Stephanie Trotta, cofounder of Shoppes and founder of The Girl Guide
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is, officially, breaking records left and right. Besides selling 2.4 million tickets on one day of presale, estimates are being made that the Grammy winner may have ticket sales topping $1 billion when all is said and done. Even as Harry Styles finishes his uber-successful Love On tour, social media is seriously *all about Taylor*. A big portion of those ticket buyers? Moms going with daughters, sons and even on their own. Here are 8 reasons why Moms are all in on Taylor Swift:
Nostalgia for their Pre-Kids Self
Taylor gained critical acclaim and legions of fans starting in the mid to late ‘00’s…when moms in their 30s and 40s were either teens or in their 20s. Rediscovering something you loved in your youth and sharing it with your kids? Absolutely nothing better.
The Girl Power Message
Classic lyrics like the one from Shake It Off that go: “Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play / And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate / Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake / I shake it off, I shake it off”are just part of Taylor’s empowering message. In real life she’s put the spotlight on bad male behavior and double standards, putting everyone from John Mayer to Jake Gyllenhaal in the hot seat on her albums. She’s also legally taken men to task (like she did in a previous sexual assault case) and in business (rerecording her albums to minimize her loss when Scooter Braun bought six of her masters).
The Work Ethic
The videos of Taylor circulating social media, playing in hours-long downpours without missing a beat are amazing, particularly when it would be so easy to use any number of excuses – it’s not safe, the equipment will get ruined, etc. Showing up to show the kids in the audience watching that this is how you honor a commitment? Worth the ticket price alone – maybe, ha!
DJ April Larken with her family
Her Showing That Bodies Change
The musician is clearly super fit at 33 (see above, aka playing full concerts in extreme conditions). But her body is bigger than it was 10 years ago, and she’s been open about her struggles with body image and disordered eating. As she turned 30 she shared with Elle: “I learned to stop hating every ounce of fat on my body. I worked hard to retrain my brain that a little extra weight means curves, shinier hair, and more energy.” That body positivity message is something that you sometimes have to show girls—not just tell them.
She Has Relationships But Isn’t Who She Dates
For a long time, Taylor was raked over the media coals about her short-term boyfriends who she’d memorialize in song post-breakup. But now, girls can see that strong female friendships, a career you love and makes you money, and a good relationship with your mom can be pretty strong #lifegoals.
Her Songs Start a Conversation
Talking to pre-teen or teenage girls is notoriously precarious…finding common language in Taylor’s songs about breakups, friendship and more can help get the conversation flowing.
The Fashion
Versace. Oscar de la Renta. Cavalli. The fashion choices for the Eras are as big and bold as the headliner, and if 13-year-olds aren’t appreciating the next-level ‘fits, 33 and 43-year-olds sure are.
The Production
Like the fashion line-up, the production value, the crowds, the energy, and yes, the ticket prices, are BIG. But 3 years after COVID shut everything done, we’re ready for a summer that makes us feel, well, 23 again.
The Taylor Swift Eras tour is bringing up the concert tours that defined our youth – New Kids on the Block, Britney Spears, ‘N Sync, Backstreet Boys, and the summer fun fests of the Lillith Fair, Lollapalooza and the revamped Woodstock. And whether we’re sharing it with our daughters or sons or our friends, having a special night out feels like a start-of-summer bit of self-care.
