“1989” tour shows Swift is more than just a pretty face

By Ryan, November 18, 2015

By Alexis Ancel // News Editor

With the announcement of her first-ever pop album “1989” on the Taylor Swift Yahoo Live Stream, Aug. 18, 2014 marked the start of an age in music history that made all the tables turn; an era of surprises, generosity and hella good hair. By some twist of fate, I was among 89 fans selected to attend this iconic event in New York City, followed by a pizza party hosted by Swift herself at her very own TriBeCa residence. But on that incredible night, dancing to “Shake It Off” in her kitchen and passing around the Grammy awards lining the mantel, I had no idea what this record, “1989” had in store.
Swift has built a career on her ability to turn personal experiences into music relatable to millions. This hasn’t changed since her days of sundresses and cowboy boots, but compared to her previous albums, the overall themes of “1989” center more on self-confidence, independence and ultimately finding herself. This in turn lead to career risks such as leaving country music behind and retracting from streaming services with unfair artist compensation, risks that proved worth taking when Apple Music changed its policy and “1989” became the fastest selling album in over ten years.
“I like to look at albums as being sort of statements. This time I’m kind of just doing whatever I feel like. I felt like making a pop album, so I did. I felt like being very honest and unapologetic about it, so I did. I felt like cutting my hair short, so I did that, too,” Swift said. “All these things are in keeping with living my life on my own terms. That’s what I’ve been celebrating about this phase in my life because it has made me really, really happy.”
This is precisely what resonates with so many people and has gained her a tremendous amount of respect and recognition in the past year, including being named Billboard’s Woman of the Year and earning a place on Forbes’ list of the 100 Most Powerful Women. In its first week alone, “1989” sold 1.287 million copies and hasn’t left the Billboard Top 10 since, only the fifth album to do so in music history. These sales combined with the 85 concerts of the 1989 World Tour made Swift the highest paid musician of 2015. Each two-hour show on this sold out tour is made up of 15 to 18 songs complete with ten costume changes, inspirational speeches that make a crowd of 55,000 people feel intimate and often surprise performers which have included Ed Sheeran, Ellen DeGeneres, Justin Timberlake, Idina Menzel, Selena Gomez, Steven Tyler, Lisa Kudrow and many more. Yet despite her exponentially growing success and popularity, Swift remains gracious and humble as ever. She’s been named Most Charitable Celebrity for the third year in a row and spends countless hours with her fans, both online and in person.
“Taylor has that ability to make you feel like the only person in the room with her,” Jess Faienza, attendee of the Rhode Island 1989 Secret Session, said. “She genuinely cares and is interested in every single person and their story.”
Evidence of this was quite clear during “Swiftmas” last holiday season, when Swift personally shopped for, wrapped and sent large boxes of gifts to dozens of fans she found through social media, complete with individualized hand written notes and cards.
“It started with the release of ‘1989’ and by the end of November 2014, I sat in my living room with a box full of Christmas gifts from Taylor Swift herself,” Michelle DeGracia, one of the lucky recipients, remarked. “She cares for her fans in a way that no other celebrity does. Seeing the generosity and love she shows to everyone pushes me to become a better person.”
Stephanie Barnett also experienced this exciting new holiday when Swift arrived unannounced at her front door, impeccably wrapped gifts in hand for Barnett and her son.
“It was because of Taylor Swift’s music that I had the strength to push through the emotionally draining and discouraging trials of infertility,” Barnett said. “Never in a million years did I suspect she’d want to meet me and my son when she found out she played a large hand in him being here today.”
In my own experience with Swift, in the two hours I spent snuggling with her kitten, dancing in the refrigerator light and taking Polaroids with VMA awards, I never once felt as if I was in the presence of a seven-time Grammy winner at her 20 million dollar penthouse. As in the home of any good friend, I felt welcome and loved. That kind of genuine warmth and kindness cannot be faked. I saw it then and I still see it now as she conquers the music industry and repeatedly proves herself to be the strong, brilliant, sassy dork I fell in love with nine years ago while the rest of the world finally catches on.