Singer a phenomenon who has torn up the rule book
A PROFESSOR of Pop has described Taylor Swift as a “cultural phenomenon” and says the singer’s global success is “fascinating.”
Cultural sociologist Eoin Devereux told The Star the singer – who plays Dublin again tonight – has “torn up the rulebook” when it comes to engaging with fans.
Her personal approach is the secret to cultivating an army of fans, resulting in recordbreaking tours and a string of number one albums.
He said that while the mania of her fans is sometimes sneered at, their love for Taylor is in fact a positive force, rooted in community and meaning.
Devereux – professor at
Centre for Pop Music and Pop Culture at the University of Limerick – said: “Fan cultures around Taylor Swift encompass so much of what is fascinating within fan studies.
“While some ridicule popular music fans – accusing them of being obsessives – fandom is a largely positive thing and is, at its core, about community and meaning.
“The existence of “Swifties” is testament to the connections that fans have with this iconic singer and each other. “
He added: “Taylor Swift’s relationship with her fans is also really interesting from a fan studies point of view.
“Unlike many stars who remain remote from their followers, Swift has torn up the rule book and created, at times, a two way street with her fans, communicating with them and helping them out in practical ways.
“Swift has engaged in a creative dialogue with her fans through her use of “Easter Eggs” – clues in her styling and artwork, for example.”
He was referring to hints and clues about her personal life or future song titles that Taylor leaves in album sleeves and videos, for fans to decode. The singer is known for writing love songs about her ex boyfriends and Swifties enjoy these games of treasure hunt, solving riddles to find out who exactly she is singing about.
For example, for her romantic ballad Lavender Haze, she featured the constellation star signs of Saggitarius and Pisces to represent her and then boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
Said Devereux: “Those who are dismissive of popular culture and its fandom miss the point.”
Taylor is in Ireland for three nights in the Aviva Stadium where she will play to 150,000 fans as part of her 152-date Eras tour.