By Aliya Janeo

“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can. Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man.”

‘The Man’ is the third track on the setlist of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, a movie that places you front and center in one of the most popular concert tours of our generation. The tour, just like the song, is an unapologetic show of how far Taylor has gone since the start of her career and displays just how far a woman can go and all the societal barriers she can surpass. 

The Taylor and Swiftie Love Story

“I’d be a fearless leader. I’d be an alpha type. When everyone believes ya. What’s that like?”

If there’s anything Taylor is leading in, it’s record-breaking. As the highest-earning tour of 2023 according to Forbes, The Eras Tour is an American concert tour by 2023 Artist of the Year, Taylor Swift, that goes through her ten different ‘eras’ of albums—with the international leg starting in early November of this year. But of course, no established artist is without the support system that launched their career in the first place. 

Every year, more and more fans—or ‘Swifties’ as her fans are called—are drawn in by her music, leaving little to no empty seats during any of her shows.  However, for the fans who have been there since the very start, they’ve watched her grow up from an innocent teenager to one of pop culture’s most prominent female figures. Her music has become more than just a love letter for hopeless romantics and recovering heartbreaks as it has grown into something that highlights deeper, more complex emotions.

To quote a student from 11-Fontoura: “…I grew up with her music, and to say that it impacted me would be an understatement. Her music helped me through a lot of ‘firsts’ that a girl goes through in her teenage years. From my first love to my first heartbreak, and to my great academic burnout, she has put into song the emotions I never could’ve channeled with my own words…” 

We all have different preferences in music, and Taylor’s isn’t for everyone. Yet, for those whose heartstrings her lyrics did pull on, Taylor has impacted their lives in ways that are unexplainable. 

She’s not a god, but she has been the role model for any child or inner child who needed someone to look up to. Her music has become a shoulder to cry on and a cause for celebration. Her career has become a learning experience, showing how to grow from criticism instead of faltering. With Taylor comes a whirlwind of emotions, but also with her comes comfort and a safe space.

Feminism’s Mastermind

“They’d say I hustled. Put in the work. They wouldn’t shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve.”

No artist’s career is linear, and challenges are bound to arise, especially since the music industry is no stranger to sexism. Whether it be continuously underpaying female artists or even assaulting them—something Taylor has experienced and talked about, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done. Women are no different from men, and any double standard should be scrutinized. 

In the words of Swift herself from a 2019 interview calling out these standards, “There’s a different vocabulary for men and women in the music industry, right? A man does something; it’s strategic. A woman does the same thing; it’s calculated. A man is allowed to react. A woman can only overreact.”

Not everyone is privileged enough to have such a widespread platform, and Taylor recognizes the opportunity she’s been given. Her music reaches all corners of the world and advocates for equal rights we shouldn’t even have to be fighting for. She’s become one of the loudest voices in feminism, and through her, women have found security and someone they see themselves in.

Feminism is for all walks of life. On the surface, it may look like something that caters only to women, when in reality it has the best interests of everyone, no matter who they are or how they identify. 

Although Taylor herself has been criticized for weaponizing feminism to defend herself, it doesn’t take away from the fact that she’s still a prominent figure when it comes to advocating for the equal rights of all. Taylor’s methods in feminism aren’t for everyone, but this only opens opportunities for better, more inclusive perspectives by more artists or people in general. 

The Eras Tour, both the tour itself and its film, exemplifies how much power a woman can hold. There are little to no limits when it comes to music, and Taylor shows that there’s a need to be more critical of anyone who tries to set boundaries based on bias. She’s one of the masterminds behind a more vocal and open approach to feminism, as she’s taking the initiative and making herself heard. 

The music industry needs more artists who vocalize the thoughts and feelings of those who can’t. It’s worth speaking now before it’s too late. We all need someone to look out for and understand us, and that’s what Taylor has been to women and men alike. No one should be left behind, and no unjust treatment should be tolerated. 

“They paint me out to be bad. So it’s okay that I’m mad.”

Taylor’s platform is a stepping stone for something more, and the fight for feminism isn’t for Swifties or women alone. It’ll take an army to make the same kind of impact that Taylor has in the music industry and pop culture in general, but that doesn’t mean the fight is far from over. Everyday is another chance to make a difference in your own way, even if it’s minimal and only helps one or two people. It’s time to rewrite a new era for feminism—a new era for peace.