Swifties: Fans like no other
With memorable concerts, shared identities, and sometimes even a name like "BTS Army," fan communities forge a special bond with their idols. One of these fan networks particularly stood out in 2023: fans of the unavoidable Taylor Swift, who obtained the title of “Person of the Year”, awarded by Time magazine.
Taylor Swift’s fans, known as the Swifties, have a massive influence on social media and in the music industry. They are known for their loyalty and dedication to the pop star, and their support has helped her achieve great success in her career.
However, the Swifties’ influence extends beyond the music industry. Politicians have also taken notice of their power and have tried to use it to their advantage. “There’s something unique about Swifties.”
Despite these attempts to undermine her influence, Taylor Swift and her fans remain a powerful force in the music industry and beyond. Their dedication and loyalty to the pop star have helped to shape the cultural landscape and have had a significant impact on politics.
From Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who begged the artist to add dates to her tour in Canadian cities, to the praise of Netflix, Taylor Swift has conquered the planet in 2023.
But above all, the American singer has established a very close bond with her fans. They massively follow and relay her political positions, in particular, the defense of LGBTQI rights, for which she now campaigns openly.
Her power is now such that some political leaders now consider the Swifties as an electoral target in their own right. And they go to great lengths to seduce them because the political weight of Swifties can really weigh in on the electoral balance.
Rest of World evokes Mexican politicians who, a few months before the elections, called on consultants to “increase their legitimacy on the Internet thanks to the power of large fan communities," using their phrases and their references. They have particularly targeted Swifties, who have the strength to “generate empathy and a feeling of closeness.”
The same thing happened in Guatemala, where the victory in the presidential election of Bernardo Arévalo, the political outsider who has pledged to fight corruption, was seen as “the triumph of students and Swifties in a country that specialists describe as almost controlled by the mafia.”
When Bernardo Arévalo posted a video on TikTok to declare his admiration for Taylor Swift, he earned the nickname “Uncle Bernie” among young folks, which clearly relaunched his candidacy.
Taylor finds herself at the heart of movements that are beyond her control. False quotes and lyrics from her music have appeared in pro-Russian posts, while within the QAnon sphere (a far-right American political conspiracy theory and political movement), one is convinced that she would be manipulated by the regime in place for the November 2024 elections.
Besides that, Taylor and her Swifties are even pushing for legislation. In the US, the proposed “Fans First” reform aims to protect buyers against excessive prices for concert tickets after the disastrous management of Taylor Swift’s tour by Ticketmaster.
Taylor Swift is a juggernaut in the music industry, such that her fans show unconditional loyalty, giving her an unmeasurable power of influence that others try to use to their advantage.
