I was born to entertain. Maybe it’s because I was surrounded by the entertainment industry during my upbringing, but I truly thought (and TBH, still sort of do, but I’m a lot more humble now) that I was born to be a star. So, it’s no surprise that one of my favorite singers, people, advocates, and storytellers is none other than Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift’s music is and has always been one of the leading soundtracks to my life. I can still remember sitting in the back of my mom’s minivan at six years old listening to songs like “Tim McGraw” and “Picture To Burn.” It’s crazy to think that I’ve listened to her music for nearly fifteen years now, but it shows. Without Taylor’s music, I would be a different person, and I’m not exaggerating.
When Taylor was chosen as TIME Magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year, I was overcome with emotions. You may think that sounds a bit odd for somebody who Taylor has no personal connection with, but for me, and I’m sure for much of her fanbase, this reaction was normal. Even though Taylor doesn’t know me personally, she does know her fanbase. And she loves them a lot. So, I stand by my reaction of tears, excitement, joy, and appreciation for this, because Taylor is that girl.
Let’s go back in time for a moment and talk about the Fearless Tour at Gillette Stadium. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was a huge moment for Taylor. I danced and sang my heart out during this show, and I’ll never forget it.
After the Fearless Tour, my love for Taylor only grew. Her music played in our kitchen as background music during family dinners, and of course, was one artist we listened to in the car all the time. While I was younger and had limited exposure to social media and news stories about Taylor, I still somehow knew her next move, when a song was coming out, and who she was dating. She’s like the big sister I never knew I needed, but don’t know what I’d do without.
Taylor was also a part of one of my core memories: The 1989 World Tour. It was the summer of 2015, so (of course) I was wearing Converse, my first pair of glasses, and had braces. It also was the summer before I entered eighth grade, the first time I went to real school — I was homeschooled from first grade through seventh grade, and I was terrified to go to private school in the fall. But, Taylor helped me through it, and that’s just one of the reasons I’m forever grateful for her.
I’ll never forget that concert. I remember being so excited, yet nervous, to post about the concert on my new Instagram page because I had some of my new classmates who followed me. What if they think what I’m posting is weird? What if they think my caption is cheesy? Natural response, but Taylor’s music and performance at that concert helped ease those anxieties.
The eighth grade was OK. Not great, but it’s the eighth grade, so my expectations weren’t that high. High school was great for me though, honestly. I made incredible friends, developed a true appreciation for editorial work, and, of course, met many Swifties along the way.
After I got into college, I was excited to see where my passions would lead me to, and what else I would find appreciation for. I seemed excited and thought I was ready to go, but the reality was the opposite. I couldn’t imagine leaving the house I grew up in, being away from my family, dogs and cat, and everything I knew. In the days leading up to my move-in, I listened to “Never Grow Up” on repeat. As devastating as the song is, it eased my mind to know that my favorite singer has been through something similar.
My appreciation for Taylor’s music grew significantly in college. I was dealing with emotions, situations, and experiences that were all very new to me, and her music was a guiding force in helping me through them. My favorite album by her is folklore, and I like to think it was the soundtrack to my freshman year of college. It wasn’t just the brilliance and beauty of folklore that immediately earned its spot as my favorite album. Knowing everything she had been through leading up to this album always made me emotional. Through this album, she proved her versatility as a storyteller, musician, friend, and fighter.
Seeing her younger fans scream, cry, dance, and sing to her music on her sixth concert tour was emotional for me. I was exactly where they were nearly fifteen years ago.
Cooped up in my freshman dorm building at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I would sometimes remember how Taylor wrote folklore sort of in the same situation. Oddly enough, it was comforting for me to know that a celebrity as high-profile as Taylor Swift wrote this incredible album during the lockdown, also waiting for the world to return to some sort of normalcy again.
Reading about how Taylor chose to reclaim her music through her unique rerecording project only reaffirmed her resilience and work ethic as an artist. When talking about this rerecording project with TIME, she comments that “It’s all in how you deal with loss,” she says. “I respond to extreme pain with defiance.” This was one moment in the piece that really stuck with me, and was a great example of how every failure, letdown, or challenge was a way for her to create success.
I was able to see Taylor’s resilience, stage performance, and encouraging spirit this summer at The Eras Tour. I knew how lucky I was to attend this concert, and I enjoyed every second. Being surrounded by a community of fans Taylor has built was something I forgot how much I missed, but I was able to experience it in a different way this time because of my age. Seeing her younger fans scream, cry, dance, and sing to her music on her sixth concert tour was emotional for me. I was exactly where they were nearly fifteen years ago. I really do love being a Swiftie.
In my eyes, Taylor Swift is incredibly deserving of this honor. She has created a global community of sisterhood, friendship bracelets, glitter, and fan theories that I’ll participate in until she retires — and maybe even after that. While I’ll never be Taylor Swift, she’s given me the confidence to pursue what I love. Like I said earlier, I was born to entertain. Even if that just means doing celebrity impressions on my TikTok or writing engaging content, thanks to Taylor, I know I can do what I set my mind to. To me, she isn’t just the person of the year, she’s the person of a lifetime.