Swiftie Nation: The School’s Take on Taylor

With the release of her new album Midnights and the announcement of “The Eras Tour,” Taylor Swift is back in the spotlight. In the last week of October, Swift became the first artist to occupy the entirety of the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 list, and in mid-November, tickets for her tour sold out before even being released to the general public. Fans waited online for hours, sometimes just to get through the queue to an already sold out stadium. Before the end of the presale (which was only allowed for fans that received a code via text), buyers were reselling tickets for thousands of dollars. 

As with the wider teenage world, the School has plenty of Taylor Swift fans, often known as ‘Swifties.’ Many students signed up for ticket presale, and those who were lucky enough to get presale codes then attempted to score tour tickets when presale started during the school day on November 15. Some students even convinced their teachers to let them wait in the online ticket queue during class. Some succeeded, but other dedicated fans weren’t able to overcome the demand. “I feel betrayed. I’ve been a fan since day one…Some people got tickets who aren’t even Swift fans,” says senior Nicole Lamison. 

All this excitement has made Swift a popular topic of conversation among students. “I think it’s really cool that she got all of her songs on the top 100 and got the first top ten on the billboard top 100,” says junior Aissa Maiga. Fellow junior Leah Tabakh is similarly impressed. She says, “I think she’s a good person to look up to, especially for young women in America because she’s gone through so much stuff…She’s made it out superbly on top, breaking all the records.”

Even those who aren’t fans of her music still respect her: “I don’t like her music, but I think as a person she seems pretty cool,” commented junior Phoenix Carlson, “From what I’ve heard, she…always seems to be putting out good statements and stuff and trying to empower people, which I think is a really good thing to do.”

While many students are fans, just as many feel neutral about her music. For some, Swift’s music just isn’t to their taste. “I think her music is cool, just not my style most of the time,” says junior Arissa Mangewala. Others have stronger feelings, but many feel similarly to Aaron Kopelnik, who says, “I don’t care about Taylor Swift. I’m not against her. I’m not for her.”

Some judge her not for her music, but rather, for elements of her personal life. “Don’t dislike her because she’s a woman, dislike her because of her jet stuff,” says senior Cam Yount, referring to data that was released about Swift’s frequent use of her private jet and its significant carbon emissions. Others still remember Swift’s conflict with Kanye West over his sexual description of her in a song and her subsequent response which some found dishonest. 

Regardless of students’ varying opinions about Swift, she has been a frequent topic of conversation around the School over the past few weeks. Because Swift debuted in 2006, many students have grown up with her. Junior Marina Nikolic articulates the feelings of many students. She says, “I have many complicated feelings towards Taylor Swift because in many ways I feel like I’ve grown up with her music. But now that I’m older, I’m coping with the reality that she’s a complex person whose legacy is not purely being a benign musician.”