Taylor Swift is a phenomenon. There are so many think pieces written about her, reels made and memes, along with edits. Countless edits. There are pieces which applaud her, break down her looks and her easter eggs. Others which accuse her of ruining football, covering up her private jet usage and supporting Biden.
It’s unclear to decipher whether the Taylor Swift conversation happening now is in support of the singer-songwriter (even labelling her as such feels weak), or means she is heading toward the same public backlash that caused her to write Reputation in the first place. Quite possibly, it’s both.
This weekend, I am going to see one of the three Taylor Swift shows in Melbourne. I am excited and incredibly stressed by the noise that surrounds this show. The bracelets, the costumes, the exclusivity surrounding what is an incredibly public event. When I first got tickets, I told no one. I was bothered by the fact that so many people were unsuccessful in getting them, that it felt wrong to say otherwise. It may seem silly, but I cannot wait till the music starts and we can settle into the music. The point in all this that seems to be lost.
Being a fan, and identifying as a fan, means that you perform (most likely) unpaid labour which bolsters up the economy of the fandom, asserts you as a fan and establishes a hierarchy within the fandom. A hierarchy, which continues due to the factors mentioned above. In the case of Swift, unpaid labour refers to beaded bracelet making, sourcing/making costumes and t-shirts, reposting content from Swift or about Swift or from other fans. Beyonce’s fans who refer to themselves as Beyhive have the ideal name as fan culture leans heavily on Pierre Levy’s idea of the hive mind. The idea behind this is that through a collective intelligence which collaborate and share knowledge. It is different to the idea that the fandom has one leader whose voice overrules all. Although sometimes it may feel like that.
To be a ‘good’ fan*, it helps to do the following:
· Build cultural capital. Pierre Bourdieu described cultural capital as ‘knowledge, skills, and other acquisitions’ in a certain context. To be a good fan, you must culminate and apply this knowledge e.g., share facts, news, content about your obsession.
· Be quick. You must watch, respond, and share content about your obsession quickly.
· Be multi-modal. A good fan will always watch, like, comment and share across platforms.
· Keep sharing. It’s not enough to keep the intel to yourself, you must share with other fans.
· Immerse yourself in the fandom. Always talk to other fans, online or off.
Naturally I am being facetious when I differentiate between good and bad fans. But in order to feel a sense of ownership and enjoyment in the fandom, the above qualities help. When it comes to Taylor, I react when anyone calls me a Swiftie, not for any embarrassment about loving Taylor Swift, but more to clarify that I am not on the same level as people who give themselves or receive that title. I know most of her songs, but not all. I don’t know the name of her cats or siblings, but I do know her birthday.
The current spotlight which is on Swift is exacerbated by her choices by her work ethic, and by her popular music. She has been in scandals and behaved in ways that people do and don’t agree with. As Anne Helen Petersen discussed in her piece Taylor Swift and The Good Girl Trap when we talk about Swift we are talking about Swift but also about what she represents, and who we are morally as a society. As Petersen states, ‘Because it’s about her, but it might also be about you, and it’s also not really about her or you, it’s about a whole group of people grouped with you simply because of their identity…’ Petersen goes on to make some excellent points about race, and the oversaturation of women which she makes much better than I could, so I encourage you to read it. But reality is, and this embodies the fact, I’m talking about the intensity of fan culture in amongst talking about interacting with Swift and paying attention to the rhetoric around Swift whilst questioning whether I need to buy merch before the concert.
By demonstrating my fandom, I am attempting to establish who I am in relation to other people but construct my identity through shareable touch points; we have the same taste, we can get along, this is something we share. By talking about Swift, I feel like I am talking about womankind. And even by typing that I am self-conscious that people will think that I think Swift is the embodiment of woman hood.
We have spoken before about the internet’s ability to force binary opinions. Swift is bad. Swift is good. Her music is great. I hate her. The internet also forces us to have an opinion where one isn’t necessary. For example, I cannot stand Travis Kelce and I hope they break up. Like who do I think I am?
Adding to the hysteria around Swift are the Swift adjacent or coded items/events. A high street retailer Sportsgirl is suddenly filled with diamante cowboy hats, pink glasses and lurex scarves amongst other accessories that emulate something Taylor has one once worn, or a person could wear if they were dressing in Taylor cosplay. They have then added items which one might wear out to a bridal shower or similar and suggested they’re part of ‘The Tour Edition’. Naturally no mention of Taylor has been made except for a ‘Taylor belt’. Similarly, a local shopping centre sent out marketing with the subject line ‘Swifties Take Over Eastland’. If this piece was taking more of a marketing focus, we could talk about brands attempting to stay relevant to the Eras tour coming to Australia by making somewhat loose connections. In last week’s piece we spoke about authenticity, and this feels strongly inauthentic, like how my gym put up decorations for Chinese New Year.
Declaring an interest or being a fan also relates to ideas around ownership of the commodity being discussed. Even if that commodity is a person. The title for today’s piece was inspired by the words of Apple Music’s Creative Director and co-head of Artist Relations Zane Lowe. If anyone has ever watched or listened to one of Lowe’s interviews, they would be familiar with his demeanour and approach. Establishing himself as a lover of music is key to this. He will often ask questions that start with ‘As a fan…’, ‘You know I’m a fan…’, or ‘I’m asking as a fan…’. Being a fan suggests dedication and admiration, it tips the scales of the power dynamic and allows for us to connect and share. It also opens us up to being sold to.
And when it comes to Swift, well I’m sure we’ll hear more about her as she continues to navigate whatever she chooses, and learn more about ourselves in the process.
*This list came out of my own Thesis research when I looked at how YouTuber’s make relationships with audience members to sell products.
Thanks for reading! I was unsure whether to write about Taylor, because so many people are writing about her and I was worried that this may not be for everyone. And it won’t be and that’s okay. If you read any great pieces about Taylor and/or fan culture feel free to share them in the comments. Ditto, if there is a particular topic you’d like to read about, it’d be great to learn what that is too.
Reading this from a Malibu Cafe.
What an amazing analysis of what it is to be a fan, and the required passion, energy and obligations around being regarded as a superfan.
Have a great gig…and share your outfit pics. Ha