WATCH MASTERS PORTRAIT : Taylor Swift - “America’s little girl” who became a worldwide star (I)

Successes across the world, concerts that break all records... American singer Taylor Swift, from a country background, has become a music legend in just a few years. An ascent due in particular to his artistic sense and impeccable mastery of his career. Discover the first episode of our series dedicated to Taylor Swift.

You only have to align a few numbers to realize the status of music icon obtained by Taylor Swift in the United States and around the world. Four Grammy awards for the best album of the year (a record which places her ahead of Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon or Stevie Wonder), a fortune estimated at 1.1 billion dollars according to Forbes (one of "the rare artists to achieving this status solely through music and stage"), a place at the top of the American charts for 68 consecutive weeks (beating Elvis Presley's record)… The list could go on for a long time.

The woman who was named Personality of the Year 2023 by the prestigious Time magazine is a unique artist in the United States, thanks to a career that owes nothing to chance.

A “very authentic” artist

From her first album, released in 2006 and simply titled Taylor Swift, the singer, barely 16 years old, rose to the rank of young American country star. The album was written in high school by Taylor Swift. Nothing surprising for the one who learned the guitar at 10 years old and who, even as a child, “was singing all the time”, as her father, a financial advisor, told UDaily. At school, as she later explained in several interviews, Taylor Swift was ostracized by her classmates and took refuge in writing songs.

The teenager, who was born in 1989 in Pennsylvania, auditioned in New York to play in Broadway musicals, but without success. At age 13, she moved with her family near Nashville, the country capital, where her parents hoped she could be successful. A successful bet since she signed her first contract as an author and composer with Sony/ATV Tree Music Publishing, becoming the youngest artist to sign on this label. Already a first record.

Her first album contains one of the recipes that will make Taylor Swift successful throughout her career: it addresses her intimate thoughts and her romantic relationships, from happiness to betrayals. A common thread that allows its fans to find themselves in these universal stories.

“Since the beginning, I have identified with the songs she writes,” explains Sandra, a fan of the artist, born the same year and the same month as Taylor Swift and therefore aged, like the singer, 34 years old. “I feel like I’ve grown and evolved with her. These words mean a lot to me. She excels at sharing her personal experience with millions of people,” says the woman who has an Instagram account dedicated to her favorite singer and began following Taylor Swift in 2009. “There is a very authentic side. Her songs are almost a diary that takes people with her,” also underlines Gaël Sanquer, deputy director of musical media for the NRJ group.

A proximity supported by the storytelling talents of Taylor Swift. “I write all my songs,” the artist confirmed on Twitter in 2022. She also composes most of them and plays many instruments (drums, piano, banjo, etc.). “When I have an idea, I record a voice memo singing the melody, or I write the lyrics in the notes on my cell phone,” she detailed in 2016 in an interview for Vogue. Enough to add to this authentic side, appreciated by his fans.

(to be continued)

How Taylor Swift rules her career with an iron fist

Far from being afraid of Friday the 13th, Taylor Swift has made her favorite number a marketing argument. Born on December 13, the American singer could only choose this date to offer her fans an experience like no other. 

That of a concert lasting almost 3 hours to experience like in a stadium, but in a cinema. The Eras Tour Film will be broadcast in 90 countries including France while this record-breaking tour, which could rake in a billion dollars, will only arrive in Europe next spring with six performances in France.

Stronger than Tom Cruise at the box office

In the United States and Canada, demand was such that the film's release was brought forward by a day. The announcement was made by the star in person after a preview which was even attended by Beyoncé. With more than $100 million raised in pre-sales, The Eras Tour is already the highest-grossing concert film in history. A successful feat also thanks to a higher price than a usual cinema ticket. 19.89 dollars for adults, 13.13 dollars for children and seniors, which the Swifties harmed by the Ticketmaster bug did not hesitate to pay when the ticket office opened.

Variety predicts that Taylor Swift should enter the top 10 box office of the year across the Atlantic, doing better than Mission: Impossible 7 with Tom Cruise, Indiana Jones 5 with Harrison Ford and Fast X with Vin Diesel. Some films, including the new romantic comedy by and with Meg Ryan, have changed their release dates to avoid facing it in theaters. 

The American publication even describes the 33-year-old as the "savior" of an industry deprived of its autumn blockbusters like Dune 2, postponed due to the strike in Hollywood. “Ticket sales rival those of a major film. This is an unexpected boost in revenue that we need,” comments the owner of a cinema chain.

Question of rights at stake: Standoff between Taylor Swift and her former record company (II)

After several years of fighting against his record company Warner Bros, of which he called himself the “slave”, he was finally freed from his contract in 1996.

“If you don't control your masters, they control you,” he told Rolling Stone magazine in 1996.

In many contracts, the producer is designated as the owner of the masters, in return for taking financial risk.

As in the case of Taylor Swift, who made her first commitment at 15 when she was unknown, the balance of power at the time of signing the contract is often favorable to the record company.

Some artists have nevertheless obtained control of their recordings, notably Rihanna, U2 or Jay-Z, often by buying them back at a high price once they have become famous.

Some young artists have also achieved this more recently, including rapper XXXTentacion, murdered in 2018.

“Signing and keeping the biggest artists in the world, or even a newcomer that the record companies are snapping up, has become much more expensive,” says Larry Miller, director of the music economics program at the New York University (NYU).

“Some houses are sometimes ready to do things contrary to the way their economic model works,” according to him.

The record companies nonetheless retain overall control, thanks to their ability to “make” a star.

If producing music is now accessible to everyone, recognizes Larry Miller, “there is a big difference between being a talent to be discovered and having an army of people working to make you the greatest artist.”

Taylor Swift fake straight? An article causes controversy in the United States

A press article speculating on Taylor Swift's sexual orientation has sparked a stir on social media, with many internet users calling for it to be removed.

The column in question, comprising approximately 5,000 words and published Sunday in the "opinion" pages of the New York Times, puts forward the hypothesis that the American pop superstar identifies in a veiled way as a member of the LGBTQ community, while publicly affirming to be heterosexual.

Asked by AFP, neither the New York daily nor the agents of the 34-year-old artist, Time magazine's 2023 personality of the year, responded.

The controversial article is "intrusive, inaccurate and inappropriate", however, commented anonymously a person from Taylor Swift's entourage, quoted by the CNN channel.

Many readers also reacted by criticizing the New York Times, rejecting the idea that the American youth idol could be a lesbian who had not yet come out.

The author of the text, Anna Marks, draws up a long list of acts performed by Taylor Swift intended to suggest that she is "queer".

The addition of all these facts “suggests to queer people that she is one of them,” says the journalist.

Anna Marks cites the example of Chely Wright, an American country music singer, who confided that she had to wait years before "coming out of the closet", for personal reasons directly linked to her career.

Taylor Swift, adored by legions of fans - the "Swifties" - openly campaigns for LGBTQ rights, without ever having identified herself as "queer".

On the contrary, over the years, we have had romantic relationships with various male celebrities, who have been the delights of the celebrity pages of magazines.

The singer of “Shake It Off”, “Anti-Hero” and “You Need To Calm Down”, whose career began in Nashville, the cradle of country music, has been appearing for several months with the American football player from the Chiefs from Kansas City, Travis Kelce.

She, who is now seen as a feminist icon, has also shaken the music industry with a phenomenally successful tour.

Question of rights at stake: Standoff between Taylor Swift and her former record company (I)

The tone is rising between Taylor Swift and her former record company, which she accuses of preventing her from singing her own songs with, at the center, the question of the rights to her recordings.

This is a new stage in the dispute between the princess of pop and the music industry mogul Scooter Braun.

Standoff between Taylor Swift and her former label, the question of rights at stake

In June, the businessman's company bought Taylor Swift's record label, Big Machine, which owns the recordings made by the singer for her first six albums.

Arriving at the end of her contract in November 2018, the 29-year-old artist joined Universal, with whom she released her seventh opus, Lover, and publicly explained that Big Machine had not allowed her to recover the rights to her records.

In a blog post Thursday, she accused Scooter Braun and Big Machine founder Scott Borchetta of warning her team that she wasn't even allowed to sing her old songs on television.

“This would amount to re-recording [s]her music before [she] has the right to do so, next year,” the two leaders would have explained, according to Taylor Swift.

In August, the one who began her career in country announced that she wanted to re-record her songs to regain control of her works, a project she confirmed again on Thursday.

According to Taylor Swift, these threats risk preventing her from singing a compilation of her greatest hits during the American Music Awards (AMA) ceremony on November 24.

They also deprive her, according to her, of using songs and old videos in a documentary on her life produced by Netflix.

Everything for the “masters”

The record company goes further and claims that the singer owes it, contractually, “millions of dollars”.

Still according to the group, discussions have been held in recent months between the two parties, and it was “optimistic about a possible resolution, until yesterday”, Thursday.

The managers accuse him of having “appealed to his fans in a calculated manner, which has significant consequences for the safety of [their] employees and their families”.

They nevertheless made a new call for dialogue, accusing him of having refused a direct exchange until now.

The issue of rights is not new in the recording industry.

Prince is probably the artist who most embodied this struggle of artists to have ownership of their “masters”, or master tapes, the original recordings.

(to be continued)

Astrological Compatibility: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have found themselves at the center of dating rumors lately, from the Kansas City Chiefs player being spotted at the singer's Eras Tour on July 8 to Swift being seen cheering for Kelce at his game on Sept. 24.

A day after making headlines with their rumored romance, an insider told that it's still "super, super early days" of them getting to know each other but they are "having fun."

Swift is a Sagittarius Sun with a Cancer Moon, while Kelce is a Libra Sun with a Sagittarius Moon. "This means that they will share many key astrological placements, particularly with the outer planets," says Thomas — who's known for his cosmic guidance for celebrities, business executives and prominent influencers.

"Factoring in romance and intimacy, intellectual rapport and communication, career and financial support, friendship, domestic union and true long-term synergy," Swift and Kelce "a 9 out of 10" when it comes to "their overall compatibility."

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's compatibility

Both Swift and Kelce possess Pluto in Scorpio, which "brings them great passion and a desire for transformation." He adds that they each possess a Capricorn stellium, which "aids them in breaking down and rebuilding core structures in their lives and in the world at large."

They both have Jupiter in Cancer, which "is one of the luckiest positions for this planet to be," and more "grants them a 'golden touch' to whatever they do, especially when they lead with their hearts. "

Lastly, both Swift and Kelce carry a North Node in Aquarius, meaning "they carry a great desire to break out of the box, connect to community, and pursue their aspirations, as well as work for the greater good."

Furthermore, both carry South Nodes in Leo. This means that they are each "naturally drawn to all things that Leo rules," citing "romance, passion, entertainment, the arts and sports" as examples.

Based on these placements, the overall assessment reveals that both Swift and Kelce "possess a karmic entanglement that makes them feel familiar to one another. They can easily be seen as an ideal couple for their generation, somewhat of a King and a Queen of an era."

The European Commission: Taylor Swift can help encourage young people to vote

The European Commission asked the singer to motivate young people to go to the polls.

US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift arrives for the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 7, 2024. (Photo by Michael TRAN / AFP)

The European Commission asked Taylor Swift to motivate young people to go to the polls. ©AFP or licensors

We can no longer deny it: Taylor Swift is one of the most influential women of the moment. And the latter tries to use this wisely. On her social networks, the singer notably called on Americans to register to vote. Information which did not escape Margaritis Schinas, one of the vice-presidents of the European Commission. “The day after his message, 35,000 young Americans registered to vote,” he explained during a press conference.

Margaritis Schinas then wondered whether this technique could also work among young Europeans. "Now is the time for them to have their say at the ballot box, to assign praise or blame to European policies. So it is crucial, I think, that we have, as in 2019, a level high level of participation," he continued. “No one can mobilize young people better than young people. This is how it works.”

Taylor Swift, businesswoman who succeeds where others fail

And, when Margaritis Schinas speaks of "young people", he mentions in particular the case of Taylor Swift: "Taylor Swift will be in Europe in May. So I hope that she will do the same thing for young Europeans and that someone from his media team will follow this press conference and forward this request to him."

As our colleagues from Voix du Nord explain, Taylor Swift will be present in Paris on May 9... namely the date of Europe Day! Would this be the right opportunity for her to encourage young people to go to the polls? This remains to be confirmed...

United States: Taylor Swift, an essential asset for the 2024 presidential election? (III)

(this is a follow up of a previous post)

And according to a survey published in early December by a Harvard institute, the number of young people surveyed “definitely” planning to vote for the next presidential election fell to 49%, compared to 57% in the fall of 2019.

"Mobilize"

The participation rate in general, and that of young people in particular, will be one of the keys to the next presidential election.

And for Matthew Harris, it is surely in this area that Taylor Swift could have the most impact.

“I don’t think people are like, ‘Oh! Taylor Swift supports Joe Biden, so I’m going to vote for him,’” he explains. The most important will be “his ability to mobilize people, to encourage them to register to vote”, because “these are people who are already predisposed to vote for Joe Biden”.

Especially since the "Swifties", the name given to the singer's fans, live mainly in residential suburbs, adds the political scientist, areas which "tip the American political balance".

Taylor Swift published a message on Instagram in September inviting her 272 million subscribers to use the Vote.org platform to register to vote.

Result? The organization recorded more than 35,000 new registrations that day, a jump of 23% compared to the same day a year earlier, and further proof of the singer's influence.

The superstar could also encourage mobilization through his positions, particularly on abortion.

When the Supreme Court annulled the constitutional guarantee of the right to abortion in 2022, the artist said she was "terrified" that women's right to control their own bodies would be taken away from them, a fight that is close to Kamala Harris, Joe Biden's vice-president.

But for the latter to gain the singer's support, perhaps the president would no longer have to confuse her with Britney Spears, as he did in November...

The Taylor Swift effect in the United States: “She stimulated the American economy”

The effect of "Taylor Swift", mega pop star whose tour in the United States broke records, has stimulated the American economy in recent months, underlined Thursday the president of the New York Fed, John Williams.

“There is clearly a Taylor Swift effect on consumer spending because people spent on the concert, the hotel, all of that was a big phenomenon,” said the head of the New York branch of the American central bank, during an interview on Bloomberg TV.

With 146 dates in sold-out stadiums, Taylor Swift, on tour since March in the United States and Mexico, should reach a billion dollars in revenue. She will continue her concerts in Argentina, Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, until the end of next year

The month of May was even the strongest for hotel revenues in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) since the start of the pandemic, "largely thanks to an influx of visitors for Taylor Swift concerts in the city", reported a responsible for the sector cited in the Fed's Beige Book, a survey published in early July.

Overall, "demand is strong. We are seeing this rotation (of spending) from goods to services that we were talking about a year ago. People are traveling more, going to restaurants, going to shows," detailed John Williams.

In fact, it is now the prices of services that are driving inflation upwards, while the prices of goods are falling.

The Fed, working to slow inflation, has raised its rates 11 times since March 2022, in order to increase the cost of credit, and, thus, slow down consumption and investment. To ultimately ease the pressure on prices.

United States: Taylor Swift, an essential asset for the 2024 presidential election? (II)

(this is a follow up of a previous post)

"Another level"

But is this support so easy to obtain? The singer was 

widely criticized by Democrats for not openly supporting Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump in 2016.

After years of caution, the singer came out of the woods for the first time in 2018, sponsoring a Democrat in her home state of Tennessee.

In 2020, Taylor Swift officially announced her support for Joe Biden against President Donald Trump, accusing the Republican of having “fanned the flames of white supremacism and racism throughout (his) mandate”.

The exact impact this support had on the Democrat's victory is difficult to quantify.

But the artist has, since the last election, accessed a new status.

Taylor Swift “was popular in 2020, but her popularity (…) went to another level,” explains Matthew Harris, professor of political science at Park University.

The star is very popular among young women of voting age. Joe Biden is counting heavily on this electorate, which brought him to power in 2020, to get re-elected.

But the polls are not good for the Democrat among young people, particularly since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Many criticize his administration's too strong support for the Israeli ally.

(to be continued)