Taylor Swift has long been among the most successful female musicians, but in recent years her popularity has reached stratospheric heights.
The singing superstar (33) is currently packing out stadiums across America on her mammoth The Eras Tour which will later travel to South America, Asia, Australia and Europe.
The dazzling shows, which span her entire discography, have sparked a craze amongst fans as they attempt to get a coveted ticket and have pumped millions into the local economies of the host cities.
During her final show at the SoFi Stadium in California on Wednesday, she sent her fans into a further frenzy as she announced the release date for the re-recorded version of her 2014 album, 1989.
As the singer continues to go from strength to strength, the PA news agency looks into her appeal.
Her songwriting and ability to span the genres
Surprise!! 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is on its way to you 🔜! The 1989 album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27th. To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I’ve ever done… pic.twitter.com/JFYOWhBxhj
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 10, 2023
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Swift has been hailed by the music industry and fans throughout her career for her ability to convey emotion and create captivating worlds through her storytelling.
She has also successfully pivoted from her early country days, to high-tempo pop beats, to lo-fi indie ballads across a succession of chart-topping albums.
Recurring themes within her music such as growing up, identity and relationships also creates a sense of relatability to the artist and often strikes a chord with her fans.
“A key reason for Taylor Swift’s incredible success is down to the relatability of her personality and music across generations and cultures”, says marketing and branding expert, Allyson Stewart-Allen.
“She’s a gifted songwriter, singer, live performer and marketer, mastering broad appeal without blandness.
“Much like the Madonna case study for Harvard business students, expect one on Swift’s marketing skills in the social media age.”
Universities such as Stanford have created modules which delve into her musical back catalogue and songwriting capabilities.
Female empowerment
The singer has often addressed feminist topics within her songs including her contention there is a double-standard for women within the music industry and society.
She also explores universal issues such as body image insecurity which has been exacerbated in the digital world.
Her commercial success, which includes 12 Grammys and breaking numerous records, has also been applauded as inspirational to other women.
Last month, it was announced she had secured the record for having more number one albums in the US Billboard charts than any woman in history.
She took over the title from Barbra Streisand after Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) reached the top spot in the charts, marking her 12th number one.
Swift has also dominated in the UK charts with the same album, landing her the record of producing 10 chart-topping albums faster than any other female solo artist.
Standing strong in the face of adversity
She has also faced a number of trials and tribulations which have played out in the public eye – but this seems to bring her more fans.
A notable infamous moment being when Kanye West snapped the microphone from a teenage Swift during her acceptance speech for best female video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, which sparked Barack Obama, the US president at the time, to label West a “jackass” over the incident.
Her fight to reclaim her music catalogue after the master recordings were acquired by the prominent talent manager Scooter Braun when he bought her former label, much to her fury, has also been applauded.
The singer is currently embarking on the ambitious task of re-recording her first six albums to regain ownership of the music.
