When did being a music fan start to feel like a competition?
With thousands declaring themselves as 'die-hard swifties' it can feel like just enjoying the music isn't enough
When it comes to Taylor Swift, there's only one word that comes to mind: Megastar.
This week, her Eras Tour Film smashed records with over $100 million in advance global ticket sales, cementing its place as the biggest concert film of all time. Back in August, she made history as Spotify's first female artist to hit 100 million monthly listeners. And last year, saw her songs occupying every slot in the top 10 of the US singles chart. Now, Australia is preparing to host the world's first international academic conference to delve into Taylor Swift's impact.
Initially, I wanted to write about the sheer magnitude of Taylor's appeal, reflecting on a few months ago when I watched videos from the Era Tour and ended up in full-blown tears of joy. Yes, I'm talking about serious blubbering, all because of the sheer delight her music was bringing to others.
But the numbers and accomplishments already mentioned means this doesn’t really need justifying. Taylor Swift isn't just a singer; she's the heart of an intensely loyal fanbase that turns up in the hundreds of thousands. It's a club everyone wants to be part of. Whether it's donning Era Tour outfits, wearing friendship bracelets, or partying at Taylor Swift-themed events like "Swiftogeddon" (it’s about as close as you can get to the screaming crowds of the Era Tour and it’s one of the funniest nights out I’ve ever had), the energy and enthusiasm is infectious.
This morning, the The New York Times Magazine wrote “One can enter Swiftiedom at any level: avocation or vocation, background music or full-time job. Being a Swiftie at the highest level means access to an all-consuming, all-absorbing empire of evidence, where all the questions have answers, all the mysteries are solved, where you get to feel excited and smart and involved with something bigger than yourself without ever looking up from your phone.” So, who’s part of the ‘Swiftiedom’?
Megastars like Taylor Swift naturally draw Megafans—those who will gladly spend hundreds or even thousands of pounds to be part of a community. They're not just financially invested; they're also emotionally all in. They're the ones who possess encyclopedic knowledge about everything Tay Tay and can decode and spot her ‘Easter Eggs’ before anyone else.
And it’s no doubt that Taylor’s success is partly down to how she’s mastered the art of engaging her fandom. Sometimes, it can feel like the cost of merchandise or the 'exclusive' release of an album with an extra song is a bit exploitative. But nothing she does is unplanned, and the Megafans lap it up.
However, on the flip side, there are people who can't stand her. Some are still stuck in the Reputation/Kanye West feud era. Others simply don't 'get it' or find her constant media coverage overwhelming—yes, NFL fans, I get it. So, where does that leave people like me, the average fan?
Have I listened to all the songs from the vault? No. Could I solve the clues to open the 1989 vault? Not a single one. Does this mean I'm not a fan? Absolutely not.
The intensity of Taylor's fanbase has grown to the point where it's almost impossible not to feel like you're doing it wrong. Being an awkward teenage girl, dancing in my room, and romanticising about a non-existent relationship has been replaced by consistently convincing any other Taylor listener that I enjoy her music, providing background evidence about why.
I don't own a mountain of Swift memorabilia; I have just one CD—RED, which was a Secret Santa gift back in college in 2012, and I can't even remember where I've put it. Still, I adore her music and vividly recall where I was when each of her new albums dropped. But would I call myself a 'Swiftie'? No, because I don't feel like I’ve earned it.
We're seeing a resurgence in the 'megafan' phenomenon, with fandom being celebrated across all music genres, but particularly on stadium tours by mainstream artists like Taylor, Beyonce, and Harry Styles. However, despite the warm and positive atmosphere of these communities, it can be tough to feel that just enjoying the music is enough to be part of the 'club.'
Earlier this year, I wrote about my decision to stop checking the setlist before a gig. I confessed that I previously used to check the setlist so I knew the songs in advance, so I could sing along. Not for my enjoyment but to prove I deserved to be there, intensified by the competitiveness in securing tickets (a topic for another day). I referenced Taylor Swift as an example, but it applies to almost any artist. When The 1975 sold out their Finsbury Park show, so-called 'superfans' who couldn't secure tickets were quick to say, 'I bet some people there don't even like them.'
It feels like it’s one more thing we’re all trying to prove we’re better at. It’s like being told you can’t be a runner because you don’t have the expensive gear, or you’re not a cyclist without a high-end road bike. With the influence of social media, it's difficult to escape the feeling that you’re not measuring up as a fan if you don’t show a certain level of interest or enthusiasm.
With the release of each new album or each piece of Taylor Swift news, you’ll see countless people posting on their Instagram stories, screen grabbing lyrics from a new vault song, analysing her ‘apparent’ new relationships. This showy display of affection feels on some level like a competition.
But, I've been guilty of it too. I've been caught saying, "How do you not know this one?" while enthusiastically jumping up and down at a show. It's like a weird ongoing effort to prove that you like a particular artist more than your friends, that it holds a deeper meaning for you because of a past experience; or that your loyalty, earned over time, gives you some form of superiority over new fans.
Ultimately, music is for everyone, so whether you're a dedicated fan or a casual listener, you shouldn’t feel bad about where you fall on that spectrum. For now, I'm going to celebrate being an average, run-of-the-mill Taylor fan. One who would easily forget the lyrics to any Evermore song, gets irritated at seeing the same picture 20 times in a row on social media and doesn't care if she's dating Travis Kelce or Matt Healy.
Are you part of a fandom? Leave a comment to let me know if you agree!
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