Pop superstar Taylor Swift rocked concert stages, cinemas, local economies — and even the Earth – in 2023. She did so in a year that exploded her stardom threefold with old and new albums, an international stadium tour that flattened Ticketmaster’s infrastructure, and an award show that made her the most famous woman ever. Now, the 33-year-old is Time’s Person of the Year for 2023, and in an interview with the Crimson periodical, she opens up about her rise to the top of pop culture.
Her Eras Tour sold out stadiums and pumped millions of dollars into each city it visited. Forbes estimates the 63-show trek made Swift a billionaire. The on-screen version of the show lit up theaters, too. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Movie launched to a massive tally at the box office, racking up $250 million in ticket sales.
She’s still a force to be reckoned with on the music charts. Swift dominated the Billboard 200 with her albums Fearless, Speak Now, Red, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). She topped history by simultaneously becoming the first female artist to have four albums on Billboard’s Top 10 list.
Swift’s empire also diversified. Her music and fashion labels made tens of millions, while her eponymous cosmetic line reached $2 billion in sales. She became one of the world’s most popular social media users, with over 100 million Instagram followers and a YouTube channel boasting 11.7 billion views.
With 26 billion streams, Swift ranked as Spotify’s most famous artist of the year. She also topped the iTunes chart with her record-setting album Reputation and reclaimed the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100.
Taylor Swift’s year ended with a historic feat: She was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023, edging out Barbie and King Charles III. “Swift achieved a kind of nuclear fusion, bringing art and commerce together to release an energy of historic force,” the magazine wrote.
With her upcoming 2024 tour, her new album, and more movies on the horizon, Swift is only just getting started. We can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.