Taylor Swift, queen of pop American, today he turns 35. Born on 13 December 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania, debuted as a country artist in 2006 with his first self-titled album: Taylor Swift. But the turning point came in 2008 with Fearless, which established her at an international level thanks to successes such as Love Story e You Belong with Me. In 2014, with the album 1989, he moved into the pop genre, giving the public hits such as Shake it off e Blank Space. Since then, he has never stopped evolving, moving between musical genres and collecting records and awards.
Today, with a net worth of $1,6 billion, Taylor Swift is the richest female singer in the world. She is the only artist to have simultaneously placed 10 albums on the Billboard 200. Her Eras Tour, which ended a few days ago, was the most profitable tour in history, with record grosses of over 2 billion dollars and a economic impact of over 5 billion on the GDP of the United States. But what makes Taylor Swift so unique? She's hardly the first American pop star with a good voice and an impeccable marketing team. So the question is: what is it about her that makes her so irresistible?
Taylor Swift, an unprecedented storyteller
Claudio Giunta, one of the most important Dante scholars in Italy, as well as a declared swifties – that's what Swift's fans call themselves – recently wrote on her blog: “The truth is that Taylor Swift has something that other pop geniuses don't have, or not to this extent: she has a superhuman talent in songwriting”. In addition to her incredible ability to tell stories, Swift stands out for her ability to create songs that, while born from personal and intimate experiences, deeply resonate with everyone who listens to them. Her writing manages to blend the particular and the universal.
As Stephanie Burt, who teaches a course on the American singer-songwriter at Harvard, points out: “Taylor has become an icon for her ability to be both inspirational is relatable, creating songs that his fans can see as a reflection of themselves, but also as an ideal version of who they would like to be.
Taylor Swift, in generational anthems the key to her success?
Giunta also writes that many of Swift's songs do not speak of an "I" or a "you", but of a "we", creating real generational anthems. Taylor manages to build a collective that celebrates not so much his personal success, but the power of a shared experience. Attending his concerts is not simply attending a performance, but be part of a cultural movement that unites people. In a post-pandemic world, Taylor Swift has managed to tap into the deep need for community, allowing her fans to feel part of a group that shares languages and symbols. An example? The exchange of friendship bracelets at her concerts, bracelets decorated with the titles of her songs or albums.
Taylor Swift and the Gamification of Music
The bracelets, in fact, are connected to another fundamental aspect of Swift's music: theinteractive . Taylor builds a complex and intriguing universe around herself, which fans can decipher and discover only by delving into the lyrics of her songs, observing every detail of her social media posts, her outfit and her music videos. It’s a collective game where Swift’s every move is watched and interpreted by fans, who then share theories about future releases and the meaning behind her songs. Each of Swift’s 11 albums represents an era, a phase in the singer’s life, hence the name of the tour: The Eras Tour, a journey through Swift’s musical evolution. Each song links to another, creating an exclusive world of characters and places that only Swifties have access to. Active fans become part of a unique, dynamic and ever-evolving experience.
Taylor Swift is now a cultural phenomenon that transcends music. Just think of the numerous analyses released in recent months dedicated to theArtist's impact on US elections after his endorsement in favor of Kamala Harris: how many voters will he be able to move, many have wondered before Donald Trump brought home the victory in a clear manner? Well, perhaps it is on the political level that the influence of theblond hurricane It has been widely overestimated, imagining that it could make a difference especially among young people. This has not been the case.
It is true that – regardless of the electoral result – his texts are designed to be read, interpreted and dissected, so much so that they have inspired at Harvard a class entitled “Taylor Swift and her World”, which explores the microcosm of the American singer-songwriter, where every fan finds a piece of themselves. And Taylor is grateful.
