Time Magazine announced Taylor Swift as 2023’s Person of the Year on Dec. 6, taking precedence over candidates such as Barbie, the Hollywood strikers, and Vladimir Putin.
“For building a world of her own that made a place for so many, for spinning her story into a global legend, for bringing joy to a society desperately in need of it, Taylor Swift is Time’s 2023 Person of the Year,” wrote Time Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs.
This caps a commercially successful year for Swift, who dominated the concert scene with “The Eras Tour,” set to be the most lucrative concert run in American history. She re-released two albums and a celebratory movie, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” establishing herself in all realms of entertainment.
Math teacher Laura Ackerman is a devout Swiftie.
“I would have been surprised if she didn’t get it! She was everywhere this year,” said Ackerman.
Swift is now the first woman to win the Person of the Year Award two times.
“This has been a good year for female empowerment,” Ackerman says. “Seeing the recognition of the Barbie movie, the Renaissance Tour, and the Eras Tour have all been big moments for women.”
Swift has influenced pop culture this year in many ways. Friendship bracelets became a fashion craze thanks to Swift’s shows, and the budding romance between Kansas City Chiefs’ player Travis Kelce and Swift was firmly in the spotlight of celebrity romance.
Swift took the award in a year when her nearly two decades of fame and influence came to a peak, the magazine said in announcing the title.
“Swift’s accomplishments as an artist — culturally, critically, and commercially — are so legion that to recount them seems almost beside the point,” according to Sam Lansky, Time Magazine writer and Swift’s interviewer. “She became the main character of the world.”
In 2022, the magazine awarded the accolade to Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, and the “spirit of Ukraine” following Russia’s invasion of the country. Rather than pursuing the political route this year, TIME made Swift the first performer to be selected because of their achievements in the arts— another accolade to add to her brand.
However, some people are not entirely on board with Time’s choice due to the current political climate of the world. In the past, the magazine used the cultural significance of the award as a form of social activism; for example, in Swift’s 2017 appearance, in which the Silence Breakers of the #MeToo movement won Person of the Year.
Many feel that choosing a musician as 2023’s Person of the Year, whereas last year it was the President of Ukraine, is tone-deaf look for the magazine.
Junior Olivia Ding is also a Swiftie but shared a different point of view.
“TIME definitely could’ve picked a better person to represent our changing world,” said Ding. “I love Taylor, but I don’t think she was the best option for that award.”
Outside the arenas, Swift was the most-streamed artist in the world in 2023 according to Spotify data. Her music was streamed more than 26.1 billion times between Jan. 1 and Nov. 29.
This award suggests that Swift’s impact extends beyond the studio and stage as she continues to use her influence to support fellow artists today. Through initiatives like promoting fair compensation for musicians and advocating for the re-recording of her catalog, she makes a point of championing the rights of creators.
