The woman who some would say is this generation’s Madonna has taken the world by storm in more ways than one. Taylor Swift, who was named TIME Magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year has become a name noted in many mouths across the world, and not just for her brilliant musical talent. Several conspiracy theories have been talked about in the media following her recent successes.

The 34-year-old singer, public figure, and businesswoman recently set a new record for the Recording Academy’s Grammys Awards where she has won four total Album of the Year Grammys, placing above on the podium compared to Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and Frank Sinatra. She went home with awards for not only Album of the Year for “Midnights,” but also for Best Pop Vocal Album.

February 4, 2024, was a big night for Taylor, and not only because she went home with two Grammys. Swift announced that she will be releasing a new album on April 19 called “The Tortured Poets Department.” Many Swifties, including myself, believed that Taylor would be releasing “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” instead of releasing a brand new album that she has kept in the dark for two years.

Despite Swift’s genius in practically everything she does from making an off-the-charts successful international concert tour to sneaking in hidden messages in her songs, some adults have the premonition to see Swift as a political threat.

A PolitiFact article recently released notes the bashing conspiracy theories surrounding Taylor, her current boyfriend and tight-end for the Kansas City Chiefs: Travis Kelce, as well as her fans. The term “psyop” (psychological operation) is used continuously throughout the article, accusing Swift of endorsing President Joe Biden as a candidate for the 2024 election.

Fox News host Jesse Watters speculated in a January newscast that Taylor Swift’s popularity isn’t tied to her musical talent. Not only this, but Watters went on to say, “Well, around four years ago, the Pentagon psychological operations unit floated turning Taylor Swift into an asset during a NATO meeting. What kind of asset? A psyop for combating online misinformation.”

Swift has been laboriously attacked regarding her femininity and her sexuality in recent years, particularly regarding the “gaylor” folklore. An opinion piece was written by the New York Times in early January of this year claiming that Taylor Swift has “dropped hints” about her closeted queerness. Whether or not Swift is part of the queer community, and whether or not she chooses to stay in the closet, it isn’t any of our business, right? As fans, we are allowed to speculate, but not so far as to claim it as an artist’s sole personality. A public figure should be able to support a cause without being pushed into being part of the group, themselves.

So, the question is: When did being a woman in the world of fame become so hard? Answer: It always has been. Taylor Swift is a trailblazer in many ways. She made the switch from country music to pop, all while steadily releasing brilliant, gut-wrenching albums in the process. Even when her first six produced studio albums were stolen from Big Machine Records, Swift decided to re-record all of her past albums and release them again, known as (Taylor’s Version). This also gave Swift the opportunity to release several unreleased songs that were recorded at the time, called “Vault Tracks.” 

Many adults wonder why Swift is such a global superstar who continues to shake the world with her musical and songwriting talent. So, why do young adults and teens look up to her?

Linnea Roberts, a senior at Lake Highlands High School, addresses her love for Taylor.

“I grew up listening to her country music so she’s always been a childhood staple,” Roberts mentioned. “What made my appreciation grow even more was her ability to adapt and experiment with different music styles.”

Roberts added that seeing Swift’s music change over the years has been super fun for her and she thinks it’s, “One of the reasons she has been able to stay so relevant for so long.” Roberts is also a huge fan of Swift’s lyricism and the way she writes her songs.

“Her transparency with her writing makes her so relatable and being able to resonate with a song is a gift that she gives seemingly with ease,” Roberts said.

Many people who know even a little bit about Taylor Swift will probably know that she writes about her past lovers. However, some choose to see that it’s all she is. In addition to receiving judgment from “fans” and adults who are unfamiliar with her work, Swift’s inspiration for writing about her ex-boyfriends has not been well received by all of them.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Taylor’s ex-boyfriend John Mayer called “Dear John,” cheap songwriting and said that it made him feel terrible and that he didn’t deserve it. “It was a really lousy thing to do,” Mayer said.

On the other hand, Harry Styles, another one of Swift’s ex-boyfriends and One Direction heartthrob, mentioned in an interview with Howard Stern that he finds it flattering to have a song written about him.

“I think about what it means to me to write a song about someone else, and for someone else to do that, I think it’s flattering,” Styles said. “Even if the song isn’t that flattering, you still spend time on it, and ultimately, using Taylor as an example, she’s a great songwriter.”

At the end of the day, no matter how Taylor Swift identifies her sexuality, or whether or not she is a “psyop” for the government, (which she isn’t), she writes, sings, and produces some of the most brilliant and captivating lyrical creations of the 21st Century. The way she puts so much of her heart and soul into everything she makes is why so many people love her. She is transparent in what she wants and does and she goes after it with a kindness that only a certain handful of people have.

“Taylor Swift, whether you like her or not, is becoming one of the most well-known artists of all time and is a great example to women everywhere about making it big and being empowered!” Roberts concluded.