midnights was released, we had a listening party where we played Taylor Swift drinking games”.

Beginning university can often be a lonely experience. The fact that people could connect with an album and, by proxy, each other is surely only a good thing. But, on a wider scale, there are some interesting questions surrounding the ethics of being a Taylor Swift fan.

In my conversations with Swifties, there was a recurring idea of shared values among fans. Particularly, that a love of Taylor Swift could act as shorthand for having liberal political beliefs.

“She’s a feminist, she supports gay people, she hates racist people. In Miss Americana, she supports all the good things,” said a listening party attendee.

Miss Americana is the title of Swift’s 2020 Netflix documentary, in which she discusses feeling ready to voice her political opinions (anti-Trump, pro-LGBTQ+, feminist). With this, she used her social media accounts to urge her followers to register to vote, which was so successful that the effect was dubbed the ‘TSwift Lift’.

The documentary also included coverage on her 2019 single You Need to Calm Down which, along with its queer-themed music video, urged bigots to ‘calm down’.

However, Swift’s activism is often criticised online as performative. Given that she has recently become a billionaire, and her private jet carbon emissions alone are 1,928 times higher than the average global footprint, I can see why people think so.

“I don’t think any Taylor Swift fans outright support her flying everywhere, but I think it is made into a huge narrative to throw hate on her. I just think she is under a microscope,’” said Bea.

Swift is also seen to be a figure of ‘white feminism’, meaning that she only speaks out about issues that personally affect her, with little regard for intersectionality. If you search ‘Taylor Swift, white feminism’ online, you will find a myriad of criticisms, such as her silence on the overturning of Roe v Wade, or the suffering of women in Iran.

I am undecided on my opinion here. On the one hand, Taylor Swift’s platform is immense and powerful, so it seems like an untapped force for good. Recently, 35,000 people registered to vote after one Instagram story from Swift. When she decides to speak out, it does make a difference. On the other hand, I don’t know if I agree with the pressure on artists to be political activists. The line between ‘celebrity’ and ‘activist’ has been blurred, which can render political statements trite and glib.

“I think if she were to speak on issues that do not directly involve her, she’d get criticised for speaking out of turn,” said Jess, in reference to the internet’s tenacity for finding fault in everything.

Bea added, “I also think a lot of people put a lot of pressure on Taylor to be this know all about activism, but actually, she is a songwriter – she’s releasing music. When people complain that she isn’t speaking up about issues, I’m like, why do you need Taylor Swift’s opinion?”

Swift’s status as a billionaire, and her carbon emissions are, undeniably, unethical. But I find myself agreeing with the idea that to demand a perfect political figure of a singer-songwriter is unnecessary. I witnessed the sheer joy and connection fans of Taylor Swift experience because of her, and I think that is what good art should evoke. While Swift herself is less than perfect (in her song Anti-Hero, she declares, “I’m the problem, it’s me.”), her impact on pop culture is remarkable, and she has a very real positive impact on the lives of students at this university.