the difference between 1989 and now is that during 1989, the album itself is what was popular. hit singles after hit singles, she was constantly on the radio. but now, her discography as a whole is popular. people are tuning into taylor as an artist, and this time people appreciate her craft way more which is why she’s so beloved right now
the amount of attention she’s been getting lately is CRAZY and unlike 1989 i feel like she’s too big to be cancelled again, the fancase will do anything to defend her
i agree, but i will say when she got a lot of heat for dating matty healy, a lot of it was from her own fans. it’s hard cause i feel like the fanbase will go to the ends of the earth for her but sometimes it’s her biggest hater…idk
@@f.airy.x maybe, maybe not. for some i can see that but many fans i think wanted to have some sort of control over her life, choices, and image. and throughout the whole event i saw people give more shit to taylor than they did matty-which to me is a problem. i’ve also seen more recently fans give her shit for dating travis kelce, who has really done nothing wrong so…i just think that her fans are kind of not always as supportive as they say they are. they pick and choose what to support which is usually never who she is dating.
I disagree, she can defo get cancelled if the peops that were never fans get fatigued by all the content about her. Just look at how nfl male fans are rioting about t swift content since she started dating Travis.
I will say this again: REPUTATION IS HER GREATEST ALBUM EVER. BETTER THAN 1989. I'll spend my entire life defending Reputation. It's a masterpiece of masterpiece. No one can create a phenomena like this again 🐍 🖤
Honestly, everyone who isn't a fan has been asking why everyone has been so crazy for Taylor lately and I don't even know how to answer, cause I've been here the whole time. So this is such a helpful video!
The Eras Tour was the answer I gave. I don't think this lady liked my answer. But I run a public fan group on Facebook and we have been getting 10,000 new members a week since the beginning of the Eras Tour, which didn't happen with any other event. Midnights got us 2,000 members a week for a month or so, but nothing has been as wild as the Eras Tour growth.
Here's the thing - in my experience, it doesn't matter how you answer. People who don't like her aren't actually asking why she's popular, they're asking why not everyone agrees with their music taste
I think Red TV, more specifically All Too Well TV, played a big part in Taylormania taking off this decade. 22 was already a sales and radio hit in 2013, but it took off again on TikTok in 2021-22. It became a popular graduation song for the Class of 2022. All Too Well TV was *everywhere* for a good month or so. People who weren't Swifties and didn't see the 2014 Grammy performance were blown away at the lyrical depth. People who've been Swifties a long time, myself included, dropped their jaws at some of the lyrics on the 10 minute version.
I agree with you! I knew who was Taylor since Fearless I think , I never hated her but I was not a fan. BUT after ATW10MV that song definitely made me be a swiftie!!
I do not think people thought anyone could reach The Beatles/Micheal Jackson levels of fame ever again due to the media landscape. It has changed so much. So it is amazing Taylor has reached these heights.
At least for me Taylormania manifested in the way of courting an old fan that had drifted apart. I became a Swiftie at 13 with Fearless and she was part of the soundtrack of my teen years but after Red i felt like i was too "grown up" for her music. But man, when Folklore came out and i casually found it two hours after it was released i felt like i could see myself again in her music, like we were aligned again. So here i am, with tickets to watch the eras tour film that comes out on my birthday and i'm seeing her live in November. Full circle 😂
One thing about her music is that it matured with time. Her early music sounds like what a teen girl would write(not in a bad way) and her latest music sounds like it has been written by a fully grown matured woman
@@nupurmishra346but now her old music is like watching a nostalgic chick flick or Disney moving from years ago. It has such feel good youthful vibes to it that an older person can enjoy
Same with me! Obsessed over Fearless and Speak Now, dropped out during the Red Era and came back in when Fearless TV came out! I think the idea that some fans are "special" because they were fans the whole time is dumb 🙄. People grow out of things, develop different tastes. It doesn't make you any less of a fan than you were back then!
Same!!! I really resonate with this comment. Red came out when I was 20 years old living in NYC. I felt too old and maybe too “cool” 🥴 for taylor swift? I was too busy with neutral milk hotel and and bright eyes. Jokes on me! I love how taylor evolved and matured in her own time in her own way. I’m proud to be back, proud to be a Swiftie.
I enjoyed your comparison of Taylor Swift's level of fame to that of the Beatles and how advancing technology was a key factor in it. The only other artist I can think to compare that level of fame to would be Michael Jackson in the 1980s. I think that his meteoric rise to fame was similarly achieved by the launch of MTV and music videos. Great video!
Madonna too in the 1980s. MJ was already famous in the late 1960s with the Jackson 5. Madonna reached new heights of fame never seen before by a female artist and I think we have to set aside recentcy bias. Taylor Swift is arguably the only Megastar to debut in the 21st century. But even her level of fame now isn't as much as Madonna or MJ in the 80s or the Beatles in the 60s. It only seems that way because of recentcy bias and the fact that Taylor Swift is the only actual global Megastar nowadays.
In my opinion it would be more appropriate to compare her stardom to that of Elvis and Michael Jackson instead of the Beatles, because they were a band and it’s unfair to compare a solo act to a band. In that sense she is probably bigger than them. Don’t come at me if you disagree, it’s just my thought.
anyone who thinks there's a single act who currently comes even close to taylor's popularity and demand is delusional and in denial. her dating life alone creates more buzz than some artist's music comebacks it's insane.
facts!!! if this were the 90s, Taylor would be premiering her music videos on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox at the same time - like Michael Jackson did. she is *THAT BIG* of a popstar. and it's delusional to deny how big she is rn.
@@tommie3700I'm not a fan but absolutely. I don't want it to happen but if taylor passed away suddenly then there would be marches and riots and people would be in shambles
It's interesting to see this as a new fan and honestly I'm not the guy who follows every trend I just happened to get interested on Taylor during her peak of popularity. And while I didn't really liked her music in the first place, with time (months) something like clicked with me and now I'm binging everything and I'm a little bit obsessed with this woman. And I completely agree with your video, a few days ago I was thinking on how folklore, evermore, the re-recordings and The Eras Tour brought her from a declining career to a top even bigger than a decade ago.
To me Taylor will always be just a grown up version of the stomping and twirling girl with her guitar. I think becoming a Swiftie early on gives us a different perspective of who Taylor Swift really is if you look beyond the fame. She grew up and had to adjust her life in relation to her fame but she's still Taylor.
Nah but britney did not dominate the 2000s! I get on my soapbox about this every time 😂. I love britney but let's all please face facts that Brit was really only THE Britney Jean Spears from like 98-2001. She was not the same girl by 2003! Super sad and not a judgment of her - she worked her arse off. But I don't necessarily understand why people keep trying to make Britney an artist the same way someone like Taylor or even a Madonna would be. Britney had two good albums, and a handful of good years. Taylor is a once in a lifetime artist with a never ending catalogue that just keeps getting better.
7:21 So basically Taylor was dealing with something similar to what America Ferrera said in the Barbie movie. "You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It's too hard! It's too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault."
“And nobody gives you a medal or says thank you” is also sooo similar to what she said to jack while explaining this is me trying in the long pond sessions.
Love that you brought up the significance of Folklore and Evermore, as those two sure did get me on board. I watched Ms Americana, and I'm still confused why she was so convinced she would retire at 30. It's not like there are no pop stars over 30.
Touring definitely had an astronomical resurgence this year between Eras, Renaissance, SOS, All a Blur, Wallen, countless indie artists as well, and the upcoming Guts and Scarlet tour. It's honestly crazy how hard people are going to get tickets.
Remember when she said right before she turned 30 that she's done and won't be as succesful anymore and she needed to lay low..The lakes etc..Well where's that now!! She's literally bigger than she's ever been and since she's pretty calculated, I expect she definitly saw a surge in popularity coming, but no one could've predicted her becoming bigger than God as you put it. I think it's so interesting and I can't wait to hear your thoughts and how you went about dissecting this!
I hope she makes "I did something bad" a single, and it gets a video. I agree that Reputation was ahead of its time. I also think "don't blame me" deserves to be a single. And I really hope the bonus songs on that album are dark and fierce. I really like her rock goddess vibe. 🎉😅❤
the beatles comparison was very interesting. i didn’t know taylor had so many parallels with them. folklore made me understand why ppl liked her so much, so now i’m ok with her being super popular. before then i only liked a couple of songs from her like blank space and out of the woods but it never made me interested in checking out her actual albums. now i don’t think it’s her fault that she’s everywhere. it’s just all these corporations trying to capitalize on her name, and now sexist football fans are being assholes to her.
This is the kind of video I’d show to anyone who is confused / wondering why she is so polarizing and dominating media lately. Well thought out and great video ! ❤ please more like this!
I’d love to hear ur take on the rocky relationship heterosexual men have with Taylor Swift and her music too. They’re oddly a demographic that act like she’s done then wrong and show such strong virtriol towards her by insulting her looks, slut shaming her, downplaying her accolades etc., It’s interesting to me because no other female artists get this treatment from men when they do the same thing as in dating around, writing vengeful breakup songs It’s become so much more potent know that she’s taking over the nfl, men have brought out there pitchforks
I think the history of men's relationship with Taylor would be a fascinating deep dive- especially as like you said, every other female artist has at least one breakup song under their belts.
Men have a genuine desdain for femeninity and Taylor is the pinacle of girly girl. She's also gotten to the top of the music industry by being anapologeticaly femenine and by speaking bluntly about her experience with men, particularly shitty men, and they hate women speaking up
One thing I’m glad the pandemic did god Taylor was how she approached making a album before we saw in the miss Americana documentary she depended on making a album better than the last if she didn’t get recognized well from the Grammys and general public and I feel if the pandemic didn’t happen it would’ve further v decline the quality of her artistry with the pandemic and the releases of folklore, evermore and midnights she’s focusing on creating a body of work that represents how she’s feeling in the moment as well as trying to be experimental and risk taking with her songwriting and overall artistry. I also think re-recordings have also played a factor in this as well
It's kinda weird and frankly amazing to me that back in 2014, Taylor was the biggest she ever was. 1989 singles were smashing the chart, she even got replaced on the Billboard hot 100 by her own single (Blank Space knocked Shake It Off off of the no 1 spot). Like, she was incredibly huge which was essentially just the catalyst for the huge fire storm that was 2016-2017. And now, close to a decade later, 1989 is being re-released again and Taylor seemed to be even bigger than ever before with the medias are going to town with the news of her and Travis Kelce. This is like a huge deja vu.
Since I'm all about the watch-and-comment-from-both-of-my-accounts, I thought I would share a little aside. In my 4th year of uni, we had to write a paper for a communications class that was about an apology in the media. I wrote mine on John Lennon's "apology" after comparing the Beatles to Jesus and I got 100% - the one and only time I ever got 100% on a university paper (it's literally hung up on my dads office wall, cos he's a cutie). And I'd like to extend YOU a 100% on this video essay, though it's not your first and won't be your last 100% in my books. Excellent work, as always!
This was really well researched! It really explains the how and why of Taylor rising to her current level of success in the last few years. Of course I love Taylor and that’s enough for me but it’s nice to actually hear someone explain it and not just regurgitate the same few comments about ‘swifties’ just elevating her for no reason. Truly well done! I hope more people see this video. ❤🎉
one of the things I found so crazy during the eras tour was the way a tiny little comment from taylor on stage would become the subject of countless news articles. her shows went from something which felt like a private magical world for fans to a spectacle which was being watched and followed by the world. truly mindboggling
I came here for Taylor, and at this point I stay because of your keen observations & level headed dissections. You're talented and I am glad you went into journalism. Thank you for another insightful video.
People used to ask me “what’s the best Taylor Swift song?” and I would say “All To Well” and they would say “what’s that?” Now the 10-min version plays over the speaks in the mall. What a resurgence lol Love your videos as always!!
still blows my mind that All Too Well finally went to #1 after all these years. I remember being so pissed that it was never released as a single originally, even after the Grammys performance in 2014.
I am a relatively new Swiftie and I watch your videos regularly just to get an idea of the status quo... I guess you could say that Taylor Swift is my subject and you're my teacher😆 Sending love from India!
"What goes up must come down." Now it's a scary sentence, but I don't think it always has to be. Trends, fads and mania come and go. I don't think Taylor really has to fall off the pedestal again. Contrary to what others might believe and she might say, I really do think she has a quite wisdom about her and an ability to learn from mistakes. I'm not saying she's a 100% mature. But I think and I sincerely hope, her "comedown" is just a gentle drifting down as the bandwagon fans slowly flit out and find something else to care about. I hope it's how it goes and that she can be graceful this time around.
YES to everything in this video!! you put all my thoughts into words. i’ve been a swiftie since fearless and became a die-hard swiftie after going to the speak now tour in 2011 (i was 9 and my mom gave me tickets for my birthday). the next time i saw taylor in concert was at the red tour in 2013, where my mom and i met taylor at club red. i spent months working on our outfits and posters, then my biggest dream came true and andrea came up to the nosebleeds and invited us! after this, i continued to be a HUGE swiftie for years. was always on taylor connect (iykyk), had fan accounts, bought all the merch, etc, AND i went to 5 nights of the 1989 tour in a row (at 13 years old and that’s a crazy story but that’s not the point of this comment LMAO). my mom was just as big of a swiftie as me (although she played it cool lol), but she unfortunately passed away in 2016. i went to the rep tour with my sister (only one night this time lol) and, although it was an amazing show, it didn’t feel the same. then lover came out and… well… cricket💀. lover fest was the first taylor tour since speak now that i didn’t bother getting tickets for. i still absolutely adored taylor, but it didn’t feel like her music resonated with me anymore (i’m 21 now and lover STILL does not resonate with me😭). then she surprised dropped folklore and WOW i was shook. i fell in love immediately and it is still my favorite taylor album (2nd favorite album of all time next to lana’s NFR 👑). folklore and evermore drew me right back into the taylor fandom, and i’m still here today (but now i’m grown so i’m a quiet observer and i don’t spend the entirety of my days on taylor connect LMAO). i REALLY thought lover was going to mark the downfall of her career. ig not so much downfall, but transition into a quieter less exposed life and a more niche fan base. but i was TOTALLY wrong. i feel like a lot of people underestimate the role that folklore played in getting taylor to where she is now because i KNOW that if she went from lover directly to midnights she would not be nearly where she is now. and you’re right, i think it all happened by luck and due to the demand of the current global climate. it’s so amazing when you think about it! anyways, i am HERE for the taylor mania and i’m proud to be on OG swiftie!
I will tell you, the reason I have bought every re-release (and will buy all the remaining ones) is because I love the fact that she is reclaiming her legacy. It is such a power move, and for any woman who has had her shine stolen by men, it is so inspirational. You just WANT to see her win. I always loved her music and followed her career but would have never called myself a Swiftie because while I was aware of the narrative around her I never felt compelled to watch her every move. For me, the old Taylor (music/albums) is definitely dead and I will only stream the albums she owns in solidarity with this new boss-woman era of Taylor's career. In the past I have purchased two of her CDs (debut and Red) and I still love them, but I bought Red TV and will definitely buy Debut TV, again in solidarity. THIS era has made me a die-hard Swiftie for life and I cannot help but root for her while she sticks it to the men who used her and stole her music and proves she IS the music.
That’s so true. As women, we’re all living vicariously through her and honestly get such an endorphin rush from seeing her put the men that wronged her in their place. From humiliating John Mayer in for taking advantage of her naïveté, from calling out Jake for dumping her over their age gap then proceeding to date girls the same age well into his 40s lmao, from owning the exaggerated narratives about her being a psycho serial dater in 1989 and even reputation, I could go on. But Taylor defeating her enemies 1 by 1 has been so rewarding to watch. It’s no different to routing for the heroine in a sci fi dystopian movie.
@@paullopez2021definitely. I think 1989 is going to be incredibly hard for me to let go of as it WAS literally my childhood album - the fact that it's gone forever in two weeks after listening to it for over nine years hurts.
This is so fascinating! I will say this. We can not talk pop and mania without mentioning Michael Jackson. There is a reason he was and honestly (thinking of the past thirty years)…still is the King of Pop. His influence is everywhere. I would say the biggest artists as a whole now are respectfully Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. The ladies are killing it and have built and stilling building a legacy beyond them. Could you do a video discussing MJ’s influence on Taylor Swift? And maybe the differences of the mania he experienced vs TS? I also think a video on the phenomenon of Renaissance would be GOLD! How it influences pop culture and will effect music amidst the decline in the music business would be interesting!
I think beyonce could be put alongside mj and taylor alongside the beatles because of their similarities. Taylor swift and Michael Jackson doesn't make a lot of sense to me but I respect your opinion
MJ definitely paved the way for genre-bending artists like Taylor. I Knew You Were Trouble is still the edgiest, hardest song she's ever made IMO. It's a roller-coaster of electropop, country-pop, dubstep, and even a touch of hip hop. Back in 2013, you had to listen on CD if you wanted to fully experience that song's greatness. 2013-era EarPods didn't do that song any justice. Nor did the radio.
to be honest I don't think MJ has had a direct influence on Taylor. she's probably unknowingly picked stuff up over time, but she's never really cited him as an inspiration. so probably not enough for a video on it from my POV
@nupurmishra346 I was just about to say this because Michael Jackson and Atylor swift shouldn't even be together like it doesn't make sense! They are two different people plus for fame and impact are very different from both and I don't think it can be the same.
I was discussing with my friend the other day just how much of an actual icon she really is & how my journey with her has come full circle. I started out as a hater who talked shit, but then she owned that 'shit' in reputation & got my attention. I thought 1989 was terrible when it came out…now I can’t decide which cover I like best to order 😂. Love this bitch.
I’ve been thinking about this more and more for the last few days. So thank you for speaking my mind. I’m so happy for Taylor’s success. But I’m also fearful because with the same amount of love she’s getting I’m also seeing haters coming back. Taylor has always been in my life since I was a child I first heard love story and I was already a romantic person so I loved it. And then I heard I knew you were trouble and I was amazed by her ability to write songs. When the pandemic hit I had just moved to the country and being isolated was the perfect combination because before I knew it I became a swiftie. Now I support her everyday and listen to her music all the time. ❤
I've been a casual Taylor fan since 1989 but I became a full fledged Swiftie around Midnights. Such a weird transition but she's a genius, which I always knew, but I think her work speaks for itself. The re-records are such a bad ass move. Idk I just love her vibe in general. Mix that with her truly brilliant lyricism it's hard not to be a Swiftie. Also, this is a historic era in pop culture that will absolutely be in the history books
You have such an insightful and critical analysis, there's no-one else that even comes close to you on Taylor Swift! (And not just I would genuinely love to just hear you talk about random shit like politics, TV shows and history, especially being hilarious as you are on the podcast.. Sending love from the UK ❤
I think the pent-up demand due to the COVID pandemic was the reason why Swift enjoys enormous popularity now. By the way, many music scholars say the Beatles took full advantage of the initial collapse of rock’n roll caused by the collapse of that format in 1959 for multiple reasons. I should also add Swift has just about reached the level of intense fandom that we saw with Frank Sinatra in the early 1940’s, Elvis Presley in 1956, the Beatles in 1964 and Michael Jackson in 1984. It’s essentially impossible to ignore her now.
Conceptually I think of TS as now being at the Elton John level where you have transcended being just a pop star and are now an international icon. It’s the level just below the very last level which is the Elvis Beatles level. It’s pure speculation as to wether she can ever enter that territory. All we can say is that she has qualities one would look for to potentially do it and is still just 33. ❤
I think swift knows how to not get negative over exposure by kind of “edging” the public so it doesn’t go too high. the closest thing i can compare it to is the recession graph without the fall
Imagine the 4 and 6 yrs old kids I take care at year 2011 is now dancing to Taylor Swift songs. It is crazy and I can’t believe it😄. Now they’re 16 and 18 yrs old.
Per NBC's PR team, the Chiefs-Jets game had abnormally large numbers of teen girls between 12 and 17 watching. Ofc they were watching just for Taylor. That kind of temporary impact is unheard of in today's TV landscape.
I was there in the frontline when she captured my heart and decided to stan her right before the worldwide cancelation. I was always been her casual listener, but 2016, she got me completely. It was a terrible time to stan her cause every words the swifties said would turn against ourselves. But the clapback is here. Nothing is stopping morher at this point, she needs to do some serious criminal shit for the world to cancel her again. And as much as we know how calculated she is, we're safe. Like I remember lost hope during the matty stuff but then mother clear the gas in the air that fast and now some random man named Travis is here. Like go girl, serve that pricey puss around, we love to enjoy the fun. After 1989TV, I'm pretty sure she could keep this Taylormania if TS11 is coming and it will be the whole truth of her 6 years past relationship.
I do think the same. People from the future will study Swift as one of the most talented musical artists from the first half of the 21st century. This could be the Swiftian era.
Really think you are the guy to produce the absolute definitive ts documentary.. informed , wise and certainly not subservient. Think it would be a fantastic watch.
I know that for me personally, one of the biggest things that led to the hype of me needing era's tickets was being able to watch the reputation tour so many times on Netflix throughout the pandemic. It got me even more excited for the time when it would all be over and maybe I get the chance to enjoy something as epic as that tour was.
Sadly, what goes up must come down... I have started feeling a sense of dread for how the public is going to tear her down again... I'm all anxiety and such a downer, I know.
Zach I just want to tell you how talented I think you are at this. The way that you observe, articulate and convey your ideas is so skilled and I am increasingly impressed by you video after video. Keep up the great work! :)
I wonder how much of the lack of promotion for Midnights was driven by the fact that it’s mostly a breakup album. Bejeweled was the lead single and in hindsight it shows the relationship breaking down and she was sick of it. I’m sure she did not want to talk about that with journalists who would have picked it apart.
im not even a swiftie, i dont listen to her music at all anymore. im very much part of the beehive, but you're such a compelling story teller and beyonce is very interesting, but taylor swift is definitely way more interesting. so im binge watching videos of taylor swift from you 💀
I think fan videos on UA-cam clued many people into her world. We cannot ignore the channels like chats and reacts that showed how much joy could be found as a fan.
Been a subscriber for a long time and love your podcasts. I’m an older Swifty and mostly a rock music girlie - in fact, I used to never mention Taylor to my “rock” friends lol Taylor’s song writing talent is what impressed me most about her, but what’s funny is that I have loved every new album she’s done. There are some songs I didn’t vibe with, but it’s her versatility I love - False God is my favorite on Lover lol Midnights has such a different sound from folk Taylor, but I love it. I think there is an album in her discography for everyone. I wish more attention was paid to her talent than who she is dating. It angers me that even in 2023, the joke is STILL that she needs song material so she’s dating whoever. While I enjoy one other channel that covers everything Taylor, I love your take on things because you are not just praising her every move. You bring the reality while still loving her lol superior video Zach
Taylor is an incredibly hard working artist. Thank you for another intelligent & thoroughly researched video essay, Swiftologist. Keep slaying & can't wait for more content during 1989 month!
I fucking love your channel Zach! I became a swiftie after folklore and your channel and EOAS helped me gain a tridimensional perspective of Taylor as an artist, and soon these became my reliable sources for thoughtful and critical content about her. So excited for the excellence that we keep receiving!
i’m 15 so obviously i haven’t been around for as long as you and the “older fans” but my first memories of taylor were around the red era and since then i had been a “casual swifte” (the old definition) but around folklore i really got brought in because it was just so different and something about it was just everything to me. since then i have been a diehard swiftie, but man it is crazy to see how much the fan base has changed throughout the years. people literally get shamed for calling themself a swiftie and then saying they don’t know every song on an album. like hello?! it is insane. sometimes it is hard to wrap my head around how big of an artist and influencer she is now.
This has gotta be one of his best videos, like it's such a good summary of all the contributing factors, and I doubt that anyone else has sufficient knowledge of both Taylor's career and how the industry works to explain this in such detail
Absolutely love your insights cause they're accurate 💯 and loved the stream, and the intro💙 the effort you put into your videos is transparent. Go zach!!!!!💙💙
i’m a newer swifty but that’s only because i basically had no idea who she was until she got super big. All i had heard was shake it off and we are never ever getting by back together. I still love most of her music tho so…
I remember being so shocked when the Folklore surprise drop instagram post came out. I swear there’s an interview during 1989 where she explicitly states she wouldn’t ever do a surprise drop (in reference to an interviewer asking her about Beyoncé’s self titled drop).
I agree with everything you say except your disdain for Lover. Even discarding Me and You Need to Calm Down it's still a great album. Any album with Cornelia Street and Cruel Summer is a great album in my opinion.
lol somehow realized i was one of the ones not subscribed. love your takes! I think the publicity of taylor’s relationship is exactly as you said - your allowance of being exposed and becoming the most famous person in the world. NOT pr like a lot seem to think
One factor in Taylor mania I was hoping you would talk abt: Taylor is making the Hero's Journey, thats why its so appealing She went trought death & rebirth in reputation & lover, had her transformation in isolation and got her atonement with folklore and evermore when the eras tour began, it was the return of the hero to home, when she gets the glory. It really is a comple subject and deserves a whole video about it! I find it crazy that, as greek mythological heroes, she got the Elysium: the hero's last chance before the final battle to paradise in complete isolation, away from the war (You can see that repeat in GOT and Harry Potter also) And she chose the adventure
I became a swiftie at 13, it was the beginning of the Reputation era. I remember researching for weeks about every single era I had missed on. It’s really weird how fast the time went by and how Ive got to experience 3 new eras besides Rep… and now I get to experience the first 5 eras I’ve missed on. It’s as if Taylor was a part of my life since forever and I don’t think she’ll ever leave it. Never experienced any other fandom like this. It would feel like a family member of mine passed away if I’d stop listening to her songs and if I’d stop loving her. I don’t love her less than I love my own sisters and best friends. Don’t know if it’s wrong but I don’t think I love her even less than I love my parents. It feels like as if she was with me every single day (literally, not through screens) and as if she watched me grow but I am the one who watches her. This parasocial relationship situation is too real
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 wow, I think this is one of my favorite video essays so far, (but I’m relatively new) so insightful and interesting! Bravo and thank you! I am subscribed and I make sure to like every video, but you definitely deserve more than that for the work you put in! Heading to patreon to determine how I can contribute more given my personal circumstances. I just thought it should be said if it hasn’t already, well done!
People try to define this in many ways but to me this “mania” is just another regular fandom: perfect timing & sheer power. 2004-2016 she had her conflicted stardom between cheap tabloids steering the focus from her actual discography & work to her personal life & the other being the 2010’s pop scene that had more of her active temporaries. The 2017-2021 the slow & quiet yet just as progressive years were in line with her personal choice with her partner at the time so the she probably had other things to focus on holistically aside from the fact Covid halted everybody’s life & surprisingly revealed she can still succeed even without the insane level of promotion with Folklore that put her actual raw talent on the map. Finally, we’re her 2022-present! her unstoppable energy+creativity that no other pop star is able to match because simply no one can move at her pace. So it seems quite reasonable to see fans feel that way.
love love love your channel! im always so excited for your uploads :) you’re such a good speaker and presenter, i’m curious do you read off of a script?
11:08 LOVE that you brought in human design Zack 😁 Taylor is a splenic projector (like me!) and folklore evermore was verrrrrrry splenic projector, imo. I think right now she’s running her energy like a Man-Gen and it blows my mind! How is she not burntout! Well, I think it’s because she’s truly authentic and embodied in her work now and it shows. A projectors’ signature is “success” 😊 and boy do we see that with her.
I was a huge Swiftie as a kid, waiting in lines on release days to buy her new album, wearing tee shirts with her on it. During high school I went through my “ugh, Taylor Swift, ugh, other girls” phase, and folklore is what drew me back into the fandom. That album and evermore saved my life for real.
the difference between 1989 and now is that during 1989, the album itself is what was popular. hit singles after hit singles, she was constantly on the radio. but now, her discography as a whole is popular. people are tuning into taylor as an artist, and this time people appreciate her craft way more which is why she’s so beloved right now
👏🏻👏🏻
true!
I agree with this, casual fans are now exploring her discography and old documentaries and tours...and really appreciating it!
i think the eras tour and re-recordings are also a huge drive for fans to engage with ALL her work!
And especially after folklore people can see her as the ARTIST that she is and not just about her relationships or drama or anything else
the amount of attention she’s been getting lately is CRAZY and unlike 1989 i feel like she’s too big to be cancelled again, the fancase will do anything to defend her
i agree, but i will say when she got a lot of heat for dating matty healy, a lot of it was from her own fans. it’s hard cause i feel like the fanbase will go to the ends of the earth for her but sometimes it’s her biggest hater…idk
@@abigailcavanaugh4357Matty Healy is different because it was a genuine CONCERN we had with her morals.
@@f.airy.x maybe, maybe not. for some i can see that but many fans i think wanted to have some sort of control over her life, choices, and image. and throughout the whole event i saw people give more shit to taylor than they did matty-which to me is a problem. i’ve also seen more recently fans give her shit for dating travis kelce, who has really done nothing wrong so…i just think that her fans are kind of not always as supportive as they say they are. they pick and choose what to support which is usually never who she is dating.
I disagree, she can defo get cancelled if the peops that were never fans get fatigued by all the content about her. Just look at how nfl male fans are rioting about t swift content since she started dating Travis.
I will say this again: REPUTATION IS HER GREATEST ALBUM EVER. BETTER THAN 1989. I'll spend my entire life defending Reputation. It's a masterpiece of masterpiece. No one can create a phenomena like this again
🐍 🖤
Honestly, everyone who isn't a fan has been asking why everyone has been so crazy for Taylor lately and I don't even know how to answer, cause I've been here the whole time. So this is such a helpful video!
The Eras Tour was the answer I gave. I don't think this lady liked my answer. But I run a public fan group on Facebook and we have been getting 10,000 new members a week since the beginning of the Eras Tour, which didn't happen with any other event. Midnights got us 2,000 members a week for a month or so, but nothing has been as wild as the Eras Tour growth.
Here's the thing - in my experience, it doesn't matter how you answer. People who don't like her aren't actually asking why she's popular, they're asking why not everyone agrees with their music taste
glad you enjoyed it!
I think Red TV, more specifically All Too Well TV, played a big part in Taylormania taking off this decade. 22 was already a sales and radio hit in 2013, but it took off again on TikTok in 2021-22. It became a popular graduation song for the Class of 2022. All Too Well TV was *everywhere* for a good month or so. People who weren't Swifties and didn't see the 2014 Grammy performance were blown away at the lyrical depth. People who've been Swifties a long time, myself included, dropped their jaws at some of the lyrics on the 10 minute version.
I agree with you! I knew who was Taylor since Fearless I think , I never hated her but I was not a fan. BUT after ATW10MV that song definitely made me be a swiftie!!
I do not think people thought anyone could reach The Beatles/Micheal Jackson levels of fame ever again due to the media landscape. It has changed so much. So it is amazing Taylor has reached these heights.
At least for me Taylormania manifested in the way of courting an old fan that had drifted apart. I became a Swiftie at 13 with Fearless and she was part of the soundtrack of my teen years but after Red i felt like i was too "grown up" for her music. But man, when Folklore came out and i casually found it two hours after it was released i felt like i could see myself again in her music, like we were aligned again. So here i am, with tickets to watch the eras tour film that comes out on my birthday and i'm seeing her live in November. Full circle 😂
One thing about her music is that it matured with time. Her early music sounds like what a teen girl would write(not in a bad way) and her latest music sounds like it has been written by a fully grown matured woman
@@nupurmishra346but now her old music is like watching a nostalgic chick flick or Disney moving from years ago. It has such feel good youthful vibes to it that an older person can enjoy
Same with me! Obsessed over Fearless and Speak Now, dropped out during the Red Era and came back in when Fearless TV came out! I think the idea that some fans are "special" because they were fans the whole time is dumb 🙄. People grow out of things, develop different tastes. It doesn't make you any less of a fan than you were back then!
it's been really nice to see people who dropped off get folded back in :) welcome baaaack
Same!!! I really resonate with this comment. Red came out when I was 20 years old living in NYC. I felt too old and maybe too “cool” 🥴 for taylor swift? I was too busy with neutral milk hotel and and bright eyes. Jokes on me! I love how taylor evolved and matured in her own time in her own way. I’m proud to be back, proud to be a Swiftie.
I enjoyed your comparison of Taylor Swift's level of fame to that of the Beatles and how advancing technology was a key factor in it. The only other artist I can think to compare that level of fame to would be Michael Jackson in the 1980s. I think that his meteoric rise to fame was similarly achieved by the launch of MTV and music videos. Great video!
Madonna too in the 1980s. MJ was already famous in the late 1960s with the Jackson 5. Madonna reached new heights of fame never seen before by a female artist and I think we have to set aside recentcy bias. Taylor Swift is arguably the only Megastar to debut in the 21st century. But even her level of fame now isn't as much as Madonna or MJ in the 80s or the Beatles in the 60s. It only seems that way because of recentcy bias and the fact that Taylor Swift is the only actual global Megastar nowadays.
good addition, thank you for watching!!
In my opinion it would be more appropriate to compare her stardom to that of Elvis and Michael Jackson instead of the Beatles, because they were a band and it’s unfair to compare a solo act to a band. In that sense she is probably bigger than them. Don’t come at me if you disagree, it’s just my thought.
anyone who thinks there's a single act who currently comes even close to taylor's popularity and demand is delusional and in denial. her dating life alone creates more buzz than some artist's music comebacks it's insane.
facts!!! if this were the 90s, Taylor would be premiering her music videos on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox at the same time - like Michael Jackson did. she is *THAT BIG* of a popstar. and it's delusional to deny how big she is rn.
Would you say that she's bigger than Diana, at least in some respects?
diana wasnt a music popstar@@tommie3700
@@tommie3700I'm not a fan but absolutely. I don't want it to happen but if taylor passed away suddenly then there would be marches and riots and people would be in shambles
umm, in all respects in my opinion@@tommie3700
It's interesting to see this as a new fan and honestly I'm not the guy who follows every trend I just happened to get interested on Taylor during her peak of popularity. And while I didn't really liked her music in the first place, with time (months) something like clicked with me and now I'm binging everything and I'm a little bit obsessed with this woman. And I completely agree with your video, a few days ago I was thinking on how folklore, evermore, the re-recordings and The Eras Tour brought her from a declining career to a top even bigger than a decade ago.
Nothing like seeing the notification of a new swiftologist vid. Like A reward at the end of a long and tiring day! 😌✨
hope you love it!!
To me Taylor will always be just a grown up version of the stomping and twirling girl with her guitar. I think becoming a Swiftie early on gives us a different perspective of who Taylor Swift really is if you look beyond the fame. She grew up and had to adjust her life in relation to her fame but she's still Taylor.
Taylor Is Dominating The 2020s Decade Alone PERIODT Just Like Britney Dominated The 2000s
period!
Nah but britney did not dominate the 2000s! I get on my soapbox about this every time 😂. I love britney but let's all please face facts that Brit was really only THE Britney Jean Spears from like 98-2001. She was not the same girl by 2003! Super sad and not a judgment of her - she worked her arse off. But I don't necessarily understand why people keep trying to make Britney an artist the same way someone like Taylor or even a Madonna would be. Britney had two good albums, and a handful of good years. Taylor is a once in a lifetime artist with a never ending catalogue that just keeps getting better.
@@theautuitiveishereBritney was huge in 2003, there was for a short period of time Britney mania like spice girls mania
7:21 So basically Taylor was dealing with something similar to what America Ferrera said in the Barbie movie. "You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It's too hard! It's too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault."
Exactly yes omg
yup yup yup
That was exactly my thought!
“And nobody gives you a medal or says thank you” is also sooo similar to what she said to jack while explaining this is me trying in the long pond sessions.
Love that you brought up the significance of Folklore and Evermore, as those two sure did get me on board. I watched Ms Americana, and I'm still confused why she was so convinced she would retire at 30. It's not like there are no pop stars over 30.
she gets notions in her head...
Watch the women of the year award by Madonna. I think her speech gives a good idea where that thought process comes from.
Touring definitely had an astronomical resurgence this year between Eras, Renaissance, SOS, All a Blur, Wallen, countless indie artists as well, and the upcoming Guts and Scarlet tour. It's honestly crazy how hard people are going to get tickets.
Remember when she said right before she turned 30 that she's done and won't be as succesful anymore and she needed to lay low..The lakes etc..Well where's that now!! She's literally bigger than she's ever been and since she's pretty calculated, I expect she definitly saw a surge in popularity coming, but no one could've predicted her becoming bigger than God as you put it. I think it's so interesting and I can't wait to hear your thoughts and how you went about dissecting this!
all this is touched on and more !!
I hope she makes "I did something bad" a single, and it gets a video. I agree that Reputation was ahead of its time. I also think "don't blame me" deserves to be a single. And I really hope the bonus songs on that album are dark and fierce. I really like her rock goddess vibe. 🎉😅❤
the beatles comparison was very interesting. i didn’t know taylor had so many parallels with them. folklore made me understand why ppl liked her so much, so now i’m ok with her being super popular. before then i only liked a couple of songs from her like blank space and out of the woods but it never made me interested in checking out her actual albums. now i don’t think it’s her fault that she’s everywhere. it’s just all these corporations trying to capitalize on her name, and now sexist football fans are being assholes to her.
I was shocked too when I dug into it a little bit more!
This is the kind of video I’d show to anyone who is confused / wondering why she is so polarizing and dominating media lately. Well thought out and great video ! ❤ please more like this!
I’d love to hear ur take on the rocky relationship heterosexual men have with Taylor Swift and her music too. They’re oddly a demographic that act like she’s done then wrong and show such strong virtriol towards her by insulting her looks, slut shaming her, downplaying her accolades etc.,
It’s interesting to me because no other female artists get this treatment from men when they do the same thing as in dating around, writing vengeful breakup songs
It’s become so much more potent know that she’s taking over the nfl, men have brought out there pitchforks
I think the history of men's relationship with Taylor would be a fascinating deep dive- especially as like you said, every other female artist has at least one breakup song under their belts.
good thing they have no power bc her fans don’t listen to the opinions of straight men lmao
Men have a genuine desdain for femeninity and Taylor is the pinacle of girly girl. She's also gotten to the top of the music industry by being anapologeticaly femenine and by speaking bluntly about her experience with men, particularly shitty men, and they hate women speaking up
I dont care about straight men
No offense but it’s really not that difficult to understand
One thing I’m glad the pandemic did god Taylor was how she approached making a album before we saw in the miss Americana documentary she depended on making a album better than the last if she didn’t get recognized well from the Grammys and general public and I feel if the pandemic didn’t happen it would’ve further v decline the quality of her artistry with the pandemic and the releases of folklore, evermore and midnights she’s focusing on creating a body of work that represents how she’s feeling in the moment as well as trying to be experimental and risk taking with her songwriting and overall artistry. I also think re-recordings have also played a factor in this as well
It's kinda weird and frankly amazing to me that back in 2014, Taylor was the biggest she ever was. 1989 singles were smashing the chart, she even got replaced on the Billboard hot 100 by her own single (Blank Space knocked Shake It Off off of the no 1 spot). Like, she was incredibly huge which was essentially just the catalyst for the huge fire storm that was 2016-2017.
And now, close to a decade later, 1989 is being re-released again and Taylor seemed to be even bigger than ever before with the medias are going to town with the news of her and Travis Kelce.
This is like a huge deja vu.
Since I'm all about the watch-and-comment-from-both-of-my-accounts, I thought I would share a little aside. In my 4th year of uni, we had to write a paper for a communications class that was about an apology in the media. I wrote mine on John Lennon's "apology" after comparing the Beatles to Jesus and I got 100% - the one and only time I ever got 100% on a university paper (it's literally hung up on my dads office wall, cos he's a cutie). And I'd like to extend YOU a 100% on this video essay, though it's not your first and won't be your last 100% in my books. Excellent work, as always!
thank you for watching!!!
This video exceeded my expectations! Three of my all time favourite things: The Beatles, Taylor Swift, and our fearless leader, the Swiftologist ❤
This was really well researched! It really explains the how and why of Taylor rising to her current level of success in the last few years. Of course I love Taylor and that’s enough for me but it’s nice to actually hear someone explain it and not just regurgitate the same few comments about ‘swifties’ just elevating her for no reason. Truly well done! I hope more people see this video. ❤🎉
thank you for watching
Taylor is an absolute boss. She went from mailing her demos to radio stations to pretty much running the whole planet.
It’s Taylor’s world we are just living in it! 🖤🫶🏼🖤
@@Starbuxlvr1313Taylor's father is a banker. And a record label partner. Meritocracy? No
@@rosanaconta3416… And? No one here said she wasn’t privileged, but she built herself up.
Zack’s Taylor Mania Episode!! It’s been a long time coming.
so true
one of the things I found so crazy during the eras tour was the way a tiny little comment from taylor on stage would become the subject of countless news articles. her shows went from something which felt like a private magical world for fans to a spectacle which was being watched and followed by the world. truly mindboggling
I came here for Taylor, and at this point I stay because of your keen observations & level headed dissections. You're talented and I am glad you went into journalism. Thank you for another insightful video.
People used to ask me “what’s the best Taylor Swift song?” and I would say “All To Well” and they would say “what’s that?” Now the 10-min version plays over the speaks in the mall. What a resurgence lol
Love your videos as always!!
still blows my mind that All Too Well finally went to #1 after all these years. I remember being so pissed that it was never released as a single originally, even after the Grammys performance in 2014.
it's been amazing to see!!
Makes me happy but makes me hold on to the more underrated songs even more! 🖤
I've been so excited for this video! The current level of Taylor mania is wild to see and I am so interested to hear your take on it.
hope you loved it!!
I am a relatively new Swiftie and I watch your videos regularly just to get an idea of the status quo... I guess you could say that Taylor Swift is my subject and you're my teacher😆 Sending love from India!
Are you from south India
@@nupurmishra346 Yes...
same❤❤❤
swiftologist for a reason...
All Too Well (Ten Minutes Version) was everywhere!
"What goes up must come down." Now it's a scary sentence, but I don't think it always has to be. Trends, fads and mania come and go. I don't think Taylor really has to fall off the pedestal again. Contrary to what others might believe and she might say, I really do think she has a quite wisdom about her and an ability to learn from mistakes. I'm not saying she's a 100% mature. But I think and I sincerely hope, her "comedown" is just a gentle drifting down as the bandwagon fans slowly flit out and find something else to care about. I hope it's how it goes and that she can be graceful this time around.
YES to everything in this video!! you put all my thoughts into words. i’ve been a swiftie since fearless and became a die-hard swiftie after going to the speak now tour in 2011 (i was 9 and my mom gave me tickets for my birthday). the next time i saw taylor in concert was at the red tour in 2013, where my mom and i met taylor at club red. i spent months working on our outfits and posters, then my biggest dream came true and andrea came up to the nosebleeds and invited us! after this, i continued to be a HUGE swiftie for years. was always on taylor connect (iykyk), had fan accounts, bought all the merch, etc, AND i went to 5 nights of the 1989 tour in a row (at 13 years old and that’s a crazy story but that’s not the point of this comment LMAO). my mom was just as big of a swiftie as me (although she played it cool lol), but she unfortunately passed away in 2016. i went to the rep tour with my sister (only one night this time lol) and, although it was an amazing show, it didn’t feel the same. then lover came out and… well… cricket💀. lover fest was the first taylor tour since speak now that i didn’t bother getting tickets for. i still absolutely adored taylor, but it didn’t feel like her music resonated with me anymore (i’m 21 now and lover STILL does not resonate with me😭). then she surprised dropped folklore and WOW i was shook. i fell in love immediately and it is still my favorite taylor album (2nd favorite album of all time next to lana’s NFR 👑). folklore and evermore drew me right back into the taylor fandom, and i’m still here today (but now i’m grown so i’m a quiet observer and i don’t spend the entirety of my days on taylor connect LMAO). i REALLY thought lover was going to mark the downfall of her career. ig not so much downfall, but transition into a quieter less exposed life and a more niche fan base. but i was TOTALLY wrong. i feel like a lot of people underestimate the role that folklore played in getting taylor to where she is now because i KNOW that if she went from lover directly to midnights she would not be nearly where she is now. and you’re right, i think it all happened by luck and due to the demand of the current global climate. it’s so amazing when you think about it! anyways, i am HERE for the taylor mania and i’m proud to be on OG swiftie!
during 1989, taylor was everywhere. but right now, everywhere just has taylor swift!
you helped me embrace being a swiftie, thanks to your brilliant and critical insights 💯
I will tell you, the reason I have bought every re-release (and will buy all the remaining ones) is because I love the fact that she is reclaiming her legacy. It is such a power move, and for any woman who has had her shine stolen by men, it is so inspirational. You just WANT to see her win. I always loved her music and followed her career but would have never called myself a Swiftie because while I was aware of the narrative around her I never felt compelled to watch her every move. For me, the old Taylor (music/albums) is definitely dead and I will only stream the albums she owns in solidarity with this new boss-woman era of Taylor's career. In the past I have purchased two of her CDs (debut and Red) and I still love them, but I bought Red TV and will definitely buy Debut TV, again in solidarity. THIS era has made me a die-hard Swiftie for life and I cannot help but root for her while she sticks it to the men who used her and stole her music and proves she IS the music.
That’s so true. As women, we’re all living vicariously through her and honestly get such an endorphin rush from seeing her put the men that wronged her in their place.
From humiliating John Mayer in for taking advantage of her naïveté, from calling out Jake for dumping her over their age gap then proceeding to date girls the same age well into his 40s lmao, from owning the exaggerated narratives about her being a psycho serial dater in 1989 and even reputation, I could go on. But Taylor defeating her enemies 1 by 1 has been so rewarding to watch. It’s no different to routing for the heroine in a sci fi dystopian movie.
@@tjc4085 Fuck yes❤❤❤
yup. once Taylor's Version of an album gets released, the original album is dead to me.
@@paullopez2021definitely. I think 1989 is going to be incredibly hard for me to let go of as it WAS literally my childhood album - the fact that it's gone forever in two weeks after listening to it for over nine years hurts.
One of the most articulate channels on UA-cam. I came for the content but I stayed for the delivery!
I appreciate that!
This is so fascinating! I will say this. We can not talk pop and mania without mentioning Michael Jackson. There is a reason he was and honestly (thinking of the past thirty years)…still is the King of Pop. His influence is everywhere. I would say the biggest artists as a whole now are respectfully Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. The ladies are killing it and have built and stilling building a legacy beyond them. Could you do a video discussing MJ’s influence on Taylor Swift? And maybe the differences of the mania he experienced vs TS? I also think a video on the phenomenon of Renaissance would be GOLD! How it influences pop culture and will effect music amidst the decline in the music business would be interesting!
I think beyonce could be put alongside mj and taylor alongside the beatles because of their similarities. Taylor swift and Michael Jackson doesn't make a lot of sense to me but I respect your opinion
MJ definitely paved the way for genre-bending artists like Taylor. I Knew You Were Trouble is still the edgiest, hardest song she's ever made IMO. It's a roller-coaster of electropop, country-pop, dubstep, and even a touch of hip hop. Back in 2013, you had to listen on CD if you wanted to fully experience that song's greatness. 2013-era EarPods didn't do that song any justice. Nor did the radio.
to be honest I don't think MJ has had a direct influence on Taylor. she's probably unknowingly picked stuff up over time, but she's never really cited him as an inspiration. so probably not enough for a video on it from my POV
@nupurmishra346 I was just about to say this because Michael Jackson and Atylor swift shouldn't even be together like it doesn't make sense! They are two different people plus for fame and impact are very different from both and I don't think it can be the same.
You always make the video align with whats been on my mind in the swiftverse. It has indeed been wild watching this "taylormania"
I was discussing with my friend the other day just how much of an actual icon she really is & how my journey with her has come full circle. I started out as a hater who talked shit, but then she owned that 'shit' in reputation & got my attention. I thought 1989 was terrible when it came out…now I can’t decide which cover I like best to order 😂. Love this bitch.
started out as a hater and then you found god's light....
I’ve been thinking about this more and more for the last few days. So thank you for speaking my mind. I’m so happy for Taylor’s success. But I’m also fearful because with the same amount of love she’s getting I’m also seeing haters coming back. Taylor has always been in my life since I was a child I first heard love story and I was already a romantic person so I loved it. And then I heard I knew you were trouble and I was amazed by her ability to write songs. When the pandemic hit I had just moved to the country and being isolated was the perfect combination because before I knew it I became a swiftie. Now I support her everyday and listen to her music all the time. ❤
I've been a casual Taylor fan since 1989 but I became a full fledged Swiftie around Midnights. Such a weird transition but she's a genius, which I always knew, but I think her work speaks for itself. The re-records are such a bad ass move. Idk I just love her vibe in general. Mix that with her truly brilliant lyricism it's hard not to be a Swiftie. Also, this is a historic era in pop culture that will absolutely be in the history books
You have such an insightful and critical analysis, there's no-one else that even comes close to you on Taylor Swift! (And not just I would genuinely love to just hear you talk about random shit like politics, TV shows and history, especially being hilarious as you are on the podcast..
Sending love from the UK ❤
thank you so much!!! that means a lot to me :)
I think the pent-up demand due to the COVID pandemic was the reason why Swift enjoys enormous popularity now. By the way, many music scholars say the Beatles took full advantage of the initial collapse of rock’n roll caused by the collapse of that format in 1959 for multiple reasons.
I should also add Swift has just about reached the level of intense fandom that we saw with Frank Sinatra in the early 1940’s, Elvis Presley in 1956, the Beatles in 1964 and Michael Jackson in 1984. It’s essentially impossible to ignore her now.
Conceptually I think of TS as now being at the Elton John level where you have transcended being just a pop star and are now an international icon. It’s the level just below the very last level which is the Elvis Beatles level. It’s pure speculation as to wether she can ever enter that territory. All we can say is that she has qualities one would look for to potentially do it and is still just 33. ❤
Why do u think she’s not quite there yet?
everyday i see this woman i go crazy... like how can a person be so talented!!!!!!! successful and kind at the same time
I think swift knows how to not get negative over exposure by kind of “edging” the public so it doesn’t go too high. the closest thing i can compare it to is the recession graph without the fall
Imagine the 4 and 6 yrs old kids I take care at year 2011 is now dancing to Taylor Swift songs. It is crazy and I can’t believe it😄. Now they’re 16 and 18 yrs old.
Per NBC's PR team, the Chiefs-Jets game had abnormally large numbers of teen girls between 12 and 17 watching. Ofc they were watching just for Taylor. That kind of temporary impact is unheard of in today's TV landscape.
I was there in the frontline when she captured my heart and decided to stan her right before the worldwide cancelation. I was always been her casual listener, but 2016, she got me completely. It was a terrible time to stan her cause every words the swifties said would turn against ourselves. But the clapback is here. Nothing is stopping morher at this point, she needs to do some serious criminal shit for the world to cancel her again. And as much as we know how calculated she is, we're safe. Like I remember lost hope during the matty stuff but then mother clear the gas in the air that fast and now some random man named Travis is here. Like go girl, serve that pricey puss around, we love to enjoy the fun. After 1989TV, I'm pretty sure she could keep this Taylormania if TS11 is coming and it will be the whole truth of her 6 years past relationship.
I honestly think when the history books talk about the biggest artists of our time, it'll be The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift
Also Madonna
I do think the same. People from the future will study Swift as one of the most talented musical artists from the first half of the 21st century. This could be the Swiftian era.
When she made a stand of social causes that she cared about at her Lover Era. Right there is when she won my heart and soul 💖
Really think you are the guy to produce the absolute definitive ts documentary.. informed , wise and certainly not subservient. Think it would be a fantastic watch.
I'm not a swiftie and don't like most of her music but I'm so obsessed with these analysis videos
omg lol thanks!
I know that for me personally, one of the biggest things that led to the hype of me needing era's tickets was being able to watch the reputation tour so many times on Netflix throughout the pandemic. It got me even more excited for the time when it would all be over and maybe I get the chance to enjoy something as epic as that tour was.
Sadly, what goes up must come down... I have started feeling a sense of dread for how the public is going to tear her down again... I'm all anxiety and such a downer, I know.
same
at the end of the day you can separate the music from the artist. everything will be okay
Oh, I was waiting for this video. And the fact that you're covering this? Yup, all I need.
this is one of your best videos!! i love the way you speak and report on this topic. TRULY THEE SWIFTOLOGIST!
thank you Emily!!!!!!!
Zach I just want to tell you how talented I think you are at this. The way that you observe, articulate and convey your ideas is so skilled and I am increasingly impressed by you video after video. Keep up the great work! :)
Wow, thank you!
I wonder how much of the lack of promotion for Midnights was driven by the fact that it’s mostly a breakup album. Bejeweled was the lead single and in hindsight it shows the relationship breaking down and she was sick of it. I’m sure she did not want to talk about that with journalists who would have picked it apart.
Anti-Hero was the lead single
@@ReeceShepherd didn’t bejeweled come out before anti hero
Bejeweled was not the lead single
im not even a swiftie, i dont listen to her music at all anymore. im very much part of the beehive, but you're such a compelling story teller and beyonce is very interesting, but taylor swift is definitely way more interesting. so im binge watching videos of taylor swift from you 💀
you perfectly described how I went from a casual fan to consuming ts content in a new way.
You are so well spoken, I didn't want the video to end! Keep it up
You really hit the nail on the head in these essay videos
Zack this is my new favorite video of yours! Such a great insight into the last few years and how crazy it’s been
thanks for watching queen!!!
Im the biggest Taylor fan and even Im getting tired of seeing her everywhere
Take a break from the internet for a while...it's amazing how little you see certain people & things once you retreat from where they inevitably are.
I think fan videos on UA-cam clued many people into her world. We cannot ignore the channels like chats and reacts that showed how much joy could be found as a fan.
I wish there’d still be those secret sessions up to now… like a coffee house or a lounge maybe if not her real house 🍁🍎🧣
Been a subscriber for a long time and love your podcasts. I’m an older Swifty and mostly a rock music girlie - in fact, I used to never mention Taylor to my “rock” friends lol Taylor’s song writing talent is what impressed me most about her, but what’s funny is that I have loved every new album she’s done. There are some songs I didn’t vibe with, but it’s her versatility I love - False God is my favorite on Lover lol Midnights has such a different sound from folk Taylor, but I love it. I think there is an album in her discography for everyone. I wish more attention was paid to her talent than who she is dating. It angers me that even in 2023, the joke is STILL that she needs song material so she’s dating whoever. While I enjoy one other channel that covers everything Taylor, I love your take on things because you are not just praising her every move. You bring the reality while still loving her lol superior video Zach
You put so much thought into your videos. Taylor swift or otherwise I really enjoy all your channel!
thank you, I so appreciate that!
We hadn't seen her for five years,and with four albums of new music,we just wanted to see her,again.💛🧡💜
Taylor is an incredibly hard working artist.
Thank you for another intelligent & thoroughly researched video essay, Swiftologist.
Keep slaying & can't wait for more content during 1989 month!
I fucking love your channel Zach! I became a swiftie after folklore and your channel and EOAS helped me gain a tridimensional perspective of Taylor as an artist, and soon these became my reliable sources for thoughtful and critical content about her. So excited for the excellence that we keep receiving!
thank you so much!
i’m 15 so obviously i haven’t been around for as long as you and the “older fans” but my first memories of taylor were around the red era and since then i had been a “casual swifte” (the old definition) but around folklore i really got brought in because it was just so different and something about it was just everything to me. since then i have been a diehard swiftie, but man it is crazy to see how much the fan base has changed throughout the years. people literally get shamed for calling themself a swiftie and then saying they don’t know every song on an album. like hello?! it is insane. sometimes it is hard to wrap my head around how big of an artist and influencer she is now.
This has gotta be one of his best videos, like it's such a good summary of all the contributing factors, and I doubt that anyone else has sufficient knowledge of both Taylor's career and how the industry works to explain this in such detail
Absolutely love your insights cause they're accurate 💯 and loved the stream, and the intro💙 the effort you put into your videos is transparent. Go zach!!!!!💙💙
tysm
i’m a newer swifty but that’s only because i basically had no idea who she was until she got super big. All i had heard was shake it off and we are never ever getting by back together. I still love most of her music tho so…
hi Zach, I just wanted to say you are the best Taylor creatorand you always have such thoughtful takes, love u king
thank you!!
I remember being so shocked when the Folklore surprise drop instagram post came out. I swear there’s an interview during 1989 where she explicitly states she wouldn’t ever do a surprise drop (in reference to an interviewer asking her about Beyoncé’s self titled drop).
I agree with everything you say except your disdain for Lover. Even discarding Me and You Need to Calm Down it's still a great album. Any album with Cornelia Street and Cruel Summer is a great album in my opinion.
lol somehow realized i was one of the ones not subscribed.
love your takes! I think the publicity of taylor’s relationship is exactly as you said - your allowance of being exposed and becoming the most famous person in the world. NOT pr like a lot seem to think
glad to finally onboard you!!!
@@theswiftologist 😂😂🤍🙏🏻
One factor in Taylor mania I was hoping you would talk abt: Taylor is making the Hero's Journey, thats why its so appealing
She went trought death & rebirth in reputation & lover, had her transformation in isolation and got her atonement with folklore and evermore
when the eras tour began, it was the return of the hero to home, when she gets the glory. It really is a comple subject and deserves a whole video about it!
I find it crazy that, as greek mythological heroes, she got the Elysium: the hero's last chance before the final battle to paradise in complete isolation, away from the war
(You can see that repeat in GOT and Harry Potter also)
And she chose the adventure
Excellent video Zach! Your analysis is on point and you articulate everything so well
thanks Rebecca
I became a swiftie at 13, it was the beginning of the Reputation era. I remember researching for weeks about every single era I had missed on. It’s really weird how fast the time went by and how Ive got to experience 3 new eras besides Rep… and now I get to experience the first 5 eras I’ve missed on. It’s as if Taylor was a part of my life since forever and I don’t think she’ll ever leave it. Never experienced any other fandom like this. It would feel like a family member of mine passed away if I’d stop listening to her songs and if I’d stop loving her. I don’t love her less than I love my own sisters and best friends. Don’t know if it’s wrong but I don’t think I love her even less than I love my parents. It feels like as if she was with me every single day (literally, not through screens) and as if she watched me grow but I am the one who watches her. This parasocial relationship situation is too real
This recap is *chef's kiss*
My Top 3 Artists
1.Taylor Swift (Stanning Since August 2022)
2.Britney Spears (Stanning Since February 2021)
3.Lana Del Rey (Stanning Since July 2023)
I love this video! Thoughtful and entertaining information delivered oh so eloquently, of course!
thank you for watching!!
thanks for creating, king!@@theswiftologist
I do not deserve to be fed like this after a shitty day. Thank u so much king🤴
yes u do
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 wow, I think this is one of my favorite video essays so far, (but I’m relatively new) so insightful and interesting! Bravo and thank you! I am subscribed and I make sure to like every video, but you definitely deserve more than that for the work you put in! Heading to patreon to determine how I can contribute more given my personal circumstances. I just thought it should be said if it hasn’t already, well done!
so glad you liked it!!
Very enlightening and well researched video, i suscribed
thank you!!
People try to define this in many ways but to me this “mania” is just another regular fandom: perfect timing & sheer power. 2004-2016 she had her conflicted stardom between cheap tabloids steering the focus from her actual discography & work to her personal life & the other being the 2010’s pop scene that had more of her active temporaries. The 2017-2021 the slow & quiet yet just as progressive years were in line with her personal choice with her partner at the time so the she probably had other things to focus on holistically aside from the fact Covid halted everybody’s life & surprisingly revealed she can still succeed even without the insane level of promotion with Folklore that put her actual raw talent on the map. Finally, we’re her 2022-present! her unstoppable energy+creativity that no other pop star is able to match because simply no one can move at her pace. So it seems quite reasonable to see fans feel that way.
it's giving sophisticated journalism
and that is my goal !!
Calling Lover a kidsbop is so weird when you think about False God, DBATC, Cornelia Street, Afterglow, MAATHBP
This!
love love love your channel! im always so excited for your uploads :) you’re such a good speaker and presenter, i’m curious do you read off of a script?
for videos like this I have notes and a vague script :)
I know it’s totally off topic but you look soooo good in dark blue!!
11:08 LOVE that you brought in human design Zack 😁 Taylor is a splenic projector (like me!) and folklore evermore was verrrrrrry splenic projector, imo. I think right now she’s running her energy like a Man-Gen and it blows my mind! How is she not burntout! Well, I think it’s because she’s truly authentic and embodied in her work now and it shows. A projectors’ signature is “success” 😊 and boy do we see that with her.
This video was great, one of the best I’ve watched from you! Thanks swiftologist ❤
Wow, thank you!
King!!! you gagged me again with this very insightful, amazing, thought-provoking video like u always do.
I was a huge Swiftie as a kid, waiting in lines on release days to buy her new album, wearing tee shirts with her on it. During high school I went through my “ugh, Taylor Swift, ugh, other girls” phase, and folklore is what drew me back into the fandom. That album and evermore saved my life for real.