How Taylor Swift became a global icon

Paris, an almost ordinary autumn Friday, 9 p.m. While onlookers enjoy the end of the week in crowded brasseries and cafes, dozens of people stormed the Maison de l’Océan, in the 5th arrondissement. In a room plunged into darkness, hundreds of candles flicker while a string quartet performs tunes taken up in chorus by the audience.

Could these be members of a sect in the midst of incantation? Nay! Simply Taylor Swift aficionados gathered for a candlelight party (candlelight evening) dedicated to the singer.

This meeting of the third type is part of the panoply of rituals in which the star’s admirers indulge all over the world: exchanging handmade bracelets, dressing in the colors of their favorite album, organizing public or private happenings around the work of their idol… For these fans, Swiftmania is much more than a pastime.

Almost a way of life associated with a structured universe comprising its own practices, its vocabulary… “Which was called the Taylorverse (Taylor contraction and universeeditor’s note)», explains Christine Lötscher, chair of literature and popular media at the University of Zurich (Switzerland).

A few elements are enough to measure the extent of the phenomenon. Born on December 13, 1989 in West Reading, Pennsylvania (United States), Taylor Swift released her first album at just 16 years old. Country hits Tim McGraw And Our Song earned him, in 2007, his first gold record.

Eleven successful albums later, at 35, this young blonde woman, the embodiment of a certain American elegance, leads one of the most successful careers in the music industry. More than 250 million albums sold, billions of dollars in revenue generated, twelve Grammy Awards won (the highest musical distinction in the United States)…

On the personality side, she managed, following a standoff with her production company, to buy back the rights to all her albums. The one who has just become engaged also claims, as a woman, the right to publicly discuss her love life.

On the political side, her influence is such that, during the last American presidential election, hundreds of thousands of voters voted for Kamala Harris after she gave her support via an Instagram post. Moreover, sociologists are studying the reasons for this extraordinary success.

At the American universities of Harvard and Missouri-Kansas City, or that of Ghent, in Belgium, courses deciphering his discography opened in 2023. On the Internet, the artist has 281 million subscribers on Instagram and 94 million on X… An attachment that sometimes borders on idolatry.

Orchestrated complicity

This fever does not spare France. After the release on October 3 of The Life of a Showgirl, the enthusiasm that the young woman arouses is at its height. His twelfth opus took first place in the Top Albums in a few hours, becoming in one week the most downloaded record on the digital platform Spotify France.

We met some of his fans. All testify to an intimate, deep and lasting link with the singer’s world. Like Fanny, a 35-year-old Mosellane: “I grew up with Taylor Swift and she grew up with me,” she explains. His real love at first sight goes back to the album Red, whose personal resonances were powerful: “I was born the same year as her. When she released the song 22, I was 22 too, everything in me resonated.”

Since then, his loyalty has been total: vinyls, box sets, concerts, careful analyzes of clips and Easter eggs, these clues hidden in Taylor Swift’s words or publications like treasure hunts to maintain interaction with her fans. “His intelligence and attention to detail are fascinating.”

The concert that Fanny attended in June 2024 in Lyon remains a peak: “A year of waiting, making my own jacket by sticking thousands of rhinestones on it and making friendship bracelets*… The atmosphere was electric. It wasn’t just a concert, it was a communion,” she confesses.

Claimed membership

It was during this tour, called the Eras Tour, that Lucile, 34, discovered the planet Swift: “I wanted to understand the craze… and I fell into it!” she confides. La Normande then devours albums, clips, documentaries, discovering a committed and constantly evolving artist. Beyond music, the singer is a source of inspiration for her. “She is hardworking and gives me the strength to complete my projects.”

It’s also Taylor Swift’s ability to talk about her romantic setbacks in her songs that touches her. “She is genuine and doesn’t cheat with her emotions. The album Reputation acts like a real medicine for me. He helps me get up when I’m feeling down.”

Quickly, her passion led her to the swiftie* community, notably during an event organized in the Paris region: “A teatime Taylor Swift at Manon (co-author of this article and the most accomplished Swiftie in the editorial team Pilgrim, editor’s note). Each wore an outfit inspired by their era* preferred. It was simple, sincere and strong.”

Stéphan, from Lyon, proudly claims his membership in this community of fans, shattering the clichés: “My loved ones were surprised at first, because Taylor’s groupies are often limited to women and gays. Of course, at concerts, there are all ages but few heterosexual men like me. Yet Taylor’s songs appeal to everyone’s emotional intelligence. It should speak to everyone.”

His experience is marked by concerts: he followed the artist on five dates of the Eras Tour in Europe. “One of the best periods of my life, a real bubble of kindness and freedom.” And an incredible breeding ground for friendship: “From the first evening, we created an Instagram group. Today, we meet all over Europe for concerts.”

Between a feeling of belonging to a community and proximity to their favorite artist, Swifties see life in roses when it comes to Taytay*. A sometimes excessive passion, but which does no harm to anyone, guides them. Like in another era, for those who remember it, Beatlemania which created frenzy among rock fans and great incomprehension among so many others… But that was before.

* Read the glossary at the end of the article.

Listen to Taylor Swift: three tracks to discover the singer’s world.