"Energy Outburst Like Nuclear Fusion"... Taylor Swift Named Time's Person of the Year

"Transcending Borders, Symbol of Cultural Generational Change"

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has been named Time magazine's 2023 'Person of the Year.'

Time cover selecting Taylor Swift as Person of the Year.
[Photo by Taylor Swift Instagram]

On the 6th (local time), Time stated, "Swift has found a way to transcend borders and become a source of light," adding, "No one on Earth today can move so many people so well." Swift is the fourth solo artist to be selected as 'Person of the Year' in the past 50 years.

They continued, "Her popularity has risen over decades, but this year especially, Swift has unleashed a kind of fusion-like energy in both artistic and commercial aspects." They added, "It was a year that rekindled questions about who creates and owns our cultural expressions," and "She is also a symbol of generational change."

This is the first time since Time's 'Person of the Year' began in 1927 that an entertainment figure has been selected for their primary profession. It is also the first time an entertainment figure has won the award solo.

Previously, in 2005, Bono, the leader of the Irish rock band U2, was named Person of the Year, but this was in recognition of his dedication to solving poverty issues. At that time, Bono shared the title with Microsoft founders Bill and Melinda Gates.

Swift has also been named Person of the Year before. However, in 2017, she was included among the 'Silence Breakers,' five individuals who raised awareness about sexual violence against women, alongside actress Ashley Judd, which was unrelated to her primary profession.

Time acknowledged that not everyone would agree with Swift being named 'Person of the Year.' However, Time said, "If you have doubts, think about how much conversation there has been about Taylor Swift this year, how many photos of her you have seen on your phone, whether you were one of the people who traveled to her concert city and bought tickets to the Eras Tour, or hummed her songs while waiting in line at the grocery store."

Meanwhile, Time revealed that alongside Swift, nine others including King Charles III of the United Kingdom, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Barbie were finalists for the award.

'The Eras Tour' craze... a 2.3 magnitude earthquake recorded due to fan movement at the venue

American pop singer Taylor Swift performing during the 'The Eras Tour'.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Swift gained tremendous popularity with 'The Eras Tour,' which began in North America and toured various countries worldwide this year.

Her venues were always packed with audiences, and at a concert held in Seattle, USA, in July with 70,000 attendees, fan movements even caused a 2.3 magnitude earthquake. In every region where Swift's concerts took place, sales at restaurants, hotels, and other businesses surged, leading to the coining of the new term 'Swiftnomics.'

As Swift's cultural and social influence grew, some universities have newly established courses to study her. Harvard, considered a prestigious university, plans to open a new course titled 'Taylor Swift and Her World' in the spring semester next year.

Stanford will offer a course named after one of Swift's song titles, 'All Too Well (10-minute version),' Arizona State University plans a psychology course related to Swift's work, the University of California, Berkeley will teach 'Artistry and Entrepreneurship: The Taylor Version' next year, and the University of Florida will offer 'Swift's Storytelling.'