Swift's Effect on the Music Industry

by Kate G. & Janie D.  
Published March 22, 2024

Artists create music for millions of people everyday, but what most people don’t realize is that some particular artists change the music industry. Taylor Swift is one of those artists, and there are many examples of how.

Swift has connected with her listeners through her music, and made millions feel more known. According to The Spectator, “No matter the topic of Swift’s songs, her exceptional songwriting skills allow her to resonate with listeners. Swift tells stories through descriptive imagery, utilizing metaphors and symbols to evoke overwhelming emotion.”  The author writes that while expressing herself, she shows and connects with the audience’s feelings, and that makes a great bond and connection with the population. 

Taylor Swift’s actions are one of the most popular things to look at on social media, news, podcasts, articles, and more. Almost everything she does is inside the public view, and according to Forbes.com, “A useful analogy might be to consider Taylor’s influence like that of a pinball machine. Her actions create an impact that causes information, behaviors, and ideas to bounce around from person to person within a population and cascade beyond, as opposed to a bowling ball that rolls down the alley and knocks over pins in mass.” Referring to her actions as a pinball machine is very accurate because she is always trying to help other people even if she is very busy. 

There are many specific reasons that set Swift apart from other artists. Billboard.com presents that, “She’s an advocate, a style icon, a marketing wiz, a prolific songwriter, a pusher of visual boundaries and a record-breaking road warrior. And she sells a ton of albums — including, as we’ve seen over the past couple of years, remakes of her old ones.”  The author shows that she is different from many other artists,  and she does more than creating music. She stands up for what she believes, helps the world, connects with the audience, helps them feel free and heard, and she is an amazing  role model for millions of people. Another example that shows that she is more than an artist is “in 2015, she threatened to keep 1989 off of Apple Music, which was then preparing to launch, over its decision not to pay royalties to artists during the streamer’s free three-month trial period.” This shows that she stood up for equal pay and rights, which helped other artists come out of their shell and stand up for themselves and others too. 

All of these examples show some of the many different ways that Taylor Swift impacted the music industry. They prove that she makes an effort to make music, but also makes a huge effort to improve the music industry and society.