2 Taylor Swift as Cult Leader

The definition of fandom, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “the state or attitude of being a fan,” but there seems to be more to it than that. Urban Dictionary offers this definition: “An innocent word used for describing a cult of sleep-deprived people who obsess over one or multiple comics, books, TV shows, movies, video games, etc.” This definition feels more true to the fans seen on social media sites like Tumblr, where what people love becomes a focal point for their own creativity (fanfiction and fanart) and personality. The two definitions together demonstrate the range of fandom and how it is expressed.

Taylor Swift has loyal and expressive fans, and her prominence is clear: her friendships and dating life are always on display; her songwriting has the power to change public opinion of the men she’s dated; and she influences her fans through her values and beliefs, which she shares on social media. Swifties, as her fans call themselves, are one the most widely known fan groups. Known for their extreme loyalty to and love for Swift, Swifties will go to great and extreme lengths to support her, such as standing in line for hours upon hours waiting for a chance to purchase merchandise or dissecting song lyrics for clues about who the song is about or what it means. While Swifties’ actions might seem endearing or harmless, some speculate that there is more happening behind the scenes. Are Swifties more than just dedicated fans? Is there something sinister and calculated behind Swift’s popularity? Are Swifties actually a cult that worships her?

The word ‘cult’ has existed for thousands of years and the meaning over time has changed. The word used to be a representation of a group of people who had similar values and beliefs. Anciently, the word had a positive connotation, and a group that believed similar things began being referred to as a religion instead. The word cult was then reserved for people who had new ideas that weren’t popular in society. These cults and values would gain popularity and would then become a religion. In modern society, the term cult has a negative connotation and is used to describe the unacceptable behavior and beliefs of a group of people surrounding a charismatic and controlling figure.

There are many ways to define a cult, but in general, they have the following characteristics: 1) an idol or figure as the center of the group; 2) specific views and values that are supported and spread by the main figure; 3) secrecy and limited knowledge for members only; and 4) control over the actions and the beliefs of the followers. Another commonality among cults might be a religious element that looks like worshiping a specific figure, doing things for and/or giving sacrifices in the name of the figure, and having specific symbols designated to represent features of the group or the leader. The intensity to which this leader is believed to be celestial or powerful is extreme, along with dedication and loyalty to the figure. Does the behavior of Swifties or Swift’s actions fall into these categories?

Swift would be considered the figure that Swifties center on, and this fits the first characteristic of a cult. She is the creator of her songs and performs them frequently on award shows, as well as having her songs played on the radio regularly. Swift’s actions create a huge impact, and she influences her followers. (Interestingly, we now have social media “celebrities” who call themselves influencers, so Swift isn’t alone in her influence over people.) Fans tend to center around her and dissect everything she does for deeper meanings. One of the most important aspects of a cult is that the leader dictates the beliefs and practices of the members. Although Swift is vocal about her opinions, she has explicitly stated that her opinions are hers and encourages her fans to explore their own opinions. She has never told her fans what to believe or that they should believe what she does.

Power is another main feature of a cult. Swift does not have direct power over her fans. She has built an empire from her musical career and is involved in the business of it. Marketing and selling merchandise are part of any business, but these activities do not force people to participate or purchase products. Swift may be seen as trying to exert power over her fans by creating limited-edition merchandise that includes unique items. Swift has created variants for each album, so fans are motivated to buy each one as a collection piece. Yet, Swift releases the same music on streaming services that are available with the purchase of limited-edition merchandise. She is therefore not exerting power over her fans by forcing them to buy her products, since they are available elsewhere.

Initiation involving secret acts or information is another part of joining a cult. Swifties do not have any kind of initiation process, and anyone can be a fan or not. No secret knowledge is given to specific Swifties. Swift has not appointed any representatives to speak for her or spread her ideals either. Swifties are merely people who enjoy Swift’s music. Anyone can be a Swiftie if they want to, and there are no requirements that need to be met. The group is not exclusive and there are no rules to be followed. There is also no isolation from the outside world, family, or friends.

The basis of Swifties is not to worship Taylor Swift, but rather to appreciate her music with others. Although there may be some fans who do “worship” Swift, the number is likely small and more of an appreciation or extreme love for her, rather than a religious or cultish action. Swifties do not have rituals; instead, they gather for concerts and listening parties when a new album is released. In the case of concerts being seen as ritualistic, every musician’s concerts would have to be considered ritualistic.

Cults often have symbols that represent the beliefs or main figures, and we can see this with Swifties and each of Swift’s albums. There are defining aspects from each album, including colors, animals, seasons, objects, and even other celebrities. Although there is a lot of symbolism, these are considered part of the aesthetic of Swift’s albums. Her brand is to have different eras that correlate with different times in her life in which she wrote each album. Artists often use new themes in their music to show their growth and development. Swift has done this and has become known for it, but these symbols are not used in a cultish capacity.

Cults are characterized as exclusive, manipulative, based on power over others, and usually have unacceptable beliefs with malicious intent. Swifties are a group of fans who enjoy Swift’s music, are inclusive to others, can choose whether or not to be a Swiftie, and find positive benefits in listening to Swift’s music. It is understandable how the intensity of admiration for Swift can be mistaken for the worship of Swift or cult-like behavior, but there is ultimately not enough evidence to prove this claim. Swift is influential, but she has never told anybody what they should think or believe in and she expresses the importance of individualism within society. She also doesn’t require or ask anything of her fans, but rather the fans have become so dedicated to her and her music by their own choice.

Some cult leaders demonstrate just how extreme their power can be. Swift stands in clear opposition to all of these well-known cult leaders. Jim Jones was a cult leader who started his church The People’s Temple in the 1950s and led it into the 1970s (Greenidge, 2021). Jones’s leadership led to a poisoning massacre of over 900 people. He had lured people in with promises of supporting racial equality and socialism, and then he moved his church from San Francisco, California, to Guyana in order to gain control through seclusion. The location of his church in Guyana was nicknamed “Jonestown.” On November 19, 1978, upon an unwelcome visit from U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan, Jones ordered his congregation to drink Flavor Aid (similar to Kool-Aid) laced with valium and cyanide (The Psychology of Cults, 2024). Similarly, Charles Manson directed his “family” of runaways and other troubled individuals to start a race war by murdering several people in Los Angeles. There were eight victims in all, but the group claimed to have murdered and disposed of the bodies of many more. One of the victims included pregnant Hollywood actress Sharon Tate (The Psychology of Cults, 2024). Keith Raniere founded NXIVM, a sex cult that engaged in assaulting women, secretly branding the initials of the founder on or near victims’ genitals, and blackmailing the women. The organization operated partly as a pyramid scheme, with “masters” recruiting “slaves” who would eventually recruit more “slaves” as subordinates (The Psychology of Cults, 2024). Further, Shoko Asahara founded a church called Aum Shinrikyo (“Supreme Truth”) in the 1980s. This cult became notorious for conducting a deadly attack on Japan’s subway system. The cult attacked five crowded subway trains by releasing sarin, a poisonous nerve gas, into the open air. Thirteen people were killed and thousands more got severely sick from exposure to the gas. The common denominator in these cults is the leader’s underlying intention of destruction and harm. In each of these instances, we can see secretive agendas that made people feel so devoted that they acted violently on the orders of the leader.

While Swift looks nearly identical to the former leader of the Church of Satan Zeena LaVey Schreck and conspiracy theories have flourished from this similarity in appearance (Ishler, 2016), Swift has not engaged in extreme power and control. The dark, ritualistic vibe of reputation contributes to this conspiracy, but we have to take into account that each of Swift’s albums have different color schemes and vibes. In particular, Swift wrote reputation during a time of extreme heartache and frustration. She had been “canceled” and everyone had turned their backs on her—of course a dark album is what would emerge from this experience (Wilson, 2020). These dark vibes cannot be blamed or connected to her being the “clone” of someone who was an actual Satanic cult leader.

The Zeena LaVey theory is an unwarranted claim, and Swift’s actions have minimal similarities to cult leaders. The similarities she does have are appearance-related and stem from her reputation album (Ishler, 2016). She does not possess controlling traits, nor is she narcissistic and malignant. She never forces her fans into anything. She encourages fans to take certain actions, such as to register to vote, but she always leaves the door open for fans to make their own decisions. She tells them her beliefs and why she believes those things, and the only thing she encourages beyond that is actions that will help her fans to establish their own beliefs (Wilson, 2020).

In contrast, being a good leader includes wisdom, clear communication and interactions, agreeability, amiability, trustworthiness, reliability, and confidence. The definition of a leader, as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “a person who has commanding authority or influence over a particular group or organization” (Webster, 2024). Swift has been growing her fan base since she was 16 years old. She cares for her fans and takes time to establish personal connections with them; she stands out from other famous musicians and performers because of this. During her Fearless tour in 2009 and 2010, Swift would trek across the stadium during every show to greet her fans on the way and to a smaller stage at the back of the stadium; there, she performed to give people in the back the best seats for a while. She also took time after her shows to have a “T-Party”with some of her most ecstatic fans who were invited backstage to meet her. Swift even cried when her manager said that she was getting too famous to be able to meet fans one-on-one without risking her safety. She broke safety guidelines during her reputation tour when she went down into the space between the stage and the crowd to hug and talk to fans there. She still introduces herself every time she is in front of a crowd, even though everyone knows who she is. During her introduction on The Eras Tour, she says, “My name’s Taylor. I’ll be your host this evening. Thank you for traveling with us here at The Eras Tour.”

These human, heart-filled actions show the kind of leader that Swift is. She is caring and loves to interact and communicate with her fans. She is agreeable and never puts herself above anyone else. Her amiability creates successful interactions with fans, and they seem to trust her without hesitation and rely on her for emotional well being. Over the course of her career, she has become more confident without turning to cockiness or arrogance. Swift is a strong and independent woman, she is passionate about what she does, and she loves people—and her fans know it. This explains their devotion to her.

Swift is an inspirational figure who does not necessarily “command” her fans (although there is a moment in The Eras Tour movie where she points to parts of the stadium, prompting fans to cheer at her command), but she does have a heavy influence over them. For example, Swift disclosed her political beliefs in October 2018 during midterm elections and inspired some 65,000 people to register to vote (Breuninger, 2018). While critics try to claim that Swift is a cult leader, they are exaggerating and ignoring how her influence and art are based on passion and connection. Swift and her fans connect through captivating lyrics that offer coping mechanisms for sorrow and avenues for adventure. Swift has loyal fans because she is vulnerable with them and she speaks to their lived experiences. Swifties are not a cult, and Swift is not a cult leader. Fandom does not equal a cult; Swifities are enthusiastic fans and who have an abundance of passion for one particular artist.

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