A lot comes to mind when you think about what $149 could get you. You could probably take care of a textbook or two for the semester. You could purchase around 50 iced coffees. Or you could have upper-level seats to see Taylor Swift at AT&T Stadium as part of her Reputation Stadium Tour – not including service fees, of course. Is that really a worthy investment, though?
If you’re a true T-Swift fan and have been since you were obsessively watching the “You Belong with Me” music video, you might be interested in floor seats for a more intimate concert experience. Floor seats will cost you $445, or, if you want to be in Taylor’s “ULTRA-Exclusive Snake Pit” package right by the stage, that’ll be $899. If you snagged your ticket when they first went on sale, you might have found one for the bargain of at least $350.
Can’t afford the “Snake Pit” package? Just get the “Big Reputation” package for only $549 or the “Kingdom Keys” package for $499. All the VIP packages include a “collector’s box that is custom designed and uniquely constructed with loaded video screen and other exclusive tour artwork and memorabilia. Includes exclusive video content and a message from Taylor, limited edition hardback reputation book, a specially commissioned LED VIP Tour laminate with matching lanyard that operates as interactive wearable at the show, and more,” according to the Ticketmaster site.
Imagine seeing pictures of that when you can barely afford seats that aren’t nosebleeds. The stark contrast between Swift’s down to earth, relatable character and the image she has now goes beyond aesthetics. When she said the “old Taylor” was dead, she meant it.
Underneath the dark lipstick, over the top choreography and glittery black bodysuits, there’s a more sinister difference between the Reputation era and what Swift’s done previously. She’s been known for her kindness and generosity towards fans. Maybe you’ve seen the 2014 viral video where she sent personalized Christmas gifts to some of her biggest fans.
Now, with her ticket prices even higher than Beyonce’s, Swift has made herself physically inaccessible to many fans. If you think this sounds like a problem, you’re not alone.
“This girl can’t bring herself to wipe out a quarter of her savings to see Taylor no matter how much pain [and] sadness I was in and continue to have over missing my shows,” wrote Tumblr user thirteen-paper-airplanes, “I’m not sure why this era has been about taking advantage of fans so much (money wise at least).”
It goes beyond just the concert itself. For the Reputation Stadium Tour and others that came before it, Swift has invited a few fans at every show to an exclusive meet-and-greet opportunity after the concert. According to some posts by fans, the way the meet-and-greet recipients are typically chosen is based on their creative Swift-themed outfits or general enthusiasm. However, the recipients are picked in part by Taylor’s mom – meaning that to be noticed by her, you have to be sitting near the Swift family. That means having floor seats.
It seems that fans are more likely to be chosen if they attend multiple shows (more chances for Taylor’s team and her mom to notice them). In some cases, fans have bought tickets to three or four shows. Even if they don’t have floor seats for all of them, that adds up.
“There is no such thing as a “superfan”. Just fans with more money than others,” wrote Tumblr user, teylors.
For other exclusive Swift experiences, it might not be more money that grants access but more followers. Prior to the release of a new album, Swift holds events called Secret Sessions – album listening parties to which a small number of her biggest fans are invited.
However, Tumblr and Instagram are full of laments from fans who have been with Swift since her country days yet have never gotten to meet her. Other fans are been invited to Secret Sessions multiple times.
The working theory from some fans seems to be that invitations to secret sessions are in part based on how popular a person is on social media, so that fan can then promote Swift’s new content to a large audience. It creates an elitist system that not only distances Taylor from her fans but her fans from each other. Fans who haven’t met Swift virtually side-eye those who have met her multiple times.
Even if it’s not true, Tumblr is still full of posts from fans begging to meet Swift and begging their followers to reblog their post so that maybe, if it gets enough attention, that meeting can happen. Yes, people will still listen to her music. Yes, fans will still come to see her. They maintain their loyalty to her even though she may make it difficult to do so. Yet, their feelings are still hurt. They’re not blind to what’s going on.
“To think I paid $199 for this view during 1989,” Tumblr user, timestoodstill-andihadyou, captioned a picture of Swift clearly taken from the front of the stage.
Yes, the old Taylor is dead, but at what cost?