Swift’s accomplishments as an artist—culturally, critically, and commercially—are so legion that to recount them seems almost beside the point. As a pop star, she sits in rarefied company, alongside Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Madonna; as a songwriter, she has been compared to Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and Joni Mitchell. As a businesswoman, she has built an empire worth, by some estimates, over $1 billion. And as a celebrity—who by dint of being a woman is scrutinized for everything from whom she dates to what she wears—she has long commanded constant attention and knows how to use it. (“I don’t give Taylor advice about being famous,” Stevie Nicks tells me. “She doesn’t need it.”) But this year, something shifted. To discuss her movements felt like discussing politics or the weather—a language spoken so widely it needed no context. She became the main character of the world. If you’re skeptical, consider it: How many conversations did you have about Taylor Swift this year? How many times did you see a photo of her while scrolling on your phone? Were you one of the people who made a pilgrimage to a city where she played? Did you buy a ticket to her concert film? Did you double-tap an Instagram post, or laugh at a tweet, or click on a headline about her? Did you find yourself humming “Cruel Summer” while waiting in line at the grocery store? Did a friend confess that they watched clips of the Eras Tour night after night on TikTok? Or did you? Her epic career-retrospective tour recounting her artistic “eras,” which played 66 dates across the Americas this year, is projected to become the biggest of all time and the first to gross over a billion dollars; analysts talked about the “Taylor effect,” as politicians from Thailand, Hungary, and Chile implored her to play their countries. Cities, stadiums, and streets were renamed for her. Every time she came to a new place, a mini economic boom took place as hotels and restaurants saw a surge of visitors. In releasing her concert movie, Swift bypassed studios and streamers, instead forging an unusual pact with AMC, giving the theater chain its highest single-day ticket sales in history. There are at least 10 college classes devoted to her, including one at Harvard; the professor, Stephanie Burt, tells TIME she plans to compare Swift’s work to that of the poet William Words-worth. Friendship bracelets traded by her fans at concerts became a hot accessory, with one line in a song causing as much as a 500% increase in sales at craft stores. When Swift started dating Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chief and two-time Super Bowl champion, his games saw a massive increase in viewership. (Yes, she somehow made one of America’s most popular things—football—even more popular.) And then there’s her critically hailed songbook—a catalog so beloved that as she rereleases it, she’s often breaking chart records she herself set. She’s the last monoculture left in our stratified world. It’s hard to see history when you’re in the middle of it, harder still to distinguish Swift’s impact on the culture from her celebrity, which emits so much light it can be blinding. But something unusual is happening with Swift, without a contemporary precedent. She deploys the most efficient medium of the day—the pop song—to tell her story. Yet over time, she has harnessed the power of the media, both traditional and new, to create something wholly unique—a narrative world, in which her music is just one piece in an interactive, shape-shifting story. Swift is that story’s architect and hero, protagonist and narrator. This was the year she perfected her craft—not just with her music, but in her position as the master storyteller of the modern era. The world, in turn, watched, clicked, cried, danced, sang along, swooned, caravanned to stadiums and movie theaters, let her work soundtrack their lives. For Swift, it’s a peak. “This is the proudest and happiest I’ve ever felt, and the most creatively fulfilled and free I’ve ever been,” Swift tells me. “Ultimately, we can convolute it all we want, or try to overcomplicate it, but there’s only one question.” Here, she adopts a booming voice. “Are you not entertained?” Standing in the arena, it’s not hard to understand why this is the biggest thing in the world. “Beatlemania and Thriller have nothing on these shows,” says Swift’s friend and collaborator Phoebe Bridgers. Fans in Argentina pitched tents outside the venue for months to get prime spots, with some quitting their jobs to commit to fandom full time. Across the U.S., others lined up for days, while those who didn’t get in “Taylor-gated” in nearby parking lots so they could pick up the sound. When tickets went on sale last year, Ticketmaster crashed. Although 4.1 million tickets were sold for the 2023 shows—including over 2 million on the first day, a new record—scalpers jacked up prices on the secondary market to more than $22,000. Multiple fans filed lawsuits. The Justice Department moved forward with an investigation. The Senate held a hearing. Given these stakes, Swift had to deliver. “I knew this tour was harder than anything I’d ever done before by a long shot,” Swift says. Each show spans over 180 minutes, including 40-plus songs from at least nine albums; there are 16 costume changes, pyrotechnics, an optical illusion in which she appears to dive into the stage and swim, and not one but two cottagecore worlds, which feature an abundance of moss. In the past, Swift jokes, she toured “like a frat guy.” This time, she began training six months ahead of the first show. “Every day I would run on the treadmill, singing the entire set list out loud,” she said. “Fast for fast songs, and a jog or a fast walk for slow songs.” Her gym, Dogpound, created a program for her, incorporating strength, conditioning, and weights. “Then I had three months of dance training, because I wanted to get it in my bones,” she says. “I wanted to be so over-rehearsed that I could be silly with the fans, and not lose my train of thought.” She worked with choreographer Mandy Moore—recommended by her friend Emma Stone, who worked with Moore on La La Land—since, as Swift says, “Learning choreography is not my strong suit.” With the exception of Grammy night—which was “hilarious,” she says—she also stopped drinking. “Doing that show with a hangover,” she says ominously. “I don’t want to know that world.” Swift’s arrival in a city energized the local economy. When Eras kicked off in Glendale, Ariz., she generated more revenue for its businesses than the 2023 Super Bowl, which was held in the same stadium. Fans flew across the country, stayed in hotels, ate meals out, and splurged on everything from sweatshirts to limited-edition vinyl, with the average Eras attendee reportedly spending nearly $1,300. Swift sees the expense and effort incurred by fans as something she needs to repay: “They had to work really hard to get the tickets,” she says. “I wanted to play a show that was longer than they ever thought it would be, because that makes me feel good leaving the stadium.” The “Taylor effect” was noticed at the highest levels of government. “When the Federal Reserve mentions you as the reason economic growth is up, that’s a big deal,” says Ed Tiryakian, a finance professor at Duke University. Carrying an economy on your back is a lot for one person. After she plays a run of shows, Swift takes a day to rest and recover. “I do not leave my bed except to get food and take it back to my bed and eat it there,” she says. “It’s a dream scenario. I can barely speak because I’ve been singing for three shows straight. Every time I take a step my feet go crunch, crunch, crunch from dancing in heels.” Maintaining her strength through workouts between shows is key. “I know I’m going on that stage whether I’m sick, injured, heartbroken, uncomfortable, or stressed,” she says. “That’s part of my identity as a human being now. If someone buys a ticket to my show, I’m going to play it unless we have some sort of force majeure.” (A heat wave in Rio de Janeiro caused chaos during Swift’s November run as one fan, Ana Clara Benevides Machado, reportedly collapsed during the show and later died; Swift wrote on Instagram that she had a “shattered heart.” She rescheduled the next show because of unsafe conditions, and spent time with Benevides Machado’s family at her final tour date in Brazil.) Swift is many things onstage—vulnerable and triumphant, playful and sad—but the intimacy of her songcraft is front and center. “Her work as a songwriter is what speaks most clearly to me,” says filmmaker Greta Gerwig, whose feminist Barbie was its own testament to the idea that women can be anything. “To write music that is from the deepest part of herself and have it directly speak into the souls of other people.” As Swift whips through the eras, she’s not trying to update her old songs, whether the earnest romance of “You Belong With Me” or the millennial ennui of “22,” so much as she is embracing them anew. She’s modeling radical self-acceptance on the world’s largest stage, giving the audience a space to revisit their own joy or pain, once dismissed or forgotten. https://time.com/6342806/person-of-the-year-2023-taylor-swift/

she’s always rocking a Versace outfit

98. Peso Pluma / Gabito Ballesteros / Junior H: “LADY GAGA” Technically I didnt lie https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-songs-2023/ “Génesis, the breakout album from the Guadalajara-based vocalist Peso Pluma, effortlessly combines the material hustle and hypebeast style of American rap with the traditional acoustic sound and storytelling form of Mexican corridos. Over the percussive thump of a guitarrón and the nostalgic stirring of a 12-string bajo sexto, the unexpected superstar opines upon the numbing effects of his newfound fame, his throaty rasp like a high-pitched trumpet next to the smoother voices of Rancho Humilde signee Junior H and singer-songwriter Gabito Ballestros. Pluma takes the name for this single from a Lady Gaga-licensed line of Dom Pérignon rosé, a celebratory reference point for an artist who has transcended the assumed borders of so-called "regional Mexican" music. –Nadine Smith”

I think the personal pronoun you're looking for is 'I', cause 'we' are having the time of our life

putin would have slayed

It was The Rolling Stones song yall

I can't rank my babies. I simply can't.

The GQ Men of the Year Awards brought some serious star power to Sydney's Bondi Beach on Wednesday evening. Troye Sivan opted to forgo the black tie dress code, preferring to embrace the vibe of the beachside suburb. The Rush singer looked casual cool in a layered, all-white ensemble that consisted of loose fitting shorts. He completed his look with black headwear, kicks and socks. The South African-born star cut a dashing figure in an all-white designer Prada getup and graciously showed his appreciation in a moving acceptance speech. 'Thank you so much everyone. It's not lost on me the irony of me winning Man of the Year when I did drag for the first time this year,' he began. 'I feel more in touch with my femininity than ever. I think it speaks to a point I'd like to make, which is that my relationship with masculinity has been strange my entire life.' https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/gq-men-of-the-year-awards/index.html

Please can she just take a break at this point We're all fine your fans will be fine take some rest ❤️

An OnlyFans where she will post videos to promote her new line of kitchenware, HAUS Utensils.

Sorry but I don't think "wrote and produced MUSIC for a special project" refers to a couple of lines for a song. It can't be that.

Do you guys remember when fans were pissed of at Gaga for her posting a medication sponsorship and then she was like OMG let me appease these gays who try to kill me! and then she wrote a big story about how she is working on top secret projects and stuff and then ALL of you guys was saying it is new album we will get before Joker 2 Looks like I WAS RIGHT AS USUAL. Its just the Joker soundtrack as I SAID When u gays gonna learn to LISTEN TO ME. The REAL ADMIN of GGD Thank you!

Cat lady can be glam and successful wbk

She's going to do 100 laps of planet Earth in her private jet to celebrate

oh people are gonna seethe in this thread I know it

Gurrrl, you made me use my precious mobile data while I'm broke to load this thread... hahaha

All four BLACKPINK members have officially renewed their contracts with YG Entertainment for group activities. This confirmation comes after months of speculation on whether the BLACKPINK members would be leaving YG Entertainment. What has been noted is that this contract is only for group activities, leaving the possibility that the members would be able to sign with a different agency for their individual activities. YG Entertainment also shared a short statement regarding this to Yonhap: We are still in discussions [regarding individual contracts]. Source

Daddy Yankee is officially retiring from reggaeton to devote his life to his religious faith, the rapper said after ending his farewell tour. He made the announcement in a lengthy speech following a larger-than-life performance of his global hit “Gasolina.” “Tonight, I recognize, and I am not ashamed to tell the whole world that Jesus lives in me and that I will live for him,” he told the crowd in his homeland of Puerto Rico. “For many years I’ve tried filling a hole in my life that no one could fill. I tried finding a purpose, on many occasions, it seemed as if I was happy but something was missing for me to feel complete.” He continued, stating that even though he had traveled the world with his music, he still felt empty. “I took note of something the Bible says,” Yankee continued in Spanish before reciting: “‘What good will it be for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?'” “All the tools that I have in my possession such as music, social media, platforms, a microphone - everything that God has given me is now for his kingdom,' the 'King of Reggaeton' said. “Thank you very much, Puerto Rico, and I hope you walk with me in this new beginning and I hope you remember something very important: Don't follow any person. I am human. To all the people who follow me, follow Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. “Just like Jesus, with his mercy, allowed me to travel the world, in your mercy, Father, I hope you allow me to evangelize the world from Puerto Rico. Amen.“ After Daddy Yankee's tearful speech, dozens of drones formed into the shape of a cross in the night sky with the message 'Cristo viene' (Christ will come). The singer has long been advertising this tour as his final run of dates ahead of retirement. The tour was wildly successful and earned a total gross of over $125 million. https://variety.com/2023/music/news/daddy-yankee-jesus-speech-retirement-1235822038/

"Russia invaded Ukraine", hundreds of thousands of people perished in this war. I don't get some people's obsession with minimizing it just because they're a pro-western country. If you're calling the death of 10K+ Gazans "genocide", then the Ukraine situation is definitely nothing short of that. Plus the situation in Ukraine was a LOT less divisive than what's happening between Israel and Palestine today. Ukraine did not break the ceasefire, kidnap Russian children or go into Russia to murder civilians. It was more of a shock that they were attacked for pretty much no reason. Whereas the situation with Israel is more divisive, considering Hamas broke the ceasefire (does not justify Israel's excessive response but it's ridiculous to compare it to Ukraine). So regardless of how stubborn people are about this, the situation in Israel and Palestine is very complex and most people sympathize with both sides, hence why it's perceived as controversial to try to pick a side. I understand why TIME did not do it. Whereas for Ukraine, 90%+ of the public pretty much sided with Ukraine. If they chose Gazans, people would be like "what about the hostages, children and women who were kidnapped, raped etc..". If they chose the victims of October 7th, people would be like "what about Gazans".

cat queen!!!

she didnt write or produce that tho

It’s giving photoshoots done, mixing is done, video is shot, tracklist is finalized.

I'm glad that Jesus could fill his hole

https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/feature/Lady-Gaga-ARTPOP-The-10th-Anniversary-Japan-Edition

Imagine how tired we are

No and we are MOVING

I highly doubt the "secret project" was Joker related since she used a comma. Hopefully TCB film is on its way soon

Coming in half an hour

If I bought three versions of TapTap Revenge in 2010, you guys can afford to play a free game

One of my absolute artists, Fever Ray, partnered with ARTE to record a show that is a slightly edited version of their incredible tour they are currently on for their most recent album, Radical Romantics. Enjoy these 60 minutes of electronic pop excellence!

Not me being 100% sure this thread was gonna be about SSOH

Seriously, many of you lack reading comprehension

It’s a butt ****ing machine

Also 3 hearts! Dec 🖤 Jan🖤 Feb!!🖤 Lead in feb 2024 CONFIRMED. Tik tik BOOM

Poor fella didn't have a leg to stand on

from her portrait, filled with Easter eggs fans have noticed this specific one Also she spoke about Reputation vault tracks: “the upcoming Reputation vault tracks are fire” so can we expect it TONIGHT?👀👀👀👀

Am I that big of a stan to play Fortnite for our cult leader? Let's see

From her reputation memories highlights on Instagram, she posted the first one on December 7th just like the clock then she sings getaway car and look what bracelet is there

She's so quirky

the photoshoot give REPUATION teasssss

It's up there with BTW and TF. Joanne is probably last on my list, but my #1 favorite Gaga song is Perfect Illusion so I truly love them all.

Born This Way The Fame Monster Chromatica The Fame ARTPOP Joanne

The truth is in her red Haus Labs Lip Lacquer Atomic Shaker

Sounds like this was pretty Toxic for him. Maybe his Mood Ring is at, miserable? I wonder if he's at home singing, "Damn the hospital had to remove a Piece of Me."

Rats carry all kinds of diseases

Not “event”