What the Conspiracies Surrounding Taylor Swift Tell Us About Our Culture
Reported By: Sierra Reisman
Illustrated By: Addie Patterson
Chances are, you’ve probably heard of Taylor Swift. At 34 years old, Swift is a global pop sensation who’s been releasing music since 2006. This year, during her Grammy acceptance speech, she revealed that she will be releasing her eleventh studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” on April 19. Between this new album, the cultural and economic impact of her Eras tour, and her high-profile relationship with football star Travis Kelce, it seems that everyone is talking about Taylor Swift.
Swift has an extremely dedicated fanbase and an almost equally dedicated opposition. She faces criticism for her silence (or lack thereof) on key social issues and has also recently become the face of a variety of right-wing conspiracy theories. Whether people love or hate her, Taylor Swift has achieved an enormous level of ubiquity and influence, and the mixed reactions around her popularity tell us quite a bit about our current cultural moment.
It’s easy to debate about Taylor Swift’s music because music is subjective. Debates over whether she deserved her latest Grammy or how good her songwriting really is, are quite different from debates over whether it’s possible for her to be an ethical billionaire. The personal is entangled in the political, and this has never been more true than it is now.
Much of the hate and criticism directed towards Swift stem from misogyny. As is the case for any artist whose fanbase is primarily young women, her work is often treated as underdeveloped and unserious. Like her or not, Swift has a massive global impact, and the fact that such cultural currency could come from a base of primarily women, is a tough pill to swallow for many people. Swift’s Eras tour is projected to generate up to $5 billion in consumer spending. Dan Fleetwood, president of QuestionPro Research and Insights wrote, “If Taylor Swift were an economy, she’d be bigger than 50 countries.” This is the power Swift holds.
Much of the criticism Swift faces is precisely due to that power. In 2023 Swift posted on Instagram encouraging her followers to vote, and Vote.org reported a 1,226% leap in participation one hour after the post. Swift has major political influence and many are frustrated by her lack of engagement. Since her initial foray into politics in 2018 when she endorsed Democratic candidates in Tennessee, she hasn’t been a particularly vocal activist. Some fans consider it hypocritical that she can claim left-wing political values and then continue to rack up a massive carbon footprint in her private jet and remain silent about key issues, such as the genocide in Gaza.
Taylor Swift has the power to enormously impact American politics. While some people are upset she doesn’t wield her power more, others are afraid of the day when she finally does. According to a Monmouth University poll, 1 in 3 Republicans believe Taylor Swift is involved in a government conspiracy to help Joe Biden win the 2024 election. According to this conspiracy, Swift’s relationship with Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce is all part of a vast psychological operation; the Chiefs’ victory in the Super Bowl was all part of the plan to boost Swift’s platform to endorse Biden.
Whether you listen to her music or not, Taylor Swift’s position in the American cultural landscape is one of major influence. The position she occupies and the backlash she receives reveal a lot about the political power of women, the interwoven nature of politics and pop culture, and the alarming susceptibility of Americans to conspiracy theories. With the release of her new album, her influence is only going to grow, and with it, our convoluted expectations.