In the year 2023, it’s been difficult to escape politics, AI, and the often desolate state of the world. However, not all ineluctable things are bad. Just because something is captivating doesn’t necessarily mean you want to be freed. With that in mind, 2023 has also been a year in which a certain superstar has reached a new peak, truly making “the whole place shimmer”, though she needs no introduction. Instead of choosing one of the more dismal candidates, Time Magazine decided to crown Taylor Swift as their Person of the Year.
Before you roll your eyes and click away, let’s debrief about why Swift was given this honor. The title “Person of the Year” holds a lot of gravity in itself, for naming one person, idea, or group of people a defining characteristic of a year is a daunting task. But what’s the criterion?
“The person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year,” wrote Kelly Conniff, Time’s Senior Executive Editor, in a 2014 article.
The impact that a Person of the Year makes can be for the better or the worse. In 1938, Adolf Hitler was named Person of the Year. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr was given the title. The pendulum of positive and negative impacts is always swinging. The shortlist for this year included Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Sam Altman which begs the question, why chose a glittery pop star instead of a pool of powerful political figures for POTY?
In my opinion, the logic behind choosing Swift comes down to three major factors: economic impacts, changing the way industries work, and the records broken. Of course, being a fan of hers myself, the reasons are clear to me due to my biases. However, the facts speak for themselves, as Swift made waves all around the world.
In March of 2023, Swift kicked off her Eras Tour in Glendale, AZ. Swift did something unprecedented in this day and age by performing a three-and-a-half-hour concert, spanning ten eras and over 40 songs. Over eight months this year, Swift sold out stadiums in North and South America. Many artists sell out stadiums across the world, so what makes Swift different? As Swift toured the Americas, it attracted Swifties to each city. As a result, Swifties stayed in hotels, ate out at restaurants in each city, and played an active role in each city’s economy, many noting an economic boom. Overall, in the US alone, it’s estimated that Swift generated 5.7 billion dollars for the US economy. There was a 208 million dollar increase in hotel revenue. Swift truly jolted the economy and her magnitude even created more jobs. In the Boston area, there was a 1000% increase in demand for hourly workers. In California, 3,300 new jobs were able to be created due to the revenue generated after the California shows.
This economic impact has been seen worldwide, with many world leaders asking Swift to bring her show to their countries. Chili’s president went on YouTube to plea with Swift. The Mayor of Budapest wrote a letter to Swift asking for her to add Hungary to the list. Many cities commemorated Swift as she toured, making it a competition on who could win her favor best. Swift was named the honorary mayor of many cities and even had many cities named after her. Glendale was renamed Swift City, in “Erazona”. The infamous Christ the Redeemer Statue was unveiled wearing one of Swift’s classic t-shirts! The statue had a projection of the t-shirt from Swift’s iconic “You Belong With Me” music video. It’s clear that Swift’s cultural impact has extended past pop culture sites and has permeated the economic world.
Unfortunately, in the months leading up to The Eras Tour, Swifties had to fight on the Ticketmaster website to get tickets to the show. In “The Great War”, only 2.4 million fans were able to get tickets to the show, leaving millions devastated and left to scour the internet for ridiculously priced resale tickets. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop fans from watching grainy live streams of the show, or even sitting outside stadiums. In May, over 20,000 fans in Philadelphia sat outside the stadium to listen to the concert. No matter the view, everyone wanted a piece of Swift’s concert. The Ticketmaster debacle upset enough people to the point where the government got involved. The Justice Department began an investigation on Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation. As a result, reform has begun in the ticketing industry. States like New York and Connecticut passed bills to ban hiding fees. California lawmakers plan to address ticketing issues. Swift’s concert is literally changing the industry and ways in which music and sports fans buy tickets.
However, the ticketing industry is not the only industry in Swift that has caused change. In 2019, it was reported that all of Swift’s master recordings of her first six albums had been sold, without her consent. She went through a process of trying to buy back her own work but was never given the opportunity to. As a result, Swift embarked on an ambitious journey to re-record and reclaim her old work, dubbing the new recordings as (Taylor’s Version). At first many discounted this feat, predicting that she could never beat her old recordings. However, each new re-recorded album has been critically acclaimed. As an incentive for fans to listen, Swift is including (From The Vault) tracks, which are songs that were cut from the original album. The re-recordings are wildly successful, but more importantly, it is changing the music industry for the better. Swift is inspiring other artists to fight for the right to their own work. As a result, other artists have followed suit in rerecording their catalog that they don’t own. New artists like Olivia Rodrigo have negotiated the rights to their work. Overall, Swift is opening the door for current and new artists to have ownership of their music.
As a result of Swift’s re-recording process, she has broken countless records. This year, Swift released two more (Taylor’s Version) albums. Both albums hit number one on the Billboard 200. In October, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) became Swift’s highest first-week debut sales with 1.65 million copies. The last album to reach a million copies in the first week was her own Midnights and the album before that was reputation which is also by her. Aside from (Taylor’s Version), Swift has broken records left and right this year. To name a few, she is the first female artist to reach over 100 million monthly Spotify listeners. Swift’s Era’s Tour Film became the tenth highest-grossing movie in the US and earned the biggest opening weekend for any concert film. Swift’s tour has become the highest-grossing tour in history, reportedly earning $1 billion across 60 dates this year.
Though the records are impressive, what truly matters is the relationship has built with her fans. As I’ve mentioned numerous times, when discussing Person of the Year, it all boils down to impact. Swift has undeniably impacted the lives of so many people this year. While the records are only numbers, they signify the global impact that Swift has had in 2023. A plethora of people from all over the world have been touched by Swift’s art. She’s allowed people to feel their emotions through music. Though many fantastic artists do the same, Swift just hits differently with audiences. One of the main reasons why I believe so is due to her genuine generosity. It was reported that Swift gave each truck driver on her tour a $100,000 bonus. Swift also donated money to food banks in each city that she stopped in.
After hearing all of the impacts that Swift made this year, some naysayers may continue to argue that there are more important things in the world. Other issues have swept the world off of its feet and were arguably more impactful and I do not agree with that. Other figureheads and leaders have made their marks this year, so what sets Swift apart from them? Why is she more deserving of it? Well, Swift has been able to be a distraction from the world. Of course, many other issues in the world need to be addressed and should be discussed. However, what people need more than ever is hope and to be uplifted. Swift’s music has been able to provide a form of escapism for many. Whether it’s diving into a teenage love triangle, or a song about a deceased loved one, Swift’s extensive catalog has been the soundtrack to so many lives in 2023. The Era’s Tour and the lore behind it have been another perfect distraction for people. As fans anticipate which surprise songs she will sing, or what she will announce, Swift has given people all across the globe something to be excited about, which is rare these days.
All in all, Swift has not only made an impact in the pop culture world but in many corners of the world. Her impacts were felt by millions of people, whether they knew it or not. She’s caused economic progression in each city she visits with her record-breaking Era’s Tour. Swift has changed how multiple industries work for the better. She’s broken records through her impressive storytelling and talent. And most importantly, Swift has changed the lives of millions. By sharing her life with the world, she allows people to feel seen. So why was this pop star who wears a glittery leotard on stage named Person of the Year? Because in 2023, Swift was one of the rare mirrorballs on a dance floor full of dismal dancers.
