Taylor Swift, the cultural icon

By: Tengku Humaira Tengku Naufal

The mere mention of the name Taylor Swift can result in knowing glances to excited shrieks from fans. With 10 albums and four re-recorded albums, she has made her music known to many people of different ages globally. Even after creating and releasing music for 17 years, her fame and success continue to grow every day. 

Singer-songwriters all over the world can learn a thing or two from the cultural icon, Taylor Swift.

Boston University compares her fame to that of the Beatles and her music impacting an entire generation, akin to pop icons, Michael Jackson and Madonna. From a technical perspective, she has meticulously crafted beats and is a lyrical genius. Her music is constantly recognised by the music industry as she has received many awards including the Grammys. 

Her experimentation with different genres of music such as country, pop, and rock are what put many in a state of awe as she is heavily celebrated after every album release. 

Her fifth album, “1989”, was her first full Pop album and was crowned the most-awarded pop album in history as mentioned by The Simmons Voice. A majority of songs from the aforementioned album have shaped the current generation’s childhood, bringing nostalgia and pure joy after the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”. 

Her storytelling has only improved over time and this was proven by her multi-award-winning album, “folklore”, which elaborates on different storylines with a rich use of references to fairy tales, history, and literature. Her songwriting has been constantly celebrated with reference to New York University awarding her an honourary Doctorate of Fine Arts in 2022 for her accomplishments in the industry. 

Not only can she attract different audiences by producing music of different genres, but her music tells stories most people relate to. Deseret News explains that Swift’s storytelling puts her listeners in a trance and evokes emotion as well as empathy. Her albums also consist of songs inspired by her life, allowing people to know her at a deeper and more personal level. She is completely exposed and herself when writing these songs, reminding everyone that even she battles insecurities and misery. 

As she puts out new music, people can only wait in anticipation to see what she writes next. Medium highlights what sets her apart in the industry is her innate ability to conduct emotional storytelling even with her constant change in musical genre. 

Her echoing similar experiences faced by others creates a special bond between her listeners and herself. Songs such as “All Too Well” and “Dear John” express her vulnerability and pain. She has Secret Sessions, that are events before her album releases where she invites her fans to listen to them before they are released. This has been a tradition until now; she leaves various easter eggs and clues to tease her fans on upcoming releases. Affiliating with her fans is not something she is afraid of. 

Her popularity and ever-growing platform have been used to shed light on crucial issues relating to politics, equality, and artists’ rights. Even with the backlash from her fellow artists and the media, she remains firm with her stance and proceeds to advocate for what she believes is right. Not only does she take her activism to her social media platforms, but also to her songs such as “The Man” and “Only the Young” that express her strong beliefs. 

By constantly demonstrating her distaste and experiences through her music, she can make her fanbase feel empathetic and supportive of her. An obvious example of this is about not owning her work as all her past albums are under the ownership of Scooter Braun. To make her music hers again, she decided to re-record all of her past albums and put “Taylor’s Version” after the original title, differentiating her own songs from Braun’s.

Today stated that her re-recordings had allowed her to claim several titles including being the first ever female artist to have four albums on Billboard’s Top Ten in 60 years.

Her re-recordings have set up a brand new premise for her sold out tour, The Eras Tour, where she performs multiple songs from her different albums. Moda explains one of her successes was her ability to rebrand herself with distinct aesthetics with the release of every album, piquing the public’s curiosity. With The Eras Tour, people are excited about the chance to experience the eras all in a single tour. 

For those unable to attend The Eras Tour due to budgeting or unavailability of tickets in their own countries, Taylor has released a film of the tour at cinemas worldwide. This allows those unable to see her perform live to be able to enjoy her performance in the comfort of their local cinemas. 

There is no doubt that Taylor Swift’s popularity will only grow with time. With two more re-recorded albums to be released that being “reputation” and her debut album, people will continue to anticipate so. Her continuous success in her career from all aspects is attributed to her talent, activism, and business ideas and this will continue to flourish as she proceeds with writing more songs. 

Even as a multi-award-winning singer and cultural icon, gratitude and appreciation by Taylor is always conveyed to her fans as she persists in performing and providing surprises. Her work and attitude have greatly impacted society and it would be challenging to undo so. ***