Taylor Swift is currently undoubtably the biggest musical artist in the world. When she visits a city on a tour, the economy of that city improves. Swift changes lives without even meaning to.
In fact, one of the biggest problems Swift might have is what to do with all that power. Maybe she doesn't even know how to use her importance for good. She does good things, but could she do more (more on that in a minute).
Taylor Swift will eventually diminish some. She will do something at some point where she peeves off a segment of her fans. All artists do that - accidentally or not, but if she keeps putting out great music, she will be fine. But what were the best and worst moments of her 2023?
Best and worst for Taylor Swift this year
Best: Taylor Swift breaks records with her Eras tour
How great was Taylor Swift's 2023 when she not only was honored with Time's Person of the Year but also earned the nod for CNN's businessperson of the year. This is because she was able to conceive of and carry out the greatness that was her Eras tour. There are no official numbers yet from Swift herself, but the tour is reported to have so far earned $2 billion in gross revenue. That's a record.
Worst: A fan passes away from heat in Brazil
Without a doubt, the low point of Swift's year was when a fan in Brazil passes away from cardiac arrest due to the heat. The fan, Ana Clara Benevides Machado, was waiting for the show to start when she started having issues. To be clear, there was nothing Swift could have done to change what happened, but her name will be attached to the story always because if not for a Taylor Swift concert, Machado might still be living.
Best: Taylor Swift might have paved way for other artists with movie deal
Along with setting a record for the largest-grossing tour, Swift also set a box office record for a concert film when her "The Eras Movie" pulled $179 million domestically and $250 million worldwide. That is more than most films ever make, of course, and Swift's film of her tour has the 21st-best worldwide box office for any film this year.
Worst: Swift is risking backlash from NFL fans
This is where we might start seeing some backlash for Taylor Swift and the fault is not hers. The issue is Swift travels a bunch to watch boyfriend Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, play football. When she does that, TV broadcasts often pan to her in whatever box she is watching the game from and that detracts from the game. Swift should not stop going to games, of course, but eventually, NFL fans are going to get tired of seeing her face when they are just trying to watch a football game.
Best: Swift proves even her B-sides are amazing
The best thing about Taylor Swift revamping some previous albums and releasing them in a Taylor's version format is we get to hear songs from her vault. Her B-sides are better than most musical artists' A-sides. For instance, "Is It Over Now?" was the final vault song from 1989 (Taylor's Version) and it reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This did not happen simply because Swift put out the song, but because the track is worthy of multiple listens.
Worst: Swift sets an atmosphere of openness but doesn't go far enough
At tour stops, Swift tries to make sure the event is a "safe space" for the LGBTQ+ community. In songs like "You Need to Calm Down" she denounces homophobia. But her tour and her songs make her money and now she is a newly minted billionaire. At some point, she needs to be more vocal away from her music, such as artists like boygenius are, in making a stand and helping alternative communities. Swift has immense power, and now she just needs to find the right way to wield it.