[The Editors' Verdict] The World Is Living in the Taylor Swift Era

Super Bowl Attendance Becomes Issue in US Politics
Performance Effect Also Seen as 'Swiftnomics' Phenomenon

4-time Grammy Award-winning American pop star Swift
Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the 4th (local time), the star of the 66th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, USA, was singer Taylor Swift. Swift made history by winning the 'Album of the Year' award for the fourth time, becoming the 'Queen of Pop.' Only Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, and Stevie Wonder have won this award three times.

After resuming her world tour following the award, Swift's ability to attend the NFL Super Bowl championship game in Las Vegas, Nevada, on the 11th after finishing her concert at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 9th has become a political issue in the U.S. It has made the far-right Republican group 'MAGA (Make America Great Again),' supporters of former President Donald Trump, uncomfortable that Swift is flying on a private jet to meet her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. This is understandable since Swift publicly supported Joe Biden over then-President Trump in the 2020 presidential election, which Biden ultimately won.

With the presidential election scheduled for November, Swift has not yet expressed support for any specific candidate, but conspiracy theories that "Swift will appear in the halftime show and support President Biden along with Kelce" are rapidly spreading.

Japan even issued an unusual statement regarding Swift's Super Bowl attendance, urging people not to worry. On the 2nd, the Japanese Embassy in the U.S. affirmed, "Despite the 17-hour time difference and the 12-hour long travel time, she can arrive in Las Vegas before the Super Bowl starts." CNN in the U.S. reported this, saying, "'Taylor mania' is not limited to the United States." Europe also sent an 'SOS' to Swift. Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Union (EU), mentioned during a press conference last month that "Swift will come to Europe in May" and publicly requested Swift to encourage young voters to participate in the European Parliament elections in June.

There is even a term created to explain Swift's global influence: 'Swiftonomics.' It refers to the economic effect caused by Swift. The phenomenon emerged from millions of fans following Swift's concerts, boosting local economies in North America, Europe, and other countries. According to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Swift's 60 shows during last year's world tour generated $1.04 billion (approximately 1.37 trillion KRW) in revenue. It is also estimated that this tour contributed as much as $5.7 billion (about 7 trillion KRW) to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Swift was also named Time magazine's 2023 'Person of the Year.' Since Time began selecting the Person of the Year in 1927, this is the first time a celebrity has been chosen alone. South Korea's BTS was previously named 'Entertainer of the Year' in 2020.

Swift's name is also prominent in AI-related global headlines. She was the subject of a deepfake scandal where her face was stolen using AI to create and distribute explicit images and videos.

Swift's influence extends beyond culture to economics, politics, and society. There are even predictions that Swift could play a casting vote role in the U.S. presidential election, where a rematch between former and current presidents is expected. This is why the whole world is paying attention to Swift's moves.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.