Long story short: Should I still be a Swiftie?

I spent many hours during the pandemic alone, staring at a computer screen, wondering what the future might hold. I went from seeing my friends and family daily to relying on Facetime calls and infrequent text messages. As someone who thrives on seeing other people, I began to feel isolated and unsure of how to express my need for help. Then, just as these feelings started to creep up, Taylor Swift released her album “Folklore” on June 24, 2020 — and it resonated with me like no other album ever had. 

The song “This Is Me Trying” immediately spoke to my Type-A personality. Before the pandemic, I had a strong work ethic but was suddenly even struggling to attend online classes. Meanwhile, as someone who grew up in Pennsylvania, “Seven” took me to memories of my childhood friends that I constantly thought about, but whose last names I couldn’t even remember. The trilogy of “Betty,” “Cardigan” and “August” made me reflect on the complicated dynamics of my own friendships and relationships. These songs kept on reminding me that everyone has their own perspective and that things would eventually work out, providing comfort through the uncertainty of the pandemic. 

After “Folklore”, I constantly kept up with Swift and her various projects, listening to the release of “Evermore,” “Midnights”, the “Taylor’s Version” releases and most recently, “The Tortured Poets Department.” Towards the middle of my first year of college, I rediscovered the song “Evermore” from the titular album, which invoked a whole new meaning for me.

At the beginning of my first year, I started to deal with horrible anxiety. “Evermore” perfectly described my feelings of having a “gray November” that didn’t seem like it would go away. But at the end of the song, Taylor sings, “I had a feeling this pain wouldn’t be for evermore.” I realized that despite the darkness, little things in my life helped give me hope that everything would be ok. 

Given the fact that she wrote several songs that have had such an impact on me, I tend to talk about Taylor Swift a lot. My friend and I constantly text each other about when she might be releasing “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” and I’ve bought a fair share of her merch and album variants. However, I am also aware that many people do not have the same positive view of the superstar that I do. Critics often point to accusations of Taylor blocking other artists from the billboard charts, political silence around the upcoming election and performative feminism as reasons why she doesn’t deserve the “stans” she has. 

Admittedly, I have been critical of many of these before, agreeing that she really should speak about the election or asking why she won’t talk about issues that matter. 

As someone who cares deeply about politics, I think that as a celebrity, Taylor should take more of a stance. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize that I also hesitate to speak about issues that are important to me. As much as I think about all these political issues, I could be in a room with people of the opposite opinion, or even just turn on my TV and watch legislation unfold that goes against it, and do nothing about it. 

I am not proud of this. Even though I care about these issues, I hesitate to speak out because I feel my opinion might not really matter. Regardless, although I am guilty of the same thing, I still find it easy to criticize someone so public for not speaking out. 

Just like the rest of us, Taylor Swift is human. We are all trying to navigate this complex world, and I imagine going on a world tour, releasing several albums and finding the space to navigate political problems isn’t the easiest task. I nowhere near demand perfection for myself, so there’s no reason where I should ask for it from a celebrity. 

For me, being a Swifie is enjoying her music while recognizing that everyone is on their own path. As Taylor Swift uses her voice to make music, I keep on finding mine. Her songs remind me that I am not alone and to look for little things in the mundane. For me, being a Swiftie is for evermore.