Love the lyrics

Over the course of 20 years and 11 studio albums, Swift has proven herself to be ‘one of the greatest songwriters of all time’ (according to The National’s Aaron Dessner, a regular Swift collaborator) and amongst all her achievements, songwriting is the thing Swift is proudest of. And while she’s not averse to pepping things up with a fun lyric or two, the majority of her songs read like poetry set to music (well, the last four albums anyway).

If it ain’t ‘Taylor’s Version’ don’t play it

If you’ve been living under a soundproof rock, you may not be aware that (following a spat with former record company boss Scooter Braun) Swift has been re-recording her first six albums to regain ownership, and gift fans a few previously unreleased ‘from the vaults’ tracks. The excitement surrounding each re-release cannot be over-emphasised and the internet may well explode when the highly anticipated re-record of Reputation finally drops. If you’re pressing ‘play’ on Spotify/Apple Music etc and the track doesn’t have ‘(Taylor’s Version)’ after it, move along.

Easter Eggs: available all year round

Whether it’s through her lyrics, videos or even her outfits, Swift is constantly sharing ‘Easter Eggs’ with her fans. Open to interpretation and much online chatter, each one points to something new and exciting on the horizon. If you can only hear/see one layer in a Swift creation then you’re not listening/looking hard enough.

Boyfriends = goldmine (for her and us)

Although occasionally inspired by fiction or current events, most of Swift’s output stems from her romantic relationships. Whether she’s deeply in love or recovering from yet another swine breaking her heart, Swift is the opposite of a closed book, which is one of the reasons fans love her. Songwriting is, she tells us, her way of processing the slings and arrows of her love life, and each line is devoured to work out which relationship they pertain to. Most recent release, The Tortured Poets Department, pays homage to/sticks the knife into at least three former suitors (Joe Alwyn, Matty Healy, Jake Gyllenhaal) plus several nods to current beau, Travis Kelce. But it’s the universality of her songs that have won Swift the big bucks, and if you haven’t shed tears along with her, your Swiftie status is in question. Also, don’t go looking on Wikipedia for details of Swift’s beaus, as she’s one of the few people without a ‘Personal Life’ section.

Come one, come all

There’s no age or stage limit for being a Swiftie. It doesn’t matter if you joined the gang for her very first, self-titled country album in 2005 or remained blissfully unaware of her genius until Folklore and Evermore slapped you in the face during lockdown, all are welcome. In fact, latecomers have the pleasure of discovering the back catalogue of albums, videos, short films, live shows and documentaries without the agony of waiting for each one to arrive. And if you don’t like the sound of one album, don’t worry, each one is so different (country, country-pop, pop, indie folk) that there’s bound to be something you like (maybe don’t start with the first one, though: even Swift gives that a bodyswerve in her current show). 

Get in shape for The Eras Tour

Rivalling Bruce Springsteen for on-stage staying power, Swift sings and dances her heart out for three and a half hours during The Eras show. Initially spanning ten eras (or albums) but now bumped up to 11 with the addition of The Tortured Poets Department, fans will have to consume their refreshments wisely to avoid toilet trips. After literally months of planning, Swifties will be arriving at UK venues armed with friendship bracelets to swap, wearing album-inspired outfits, and lyric-perfect for singing along (and since nobody knows in advance what the ‘surprise song’ will be, best to learn them all). Additional trains and buses have been laid on to cope with the demand, and local restaurants and bars are holding pre-show themed events. But the biggest winners by far will be the Airbnb hosts and hotels who are rinsing Swifties for all they’re worth. 

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Friday 7–Sunday 30 June; main picture: TAS Rights Management.