DENVER — The devotion of “Swifties” seems nearly boundless.
As Taylor Swift brings her latest tour to Denver, fans lined up for hours in the blazing heat to buy her merchandise, with some collapsing from heat exhaustion. Many have spent thousands of dollars on concert tickets, travel and hotels. And fans gathered outside of Empower Field at Mile High well before doors opened.
We wanted to know, what’s behind this superfandom?
Dr. Alexandra Gold, a psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and clinical fellow with Harvard Medical School, told Denver7 the fandom is built around identity and community.
“For a lot of Swifties, they can really relate to the experiences that Taylor has shared through her songs,” Dr. Gold said. “She has a very strong ability to talk about human experiences that are very relatable.”
A relatability that’s hard to imagine considering Swift is one of the biggest pop stars in the world. But throughout her 14-year career – during which she’s sold more than 200 million albums and earned 12 Grammy awards – Swift has maintained a close connection with her fans.
“Many people have grown up alongside Taylor Swift. So, they've had these experiences as she has had these experiences,” she said.
Just over half of Americans consider themselves Swift fans, according to a recent Morning Consult survey. Nearly 16% consider themselves “avid” fans. Swift’s fandom is mostly made up of millennials, and leans white, suburban and Democratic.
Given that her fans have so much in common, beyond their love for the star, it’s no surprise they’ve formed deep bonds.
"People are not just interested in the connection with Taylor, but also with other fans, and they might be meeting friends through the fandom,” Dr. Gold said.
But while fandom can foster community, it can also pit people against each other. Some Swifties have taken to the internet to attack their idol’s exes and harass critics, at times going as far as threatening lives.
Dr. Gold said that type of online behavior can lead to anxiety, stress and other negative feelings. She suggests fans should watch out for warning signs that their fandom is becoming problematic.
“If your involvement in the fandom is interfering with other aspects of your life,” you may want to take a step back, Dr. Gold said. For example, if “you're spending so much time in an online community... that you're neglecting other important relationships, or aspects of your identity.”
Still, the extreme fandom for Swift has led to more than cyberbullying. After illegal ticket bots botched the pre-sale of tickets for the Eras tour, outraged fans set in motion Congressional investigations and a lawsuit that could transform the ticketing industry and increase consumer protections. In the wake of it all, even President Joe Biden called on lawmakers to move on this.
Overall, Dr. Gold said “being part of a fan community is a very positive thing,” which she knows from experience.
Dr. Gold is a Swiftie herself.
“She is such an amazing storyteller,” she said. “A lot of that really does feel very compelling and very personal and really easy to relate to.”
Dr. Gold wasn’t able to get tickets to the Eras tour. But she can relate to fans’ excitement, since this is the first time Swift has gone on tour since 2018, and the tour showcases songs from throughout her career.
“She's showing an evolution or portraying different aspects of where she's at in her life,” Dr. Gold said. “There's something about being able to show different sides of themselves through the music, along with Taylor.”
