Taylor Swift Named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year

In a remarkable end to 2023, Time magazine has declared Taylor Swift as the Person of the Year. The renowned singer, whose Eras tour set new records in ticket sales, has joined the ranks of influential figures like Barack Obama, Greta Thunberg, and Volodymyr Zelensky.

Expressing her joy, Swift shared with the magazine that she feels incredibly proud and happy, marking this moment as one of the most fulfilling in her life.

Person of the Year award

The prestigious Person of the Year award commemorates an individual or event considered to have had the most impact on global events in the past year.

In a candid conversation with the magazine, the singer openly shared that the demanding 180-minute Eras concerts took a toll on her physical well-being.

After a series of performances, she revealed, “I do not leave my bed except to get food and take it back to my bed and eat it there.” She further said, “I can barely speak because I’ve been singing for three shows straight. Every time I take a step my feet go crunch, crunch, crunch from dancing in heels.”

Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) is TIME's 2023 Person of the Year https://t.co/oyjR55azCZ pic.twitter.com/m2qbIbd5TX

— TIME (@TIME) December 6, 2023

Relationship with Travis Kelce

The celebrity also opened up about her growing relationship with American football star Travis Kelce. Their romance made waves in September when Swift was seen attending one of Kelce’s games with his mother, making headlines.

Reflecting on this, she clarified, “By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple.”  She further added, “I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard-launch a first date.”

Yet, Swift’s romantic journey takes a back seat when considering her profound cultural influence. Already a megastar before 2023, her career has soared unprecedentedly, courtesy of the Eras tour. This tour features the singer delivering a comprehensive 45-song performance each night.

The overwhelming demand for tickets reached such heights that it caused Ticketmaster’s website to crash, leading to a Senate inquiry into its business practices.

Impact of Taylor Swift’s concerts

As the summer kicked off the tour, fans without tickets assembled in parking lots just to catch a glimpse of one of her concerts. In Seattle, the impact of her performances was so intense that it registered seismic activity akin to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.

Reflecting on this transformative phase in her career, she shared with Time, “It feels like the breakthrough moment of my career, happening at 33.” She added, “And for the first time in my life, I was mentally tough enough to take what comes with that.”

Swift’s dominant era follows a period during which she faced criticism for her stances on feminism and politics. However, it is important to note that her silence on these matters stemmed from a lack of confidence.

Stance in support of abortion rights

Following her vocal stance against Donald Trump and her support for abortion rights, Swift entered a prolific creative phase with the pandemic-era albums Folklore and Evermore.

Deviating from the country-pop that initially brought her fame, these albums revealed a more authentic, indie-folk style, solidifying her reputation as a generational talent in songwriting.

Her resurgence was further established with the release of Midnights last year. This is a collection of pop songs that capture the hazy, sleep-deprived reflections that occupy her mind at night.

Time magazine’s editor-in-chief, Sam Jacobs, described the US pop icon as a unique individual who serves as the author and protagonist of her narrative. Jacobs added that Swift has surpassed boundaries, becoming a beacon of light.

On Monday, Time revealed a shortlist of nine contenders for the title. The list featured notable figures such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, the iconic doll Barbie, and prominent Hollywood actors and writers.

.@samlansky has such a wondrous way with words, and I’ve loved reading his pieces for over a decade. If you’ve ever been around him, you know he’s just the best type of person: Curious. Interested. Hilarious. Intriguing and intrigued. I have tRuSt iSSueS when it comes to… pic.twitter.com/kAgIIcPI1f

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) December 6, 2023

Achievements of Taylor Swift this year

Remarkably, Taylor Swift holds the second and third highest-selling albums of the year in the United States, with Midnights and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) surpassing records set by Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, and Ed Sheeran.

Among her notable accomplishments this year:

• The Eras tour film achieved the status of the biggest concert movie ever, raking in $249 million (£197 million) at the global box office.
• Swift made history as the first living artist to simultaneously have five albums in the US Top 10, namely, 1989, Midnights, Folklore, Lover, and Speak Now.
• She shattered the record for the most number one albums by a woman in US chart history, totaling an impressive thirteen and surpassing Barbara Streisand.
• Swift achieved the milestone of being the first songwriter to receive seven Grammy nominations for Song of the Year, surpassing legends like Sir Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie.
• By performing eight consecutive sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium, Swift matched a UK touring record set by Take That.
• Fueled by her tour, Swift earned the title of the most-streamed female artist in the history of Spotify and Apple Music.

Just last month, Taylor Swift earned the title of billionaire, according to the business publication Bloomberg, estimating her net worth at $1.1 billion (£907 million).

This achievement places her in an elite category, as only three other musicians—Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z—have reached billionaire status. Notably, Swift is the first to attain this milestone solely through her music endeavors, while her counterparts’ wealth includes various business ventures in fashion, beauty products, and hi-fi equipment.

In celebration of this significant accomplishment, Swift took to social media, shining a spotlight on her cherished cat, Benjamin, who charmingly adorned her shoulders on the cover of Time magazine.