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Swiftie Abbie Elsie The term “swiftie” will be defined differently depending on who you ask. In lament terms, the word is defined as someone who is a fan of Taylor Swift. As a swiftie myself, I feel as though the meaning of the word runs more deeply than this. The assumption made by outsiders, is that a swiftie is someone who is obsessed with Taylor Swift, to the point of creating social media accounts, and analyzing her every move in depth. Although this can be true, the term swiftie is something that people can identify with and connect to. It means being a part of a fanbase, and therefore a community made up of other swifties, all of whom find comfort and solace in Taylor Swift and her music. The term comes from Taylor’s surname, Swift, and was created around the time in the early 2000s when fanbases were becoming more popular, and fans were naming themselves based on their favourite celebrities, books, and tv couples. Although I was able to find the exact date it gained popularity, “swiftie” has been around as long as Taylor Swift has been realizing music, which was since the year 2006. Being a swiftie is something that millions of people identify with around the world. Due to this, we are able to understand the experiences of young people based off of their appreciation for Taylor Swift and her music. One of the main reason Taylor Swift possess such a large fanbase is because of her unique storytelling and lyricism. She’s also released albums under multiple genres, likely having something for everyone’s taste. Within the swiftie community, you can understand a lot about a person based off of their favourite song. People have grown up with Taylor. She writes about experiences and stories that people can connect to because they cannot put the feeling into words themselves. When I think of the concept of having personal connection with a song, I think of the Inside Lives readings we discussed in class. I see Taylor Swift and her music as a container for her fans. Similar to how a mother can contain her child’s
