2023 was the Era of Renaissance. Not only did Beyoncé and Taylor Swift set themselves apart from their fellow female musicians, they leapt miles ahead of their male counterparts—and did so, with grace, ease, and solidarity with one another.
Both artists had monumental years in shattering records with their music, awards, world tours, and films –breaking away from the sole title of Pop Star into something much larger and indicative of only the beginning.
In May, Beyoncé embarked on the Renaissance Tour, a world tour spanning 56 dates with an attendance of nearly three million fans. The tour was in direct support of her seventh studio album, “Renaissance” and became the highest-grossing tour by a Black artist. The tour not only eclipsed records and exceeded expectations, but is cultivating an environment centered around the joy of Blackness and a celebration of queer people around the world. With thousands donned head to toe in silver, glittering outfits, Beyoncé transformed a concert into a world of joy—an ability shared only by Swift.
While Beyoncé traveled city to city across Europe and North America, Swift spent a majority of her year on her own tour in different U.S. cities every weekend. The Eras Tour was first announced last November following the release of Swift’s studio album “Midnights,” however the tour was not centered around this new release, but instead every ‘era’ of her ten albums. Every weekend Swift performed songs spanning her entire 17-year career to sold out stadiums, bringing back the tunes of nostalgia embedded so deeply in the lives of women and girls everywhere.
Both Beyoncé and Swift followed up the U.S. runs of their respective tours, with the announcement of a concert film. Swift’s would focus wholeheartedly on the show -beginning to end -while Beyoncé would take fans behind the extremely private curtains of her life on tour to the grueling details involved in creating and performing a show every night.
2023 would also be the year Beyonce broke the record for most Grammy wins of all time, led the 2023 nominations with 9, and tied, with her husband Jay-Z, for the most all-time nominations with 88 each. However it isn’t these awards and nominations that make Beyoncé Beyoncé, but rather her ability as an artist, mother, and a woman to fully captivate generations new and old. She is a testament to the power of representation as a Black woman at a staggering height of success—proving to young Black girls everywhere that this level of achievement is not unimaginable to those following in the shards of her broken glass ceilings.
This month Taylor Swift becameTime’s Person of the Year, an accolade that should surprise no one who paid any attention to pop culture and the media today. From showing up at a number of Chief’s NFL games or going out to dinner with her friends, the media was always right there prepared to document every moment. However for many Swift is not just the person of this year, but every year since they can remember. It is perhaps Swift’s unwavering ability to soundtrack our entire lives that sets her apart from any competitor—female or male. Whether it be the healing melodies and intrinsic lyrics of “Red” or the imaginative worlds of “folklore” and “evermore” that encouraged escapism and relief of a worldwide pandemic. Swift’s discography is more than just a collection of music, but rather the musical score of thousands of lives, growing and evolving alongside us.
Perhaps the most heartening thing brought forward by Beyoncé and Swift, is their refusal to give into the narrative pushed by the media: that they are competitors, battling for the spotlight. In her article with the Times, Swift stated that the music industry, and even in fan communities online, thrives on decades old stereotypes that there is only enough room for one woman to be successful. If anything can be learned from this year it’s the falsity in that belief.
While Beyoncé and Swift have continued to distance themselves from a view placing them as competitors and turned it into something more consistent with unity, it’s become clear that any other artist pales in comparison.