It’s hardly surprising that Time Magazine dubbed 2023 the Year of Taylor Swift given her copious musical output, extremely successful tour, and catchy moniker.
In its annual issue honoring a Person of the Year a nearly century-old designation whose recipients include Volodymyr Zelensky, Martin Luther King Jr. and Greta Thunberg the magazine called music’s reigning deity a “rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story.”
The 33-year-old singer’s reputation is still soaring nearly two decades into her career. She is shattering records in the industry, and her captivating “Eras” tour is expected to earn an estimated USD 2 billion, making history as the first tour to surpass the elusive USD $1 billion barrier.
She has a devoted fan base and hundreds of millions of social media followers, which enable her to influence any situation with minimal effort.
“Taylor Swift found a way to transcend borders and be a source of light,” Time editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs wrote in a statement. “Much of what Swift accomplished in 2023 exists beyond measurement.”
“She mapped her journey and shared the results with the world: she committed to validating the dreams, feelings and experiences of people, especially women, who felt overlooked and regularly underestimated.”
Her vast empire is estimated to be worth over $1 billion USD by some, and the USD 92.8 million opening of her tour-documentary film this fall is just one more gem in the artist’s vast collection.
According to theater operator AMC, the film has sold over $100 million worth of advance tickets globally, making it the best-selling feature-length concert film ever.
Additionally, Swift’s burgeoning relationship with football player Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs has drawn a whole new generation of NFL fans, as her hundreds of millions of social media followers keep tabs on their every move.
It’s not new for Swift, who since her teenage years has seen her dating life broadcast to the world.
“There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once,” she said of the current frenzy around her game-day appearances.
“I’m just there to support Travis,” she continued. “I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads and Chads.”
