What Taylor Swift means to her fans

ive “Swifties” (die-hard fans of the pop star explain) what the icon, whose words could count in the November presidential election, means to them.

“Therapist”

Searle Lira, 33, became a fan of Taylor Swift in high school with the song Teardrops on My Guitar (2006). It helped her overcome her own heartbreak. “I have the impression that she’s the girls’ free therapist,” notes this independent journalist from the Philippines. “For every thing girls go through, you can find a Taylor Swift song to relate to. »

“Love me as you should”

Lauren Fang, 23, first listened to Taylor Swift while she was in the hospital for treatment for lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease. A human resources specialist in Taiwan, she was 18 at the time and says her idol's songs helped her recover. His favorite song? Back to December (2010), which evokes the regrets of having left someone. She transformed the words to relate them to herself: “If I can live again, I swear that I will love myself as I should. » “The song taught me that if I can rebuild my life, I will live my own life correctly,” she adds.

“Humble and kind”

Sarah Lui, 21, discovered Taylor Swift in elementary school and has never stopped listening to her since then. “I will always be a Swiftie even if I become a lawyer,” maintains the young woman, who is completing a cycle in criminology in Hong Kong and is going to study law. What she admires most about the singer is her “kindness”. “She was so good to her team, her fans and everyone. “She’s humble and kind, that’s how everyone should be,” she explains. “She’s a superstar, but she’s never been arrogant because of her fame. She uses her fame to do good. »

“She’s not afraid of anything”

Mona He got her first smartphone at the age of 15 and the first song she downloaded was You Belong With Me (2008). Now aged 24, she confides that attending the singer's concert has been her dream for nine years. “I admire her because she is not afraid of anything,” confides the young woman who runs a company in China. “Even though she has enemies, she never, ever gives up. »

" Be yourself ! »

What Renzo Gonzales, 26, likes is Swift's message that people should be themselves. “It doesn’t matter if you face a lot of uncertainty, you just have to be who you are and be happy,” says Renzo Gonzales, originally from the Philippines and working on an oil tanker. Taylor Swift became her role model because “you don’t have to be like what everyone tells you to be, you can be yourself.” His favorite song: Daylight (2019) because it taught him that “love can be a rainbow”.

Taylor Swift is shaking hotel reservation and rentals in Paris and Lyon

Before star Taylor Swift's concerts in Paris and Lyon in the spring, hotel reservations and rentals are up sharply.

American star Taylor Swift is coming to France for six concert dates next spring, in Paris (May 9 to 12) and Lyon (June 2 and 3). And the enthusiasm of his fans is so strong that his arrival boosts tourism in France, as shown by figures revealed exclusively by RMC.

First of all, 64% of hotel rooms in Lyon are already booked on June 2 and 3, while the rest of the month is around 20 to 30% according to the research firm MKG.

“We are already fully booked for these two nights,” rejoices a hotelier, marked by reservations made very early, from October or November, with RMC.

It’s the same with AirBnbs. Compared to 2023, there are 25% more nights booked in Paris during Taylor Swift's visit, according to AIRDNA analyses. But it is even more spectacular in Lyon, with a 282% increase in overnight stays compared to last year.

CHEAPER IN FRANCE THAN IN THE UNITED STATES

As for the fans, many say they will stay a few days to visit Lyon or Paris. And even one or two weeks for the many American fans. Many decided to come see their idol's concerts in France instead of the United States, where tickets could reach 3,500 euros!

Those with whom RMC spoke have planned a whole program: museum, restaurant, cruise, visit to the Eiffel Tower or Disneyland... "I'm coming with my whole family and my five-year-old son who is going to see Taylor Swift for the first time times", says a mother.

Others plan to follow her to several countries. A hell of a budget, but “when you love, you don’t count,” concludes one of them.

Can Taylor Swift have an impact on the US Presidential Elections?(III)

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4. Donald Trump is worried

On February 11, the Republican candidate mentioned Taylor Swift on his own social network, Truth. With the verve of which he has the secret, the former American president practically demanded the support of the singer, with an aplomb which seems to betray a lack of serenity:

“I signed and initiated the Music Modernization Act, which benefits Taylor Swift and every other musical artist,” he wrote. “Joe Biden has never done anything for Taylor, and he will never do anything for her.”

“There is no way she supports this crook Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt president in the history of our country, and is thus disloyal to the man who allowed her to make so much money ", he continued. “Besides, I like her boyfriend, Travis (Kelce, American football star, Editor’s note), even if he’s a liberal who probably hates me!”

A message which is undoubtedly not unrelated to Taylor Swift's violent criticism of the Republican candidate. In 2020, the singer supported Joe Biden's candidacy by vilifying Donald Trump on Twitter:

“You have fanned the flames of white supremacism and racism throughout your mandate,” she wrote to the man who was then president. “We will vote you out in November.”

5. Conspiracy theorists see her as a threat

Another sign that Taylor Swift will be at the heart of the 2024 presidential election: the panic of conspiracy circles towards her, who see in her a pawn of the Pentagon to get Joe Biden re-elected.

Jesse Watters, presenter of the favorite channel of American conservatives, Fox News, took up these wild theories in early January, first published on social networks by right-wing commentators, insinuating that the superstar would work for the government of the outgoing president.

“Not only is Swift, by her OWN ADMISSION, a satanic witch, she is also a TOOL OF THE PENTAGON to influence the vote of THOUSANDS of young voters,” an account promoting QAnon conspiracy theories about X recently posted.

In addition, some voices have been raised to suggest that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce would form a couple created from scratch with the sole aim of influencing public opinion in favor of Joe Biden. Notably that of Vivek Ramaswamy, candidate who withdrew from the race in the Republican primary in favor of Donald Trump; At the end of January, he pointed the finger at X (ex-Twitter) "a couple artificially supported by culture" which, according to him, will reveal "major presidential support".

If the United States seems to have acquired the idea that the American presidential election will not be held without Taylor Swift, the European Union is starting to take notes. In January, European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas expressed his hope that the superstar would mobilize young voters for the European elections in June.

Can Taylor Swift have an impact on the US Presidential Elections?(II)

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2. Young people, the nerve of the electoral war

Last September, Taylor Swift repeated the feat by once again calling on her audience to register to vote. This time, more than 35,000 Americans registered in the space of one day on Vote.org. Above all, the platform observed a 115% jump in registrations of 18-year-old voters compared to the previous year. And it is precisely with this demographic that the interpreter of Style perhaps has a role to play.

As USA Today noted a few months ago, the youth vote is synonymous with concern across the Atlantic: only 48% of those aged 18-29 went to the polls during the 2020 presidential election, compared to 73% of those aged 65- 74 years old.

“The younger generation is starting to realize that what they care about is intrinsically linked to turnout,” said Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org. “When someone generates 30,000 registrations at once, there can be an impact, absolutely.”

For Thierry Arnaud, political columnist for BFMTV, "this election will be played out in a small handful of states, as usual. These are what we call swing states, where the results are close (...) each time, it comes down to a few tens of thousands of votes; mobilization will be the key, especially among young people. Traditionally, they vote less than others but when they do, they mostly vote Democratic. It is in this I feel like Taylor Swift will make them lean, and that's why her role could be decisive."

3. 18% of voters say they are ready to follow her

And in fact, young people seem particularly inclined to follow Taylor Swift's voting instructions. This is what a Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey conducted for Newsweek revealed last January.

Among those under 35, about three in ten Americans say they are more likely to vote for a candidate supported by the singer. Out of the overall population, 18% of American voters say they are more likely or much more likely to do the same.

This last figure must be put into perspective; because conversely, 17% of voters surveyed say they are less likely to vote for a candidate supported by the singer, who is as popular as she is divisive

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Can Taylor Swift have an impact on the US Presidential Elections ? (I)

The potential influence of Taylor Swift in the outcome of the election is the subject of many comments across the United States. Because the singer has already demonstrated an unsuspected political strength.

Decisive moment in the American presidential campaign. It is this Tuesday that the traditional Super Tuesday takes place, a day during which the Democratic and Republican primaries in no less than 15 states will take place. If the candidates from both camps will be determined on their fate in their race for the White House at the end of this election, there is another stage of their campaign that they are feverishly awaiting: the day when Taylor Swift, the superstar of pop, will give his voting instructions.

As surprising as it may seem, the singer's name has been on the lips of all observers for months. Most present the star as an asset to Joe Biden, whom she supported in 2020 and who is running for re-election. Conversely, she would be a stone in the shoe of Donald Tump, who is trying to regain power after his failure in 2020. The main interested party, for the moment, is not saying a word.

Because in addition to her four years spent at the top of world record sales, her title of personality of the year 2023 awarded by Time (a first for an artist) or her phenomenon tour, the Eras Tour, on the way to becoming the most lucrative story, everything suggests that Taylor Swift could influence the American vote. 

1. 2018: Taylor Swift triggers her first political earthquake

Stubbornly silent on political-societal issues since the start of her career, the superstar surprised her fans in October 2018 by breaking her silence. During the mid-term elections, and while Donald Trump occupies the Oval Office, Taylor Swift posted a long message on Instagram to vigorously criticize Marsha Blackburn, Republican candidate from Tennessee for a position in the Senate.

A voter in this southeastern state, Taylor Swift takes the opportunity to show her support for Democratic candidates, embraces her progressive sensibilities for the first time and, above all, calls on her fans to register to vote. And if Marsha Blackburn ended up winning, Taylor Swift revealed during this period a hitherto unsuspected strike force.

72 hours after the publication of the message on Instagram, the Vote.org site announced that it had recorded 250,000 new registrations on the lists, 60% of which were young people aged 18 to 29. That is more in three days than throughout the month of August (57,000 registrations) and the entire month of September (190,000), as reported by Reuters. This speech then resonates even in the corridors of the White House; Donald Trump himself weighs in, saying he likes "Taylor's music about 25% less now."

At the time, Taylor Swift had 112 million followers on Instagram. Today there are 282 million.

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Taylor Swift's tour film arrives on Disney+ on March 14.

 During Taylor Swift's Eras tour, only four concerts featured a performance of "Maroon," a single from her tenth studio album, Midnights. The track first appeared as a surprise song in May 2023, when she paired it with New Jersey's "Getaway Car." Los Angeles and Mexico City then got a taste of it in August, and she reintroduced it in a mashup with “Forever & Always” last week. On March 14, Swift's acoustic performance of "Maroon" will be available with the release of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) on Disney+.

The tour film includes four bonus songs

At the end of some ad messages, Swift approaches her piano and tells the audience: “This is one of my favorite songs.” She then begins to play the first notes of “Maroon”. The film will feature four bonus tracks in total, including "Maroon", all performed acoustically, alongside the original film's tracklist. It will also include the premiere of “Cardigan,” which was excluded from the theatrical release.

“I’m excited to announce that you will be able to watch Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (My Version) a few hours earlier than expected, Swift wrote on X Monday morning. Experience the entire concert film for the first time ever, start to finish, including “cardigan” and FOUR new acoustic songs on @Disney+ starting March 14 at 6 p.m. »

The film was released in theaters last October, capturing the first three Los Angeles performances of his career-spanning tour. In January, it became the highest-grossing concert film and documentary in history.

Taylor Swift: ten crazy figures on the scale of her Eras Tour which is arriving in France in May (III)

 An amount much higher than that of the star's last tour: $157. How to explain such an increase? Due to inflation and rising costs, but also the very high demand for places, while ticket prices have exploded in recent years in the United States. Unlike France which has fixed prices for concerts, the United States does not have such a system and prices can therefore vary greatly for the same concert from one day to the next depending on demand.

8500: the number of cinemas which broadcast the concert

While the tour is still underway, a documentary film was recorded at three concerts held in Los Angeles. Since Friday October 13, 2023, theaters around the world have broadcast this show, including 144 in France. In total, 8,500 theaters are affected worldwide. Enough to generate more than 261 million dollars at the worldwide box office.

In addition to the cinema, the concert film was purchased by Disney+, which will therefore offer it in streaming from March 15.

$320,000,000: the money she helped make in Los Angeles

According to calculations by economist Maria Psyllou of the British University of Birmingham, Taylor Swift's six concerts in Los Angeles in August allowed the city's county to rake in $320 million.

Already a record-breaker, singer Taylor Swift, a superstar in the United States, is reaching new heights with her The Eras Tour. Number of countries visited, significant economic impact on the cities of the tour, almost two

Taylor Swift: ten crazy figures on the scale of her Eras Tour which is arriving in France in May (II)

 20: the number of countries crossed

The “Eras Tour” will visit 20 countries around the world, mainly in North America and Europe. This is a record that equals that of his second tour in 2011.

26: the number of fans who sued Ticketmaster for the sale of tickets

When tickets went on sale in the United States, the ticketing turned into a fiasco for Ticketmaster. Multiple bugs occurred and prices skyrocketed. 26 fans therefore sued the company for “fraud, price fixing and violation of antitrust laws”. In France, the sale was also very complicated.

• 151: the number of concerts planned
• 151 dates have been announced for this tour. This is more than all of the artist's previous tours.
• 632: the number of days over which the tour extends

The tour started on March 17, 2023, in the United States and will end at least December 8, 2024, in Canada, (or later, in the event of an extension not yet announced). That's a total of 632 days, i.e. 1 year, 8 months and 22 days. With 151 concerts planned, that corresponds to one concert every four days.

$3,800: the average ticket resale price in the United States

In the United States, tour prices have been extremely high. And even more those from the resale of tickets. Thus, according to an analysis by the media Pitchwork, Taylor Swift concert tickets were sold, on average, for $3,801. Or a little over €3,500.

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Taylor Swift: ten crazy figures on the scale of her Eras Tour which is arriving in France in May (I)

 In May and June, Taylor Swift will play six dates of her world tour “The Eras Tour” in France, Paris then Lyon. Nearly two years of touring, financial income amounting to hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars... Here are ten crazy figures from this tour. Discover the fourth and final episode of our series dedicated to Taylor Swift.

Already a record-breaker, singer Taylor Swift, a superstar in the United States, is reaching new heights with her The Eras Tour. Number of countries visited, significant economic impact on the cities of the tour, almost two years of shows…

While this series of concerts will arrive in France on May 9, 2024, here are ten figures which show the exceptional scale of this show.

2.3: the magnitude of two earthquakes, triggered by the tour

This is a very unexpected effect of this tour. During two concerts in Seattle, on July 22 and 23, 2023, two 

2.3 magnitude earthquakes were triggered by the audience, as explained by seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, who works at Western Washington University.

5: the number of world tours already carried out by Taylor Swift

The Eras Tour is Taylor Swift's sixth world tour. The American singer has already completed five. So far, only one world tour has passed through France. This is the Speak Now Tour, the second tour, in March 2011.

6: the number of shows in France

Taylor Swift will make six dates of her world tour in France. Four will take place at Paris La Défense Arena (May 9, 10, 11 and 12, 2024), and two at Groupama Stadium in Lyon (June 2 and 3, 2024). Originally, only 3 dates were announced. But this number was doubled in the face of the French success of the announcement of the first dates.

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Taylor Swift exploded in Paris

The 34-year-old multi-awarded American singer returns for an eventful world tour: Eras tour. Split into 10 surreal acts, each concert promises a unique experience through 44 iconic Taylor Swift songs. A 3-hour musical marathon that promises to be epic. Here are 5 things to remember about his concerts in Paris.

Taylor Swift exploded hotel reservations in Paris

From May 9 to 12, Taylor Swift will be in Paris for 4 event dates. A series of concerts that the swifties of Paris and elsewhere would not have missed for anything in the world. To the point that reservation reservations have exploded: “25% increase” compared to 2023 according to RMC. The “Taytay” effect should also be felt on the economy: catering, souvenirs, cultural outings… Fans should take the opportunity to visit Paris before or after the concert.

Ticketmaster ticket office had a major technical problem

Last Tuesday, July 11, the ticket office to attend Taylor Swift concerts in France was opened. But the Ticketmaster site was not ready for such a wave of influx from swifties. Result ? The site simply crashed on the morning of the launch of the tickets, leaving fans in deep disarray. Sales simply had to be postponed. A fact that already happened in November 2022 in the United States, creating a gigantic server bug and a mind-blowing price increase.

144 cinemas in France broadcast his concert

Another new fact, the cinemas! Taylor Swift's tour event was recorded on video, allowing many fans to discover this unique show. In all, 144 cinemas in France broadcast his concert. Disney + also offered Swifties the opportunity to experience or relive this great moment of music, by adding the concert to its catalog from March 15. The film will be visible in an extended version and will include four acoustic songs that did not appear in the version released in cinemas. For your information, the film grossed more than $260 million at the international box office.

Taylor Swift's father also chooses to be famous

An investigation was opened Tuesday in Australia after a complaint from a photographer claiming to have been assaulted by the father of American singer Taylor Swift, police announced.

“Police were informed that a 71-year-old man was accused of assaulting a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf,” a ferry terminal in Sydney’s north, “before leaving the scene,” the statement said. a spokeswoman Alicia McCumstie. “The younger man reported the incident and the investigation is ongoing,” she added.

The photographer, Ben McDonald, told AFP that his alleged attacker was the father of pop star Scott Swift.

He said he was taking photos of Taylor Swift on a yacht on Sydney Harbor after her tour in the city when, he said, members of the singer's security held up an umbrella in front of him to to prevent her from continuing as the singer went down to the pier to join a vehicle.

Australian police do not usually release the identities of people under investigation.

This case comes as Taylor Swift travels this week to Singapore, the only stop in Southeast Asia on her major The Eras tour.