I was a country kid. I had to pass a tractor driving test in 7th grade AG and the ‘future farmers of America’ at my High School usually did some prank involving the animals in the barn for Senior Week (yes there was a barn on campus) - dying the goats pink, or letting the mascot bull loose on the football field. We were transplants from the suburbs (we moved when I was 12), brought out by horses and open air, so all of this felt sort of romantic to me. I felt pretty great bee-bopping to Faith Hill and Jo Dee Messina in my friend’s pick up as we went down to the river for crabs and beer.
Even though I wasn’t ‘born and raised country,’ I already listened to the right music (courtesy of my Mom’s love of Charlie Daniels). My sister and I watched the top 20 countdown on GAC (Great American Country) every weekend and I remember when this new kid on the block, Taylor Swift, showed up with the single “Tim McGraw” and shot to number one, week after week. Eventually they brought her on for interviews. She had long curly hair and looked down a lot. She seemed nervous, but she had a sweet voice. I liked her.
I still remember one of my good friends insisting on playing “Our Song” over and over again at a sleepover after she had fallen head over heels for the first time (actually, it’s a good story, she married him!). Swift’s album Speak Now was on in the background my first semester of college, and my roommate and I couldn’t stop laughing at this goat remix of “Trouble” from Red. (this still gets me)
Taylor Swift, in her relentless creativity (and productivity), became the soundtrack to so many moments in my life. With her momentous and justly praised pop debut, 1989, she launched me out of college into graduate school and the strange and surreal world of DC politics and networking. I still remember, in a sort of cosmic way, how I watched Out of Africa for the first time (one my all-time favorite movies, by the way) and then watched Swift’s stunning music video for “Wildest Dreams”, an Out of Africa inspired masterpiece that I still rewatch often.
My cousin, the most ardent Swiftie I know, walked down the aisle to “Lover” and it was beautiful. When we all huddled in our houses through 2020 lockdowns, Swift leaned into gentle folk and thoughtful, nostalgic melodies with Folklore and Evermore. She found a catchy beat with her moody and eminently playable Midnights and who knows what sound she’ll be introducing with her highly anticipated new album, The Tortured Poets Department, releasing later this week.
So, I’ve outed myself. I’m a Taylor Swift fan and happy to be one. But love her or hate her, you cannot ignore her. As of 2024, Taylor Swift has released 243 songs, including covers but excluding her re-recorded songs, and 14 albums. Named top artist of the year in 2023 by both Spotify and Apple Music, Taylor Swift was streamed 26.1 billion times on Spotify in January-November 2023.
The woman is a force.
But I’m not just here to gush about Taylor Swift (although we do some of that in this episode). What I’m here to talk about is the unique power of connection Swift offers through her music, and particularly her concerts. In Jonathan Haidt’s new book, The Anxious Generation, he talks about how human beings are biologically built for ‘synchronous’ experiences - people doing things together at the same time; Dancing together, laughing together, praying together. But in 2024, thanks to the internet, so many of our experiences are asynchronous - different people doing things at different times all out of order. Our brains are continually and perpetually frustrated by this and it’s a serious lack in our culture that we are so often deprived of the very necessary, healing, trust-building synchronous experiences that make life beautiful, harmonious, and fun.
Enter Taylor Swift.
“We exchanged friendship bracelets - everyone had them snaking up their arms and they were the connective tissue of this magical planet on which 96,000 of us landed for a few hours.
I traded bracelets with some police officers, with the lady who sold me hot chips, with numerous small children and with dozens and dozens of women and girls of all ages. It was lovely. [...]
The atmosphere was like…..it was like the exact opposite of how the Internet is on any given day when people are screaming at one another, especially lately.
Imagine being in a massive crowd where everyone was happy and gentle and kind and everyone apologised if they accidentally bumped you or stood on your foot even the person whose foot got stood on would apologise because everyone was just so deeply, wildly thrilled to be part of this incredible experience.”
—
, “What the Taylor concert was really like”
On this podcast episode, Rachel Sherlock and I discuss our own Taylor Swift fandom, but more broadly what we think she offers the culture. We discuss the power of connection, celebrating girlhood, the ‘slumber party’ vibe that makes Swift music so accessible, dressing up, identity, and how to rediscover and celebrate good old fashioned fun. Swiftie or no, I encourage you to listen and I would love to hear your thoughts!
If you’d prefer to listen to this podcast elsewhere, just look up Born of Wonder on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean, wherever you download your podcasts! If you like what you hear, consider leaving a review while you’re there!
About Rachel Sherlock
Rachel is a writer and creator living in Dublin, Ireland. She actually lives with a flatmate named Watson and if they don’t start writing some charming books together, they’ve really missed the boat. She hosts a Catholic literary podcast called Risking Enchantment. I have been a guest on her show a few times - we discussed The Godfather and the sublime mystery of thin places. She is also a repeat guest on Born of Wonder. In the past we discussed Nora Ephron and You’ve Got Mail and the joy of letter writing.
She is just so lovely and I always leave our conversations with so much to ponder. And yes, if you are thinking of heading to Ireland with me and
in October, we are hoping to meet up with Rachel for an insider’s tour of her favorite buildings, libraries etc.! It will be so great! Also, she tells me there are ‘Swiftie nights’ at some pubs and clubs in Dublin and I am 100% not opposed to hitting one of those up if we happen to find one while we’re in town, ha!If you’d like to join us on pilgrimage, make sure you go ahead and sign up now. We’re getting to crunch time to get numbers and such confirmed and I would so, so love to have you come with us! Our Lady of Knock, hiking St. Patrick’s Holy mountain, the oldest whisky distillery in the world, fiddle music, hiking, prayer, history… It’s a dream itinerary. It’s going to be small group travel with expert guides and absolutely nothing to worry about but showing up - take the mental weight off your travel and join us.
Here’s a Taylor Swift lyrics travel poem I found online to inspire you:
“I know places
Grab your passport and my hand.
I could show you incredible things.
Let’s get out of this town
Drive out of the city
Away from the crowds.
Standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset.”
Not bad, huh?
See you there!
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*special shout-out to my husband Chris for his great piano covers of Taylor’s songs, “Wildest Dreams” and “You are in Love” on this episode!
Connect with me for audio support, podcast consultation, museum and memory making initiatives, soundscapes, or voiceovers by visiting www.mediamarqcreative.com
Contact me anytime at: marquettekatie@gmail.com
Taylor Swift and the Power of Collective Experience with Rachel Sherlock