Power, Politics and the Pop Princess

Photo by Stephen Mease on Unsplash

When considering influential actors and where global power is concentrated in the international space, examples of heads of state (usually Western, mature-aged and male), major multilateral organisations and the executives of dominant multinational corporations come to mind. This concentration of power makes it challenging to conceive how a a singer-songwriter turned global pop superstar could substantially steer developments in international affairs.

Enter Taylor Swift – the pop sensation whose music and world tours captivate global audiences and wield significant diplomatic and economic influence. Swift is in the company of few other entertainers who have had such profound implications on so many facets of contemporary life, with her influence going beyond the artistic and cultural influence typically affected by entertainers. Swift’s influence extends into the political sphere, where her endorsements and advocacy significantly shape public opinion and massively drive voter turnout. Economically, her global tours generate billions of dollars in revenue, benefiting economies worldwide. Swift was named Time Magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year 2023 – a label traditionally reserved for politicians, titans of industry and activists – making her the first entertainer to do so. Facing historically low voter turnout and hoping to entice young Europeans to participate in the European Parliament Election earlier this year, European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas called on Swift to help mobilise young voters. These examples – amongst a myriad of  others – show that Swift stands as a formidable force in a landscape where celebrity and politics increasingly intersect.

Although starting off as a little-known country singer, with spatterings of adoring fans – typically young and female –  Swift’s influence has grown exponentially and now extends beyond the realm of entertainment. Her remarkable rise to superstardom reminds us that it is crucial to recognise that celebrities can be entities beyond just entertainers, however difficult and perhaps unpleasant to admit. Today, they play an immeasurably important role in mobilising people – particularly younger generations – and garnering consensus. As Swift’s career has flourished, so has her impact on international affairs. From sparingly yet carefully using her platform to address political issues to intentionally shaping global conversations through her music, Swift’s role in international affairs is a testament to the power of a celebrity in modern diplomacy.

U.S domestic influence

Domestically within the United States, Swift has proven herself to be somewhat of a reluctant, yet influential, political force and has often attempted to be excluded from the political conversation, mostly sticking to performing her catalogue of music rather than being vocal about political and societal issues. Apart from a few endorsements of Democratic candidates in the U.S. –  including now-President Joe Biden in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris for the upcoming presidential election – Swift has remained relatively apolitical. After endorsing Harris – calling the current Vice President “a steady-handed, gifted leader” – and praising her running mate Tim Walz for his support of “LGBTQ+ rights, IVF and and a woman’s right to her own body”, Swift urged her hundreds of millions of instagram followers to vote. In a subsequent Instagram story, Swift shared a link to U.S. federal voting information site vote.gov, drawing a staggering 405,999 visitors to the site in 24 hours, undoubtedly increasing voter registrations for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Photo by Jovan Vasiljević on Unsplash

Attracting the Eras Tour

Celebrities are often deeply involved in their domestic politics. However, Swift’s influence seemingly transcends borders, proving to have significant political and economic influence on an international scale. Swift’s international tours prove to be more than just a series of concerts and opportunities for adoring fans to sing along to their favourite hits. Captivated largely by the incredible economic impact of her ongoing concert tour the Eras Tour, world leaders – including the likes of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Chilean President Gabriel Boric (a self-proclaimed ‘Swiftie’), and Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony implored Swift to stop by their countries.. As well as being projected to gross more than US$2 billion by its conclusion  and so far contributing an additional US$4.3 billion to the U.S. GDP, the tour has resulted in an seismic economic boom to each city that it stops in. The astounding economic impact of the tour rivals those of major sporting and entertainment events like the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup and NFL Super Bowl, leaving no wonder as to why countries are going to unconventional – and often criticised – efforts to secure a stop on the coveted tour.

Swift, Singapore and ASEAN

Spurred by its incredible economic impact, international tensions have also flared up over Swift’s Eras Tour. Singapore’s audacious manoeuvre to lure the singer to the country and have her bypass the rest of Southeast Asia set ASEAN diplomacy abuzz. In 2023, Singapore negotiated an exclusivity arrangement with Swift to perform six, sold-out nights to 300,000 fans and to make the country her only stop in the region. This plan tested the goodwill amongst ASEAN states and challenged the typically dialogue-heavy and consensus-driven approaches prioritised by South-East Asian diplomacy. Whilst certain ASEAN members like Thailand acknowledged Singapore’s “cleverness” and “wisdom” in brokering the deal, others criticised Singapore for engaging in commercial practices that weren’t in line with “what good neighbours do”. Swift herself was not immune from criticism regarding the agreement, with millions of adoring Southeast Asian fans unable to secure tickets for the shows in Singapore. The issue has largely blown over, but it speaks more broadly about the unprecedented impact of stars like Swift in the international space and the novel and youth-oriented lengths that global leaders will go to to improve economic outcomes and political standing. The Singapore/Swift debacle has offered valuable lessons for Southeast Asian countries looking to attract tourism and investment. Namely, the Philippines is constructing a ‘Taylor Swift Concert Ready’ arena, to position itself more favourably in the battle to entice Swift and secure a stop when she tours next.

Swift and celebrity influence in international affairs

In international affairs, Taylor Swift represents a new form of diplomacy – one where celebrities play an important, perhaps unprecedented role in manipulating global politics and shifting power dynamics. The mechanisms of international power are traditionally dominated by entrenched institutions, formidable multilateral corporations and Western leaders. The notion that a figure from the entertainment industry could shift these established dynamics seems, at first glance, improbable. However, recent events suggest that even those outside conventional power structures can exert unexpected influence, challenging traditional notions of how global power is wielded and distributed.

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the influence of celebrities like Swift in the international affairs space will likely continue to grow. So too will Swift’s own influence for however long she is celebrated as a pop star and maintains her immense levels of stardom and influence. Swift’s influence in shaping public opinion, carefully promoting causes aligned with her personal values, enabling significant economic activity illustrates the powerful synergy between popular culture and global affairs. Monitoring current trends in her influence and consumption of her music, Swift’s globe-spanning cultural influence and soft political power only stands to get bigger. In this dynamic interplay, Swift stands as a prominent example of how entertainment and politics can converge to make a significant impact on the world stage.