Why Is the World So Ready for Taylor Swift?

Because nobody loves dissecting a cultural moment like a brand strategist... Here are three of the macro trends that have propelled The Eras Tour into the stratosphere. 

1. The first female fandoms

Millennial women grew up with fandoms. An article by The Conversation explains that millennials make up a significant proportion of attendees at The Eras Tour concert; aka women aged 28 - 43 who grew up (and started spending money) when the Harry Potter, Twilight and Hunger Games franchises created mega markets. This is an audience familiar with buying into their passion and sharing into a community. (And the Swift machine has read the book on creating a tribe, with known rituals, tokens and tiers for fans.)

2. Girly is good again

Consider the phrase ‘you’re not like other girls,’ which for decades has been used as a ridiculous attempted compliment; usually in the context of a man approving of a woman’s taste in approved male interests. A slur on every other girl and their interest in girly things.

Consider our parents' generation, where enjoying romance novels was a hobby that women hid in shame. ‘They’re not real books’ sounds a lot like ‘it’s not real music.’

But young women today are not giving a single Swift if mainstream men or traditional feminists approve of their interests or not. Modern feminism is about women enjoying whatever the hell they want.

Check Pinterest - big girly bows are in.

Check TikTok - there are cleangirls, girl-dinners, and #hotgirlsummers.

In this moment, there is pride (and not to mention billions of dollars - see Barbie Movie) in embracing and reclaiming all things girly.

3. A million individuals

Taylor Swift’s appeal is from the inside out. What she has done better than any artist is show millions of girls that her personal truths - and thus their personal truths - were worth writing about, singing about, and hearing on the radio. In a world of boy bands, she showed that young women should be catered to with perspectives that mirror their own.

Her lyrics are about fear, loss, insecurity, agony and doubt. And in growing pockets of society, vulnerability is in.

We all know young people are more active on TikTok than Instagram. One platform encourages perfection, the other embraces people’s real selves. The Social Proof behavioural bias suggests that the more we see vulnerability, the more others will feel safe to join in. Taylor Swift’s audience base is a million people bonding over a moment of “you, too?” Fan clubs, girlhood and shared vulnerability. Here for it. Swift on!