We knew the impact of Taylor Swift and her fans, the “Swifties” on social networks.
Each of his appearances attracts eyes and cameras from around the world.
Each of his Instagram posts is seen by his 280 million followers, and his songs are at the top of the world rankings.
Singer, feminist, performer, for the University of Melbourne in Australia, Taylor Swift is much more than that.
It would represent a societal, cultural, economic, commercial and even... medical phenomenon.
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A global approach
Monday February 12, 2024, the university therefore organized a symposium, a congress of specialists in other words, in order to study the Swift phenomenon.
Very quickly, it was nicknamed “Swiftposium”, a contraction of the artist's name and symposium.
“It's really amazing how many different approaches you can use to analyze Taylor Alison Swift,” said Jennifer Beckett, lecturer in media and communications at the University of Melbourne.
“She has accumulated such power and influence, I think it is unprecedented in the (music) industry,” notes the academic.
“We can learn a lot from her, but we also need to think critically.”
Taylor Swift, her journey in pictures
In images, in pictures
See the slideshow17 photos
See the slideshow17 photos
Also read: Taylor Swift, Blake Lively and M Pokora... Photos of the stars in the stands of the Super Bowl
Economic, societal and...
While Taylor Swift is in the middle of her Era's Tour, a gigantic 21-month world tour, sociologist Georgia Carroll studied the very thoughtful way in which the singer encourages her fans to go on a spending spree to acquire her products : “It rewards fans who spend money by paying attention to them (...) It is very studied and controlled, underlines the sociologist.
Fans see her much more as the friend next door than as a superpowered billionaire,” she notes.
A proximity helped by the storytelling of her love story with American football player Travis Kelce, or even her social networks, on which she regularly shares her touring and studio life with her fans.
Brittany Spanos, another speaker, contributor to Rolling Stone magazine, considers how Taylor Swift is “one of the smartest artists” in terms of communicating with her fans, making them feel “connected” with her.
This connection brings fans to his concerts which bring real economic change to the cities the pop star visits.
The conference dubbed it "Swiftonomics", or the economic impact of Taylor Swift's tours on cities, urban planning, public transport, restaurants and hotels.
According to them, she would be able to boost the economy of a city only by including it on the program of her tours.
Taylor Swift hugs her boyfriend Travis Kelce at the Super Bowl, in Las Vegas on February 11, 2024 MARK J. REBILAS/USA TODAY SPORTS / REUTERS
... medical !
Surprise from the Melbourne conference: certain Taylor Swift songs could help with cardiac resuscitation, according to several researchers.
Until then, the song “Stayin' Alive” by the Bee Gees was used as an example of a rhythm to follow for a cardiac massage.
But certain titles by the singer would include the right number of beats per minute and perhaps allow younger generations to have a more contemporary reference point.
Who said Taylor Swift couldn't save lives?