New York, NY (December 11. 2023)—If you’re Taylor Swift, 2023 has shaped up to be a pretty good year. Back in October, Forbes reported that Swift joined the elite club of billionaires, now having a net worth north of $1.1 billion.
A few days ago, she was named Person of The Year by Time magazine.
Last week, Pollstar announced that Swift accomplished something no artist has ever done before: Her “Eras” tour has grossed more than $1 billion (so far), making it the highest-grossing tour of all time, and the first to boast 10-digit revenue (!).
Did I mention that Swift is now the most-streamed female artist on Spotify with 26 billion streams. (Drake is currently the most-streamed artist, in case you were wondering.)
She also became the first female artist to simultaneously hold four of the top ten slots in the Billboard 200.
How’s that for a resume?
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You could make a valid argument that an entertainer has no business being named Person of the Year, but there are exceptions. Since the inception of the award in 1927 (which at the time was called Man of the Year and went to Charles Lindbergh), appearances on the list by entertainers have been scant. In 2005, the award was bestowed upon “The Good Samaritans” (Bono, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates), who organized a series of Live 8 concerts on July 2, 2005, in an effort to raise funds to fight poverty in poorer countries around the world. And in 2017, Swift, California lobbyist Adama Iwu, actress Ashley Judd, Isabel Pascual and Susan Fowler—“The Silence Breakers”—were recognized for their leadership in the Me Too movement, speaking out against sexual harassment and abuse.
Swift is the first woman to be twice-honored as Time Person of the Year.
There’s also the movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which rocked Hollywood’s applecart earlier this year when Swift’s camp completely bypassed the traditional studio structure, instead working directly with the AMC Theater chain to arrange distribution of the film. It pulled in more than $90 million over opening weekend, and more importantly broke a mold of how business is done in Hollywood.
Swift’s impact isn’t limited to the studio and stage. According to Reuters, two of Swift’s concerts in Denver, Colo., bumped the local economy by $140 million, and six shows in the Los Angeles area added $320 million and 3,300 jobs to the local economy.
Those are some serious numbers, but to me, there’s a stat with far greater impact: Swift was able to encourage more than 30,000 fans to register to vote this year. That’s not just a casual statistic in the Candy Store of entertainment. It makes a difference in the real world, as does the charity work Swift has done for survivors of sexual assault, disaster relief, cancer treatment, and food banks along the route of the Eras Tour.
To me, that sounds like the work done by a Person of The Year.
