No one can argue against the statement that Taylor Swift has power. She proved that fact countless times over this year with her tour, her many skyrocketing releases, and her unparalleled sway over her Swifties. But, when compared to other powerful women (politicians, business execs, and other high-profile job titles), is she one of the most powerful? Forbes seems to think so.
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ForbesWomen named Swift the fifth most powerful woman in the world in their recently unveiled ranking. Swift is the first entertainer to enter the top five on this highly coveted list. Her inclusion generates a pause. Maybe not a long one, but a momentary stop to question, “What does this mean for the world? The entertainment industry? Society?”
[Taylor Swift Eras Tour – Get Tickets]
As Maggie McGrath, editor of ForbesWomen, tells American Songwriter, the ranking is generated by assessing four main categories, “Money, media, impact, and spheres of influence.” Swift covers all four of those aspects in spades.
Firstly, we all know Swift has an impressive sum of personal wealth. She recently attained billionaire status—a feat not many musicians have achieved through music alone. McGrath went on to say that the number of media mentions someone gets is taken into account. Even without compiling any data, we can confidently say Swift has to be one of (if not the) most written-about person in the media today. Entertainment news outlets, sports commentators (thanks to her connection to Travis Kelce), political analysts, and more have all made an effort to loop Swift into their coverage.
In the same vein, Swift’s spheres of influence are vastly varied. She has a firm hold on the music industry—that’s a given. The NFL has adopted Swift as its own. Her political activism has made her just as much of a talking point on hard news outlets as she is in the entertainment circuit.
“As I note in my story on her power, Taylor Swift is 17 years into her career—and she’s been a global pop sensation for much of that time,” McGrath says. “However, never before has she had more economic, political and social clout.”
“The U.S. Travel Association estimates that the Eras Tour added more than $5 billion to U.S. state economies this year, an effect so profound that even Fed Chair Jerome Powell has been asked about it (in the context of overall consumer sentiment and resilience),” she continues. “She was Spotify’s number one global artist, according to Spotify Wrapped, and has so many followers on her social media platforms that, if those followers made up their own country, that country would be among the 10 most populous in the world. As one of my sources told me: Taylor Swift isn’t just a good businesswoman, she’s effectively a corporation operating in many, many sectors.”
All that being said, the “why” is easily answered, but what is the larger impact of someone like Swift being one of the most powerful women in the world?
Firstly, looking solely at the music industry, the road to Swift’s unparalleled fame will likely be followed closely by younger artists. Swift’s commitment to artist’s rights makes her a true trailblazer. Though not every up-and-coming artist will have as much sway as Swift does in their careers, she acts as a shining, glimmering ideal to strive for.
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Though she isn’t the first artist to re-record her own music, she is the most famous example of the practice. An artist taking that kind of leap and earning the kind of rewards the Taylor’s Version project achieved hasn’t gone unnoticed by the industry. “As artists start to tap into that power and expand their own reaches, we could start to see others join [Swift] in the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list,” McGrath says.
Outside of the music industry, Swift has leveraged her power for political change, societal change, and more. In 2018, Swift used her platform to influence politics in Tennessee. “As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn,” Swift wrote on Instagram at the time. “Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me.”
Prior to that moment, Swift had been relatively quiet about her political ideologies. That one statement opened up a whole new avenue for Swift’s power. She routinely rouses up record-breaking voter registration and increases awareness for causes close to her heart (namely LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights).
Her Swifties are one of the most activated groups in the world today. Though their power is more or less secluded to influencing Swift’s career and accolades right now, there is no telling what they could do if Swift called them to action on more consequential matters—say, the 2024 election.
“Many of the sources I interviewed said they believe that Swift could have a significant effect on the 2024 election, if she chose to use her platform in that way,” McGrath comments. “The operative word there, however, is ‘if.'”
To wrap up these thoughts, we’d say the importance of Swift’s power lies in its apparent limitlessness. Every year she seems to acquire another playing field. “I’m collecting infinity stones,” Swift recently said in her Time Magazine Person of the Year feature.
Who is to say what Swift will lean into next? This year it’s ticket sales, streams, and football games. Next year, will Swift be a major force in the results of the 2024 election? It might seem silly to say that Swift could have such sway in things she is far removed from, like politics. But, when looking at her history, does it really seem that crazy?
Photo by John Medina/Getty Images
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