(CNN) 鈥� Every year seems to be Taylor Swift鈥檚 year.
Since the early stages of her career, Swift has consistently held the news cycle in the palm of her hands 鈥� making headlines for everything from to the and the .
And yet 2023 feels like it was her biggest year yet. With a , an accompanying concert film, and a high-profile, gush-worthy relationship with one of the best players in the NFL, Swift is winning the year in a way most people could only dream.
To top it all off, she was named 鈥� a title reserved for cultural changemakers like former President Barack Obama (2008 and 2012), persecuted journalists like Jamal Khashoggi, for disagreeing with the Saudi government (), and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (2022). Swift鈥檚 gravitational pull is so strong, it rivals that of world leaders.
In honor of one of Swift鈥檚 best years yet, here鈥檚 a look at all the things she made us care about this year.
The Kansas City Chiefs鈥� offense
When Swift started dating Chiefs鈥� tight end Travis Kelce, arguably one of the greatest players at his position, the internet seemingly imploded. Fresh off a break-up with actor Joe Alwyn, Swift鈥檚 new fling with Kelce quickly became delightful fan fodder, as Swifties dug up Kelce鈥檚 old posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, and analyzed .
Swift鈥檚 presence at Chiefs games also became an ongoing 鈥淲here鈥檚 Waldo?鈥� as the star was frequently photographed cheering on her new boo alongside people like gymnast Simone Biles and Kelce鈥檚 mother Donna.
Her starpower was so intense that it brought a 400% spike in and drove up , as Swifties ran to the games in hopes of catching a glimpse. During broadcasts, Swift became a regular part of NFL commentators鈥� discourse, to the chagrin of some NFL fans.
Not much can overshadow football in the US, but this year, Swift managed just that.
鈥楽eemingly Ranch鈥�
Every detail of Swift鈥檚 presence at Chiefs鈥� games was scrutinized, including what she ate. In one instance, according to a fan account, her meal consisted of chicken tenders, ketchup and
The phrasing quickly became a meme, so much so that Heinz developed a limited edition 鈥淜etchup and Seemingly Ranch鈥� sauce, a wink to fans and also, frankly, a marketing ploy.
Having so much power that your preferred chicken tender accompaniments become adopted by a national brand? That鈥檚 just a regular Sunday for Swift.
Public transportation
Swift鈥檚 sold-out Eras Tour had fans relying on buses, subways and trains (oh my!) to travel to venues 鈥� revitalizing many cities鈥� public transportation system in the process.
In Chicago, the CTA provided 5.63 million rides the week of June 4 to 10, the highest number since the start of the pandemic. The CTA attributed the spike to Swift鈥檚 sold-out show that week. In Atlanta, almost 140,000 people swarmed the city鈥檚 Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority system, more than three times the number of riders during a usual weekend, CNN . Philadelphia and New Jersey had similar boosts.
Hotels and restaurants benefited, too, and Swift鈥檚 tour led to a boost in local economies across the country 鈥� a huge win for many as some continue to fear . As the , 鈥淚t鈥檚 simple Taylornomics.鈥�
Trendy Manhattan restaurants
Swift going out to eat may not seem significant to some. But, as Rachel Handler , Swift is not a regular celebrity, nor is she a regular middle class patron. And yet, for a period this past fall, Swift was regularly photographed going out to some of the trendiest Manhattan restaurants and bars, alongside a rotating star-studded group of friends.
Though one can鈥檛 say why Swift did this: Did she simply not have food at home? Did she want to grab a drink with the girls? Was her private chef on vacation? No matter the motivation, it did cause a brief stir in the Manhattan dining scene. Handler retraced Swift鈥檚 steps across the city, asking Emilio of Emilio鈥檚 Ballato what it鈥檚 like when Swift eats at your restaurant. His response was simple: 鈥淲hat can I tell you? She eats, she pays, she gets the f**k out.鈥� Celebrities, they鈥檙e just like us.
The details of film distribution
Shot over three nights during her residency at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in August, Swift鈥檚 鈥淓ras鈥� concert film broke records in its opening weekend. It raked in $96 million, making it the highest-grossing concert film domestically , according to AMC.
But that鈥檚 not the only way Swift changed the game with her concert film. Swift produced the film herself and distributed the movie directly through AMC Theatres, instead of through a traditional Hollywood distributor. As a result, she cut out the usual big Hollywood studio middleman and was able to secure a much higher payday .
The route is definitely an unconventional one, and it could be a tactic employed by other big stars. Beyonc茅 made a similar move for her own Renaissance tour film, and though few have the starpower of Queen Bey and Swift, the trend may be one worth monitoring.
Summer camp core
In 鈥淵ou鈥檙e on Your Own, Kid,鈥� Swift beckons listeners to 鈥渕ake the friendship bracelets鈥� rather than yearning for love. The line is only said once, but once was enough: Friendship bracelets, suddenly, were everywhere, even though the track was released last year.
Swifties raided their local craft stores to carefully string together friendship bracelets as part of their Eras Tour look 鈥� making the bracelets a tour staple. Even celebrities sported the trend. received some bracelets while at Swift鈥檚 show, as did and, of course, Swift herself.
Even her security guard was not immune to the . If you see them on runways next year, don鈥檛 be surprised.
Monopolies and Ticketmaster
At the end of last year Live Nation, Ticketmaster鈥檚 parent company, faced heavy criticism for its of presales for Swift鈥檚 then-upcoming Eras Tour, which left millions of fans unable to both buy tickets or without tickets, despite purchasing.
Although Ticketmaster and Live Nation have long been scrutinized for having a monopoly power over ticket sales, the incident was a major catalyst in Congress looking into the company. the CFO of Live Nation in January, and a Senate subcommittee issued a subpoena to the company , requiring documents related to its 鈥渢icket pricing, fees, and resale practices.鈥�
Getting the US government to kick into high gear after a company mishandles ticket sales to your upcoming tour is not a power many artists wield. No matter what happens, you鈥檒l at least in part have Swift to thank.
The-CNN-Wire
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