The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has demonstrated a significant political influence. It has been examined in an extensive body of reporting and analysis in the United States; political journalists distinguish her from other music artists as an influential personality in American politics. Elsewhere, Swift has inspired and been acknowledged by politicians from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the European Union amongst other jurisdictions.
Swift has used her songwriting, videos, and other works to convey her political beliefs. Even when she was apolitical, The New York Times noted the positive impact Swift had on the LGBT community as a country artist by releasing the 2011 music video for "Mean".[22]Time described "Welcome to New York" (2014), which featured the lyrics "You can want who you want / Boys and boys and girls and girls" as an "equality anthem".[59] Her 2019 single "You Need to Calm Down" led to a spike in donations to GLAAD, an LGBT non-governmental organization, as the lyrics namecheck the organization.[60] The song has been dubbed a gay anthem.[61]
Critics have also highlighted the political messages of "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince", another 2019 song by Swift. Alexis Petridis from The Guardian lauded the track as being superior to other pop stars' "woke" attempts.[62] In an op-ed for Teen Vogue, Claire Dodson wrote that "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" successfully captures the disappointment at American politics.[63] Writing for Variety, Chris William felt that "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" effectively conveys Swift's deep sorrow and disappointment towards American politics."[64] "Only the Young", which was used in advertising campaigns for Biden and Harris, has been described as a "political anthem" with lyrics aimed at the American youth, with lyrics on school shootings.[65]Stereogum's James Rettig opined that the song finds Swift "reckoning with the current political climate and her place in it".[66]Taste of Country's Jacklyn Krol and Cosmopolitan's Starr Bowenbank called it Swift's most politically charged song yet.[67][68]Paper's Jael Goldfine opined the song depicts a "newly radicalized political identity" for Swift.[69] U.S. House representative Eric Swalwell revealed that Swift authorized the usage of the song for the campaign free-of-cost, marking the first time she has allowed her music to be used in a political advertisement.[43]
On June 1, 2019, she created a petition urging senators to vote for the House-passed Equality Act.[17] As of April 2020, the petition had over 704,000 signatures, including those from Democratic senators like Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Ed Markey, Kirsten Gillibrand, Tim Kaine, and Cory Booker. Swift wrote a letter to Republican Tennessee senator Lamar Alexander, asking him his support:[148] "For American citizens to be denied jobs or housing based on who they love or how they identify is un-American and cruel".[149]
After "You Need to Calm Down" increased donations to GLAAD, Anthony Ramos, an executive of the organization, stated Swift "is one of the world's biggest pop stars; the fact that she continues to use her platform and music to support the LGBTQ community and the Equality Act is a true sign of being an ally."[151] CEO Sarah Kate said, Swift "continues to use her platform to speak out against discrimination and create a world where everyone can live the life they love. [...] In today's divisive political and cultural climate, we need more allies like Taylor."[151]
[149]
On August 26, 2019, at the , after winning Video of the Year for "You Need to Calm Down", Swift urged the audience in her speech to sign the petition and said the White House has not responded despite having "five times the amount of signatures that it would need to warrant a response".[152] The next day, then-White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere issued a statement criticizing the Equality Act.[153]
2019 MTV Video Music Awards
On May 29, 2020, Swift criticized Trump's "provocative" tweets regarding the ,[17] and after the wide George Floyd protests, she donated to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Black Lives Matter movement,[154] voiced for removing the Confederate monuments in Tennessee,[155] and called for Juneteenth to become a national holiday.[156] Swift's tweet criticizing Trump became her most-liked tweet, garnering over two million likes.[157] In the Forbes article "Taylor Swift And The Tweet That Could Help Take Down A President", Cohen said Swift's political voice "could have enormous political consequences" as surveys indicate white women and young first-time voters—Trump's weakest demographics—both forming significant portions of Swift's U.S. fanbase, and "will therefore be key to the outcome of the 2020 election."[19]
George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul
In March 2015, impelled by Swift's purchase of the estate High Watch, then-state governor Gina Raimondo proposed a luxury tax on second homes worth over $1 million in the state, referred to as the "Taylor Swift tax". It was withdrawn after wide criticism.[160][161]
Rhode Island
On May 19, 2023, members of the introduced the bipartisan "Taylor Swift Bill" to require ticketing companies disclose full ticket costs upfront and outlaw dynamic pricing.[162] Similar bills were introduced in the state legislatures of Minnesota and California.[163][164]
Massachusetts General Court
On May 22, 2023, governor Greg Abbott signed the "Save Our Swifties" bill into law, banning the use of bots to bulk-purchase tickets.[165][166] Similar bills were launched in New York and Washington.[164]
Texas
In June 2023, U.S. Congressmen Pascrell and drafted the BOSS and SWIFT (Better Oversight of Stub Sales and Strengthening Well Informed and Fair Transactions for Audiences of Concert Ticketing) Act in the House of Representatives, mandating an overhaul of ticket sale and resale platforms.[163]
Frank Pallone
In June 2023, an anti-scalping "Taylor Swift Bill" was proposed to the .[167]
In February 2024, the EU drafted a bill criminalizing the sharing of "nude deepfakes" and revenge porn by mid-2027. , a European Commission vice president, opined, "The latest disgusting way of humiliating women is by sharing intimate images generated by AI in a couple of minutes by anybody. Such pictures can do huge harm, not only to popstars but to every woman who would have to prove at work or at home that it was a deepfake."[171]
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