It’s weird to reconcile Taylor Swift the Savvy Billionaire with Taylor Swift the Woman With So Much Personal Drama. I’ve been thinking about that a lot this year – Taylor is so accessible to her fans and accessible as a celebrity, going about her life, hanging out with her football player boyfriend. going to dinner with friends and writing blind-item lyrics. And she’s also one of the canniest marketers of the modern era, a self-made billionaire with a Midas Touch. Taylor covers People Magazine’s 2023 Most Intriguing People issue this week. This is sort of People’s annual wrap-up, a who’s who of “fascinating” or “intriguing” celebrities in 2023. It had to be Tay-Tay.
Taylor Swift is on top of the world and more in control than ever as she closes out her biggest year yet — which is why she’s on the cover of PEOPLE’s 2023 Most Intriguing People of the Year issue.
Her record-shattering Eras Tour (a 3.5-hour spectacle that draws from her 10 albums and spawned a history-making concert film) helped boost Swift to billionaire status, Forbes reported in October. Rerecordings of her early albums (which she began to release after her original label head sold them to music manager Scooter Braun) have even made vinyl records popular with Gen Z: 1989 (Taylor’s Version) broke the record for the largest vinyl sales week ever in October with at least 580,000 copies sold.
And the 12-time Grammy winner remains a force in pop culture, defining friendship goals with her tightknit group of girlfriends and causing Taylor-mania in the NFL amid her new romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
“She never really stops writing songs,” says the National frontman Aaron Dessner, 47, who first began working with the star on her 2020 pandemic projects Folklore and Evermore. “I’ve spent a lot of time with her, and I’ve never seen anyone wait on her. When I have stayed at her house, Taylor herself was cooking everyone breakfast and dinner. She’s legitimately just a very down to earth and hard-working person.”
While she’s accomplished more in a year than anyone in the game, Swift may be even busier in 2024. Touring through next December, she has two more albums to re-release and has frequently been spotted at an N.Y.C. recording studio with longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff; she’s up for six more Grammys in February; and her feature film directorial debut based on an original script she’s written is still in the works.
“Taylor has so many stories to tell,” says Dessner. “I think she’ll keep inventing new ways and methods of writing and keep expanding this enchanted universe of her own making that we all get to enjoy.”
Swift’s longtime friend, Paramore rocker Hayley Williams, 34, agrees.
“I’m almost afraid to say it,” Williams ponders, “but I kind of think she’s just getting started.”
“When I have stayed at her house, Taylor herself was cooking everyone breakfast and dinner. She’s legitimately just a very down to earth and hard-working person.” True or false? I sort of believe that Taylor likes to play hostess and all of that, but surely she has domestic staff?? Doesn’t she have a maid or a cook or both? How can you be a whole-ass billionaire and not have household staff??? A question for the ages: does Taylor clean the kitty litter all by herself?
As I was writing this up, guess who was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year? Jesus, it really was The Year of Taylor Swift. You can see Taylor’s POTY package here. I actually love that Time chose an entertainer for POTY – all too often, Time chooses a politician. Taylor has the power to bring governments to their knees. Update: I will have more coverage on Swift’s Time interview tomorrow, it’s a good one!
Covers & Instagrams courtesy of People Magazine and Time Magazine.
Can’t fault her work ethic one bit.
ITA. I am the same age as her but am not a Swifty. Her music has never appealed to me. But she is a good role model and a very hard worker. I hope that 2024 is a great year for her.
If everyone had her focus, imagine what we’d accomplish. She’s amazing balls
I’m pretty sure she deserves this honor. Way to leave your mark Ms. Swift.
I agree.
I also do think that she cooks for people. I’m sure she has a cleaning staff, and she might have a chef sometimes, but I think she’s more interested in having it feel normal when she hangs out with her friends – and that would be cooking breakfast while everyone hangs out, etc. we saw it when she’s in the football suite – she’s picking up after herself.
she came from upper middle class, so it’s not really the same as the Kardashians who were always very wealthy. I don’t think her family probably had any staff until she was an adult.
Yes to all of the above.
I’m never going to experience the life of the ultra-wealthy but there’s something about having people around you all the time that would get to me, especially people you pay to be there. I want my home to myself!
I’m sure she’s not worrying about find time to go food shopping but I totally buy that she’s then the one cooking it.
I’ve mostly boycotted the Today Show. The leader today was the ‘Times’ person of the year exclusive. Stayed tuned. I’ll say because I read KKKKing Charles was a contender. I was ready to complain. That it was Taylor, that threw a wrench in a lot of peoples thinking. hmmmm
I’m still not the biggest fan but I do think this was well deserved. I can’t knock the hustle.
I think she has earned these honors.
This is well-earned; good for her! I also totally believe the cooking thing. I’m sure she has people come in and clean, and she obviously has drivers + security, but I think she’s does as much of the normal every day stuff as her schedule allows for.
Agree–I think she probably has drivers, security, people who come in to clean and care for her home (since she travels so much), but it sounds like she doesn’t have a live-in staff.
I am sure she likes to cook and host, but has help with cleaning, maybe shopping, some prep if there’s a big crowd. Even famous, rich people like to have privacy and normalcy at times. I could see her cooking by herself for just a few friends.
Due to her schedule, I’m sure she has a house manager at each property who does most of the actual cleaning or maintaining the house as she tours, but Taylor did once admit to cleaning the litter boxes because how else was she going to get the cats to respect her. A joke answer, but I can see her wanting to have some privacy and quiet when she is home by limiting the number of staff.
She’s also talked a lot about cooking over the years and about how much she likes hosting people, so it seems like something she really enjoys doing.
I love the comment about vinyl records. My 21 year old and her friends FLOVE them and it’s totally because of Taylor’s releasing on vinyl. They love her period—the real life drama, the concert, the merch, everything. There’s a few TS items on her Xmas list.
It has been true of Taylor for a long-time that has never really has visible staff. Certainly not a private chef. Obviously she has cleaning crews come in when she isn’t home and she is not doing her own laundry, but it has been consistent throughout her career that there isn’t staff in her home when she is there.
I’m pretty sure there is staff, or someone, living full time in her Rhode Island home. There’s the same car parked regularly in the drive but not always in the same spot. No, not a Swifty, but am often at the hotel that is a few houses down. You can see the Swift property from the restaurant and decks.
I’m not American, but I really cannot understand how she is as famous as she is.
I’m with you. And America actually has talented, intriguing, deserving figures that they could be highlighting instead. But white mediocrity prevails!
I am not a Taylor Swift but to call someone who has achieved as much as her and to reduce her to “white mediocrity” reeks of plain right asshole-ness. You cannot deny that 2023 was her year. You don’t have to like her but don’t be petty to the point where you comment has no real substance.
AS,
You obviously don’t have a clue what white mediocrity is, and I’ll point out that for somebody who claims NOT to be a Taylor Swift fan, you’re calling a total stranger on the internet an asshole – why so emotionally riled up on behalf of someone you don’t like? She has achieved nothing – what she has done as a rich white person, is game the system designed for her. Achievement is what happens when you are an outsider besting the system that was never designed for you, and works against you – Beyonce is an example of someone who is accomplished. The comment that lacks substance here is yours, because it is a shallow knee jerk reaction to my post. Go read a book or two about white women and white supremacy before you comment next time.
I know what white mediocrity and I have seen it. I have seen mediocrity across all.
I point out your comment because she has clearly worked hard and her music resonates with billions of fans around the world. And that’s more than just having some comfortable social economic background. Beyonce is also extremely accomplished. Taylor’s success doesn’t take away anything from Beyonce. It’s not mutually exclusive. I am pointing it out to you so that people across all skins colors can feel proud of their accomplishments, and not just be defined by their race. But if you want to do that, then that’s your prerogative.
And when I say I am not a Taylor Swift fan, it doesn’t mean I should attack her personally or call demeaning things. It just means I don’t exactly listen to her type of music.
There are people all around the world who feel she’s a talented and relatable song writer. Taylor may not be your personal cup of tea, but her success is deserved.
I agree that in the long run there are better artists, however Taylor was a global phenomenon this year, I can’t think of any other American artist that is currently selling out multiple stadiums worldwide and creating the same buzz as her (and that includes Beyonce, who, as we all agree, is more accomplished).
There was no Taylor Swift sized hole in the entertainment ecosystem that she just was lucky enough to slot into and occupy. She’s very hard-working and savvy. She made herself as big as she is in a male-dominated industry that would have had her stay in the Country lane and not re-release her own music. It really is unnecessarily demeaning and IMO flat out wrong to say that she has “achieved nothing.”
Whether or not you care for her music or think it’s anything special is beside the point. She has millions of fans who love it, not just in the the US but in Europe, East and South Asia, Australia, etc. I’m really not here for a woman as successful as Taylor Swift to be dismissed because she happens to be white. It’s not like her music only speaks to white fans, either. See above.
I am not her fan but my students from several other countries are. I love to see their faces when they talk about her. She has worked her butt off to be where she is today. I just think your comment is a little unfair. She is a great performer.
“Achievement is what happens when you are an outsider besting the system that was never designed for you, and works against you”
That is certainly an example of achievement but not the definition of achievement. The definition is “a thing done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill. ” By that measure, Taylor Swift has achieved A LOT.
I think as an artist, being non-controversial benefited her immensely. She is of course doing the work, especially through writing all of her songs. However, a lot of artists do take a political stance about something they care about. She was a country singer first, so in her words, she was always advised not to say anything political (“Don’t be like Dixie Chicks”). And, I know a lot of people will disagree, but she is a white woman, which brings some privileges. Up until this year, I enjoyed her albums, the live performances were bad, but albums and songs are mostly good. She is successful, she has numbers on her side, she is not as good as being the number one as a singer / entertainer, imo.
There is also usually an unspoken disadvantage for female entertainers. When they start a family, they instinctively take a break from public life for their family’s benefit (unlike men, who get more successful after having a family). If Taylor chooses to get married / have children, I wonder if she will have a different path from other artists. She has so long proved herself unique to her peers, maybe she will navigate this differently too.
She DID take a political stand when, against impassioned advice of her parents and manager, she decided to call for her fans to vote out the “pro-life” Tennessee “Christian” Republicans.
@clarabelle, Like Taylor said in Miss Americana, this is not her father’s Republicans. When she took a stand, it wasn’t a stand controversial to take at that point. Anyone who is in the middle politically could see the danger those Republicans were creating. Taylor herself counted multiple batsh*t laws they were passing. She has a huuuge platform, I am hoping someday she uses it to change hearts and minds of people about something benefiting society, not just herself. Like a lot of artists did during AIDS epidemic.
@clarabelle, her family seems to be align with her beliefs. imo If she’s calling out the pro lifers and supporting womens life choices. It would make me more her fan and not just someone who finds the Kelce/Swift story fun.
A reminder: Taylor is not from Tennessee, nor are her parents.
This is awesomeness. My youngest is home from school today, and this made us very happy lol. It’s a good thing. I actually hoped it’d be one of the concert ladies.
Jus here to say that I think the black leotard photos are not great. She looks like Nicole Kidman in the cover photo!
She’s not intriguing to me but I can see Person of the Year.
At least, we get a female poty.
My thoughts exactly, we get a female POTY. I read somewhere that the Barbie/Beyonce/Swift combination helped the US avoid a recession, I would’ve loved to see that trio awarded together.
Taylor needs to invest in significant climate offsets to make up for her plane usage, it’s a problem.
SO not into Taylor Swift. Never have been. Don’t get it
But here’s the thing. You don’t have to. I am not into Beyonce, but I can appreciate her talent, her music and message and the way she has run her career. I also wasn’t ‘into’ Taylor Swift except for the few songs my son loved that were in some of the animated movies. But her newer songs are really quite good. I really appreciate her lyricism and songwriting (as a singer/songwriter myself) and the production from Jack Antonoff. She’s really experimented with many different genres and styles of music and that’s so fun. But that doesn’t mean you have to like it.
I think she definitely deserves these accolades, she has been in the news every day, all year. She also works really hard to reinvent herself. Even if we can’t relate, she has had some struggles being so famous and the whole Kanye/Kim/Scooter/etc stuff took a toll on her but she rose out of it and came back stronger. I appreciate that. (I also do really enjoy listening to a song that is about the situation I read about in the gossip blogs – it’s like a real life soap opera but with music!) (For context, I’m a 49 year old woman who usually listens to the alternative pop genre)
I also do not get Taylor Swift and do think she is quite mediocre in terms of actual ability. She is not a very good vocalist and lyrically not very poetic. I do think she benefits from having a very very good marketing mind and the resources to actualize those ideas and a savvy team and that is where I will give her credit not for her actual music because it is very meh to my ears but her business savvy is quite prolific.
I don’t mind her songs, but I completely went off her after the Bad Blood video. To write a song trashing another woman, and to get loads of celebs to star in the video seemed very means girls to me.
I think Taylor’s problem is she always sees herself as the victim even when she’s not. With the Kim and Kanye thing, she was totally in the wrong, but she won’t ever admit that. She just seems very vengeful.
Kanye never said to Taylor he was going to call her a bitch in the song. That was disproven on the actual edit of the phone call. Kim K edited the original recording just like when she edited the show with Kris Humphries divorce to make him look bad. Taylor said okay to the sex line, not to being called a bitch, Kanye never mentions that he’s going to say that line in the song. I would never take Kim K.’s word over anyone’s. The true “victims” are the poor schmucks who literally would believe a Kardashian at this point in time.
From Variety:
West does tell her that he is thinking of saying “I made her famous,” without including the “bitch” part of the line. At this point in the conversation, Swift’s tone subtly changes, as she says, “Well, what am I going to do about it?” He responds, with a chuckle, “Uh, like, do the hair flip?”
The transcript does corroborate that Swift indicated that she was okay with the line that goes “I feel like me and Taylor Swift might still have sex” and understood it as tongue-in-cheek. Much of the conversation, though, is dedicated to debating whether that was preferable to an alternative line, “I feel like Taylor Swift might still owe me sex.” West said that Kardashian preferred the “owe me sex” version rather than the “might still have sex” line.
“I feel like with my wife, that she probably didn’t like the ‘might still have sex’ because it would be like, what if she was on a TV show and said ‘Me and Tom Brady might still have sex’ or something?” West says. Swift responds, “You have to protect your relationship. Do what’s best. You just had a kid. You’re in the best place of your life. I wouldn’t ever advise you to f— with that.” She argues against the “owe me sex” line preferred by Kardashian because, in what might be an understatement, feminists will object.
Kim K. thinks a woman would owe a man sex for aiding her career and that explains so much about Kim.
She was completely cool with it on the phone, then the second it dropped all her celeb friends were throwing their Yeezy trainers in the bin on Instagram, which seems very co-ordinated. Then she making speeches at the Grammys about it.
She could have clarified that she had a convo with him when she was trashing him, but she didn’t. So from Kanye’s perspective he went ahead with the track having got Taylor’s blessing believing she was cool.
She knew what she was doing, she knew the racial bias was in her favour. Im no Kanye fan, but Taylor was indeed wrong in this situation.
Maybe Taylor should run for president. With Biden losing altitude in the polls and Trump waiting in the wings, we could certainly do worse. Admittedly, it would be a significant step down for her, but we need saving.
(I’m only semi-serious so don’t @ me!)
I’m not 100% sure she’s eligible – she wouldn’t be 35 until after election day but before inauguration. Does the Constitution address this?
Hadn’t even thought of that, but Trump has broken so many norms it shouldn’t be a problem. I mean, he could become president again after inciting a mob to attack the Capitol. Are we going to be picky about TS’s age? Besides, it counters the narrative that Biden is too old! She’ll clean up with the youth vote.
I love Taylor and love her with Travis. This has been her year!!!
I love that she got this honor instead of a politician or another infamous, horrible person, however I was disappointed when she played two victim cards in the article (Kim Kardashian and Scooter Braun). Clearly she hasn’t learned from either incident, which is sad, because girlfriend is on top of the world. It’s too bad she can’t just let those things go and embrace her billionaire status and cute boyfriend.
I think we forgot how messy she gets in interviews. After Kanye mess, she just stopped giving interviews and I am guessing for Joe, she stopped talking about her private life. Before all that, she was always talking sh*t in interviews. Old Taylor came back, I guess.
She’s everywhere this year and deserves this.
Well, good for her, but intriguing means “arousing one’s curiosity” and I already know more than I want to about Taylor Swift. For me, Beyoncé is intriguing.
I still can’t name one of her songs.
LOL I bet you can.
I mean I think this was predicted and once she flew to NYC we all knew she was being named. I’m actually quite sad that a focus of the article is about her relationship. I mean common: she’s rerecorder her own music to take back her rights as an artist, created a $1billion!! tour that runs like a machine, and is one of the few superstars who can bring in this kind of brand loyalty to her projects. I’m not even a fan, but it’s impressive! But the headlines going out on most websites are about how she now thinks football is actually cool, and shh we dated for longer than you know. Sigh!
Tell me you didn’t read the article without telling me you didn’t read the article. The article spends 2 paragraphs talking about her relationship with Travis, that’s it. The rest is about her career and accomplishments.
Lol, right! I read the WSJ article You’re right. Her relationship with Travis wasn’t a major part. Important to them….not a major part of the story. @Eliza, neither Taylor or Travis have control over certain headlines
This person worked her ass off this year.Also the way she dismantled Scooter….this woman cooks and her best dish is revenge served cold.
Whatever. I have nothing against her but I think there are others who deserve that more.
It’s crazy what money and good PR will get. She has done absolutely nothing orginal or innovative to deserve this award beside being a rich blonde white popstar with sycophanic fans. The writer strikers literally shut down Hollywood, Mackenzie Scott has given more to charity and Narges Mohammadi won a Nobel Peace prize for her fight for human rights, fight against women oppression, freedom and democracy. There people with twice as better work ethic who don’t have a full staff and a private jet. Her music is generic and prossessed. There is reason why Macdonald out sells Health Food Restaurants.
There is still a level of brattiness that she has that I cannot abide by. When she called out Netflix for a joke about her dating life made on the Ginny & Georgia series, she caused a lot of trouble for Antonia Gentry. Her rabid fans attacked her with racist, vile and all around disgusting . She talks about how Kim Kardashian’s call out “took me down psychologically to a place I’ve never been before.”
Does she think that Antonia (who doesn’t have nearly the level of protection that Swift does) faired well during those disgusting attacks? She can really be selfish and sloppy. She really needs to work on that part of her character.
Yeah, I can totally see right through her. I think she’s a mean girl, she’s always taking revenge on someone, knowing full well what her fans are like. Then she has the nerve to play innocent, like she’s so nice.
With regards to the Kim and Kanye thing, she got called out. She purposely orchestrated a lie knowing the world would automatically believe her over Kanye. She knew that racial bias would be in her favour. She got called out but won’t take the responsibility for her own actions. I swear she’s the kate middleton of pop.
I’m not a Taylor Swift stan — I like some of her music but don’t have any strong feelings about her one way or the other. But I do stan cats so that Time cover is giving me LIFE!
Agree. I just now realized she’s got a freaking cat on her shoulders. Lol. The cat appears to think it’s the reason for the whole shoot. 💙
The photoshoot IS about Benjamin Button – he knows the shoot is for him!
A beautiful cat too! Our lady/Queen of Everything gives 2 coffee beans up;
I would love to hear a lot less Taylor Swift news in 2024 and beyond. It has just been overkill.
I’m not a mega fan of hers , I think she and some of her extreme fans can be pretty mean esp if they see a rising artist threatening to take her place .
“Taylor has the power to bring government to their knees”
I can definitely agree with this statement. She can drive up her fan base to vote which can help decide an election . She definitely gave the NFL one of their highest ratings ever . And her concerts(as with Beyoncé )did some help to divert a recession.
Not much of a fan but she has some good hits and my kids like her. I’m feeling very neutral about this because except for the massive success of the tours and the boyfriend coverage , don’t know what else. Anyway like Kaiser said, maybe it’s a good thing it’s an entertainer, esp. a woman. All the other nominees were not great. Just realized thats a live cat around her neck. Nice photo.
It always makes me laugh when someone emphatically declares, “This artist is bad or mediocre!” Taste is subjective.
Unless you’re a highly skilled professional musician or teacher at Juilliard, with technical expertise, we’re all just picking our faves because we enjoy them.
(Not a Swiftie, but a mother of Swifties.)
If Taylor isn’t your bag, that’s totally fine. She’s a very savvy businesswoman, though, and she got tens of thousands of people to register to vote this year, so that’s admirable.
I don’t think her songwriting is mediocre and I know I wouldn’t be able to judge that, but I do think her voice is mediocre. I tend to think that’s what people are referring to. Her lyrics can be moving or clever, but I don’t feel anything when I hear her singing voice even when it’s recorded. I feel her singing voice might be fair game for the genre of music (ie pop) she sings. Everyone said Madonna’s voice could be weak. I think the same might apply here.
I can take her or leave her.
I will admire her work ethic, she is a hard worker, good at her business. She obvs has talent, her army of fans adore her.
For me, no one will ever reach the levels of The Beatles as brilliant songwriters, musicians and Icons who changed the music arena forever. As The Beatles and as solo acts, timeless music.
John Lennon was an incredibly complex and difficult man in his personal life.
Lennon and McCartney as songwriters = genius.
(Mind, John did also write some crap tunes. “Why don’t we do it in the road?” LOL)
Person of the year, tho?
I take this as proof that American politics is a total disaster now.
US politics is not the best right now. Unfortunately, it seems other parts of the world has elected their own Donald Trump which is sad.
But I’m hopeful with the younger generation who are passionate about politics and democracy like Yara Shahidi and Amelie Zilber (to name a few )who are able to use their growing influence and platforms to communicate to their generation and hopefully be able to turn it around for the better.
Definitely sure my Husband (or I, for that matter) could pick her out in a crowd, but my “head under a rock, no social media” Husband has even heard of her. He greatly admires her business acumen~or at least the brains to put those who DO have it to help run her business.
I’m still laughing at someone saying the focus of the article was about her relationship with Travis. lol It was not the focus at all. The media may have focused on that Taylor didn’t.
Dads, Chads and Brads. Dead.