Taylor Swift may have had a big reputation for years. But 2023 definitely turned her into a big conversation…and perhaps meeting her End Game in the process too. From her record-breaking Eras tour, breakup news, chart-topping re-recording albums, billionaire status, and more— Swift is 2023 in a nutshell.
Here's how Taylor Swift catapulted herself into 2023 world domination.
#1 Billion-dollar Eras tour
With Lover Fest getting canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the demand to see Taylor Swift perform in 2023 was huge. With the announcement of the Eras Tour, Swift prompted the U.S. government to work on the ticketing system. After Swifties complained about the difficulty of getting tickets. The Eras Tour kicked off in Glendale, Arizona, and swiftly became the highest-grossing music tour ever.
The tour's impact even extended to seismic proportions during a concert in Seattle. Where fans reportedly caused a 2.3 magnitude earthquake through their cheers and dancing.
As of the moment, it already surpassed $1 billion in revenue.
Not to mention, a cultural reset. The tour, with its nostalgic costumes paying homage to Swift's musical eras, captivated both Swifties and critics alike. From ‘You're On Your Own, Kid' lyric, Swifties even exchanged friendship bracelets during the tour.
Not just that, the Eras Tour's success also extended to its concert movie. To date, it has become the highest-grossing concert film of all time with over $250M gross worldwide. This is against a $20M budget too. Plus, a wise move to distribute the film to AMC Theaters too.
#2 Record-breaking re-recordings
Since 2021, with Fearless (Taylor's Version) pulling impressive sales and streams, the re-recordings just got better in 2023. In fact, Swift announced Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and 1989 (Taylor's Version) while on tour. Both broke sales and streaming records at the height of their release.
Unfortunately for Speak Now fans, 1989 overshadowed its release. First, Swift teased the album with a blue outfit on stage. Then, she collaborated with Google so Swifties could unlock her 1989 vaults. This ingenious move resulted in Swift becoming the most-searched person of all time by the year's end. Talk about a masterclass in marketing!
The From the Vault songs didn't disappoint either. The ‘I Can See You' from Speak Now TV had a music video starring Taylor Lautner and Joey King and Presley Cash. Meanwhile, ‘Now That We Don't Talk' and ‘Is It Over Now?' from 1989 TV became TikTok sensations, continuing to ride the charts on Spotify.
#3 Star-studded allies
Taylor Swift doesn't just thrive in her own musical realm. She's also got love for emerging pop talents. In the initial months of the year, Swift joined forces with Ice Spice for the hit ‘Karma.' It's a collaboration that not only surprised the world but also earned itself a Grammy nomination.
Delving into the Speak Now TV era, Swift treated fans to a highly anticipated collaboration with Paramore and Fall Out Boy on a vault track.
While speculations buzzed about a potential collaboration with Nicki Minaj on 1989 TV, Swift instead bonded with the Queen of Rap during the VMAs. As Minaj presented Swift with an award, the singer affectionately revealed that Minaj is her “favorite Sagittarius.”
Remember the comparisons Swift faced in her ‘You Need to Calm Down' music video? Well, the premiere of her Eras Tour concert film brought a surprise guest – none other than Beyoncé. Swift later reciprocated the gesture by making an unexpected appearance in Beyoncé's Renaissance film.
#4 TIME Person of the Year
With this success in the music industry, Taylor Swift became the 2023 TIME's Person of the Year. Gracing the cover with her cat, Swift looked back at her monumental year.
Sharing her key to success, Swift emphasized her commitment to “keep making things” amidst both favorable and challenging circumstances. She talked about the KimYe issue in 2016, her life in the past few years before breakup with Joe Alwyn and her new love.
#5 NFL takeover
Taylor Swift's personal life in 2023 also made headlines as her romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce became a public fascination. And all thanks to her friendship bracelet trend that Kelce used to get her attention. This marked a shift from her high-profile split earlier in the year.
Her presence at NFL games sparked discussions and boosted ratings. From music, it established her as a noteworthy figure in the football world.
From being a vocal Eagles fan, Swift is now a part of the Chiefs Kingdom.
#6 Awards and status
Taylor Swift continued her streak of historic victories at award ceremonies. Making 2023 an even more remarkable year for her.
The first half of the year saw Swift clinching another Grammy. This time for ‘All Too Well (10-minute version) (Taylor's Version).' Her accolades didn't stop there. She received the iHeartRadio Innovator Award and etched her name in MTV VMA history by securing a record-breaking nine awards. This included coveted titles like Video of the Year and Artist of the Year.
Swift's dominance extended to streaming platforms. She was crowned Artist of the Year on both Apple Music and Spotify in 2023. Notably, she also secured a significant win at the Billboard Music Awards.
With her trophy collection growing, it seems like Swift might need to consider buying another house just to store all her well-deserved awards. Yet, with a net worth of $1.1 billion solely from her music endeavors, it's safe to say she can afford the extra real estate.
No doubt, Taylor Swift's year is 2023. With 2 more re-recordings, 2024 might gear up to be another big year for the pop star. As usual, we will love to see it.
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