How Did Taylor Swift Became a Cult
A Deep Analysis of Her Feminist Brand and Fandom's Behavior
Taylor Swift's story is now a sensational narrative written by the public. Her team has long crafted her success as a representation of the American dream, portraying her as a self-made icon. With her youthful and vibrant appearance and "safe" yet poignant songwriting, she has consistently asserted her identity and refused to bow to record labels from an early age. In her music, she voices her grievances against those who have harmed her, resonating with countless children around the world who feel unheard—one reason her fans adore her. She achieved remarkable success, especially in 2023, where her triumph was particularly dazzling. Compared to the controversies of her early career, the public relations crisis in 2016, and years of media backlash, the past few years of the 2020s have seen Taylor Swift unstoppable, clearing all obstacles in her path and solidifying her status as a powerhouse in the industry, making praise for her a form of "political correctness."
After much planning, this article will deeply analyze critical aspects of her success narrative and persona. I assume you already have a sufficient understanding of her background and rise to fame. If not, I believe her extensive promotional materials and encyclopedic entries can help you grasp her career achievements, so I won’t elaborate further.
The "Victim" Image and Moral Legitimacy
In 2009, Taylor Swift won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, marking a pivotal moment in her entry into mainstream awards. Just as she was about to deliver her acceptance speech, rapper Kanye West stormed the stage, declaring, "Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time," voicing his discontent over Beyoncé not winning. This left Taylor standing helplessly on stage. That night, Beyoncé won the top award, the Video of the Year, and invited Taylor to share her speech. This incident drew significant attention, occurring during a massive transition from traditional media to the internet, with traditional outlets still holding considerable power while new media fanned the flames. Taylor's story broke through, framing her as the helpless young woman in country music bullied by male industry figures.
The "victim" image has been a crucial narrative element in Taylor's career, fluctuating over time but maintaining its core essence.
In 2006, she was the helpless girl in unrequited love (in "Teardrops on My Guitar"), a marginalized ordinary person ignored and bullied (in "The Outside" and "Invisible").
By 2008, she portrayed the heartbroken innocent girl (in "White Horse" and "Hey Stephen"), recounting her childhood isolation (in "The Best Day") and exposing male callousness (in "Fifteen").
In 2010, she emerged as a voice of pain, bravely shining a light on her suffering from figures like Kanye and John Mayer (in "Innocent" and "Dear John").
By 2012, she documented her deep emotional scars in "All Too Well" and the passionate album Red.
In 2014, she became a victim of media and public scrutiny, especially of misogynistic narratives, inviting listeners to join her urban manifesto 1989 (in "Shake It Off," "Blank Space," and "New Romantics").
In 2016, while accepting her second Grammy for Album of the Year, she used feminist rhetoric to defend her success, which inadvertently led to a significant career crisis.
In 2017, she addressed being a victim of "snake" culture, creating the album reputation.
During her re-recording phase, she positioned herself as a casualty of industry capital struggles, a talented artist under threat from her label, and a successful woman facing hostility from male counterparts.
Moral legitimacy has played a substantial role in her success. She embodies a sincere, emotionally resonant victim, evoking empathy from the public—who hasn’t suffered heartbreak or felt neglected? This emotional authenticity and her pleas for justice have allowed her to occupy a moral high ground. Around this victim narrative, she has crafted an anthem for the marginalized. From her debut album, she actively laid the groundwork for her persona, with the youthful cleverness of "Our Song," the stirring "Change," and the unwavering resilience in "Ours," "Long Live," and "Mean." Songs like "Shake It Off" and "New Romantics" celebrate liberation from burdens and criticisms, while "Anti-Hero" showcases introspection and self-empowerment, establishing her spiritual kingdom. This strong victim narrative provides the moral legitimacy essential to her commercial identity and musical persona.
This is one reason fans are unwavering in their support; she symbolizes justice, and liking her imbues their lives with nobility. However, this also contributes to the instability of her success— should she face a moral crisis, the emotional resonance and success narrative based on moral superiority could falter. The 2016 "snake" incident exemplifies this; it made her and her team acutely aware that their moral narrative must be airtight. In 2018, Taylor publicly revealed her political leanings and began leveraging identity politics to bolster her legitimacy as a female artist and voice for marginalized groups (albeit in a somewhat superficial manner). In 2019, the conflict with her former label, Big Machine, became public, leading her to embark on a monumental re-recording campaign of her first six albums. She is portrayed as a woman attacked for her success, an exploited talent by capitalists, with her victim narrative remaining central to her journey of female empowerment. To this day, she continues to embody the Cinderella role in her music videos.
Taylor's victim narrative achieves three effects: it allows her to "attack" from a position of vulnerability, evoke emotional resonance or even pity from those in power, and elevate her moral standing, making any criticism against her vulnerable to moral scrutiny—are you envious of a female artist’s success and defending male counterparts? Are you so beholden to capitalists that you attack her fight for musicians’ rights? Such criticisms often reveal a commonality: unlike other artists, whose audiences defend their talents, business acumen, vocals, or appearances as independent from moral considerations, Taylor's narrative intertwines deeply with moral legitimacy in her career.
Feminism (I): Challenging Male Hegemony
Taylor Swift's relationship with feminism has always been complex. She is undoubtedly one of the key victims of the industry's misogyny, but as mentioned earlier, this victimhood is intertwined with her success. While she has become an undeniable symbol of a certain brand of feminism, she has also sparked controversy among female artists during her rise to fame. It's essential to examine the timeline of Taylor Swift's feminist evolution instead of viewing her through a static lens.
The earliest seeds of Taylor Swift's feminism are closely linked to her emotional songwriting. Her early works are filled with themes of women navigating love and heartbreak, expressing genuine feelings only to be let down. Her breakthrough lies in her tendency to attribute her romantic failures primarily to men, rarely placing the blame on herself (with exceptions like the apology song "Back to December"). She points to a series of issues caused by men—from insincerity and infidelity to suppressing her autonomy as a woman. Taylor's accusations against men mark the beginning of her reflection on gender dynamics—why are women always the ones who get hurt when they give their all, and men are the ones at fault?
These questions raised in Taylor's works led to further issues—when women speak out about their pain, why do they often face hostility rather than affirmation? In her early years of success, media sympathy for her during the 2009 microphone incident gradually shifted to disdain for her perceived exploitation of her romantic experiences while playing the victim. This reflects the structural oppression women face in media and public discourse—when women reveal their true, wounded emotions, the initial reaction is often hostility. Fiona Apple and feminist warrior Tori Amos, despite their significant musical achievements, have been overlooked in the industry, and when Adele released 21, she faced widespread criticism for being overly emotional. In contrast, Taylor consistently documents her vulnerability and emotional investment in relationships, which carries a liberatory significance in feminism—women's voices can be acknowledged, wielding immense commercial power and artistic value. The hegemony of society dictates the value system, dismissing individual will as insignificant, yet Taylor's actions make it impossible to overlook the importance of her narrative.
Critiquing the heartlessness and incompetence of men in relationships serves as a foundational point for Taylor's challenge to the patriarchal world. Playing the victim can be seen as a form of emotional survival—essentially gentle, attacking from a position of vulnerability. For those in socially disadvantaged positions, long-standing societal conditioning makes it difficult to resist intellectually; we often see the fault in others rather than recognizing the need for personal change. This victim narrative reflects the realization that the other party has issues, but one may lack the mental strength to fight back. We have played the role of the "good child" for so long, becoming docile and empathetic, internalizing the need to understand others, while our culture often flattens out expressive individuality to avoid direct conflict. Thus, attacking from a victim's standpoint becomes a natural extension of not yet having developed the confidence to assert one's rights, viewing the strength one should have as something to be ashamed of. For the outside world, this approach poses little threat, as it reveals a vulnerable posture.
Later on, Taylor evolved beyond this state, marking her sharp rebuttals as a first step. During her digital album phase, she humorously and boldly mocked external criticisms, confidently declaring her presence. This represents a form of bravado not yet fully matured; she began to rally various forces within the industry, transforming her tours into events for "diplomatic" celebrity encounters. The music video for "Bad Blood," which won her first VMA for Video of the Year, became a
hallmark event, and Taylor's squad gained prominence. However, this trajectory was interrupted in 2016 when she adopted a strategy of retreating to advance—reducing her visibility to focus on music and deepening her narrative. Throughout this period, she engaged with various social issues, from the overt response to misogyny in "The Man" to addressing mental health in "this is me trying."
Not only is she a songwriter, but also she is the embodiment of financial capital. During the re-recording phase, she returned to her assertive financier persona, showcasing her growth in mindset. The latest re-recorded digital album features "Slut!" which embodies a direct feminist declaration against the shaming of women—a form of humiliation that has accompanied her rise to fame. Frankly, those who insult her in such a manner are out of line, yet this narrative is overly blunt. A more significant demonstration of her growth can be found in the ten-minute version of "All Too Well."
In the ten-minute version of “All Too Well”, she emerges from her once-cherished romantic feelings and, after years, reassesses them, noticing unworthy traits in the men she once loved. While he sang slogans against patriarchy, he demeaned Taylor's father, who held a significantly higher social status than him, and emotionally bullied her. Through this lens, she reevaluates the image of an ordinary man who is both a victim and a perpetrator within a patriarchal context. Additionally, she sheds the "good girl" image, revealing her more hysterical traits and distancing herself from traditional feminine conditioning. This song completes Taylor's years-long journey toward gender liberation, akin to artists like Nakamori Akina, who dismantle patriarchy through the lens of romantic relationships.
Challenging patriarchy solely on an emotional level is insufficient; she adopts a more aggressive stance. In the realms of politics, business, and culture, she takes a clear and strong approach, defending and exercising her voice. Her disclosure of the emotional toll of body shaming is also a form of resistance against societal conditioning regarding women's bodies. In Midnights, listeners hear her defiance against a man who wants her to abandon her career and revert to traditional motherhood. She craves love but refuses to sacrifice her autonomy. Even as one of the most influential figures in the world today, she still grapples with the gendered circumstances faced by women in society, with contradictions becoming even sharper. Ultimately, she chooses to defend herself, prioritizing her identity over romantic relationships. What is most valuable about her journey is not the PR-style slogans (as seen in some tracks from the Lover era), but the complex emotional journey she undertakes in her quest for sincerity and selfhood in love. She is not (at least in her music) a callous woman solely concerned with profit; she is constantly seeking the best balance between her career and emotional fulfillment, navigating each step with care and empathy.
Feminism (II): Transformational Self-Growth Narratives and the Value of Success
In my view, what fans celebrate most about Taylor Swift's transformation is not merely her diverse musical styles or record-breaking commercial achievements, but rather the infusion of a significant advantage into her musical persona—a narrative of self-evolution infused with the values of success.
Matt Hills introduced the concept of "doxa," referring to the accepted values and norms within fan communities (Hills, 2018). For most artists, "doxa" tends to maintain strong stability, forming the foundation for their fame and ongoing popularity; this is why many artists struggle when they attempt to pivot. Simone Driessen (2022) pointed out that Taylor's "doxa" frequently changes, and these fluctuations contribute to the internal stability and continuity of her persona—she is a constantly evolving woman, striving for survival, happiness, respect, and achievement in both the industry and her personal life.
Thus, Taylor's career showcases remarkable resilience. As her early albums became outdated due to shifting trends and the contemplations of different life stages, her latest works reflect contemporary women's growth and connect back to previous phases, creating a powerful and resonant narrative of development. Taffy Brodesser-Akner, a columnist for The New York Times (2023), remarked that Taylor Swift embodies the growth trajectory of an ordinary woman (or at least a white middle- class one), capturing the essence of youthful confusion and heartbreak while illustrating her gradual maturation. The Eras Tour deepens this growth narrative, as its name signifies a connection among various album eras, intentionally contributing to a cohesive narrative of progression. Because Taylor's "doxa" may fluctuate with each album release, any new initiative can be understood through the lens of her past growth, providing her career—especially within her fan community—with significant legitimacy.
An essential aspect of this growth narrative is commercial success. Without the substantial commercial achievements that have accompanied her seemingly unconventional moves over more than a decade, the narrative of women's growth would lack the same impact. Many female predecessors in the music industry have demonstrated significant career variability, and their creative and musical maturity is often evident in their work. However, for Taylor's fans, the appealing narrative of women's growth enhances her story's distinctiveness.
Her sustained success reflects the aspirations and anxieties of contemporary women and marginalized groups. While we sometimes feel suffocated by societal pressures, we also fear the costs of "rebellion." Taylor represents a successful model; her brave pursuit of authenticity has led to remarkable achievements. This serves as a projection for individuals who might feel unfulfilled in their lives, allowing them to vicariously experience satisfaction through her brilliance and to muster the courage to confront conflicts in their own lives by identifying with a powerful figure made accessible by mass media. In fans' defense of Taylor, attributes like women's growth, musical advancement, and vocal ability—crucial traits for musicians and individuals—often take a backseat to her overwhelming success. Fans celebrate her commercial achievements and accolades, finding inner satisfaction while elevating their moral standing, thus creating a perfect psychological narrative that inspires them.
The Religious Characteristics of Fan Culture and Its Negative Impact on the Industry
Taylor Swift’s feminism is closely tied to the ethical dimension of success. Surviving in a hostile society clearly requires strategies, especially when aiming for the top of the industry and shaking up the music scene. Taylor has successfully crafted a narrative of a sincere and pure hero defending her rights, around which she has built a powerful emotional kingdom of fans.
Renowned British anthropologist Mary Douglas analyzed the social constructs of the sacred, purity, and pollution in her seminal work, Purity and Danger. The distinction between purity and pollution is crucial for establishing sanctity (Douglas, 1968), paralleling Taylor's journey of deification through top-down distinctions of cleanliness and impurity. She skillfully navigates her career narrative, seizing women’s discourse power in the industry while establishing her "doctrine." The stories behind her albums, her emotional growth, her reasons for genre shifts, her re-recordings, and the creation of the 10-minute version of "All Too Well," all intertwine fact and subjective interpretation, forming a fan-supported narrative rich in emotional details—this is Taylor's "doctrine." She embodies a high moral legitimacy in pursuing women's growth and noble causes in the music industry, making her actions justifiable, accepted, or even forgivable. Each step she takes is imbued with moral weight, becoming a repeatedly circulated "sacred text." Her mysterious "Easter egg" initiatives add a religious aspect to this operation.
In this context, Taylor establishes a "clean" narrative with a singular interpretation of her career, diminishing the openness of discussion and reducing free debate to binary conflicts. Diverging viewpoints are automatically labeled as "pollution," rather than being seen as part of a diverse dialogue. Even objective technical standards or scholarly analyses are viewed as morally flawed attacks on her noble endeavors and character. Douglas also discusses the phenomenon of "dirt avoidance," where fervent fans employ emotionally charged, morally superior rhetoric to avoid engaging with ideas that might challenge their "doctrine."
As fans defend their idol with fervor and attempt to eliminate dissenting voices, the standards for producing "knowledge" begin to crumble. Rational scientific evaluation gives way to emotional bias, with various discourses stacked to support a preconceived viewpoint. The rise of social media has enabled fans to wield existing "advanced" discourses to defend their idol's cultural products. Fans eagerly apply feminist theory, music analysis, literary critique, and psychology to explain what makes Taylor's work and career valuable. However, this elevating of cultural capital transforms knowledge from a means of informed judgment into a plastic discourse that merely justifies her success, often disregarding deeper understanding. The boundary between genuine knowledge and propaganda has dissolved, reducing culture to a tool for conflict. The toxic atmosphere in fan culture not only creates a polluted public discourse and ongoing emotional abuse but also undermines the foundations of human civilization.
This method of operation has distinct advantages, explaining why re-recordings and albums like Midnights thrive commercially. Re-recordings deplete Taylor's personal IP while seemingly aligning with current aesthetic trends, attracting a new fan base. Yet, these are merely fast-consumer products. Even if fans defend the success of her re-recordings through her growth narrative or her justified advocacy for her rights, they cannot surpass the original versions, which have stood the test of time and become contemporary classics (despite still being far from iconic status).
Relaunching past works weakens the product and monopolizes commercial resources while creating multiple rounds of "evangelism" through tours and documentaries. This financial reorganization caters to fans’ desire for admiration, but it also stifles the opportunities for other artists striving to create new music, who may excel in artistic achievements yet lack commercial resources. I have witnessed many women with painful experiences voicing courageous truths go unnoticed, while their profound insights are overshadowed by simplistic products that exploit their essence.
Most fans may not consider this layer of discussion, and my following points might exceed their threshold of understanding. The question arises: In a hostile, gender-unfriendly environment, can women achieve success through unjust means? I leave this question for you to ponder. Taylor has indeed showcased women’s resilience and growth in a gender-unfriendly landscape, creating a robust and provocative fan community, contributing to the toxic state of fan culture and overextending the industry.
Insufficient Depth as an Advantage
Compared to Taylor's female predecessors and peers, her contributions to feminism are significantly overshadowed by commercial elements rather than pure artistry, thought, or character development. Fiona Apple’s fierce backlash against misogyny in the industry, Liz Pair’s exploration of complex female emotions, Tori Amos’s deeply personal accounts of trauma and religious misogyny, and Joni Mitchell's masterful storytelling all reveal depths that Taylor's music lacks. While artists like Madonna have made remarkable strides in expanding opportunities for women, Taylor often seems to capitalize on existing frameworks.
Even in the realm of heartbreak and authenticity, Alanis Morrissette’s work is far more profound, encapsulating genuine female anger and feminist power. Her Grammy-winning Jagged Little Pill not only broke records but also brought women’s anger into the mainstream, a feat that Fearless— with its pre-existing country pop formula—cannot match in terms of musical depth or emotional richness.
Taylor's lack of depth ultimately defines her success; she focuses on refining her emotional narratives within a limited life experience. While her songs tell of her personal relationships and industry struggles, they often lack profound insights. To compensate for this depth deficiency, she opts for broad public resonance, aligning with the monopolistic tendencies of current capital models. Her life’s pain is relatable enough for the average person to connect with, yet not overwhelming enough to alienate. This balance is supported by her privileged background and sustained success.
On the vocal front, her skills and expressiveness are often viewed as a drawback. When I read the line from The New York Times suggesting that after years of exceptional vocal performances by female artists, we've finally encountered a voice ordinary enough to make us feel we could sing too, I was both amused and perplexed. Is it a compliment or a subtle jab?
Conclusion
Taylor Swift is undoubtedly a significant footnote in contemporary history. She exemplifies how women can build formidable power to confront instability, achieving top-tier status in the industry while displaying remarkable and enduring vitality. However, this success comes with its dark side.
As I reflect on her work and navigate my complex feelings through countless rewrites totaling thousands of words, I’ve finally clarified what I want to express. Thank you for reading to the end. To those who defend Taylor’s success with "progressive" rhetoric, please understand her actual contributions and avoid comparing her to predecessors or peers who have already established themselves.
In closing, my feelings toward her are mixed with admiration, reluctance, and dissatisfaction. Although the phrase "don't hate the idols because of their fans" is often cited, her creation of a powerful commercial emotional empire is undoubtedly the source of everything. The only rationale I can find to justify this behavior is that she operates within a gender-unfriendly environment, leading her to adopt more aggressive strategies for success, which has its internal logic. Perhaps the most valuable aspect is her ongoing resistance to the passage of time. We are all engaged in this struggle: as children, we resist the slow pace of time that impedes our wisdom, strength, and resources, while as adults, we fight against the rapid passage of time and the closing window for potential discovery.
Time slips away so quickly that we often lack the opportunity to grow, leaving us with fixed lives and values in a challenging social landscape. Taylor’s powerful career trajectory is so bright when most people never even get a chance to bloom. That’s truly remarkable, isn’t it?
References:
Brodesser-Akner, T. (2023, October 12). What I Saw at Taylor Swift’s Delirious Eras Tour. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/magazine/taylor-swift-eras-tour.html
Douglas, M. (1968). “Pollution,” in International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, ed. David L. Sills (New York: Crowell Collier and Macmillan), 12:336–42.
Driessen, S. (2022). Look what you made them do: understanding fans’ affective responses to Taylor Swift’s political coming-out. Celebrity Studies, 13(1), 93-96.
Hills, M. (2018). An extended Foreword: From fan doxa to toxic fan practices. Participations, 15(1), 105-126.
This article was originally published in Chinese on December 30th, 2023. This translation is assisted by chat-gpt.