Every Swiftie has a story about why their favourite singer is so important to them.
She’s affectionately known as our “emotional support pop star” and the running joke is that buying her albums will cost you less than therapy and be more effective.
I’ve listened to Taylor Swift’s music virtually every day for years, but it was during the Covid pandemic that she went from being someone I adored to someone I needed.
For nurses, there are pictures burned on our brains from that devastating moment in time. While political debates raged about lockdowns and vaccines, nurses conserved our energy for the work that needed doing as our ICUs overflowed with patients fighting a merciless enemy.
And then, in stepped Taylor.
Stripped of her ability to tour and perform live for her fans, she got busy writing and created two exquisite pandemic albums, folklore and evermore.
They became the bright spot of my day, giving me strength on the drive into work and soothing my soul on the drive home.
I distinctly remember stepping out of exhausting 12-hour shifts, aching and defeated, and feeling a happy jolt when I remembered which song I was up to. That sounds a bit dramatic now, but at the time it was such an important lifeline.
The impact of Covid contributed to the huge demand for the return of live music and Taylor rose to the occasion, creating possibly the most ambitious world tour ever staged.
Standing in the crowd at the MCG in Melbourne for her record-breaking Eras Tour – with my dear friend Georgie after months of planning outfits and making friendship bracelets – felt like a shared moment of triumph for all that we’ve lived through.
Like I said, every Swiftie has a story about the invisible strings that tie us to her and being an ICU nurse through a pandemic is one of mine.
Taylor was the first concert I took my daughter to when she toured Australia for the first time almost 15 years ago. I’ve grieved big losses listening to Taylor and bopped along happily to uplifting, affirming anthems.
I’ve cheered on proudly as she took on record labels, a mountain of misogyny, orchestrated hate campaigns, and society’s creepy obsession with her “body count” – a sexist slur designed to diminish and control women.
There have been many pieces written trying to capture the magic of Taylor Swift and why she is so wildly popular. A deep dive into her 11 albums soon uncovers her astonishing lyrical talent, but it’s her integrity, emotional intelligence and connection to fans that set her apart.
For me, Taylor speaks to the lived experiences of women in a world that so often refuses to acknowledge those experiences. She has survived being stalked, assaulted, cancelled and called every name under the sun – overrated, fake, crazy, conniving, a liar, a slut, too fat, too thin, too childless, and too “mid” for the very average men who like to put women in their place. But she just keeps going and getting bigger, bolder and less apologetic.
This resonates deeply with women of all ages and is part of the reason she has unprecedented inter-generational appeal.
She doesn’t just write break-up songs – one of the many false and sexist arguments used to reduce her. She writes insightful poetry traversing the full spectrum of human experiences.
In other words, she’s a safe space. Her fans feel seen and respected and, as a result, her concerts are an enchanting bubble of happiness. Plus, she’s an absolute powerhouse who puts on a spectacular 3.5-hour. There’s no diva behaviour and everyone who works for her is well treated and well paid.
It speaks volumes that the police did not make a single arrest during her three Melbourne concerts, despite crowds of 96,000 people at each show and thousands more outside listening. Not one arrest. Just pure joy.
Taylor Swift is a brilliant musician and songwriter, a generous philanthropist, and a shining light for women and girls to find and use their voices. And that’s a few of the many reasons why her fans will always love her.
