You Belong With Me, Taylor Swift

Why ‘Swifites’ are so loyal

Tickets in hand, we walked through the archway of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts around 5:30 p.m. The singer wasn’t scheduled to come on until 8 p.m., but the excitement that traveled through every seat of the stadium almost three hours early was palpable. And from the moment I walked in, it was evident that the true value of this tour was in how connected we all felt to Taylor Swift.

“In an industry that is infamously ruled by and for male artists, Swift has fought back.”

Her incessant battles against the media for slut-shaming her, boycotting streaming sites like Spotify to pay artists for their music and remaining vulnerable and truthful in her music has shown maturity and class–something that other artists should be aspiring to.

In 2019, Swift’s ex-manager, Scooter Braun, bought the rights to her first six albums. Swift, who believes artists’ should own a stake in their music, decided to re-record all of these albums. Maybe if it weren’t for the male-dominated music industry that profits off the objectification of female artists their performances, Braun wouldn’t have felt the authority to steal her music. Nevertheless, Swift’s perseverance to own her own music has set a new precedent for young artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo and Lana Del Ray, who look up to Swift in the industry.

This is only one reason why Swift’s fans are so connected to her–she is an icon that has challenged a sexist industry and been a role model for young women within her fandom.

Beyond the ceaseless media persecution of Taylor Swift, her character and pushback against a male-dominated music industry is what she should be recognized for–not her dating life or drama with A-list celebrities, like Kanye West or Karlie Kloss. When the media reduces female artists to anything but their music, it prompts the public to only value drama.

But Swifties see through the superficiality–the artist has always remained committed to her fans and her music.

Throughout her re-recording of the six studio albums she lost the rights to, she engaged with fans on TikTok and filmed a cozy at-home concert for Swifties to enjoy. Social media has created a deeper craze for Swift’s music after the release of “Folklore” in 2020.

Especially post-lockdown, fans have been glued to their phones, finding a community in social media’s constant adoration of the popstar and speculation over potential new releases.

#Swifttok exploded with endless videos of fans analyzing her lyrics for “Easter Eggs,” or clues about her upcoming work. Swift is constantly interacting with fans on social media, listening to their requests all the way from re-recorded albums they want to hear to which outfits she is going to wear on tour. This back-and-forth is what creates such a powerful community as Swiftand her fans are connecting about their passion for her work.

“Rarely do artists interact with their fans so intimately and honestly about their music and the meaning behind each song.”

Most artists release an album and a few interviews that give a general understanding of a song’s story, but do not deep dive into a song's narratives that Swift gives her fans.

Because of this, Swifties are genuinely able to connect to her songs. While a lot of her music is autobiographical, Swift’s imagery and descriptions of universal experiences like heartbreak and friendship make fans feel like the song was written just for them.

Entering the stadium of the Eras Tour, five young girls were decked out in glitter, running hand-in-hand accompanied by an older man proudly wearing a t-shirt printed with the words “it’s me, hi, I’m the dad, it’s me,” referencing Swift's hit single “Anti-Hero.” Camaraderie and creativity are present in every aspect of being a Swiftie, proving as a testament to the community created as a result of the artist’s relationship with her fans.

Her commitment to her massive following never falters, as she toys with them on social media and pours love and sincerity into every performance with them.

So no, we are never ever getting back together with Scooter Braun–because the most powerful love story in the music industry is the relationship between Swift and her fans.