Swifties

Welcome to the world of Swifties, Taylor Swift’s fandom. With eleven albums and eighteen years in the music industry, she has a massive group of people supporting her through every decision that she makes. Swifties are not a one size fits all type of fandom; people of all genders, ages, and walks of life are proud to claim a spot in this fandom. 

Secret Meanings

Taylor Swift is known for leaving "Easter eggs" or secret messages in social media posts, song lyrics, speeches, interviews, and even her website. Swifties love decoding Taylor's hidden messages to extreme extents. In an interview with TODAY, Nicholas D’Amico a Swiftie since 2006 said, "'It’s just part of being a Swiftie' and 'Who doesn’t love a good conspiracy theory?! Taylor Swift hinting at things that are to come in … it’s just so iconic.'" Even in events where her message is not meant to be cryptic, Swifties spend hours depicting every word, symbol, and image to find some sort of secret meaning. Fans then take their ideas to social media to tell other people their ideas and bond over these messages. In true Taylor Swift fashion, there are easter eggs included in this blog; each color of the letters of "The Eras Tour" title represents one of her albums, the red titles of the other headings represent her iconic red lipstick that she always wears. 

The Eras Tour

Picture from her Fearless Set at The Eras Tour

Currently, Taylor Swift is on her sixth world tour call The Eras Tour. Time Magazine reports that by the end of 2024, this three-and-a-half-hour tour is expected to bring in over two billion dollars while playing 152 shows, most of them being sold out. Some of these tickets were selling for thousands of dollars, and people were buying them. Not only does this show Swifties dedication to support her all over the world, but the tour has also been made into a movie. Just like the tour, this movie became the highest-grossing concert film of all time. The amount of Swifties that wanted to watch and support Taylor shows the ever-loving support behind her. 

Cosplay

Outfits at the Concert

At The Eras Tour, Swifties take it the next level. They take her eleven albums and use them as outfit inspiration to dress like each of her different eras of music. All of her albums have a unique sound and theme to them with different looks for music videos and tours that she went on with that album. Swifties either copy the exact outfit that she has worn before, or use the "vibes" that the album gives off to create their outfit to look like an era of her music. When I went to The Eras Tour in May of 2023, I dressed up as her Reputation era while my two younger cousins dressed as her Red and her Lover era. In ours and many other Swifties' experience, we planned our outfits for months in advance. Again, the dedication of the fans through the time the spent to support Taylor show just how much they care about her. 

Fan Projects

Throughout her six tours that she has gone through, fans have gotten more involved with leaving their own special impact on their tour to show a thank you for Taylor. These start as an idea online that gain attention until it is carried out while Taylor is performing. An article by BuzzFeed explains that two teens posted a video online of them screaming "1,2,3, lets go bitch" before the first verse of Taylor's song Delicate in may of 2018 on the Reputation Tour. This video gained so much traction that it is now screamed by the whole stadium at every show of The Eras Tour almost six years later. Another fan project that took off during The Eras Tour is putting your flashlights up during the song Marjorie; a song about Swift's grandmother who had sadly passed away. The flashlights come out during the lyric "but I still feel you all around, I know better, but you're still around." Taylor can look around stadiums holding thousands of people with their flashlights up to honor her grandmother. Fan projects are a big part of being a Swiftie because it is showing Taylor how grateful they are for all the things Taylor has done for them. 

Fans holding up flashlights during Marjorie

Swifties form a tight knit community with the common goal of displaying their love for Taylor Swift. From decoding messages to replicating her eras through cosplay, Swifties' creativity has no bounds. The success of The Eras Tour and fan projects reflects the deep connection between Taylor and her fans. As Taylor's legacy evolves, the unwavering support of Swifties remains a testament to the enduring power of her music and the unity it inspires.

Works Cited

Blessedswifty. The crowd tonight turning on their phone flashlight during “marjorie” . 6 May 2023. Https://Twitter.Com/Blessedswifty/Status/1655034190826708995. Accessed 2 May 2024.

Merinuk, Madeline. “Liner Notes and Easter Eggs: How Taylor Swift Turned Fandom into a Scavenger Hunt.” TODAY.Com, www.today.com/popculture/music/taylor-swift-easter-eggs-hidden-messages-rcna51887. Accessed 2 May 2024.

Sharkey, Katie. Outfits at the concert. 14 May 2023.

Sharkey, Katie. Picture from her Fearless Set at The Eras Tour. 14 May 2023.

Skinner, Paige. “Five Years Ago She Screamed ‘1, 2, 3, Let’s Go, Bitch’ during Taylor Swift’s Performance of ‘Delicate.’ Millions of Fans Are Now Shouting It during the Eras Tour.” BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed News, 30 Mar. 2023, www.buzzfeednews.com/article/paigeskinner/taylor-swift-123-lets-go-bitch-eras-video.