Blog 4 — Swift Nation
What does it mean to be a “Swifty”? Being a Swifty sounds pretty simple: a fan of Taylor Swift. However, there is so much more that goes into this “participatory culture” (Delwiche & Henderson). These super fans interact with her concerts, music, and video content in ways that are totally unique to her. They memorize chants, trade friendship bracelets, and curate outfits inspired by certain albums in her discography. They become invested in not only her music, but also the meanings behind them and her past relationships. This involves “easter eggs”: carefully placed hints to foreshadow another event. For example, it is theorized that Taylor Swift’s speech at New York University contained easter eggs for her newly released album “Midnights.” She told the graduates, “Scary news is: You’re on your own now. Cool news is: You’re on your own now” (Billboard). One of the songs on her later released album was “You’re On Your Own, Kid.” The fun in these interactions have led to such a tight knit community; each sharing and contributing their own content in response to Taylor Swift’s.
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The 21st century and the invention of the smartphone has changed the interaction within the music industry forever. TikTok has become the most common interface for Taylor Swift content. Live performances are now live streamed. Benefits of live streaming allows for those who may not have the means of attending the event in person, can still experience that moment to some extent. The consequence of this is that it takes out a lot of mystery that is authentic live music. Aja Romano claims, “Because they all knew the set list so well by that point, Liz and friends start screaming excitedly before anything has even happened onstage.” People know what to expect before attending the event. This can also lead to groups of people who go to the concerts not necessarily because they first noticed the music, but because they noticed the fan base and the community they shared. Some may go as far as calling them “fake fans.”
In my own opinion, this whole community has both benefits and consequences. This type of fan base is fairly new to society. It is being marketed and mediated in ways that historical fan bases have never been able to. With new ideas, new issues always come. Along with the Swifties, you have the anti-fandom: people who claim to hate Taylor Swift at the mere mention of her name. I think a large part of this negativity is rooted in her fan base, not in Taylor Swift herself. The mass amounts of mediated content that Swifties are interacting with pushes her content onto those who would claim to be uninterested in it. These days, you can barely go a week without her being brought up or seeing her on our phones/televisions. I think another part of this anti-fandom could be based in deep rooted misogyny. If people shame her without valid reasons to back it up, it is likely rooted in some uneducated morals. People hate seeing a woman like Taylor Swift so successful and dominating leader boards.
