Taylor Swift has a lot on her mind and it’s not all about music. The 34-year-old is adding billions to the US economy at a time when older Americans are not exactly gung-ho about spending. On her side are young women, who have been listening to her music for almost two decades and are now in their 20s, holding the key to the country’s vault. And these are fans who may sway the US election in November. Is Swift actually in a position to move the political and economic needles of America?
Though a substantial part of Swift’s fandom comprises men, young women cling on to her words. We are talking about the same women who are becoming increasingly more liberal than generations before them. The thing about endorsing US president Joe Biden in 2020 was that it took place at a time when it may not have had any major impact on the final outcome. But now the Biden campaign needs more young people to show up. Having someone like Swift in his corner means a lot.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce celebrates with girlfriend Taylor Swift after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium
Her fanbase is massive, with 53 per cent of Americans saying they are fans and 16 per cent calling themselves “avid fans”, according to a March 2023 Morning Consult poll. Remember, the poll was conducted before the launch of Swift’s very successful Eras Tour.
A fact: Republicans are losing their mind over what Swift has to say. But she hasn’t actually said anything partisan in this new election cycle and yet the Republican system gets spooked every morning Swift wakes up.
Uncontroversially controversial
Taylor Swift at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey
Last week was Super Tuesday, a day on which several US states held primary elections. All that Swift did was encourage her 282 million followers on Instagram to make a plan to vote in the presidential primaries. The message was brief and nonpartisan, directed at voters in the more than a dozen states and territories — including Tennessee, where she owns at least one home — that were holding primaries.
The message was powerful enough to get anchors on Fox News and those on the Make America Great Again (MAGA) contingent talking. MAGA has spent recent months promoting theories that Swift is part of an elaborate plot to spread Democratic propaganda and how this year’s Super Bowl was rigged. Recently, former GOP (Republican Party) presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has endorsed Donald Trump, threw his weight behind the Super Bowl conspiracy theory and said it was a step ahead of Swift and (her boyfriend) Travis Kelce announcing their support of President Biden.
On March 5, she urged voters to the polls ahead of Super Tuesday Picture: Getty Images
All that Swift did was simply ask young people to register and vote. This isn’t the first time that she has presented this uncontroversial message. In September 2023 in honour of National Voter Registration Day, Taylor posted on Instagram: “I’ve been so lucky to see so many of you guys at my US shows recently. I’ve heard you raise your voices and I know how powerful they are. Make sure you’re ready to use them in our elections this year.” And she included a link to register on vote.org, helping facilitate what ultimately amounted to over 35,000 registrations, the most since 2020 and a 23 per cent jump over the previous year. The number of 18-year-olds registered was more than double of that in 2022. Nobody knows how many of the registrations were tied to Swift’s Instagram message. But vote.org reported a 1,226 per cent jump in participation in the hour after the post.
Eye on the dollar
Swift’s sway over the political life of young Americans cannot be seen in isolation and away from her importance to the US economy. She stands to make as much as $4.1 billion from the Eras Tour, according to estimates from Peter Cohan, an associate professor of management at Babson College. But the impact of the tour goes far beyond her earnings. It may have offered a $5.7 billion boost to the US economy.
There hasn’t been an artiste like her in recent times. Sure, Beyonce too is doing a fantastic job and has had a big impact on the American economy but Swift has a big, loyal and young fandom. Her fandom has money to splurge.
Add to this the fact that Swift, after years of looking for eligible bachelors, is dating not just an American but probably an American stereotype: a star football player. She is now commanding the attention of a fan base that can drive TV ratings as well as jersey sales, leading to voter registration drives.
A lot of people on the right are saying “this romance must be a conspiracy”. There is a serious undercurrent to all this. Trump still thinks the last election was stolen and a lot of Republics still agree with him on this. Further, they are questioning whether the next election would be legitimate. As things build forward and these conspiracy theories form, you may have a situation where even before the election, people will say it’s illegitimate.
There are a lot of concerns young people have. One of the topics of discussion is abortion rights. Taylor is pro-choice. She has become an inspirational figure for young women. And Republicans are concerned.
A Taylor Swift fan from Bangkok poses with her friendship bracelets at the National Stadium on the first night of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert in Singapore Picture: Reuters
In 2018 when she broke her political silence by speaking up against Senate Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn and endorsing two Democratic contenders in the Tennessee race, it was simply about sending out the message that she doesn’t sit on the fence. Since then, she has endorsed Joe Biden for the 2020 presidential race and supported LGBTQ+ rights through her music. Her boyfriend Kelce too has opinions. He took a knee during the Star Spangled Banner in 2017, has encouraged his fans to get their Covid-19 shot and has starred in a Bud Light commercial, a beer brand that was boycotted by some conservatives for partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
All that the far-right can do is promote the DINK concept or “double income, no kids”. She and Kelce are both 34 and without children.
Given the tight White House races the US has experienced in the last few cycles, the Swift touch cannot be disregarded. When the Beatles were around, they got all the attention but didn’t have sway over the US elections. Swift is a different case. Many young Americans started forming emotional ties with her long before they learned about voting. Now they are doing what Tay is requesting them to do — vote and perhaps vote wisely.