A certain image may come to mind when you think of a Taylor Swift fan: a teenage girl covered in friendship bracelets, dressed in outfits that represent each era of the pop star.
In reality, Swift’s audience comes from all walks of life. They’re moms who have found a community on Twitter, Gen Xers and Boomers who find inspiration in Swift’s lyrics, and even people in their 90s who have found joy in dancing to her music.
“I think we have an almost parental pride in her brilliance as an artist, her work ethic, her financial acumen, her emotional brilliance and her kindness,” says author Paul Slansky, a 73-year-old self-described “Senior Swiftie” who has written about older Swift fans, told Yahoo Entertainment.
As Slansky explained, the term “Senior Swiftie” is a label given to older Swift fans, although it has different meanings to people depending on their interpretation.
To some, it describes a fan who has followed the artist since she released her self-titled debut album in 2006, and who takes pride in having witnessed all of Swift’s eras as she evolved from country star to pop king. For others, it simply describes Swift fans in their 30s, 40s and older who have recently taken an interest in Swift’s music.
Some millennials, like Abby, 31, have found strength in their “Senior Swiftie” status. The mother of one started the Twitter handle @SeniorSwifties in 2021, as a nod to parents who love to talk about all things Swift.
“After I joined Stan Twitter [communities for Swift] “A few years ago I quickly noticed that there were some younger people calling everyone over 25, so we went along with it and started joining the game, calling ourselves ‘senior,'” she told Yahoo Entertainment.
“If you bond with some other people who have similar interests and then find people at similar stages of life – shout out to the #SwiftieMoms — you really feel like you belong,” she explained.
The ‘Taylor effect’ is taking flight
Slansky first discovered Swift after watching her performance of “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” in November 2021 on Saturday evening live. He was so impressed that he “immediately bought each album and went through it chronologically.”
“I found all that [the albums] was full of great songs and she just kept growing,” he explained. “Since I found her, I think 90% of the songs I listen to are hers. She revived my interest in music. There are times when I wish I had been there from the beginning, but I wouldn’t have been able to experience that explosive revelation all at once.”
Love for Swift has also infiltrated retirement homes.
Every morning, Connie Chevalier, director of life enrichment at Primrose Retirement Community in Sedalia, Missouri, leads a Zumba class with residents in their 90s. They call themselves the “Primrose Sedalia Chiefs Cheerleaders” and perform choreography to music while sitting on chairs.
Most recently, the dancers went viral ahead of Super Bowl LVIII after Chevalier posted a video to her personal Facebook on January 19. In the short clip, the group danced to Tech N9ne’s “Red Kingdom” while cheering on Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City. Chiefs sign tight end Travis Kelce.
“I would call myself a Senior Swiftie,” Chevalier, 63, told Yahoo Entertainment. ‘Taylor has become very popular now, even people in our age group know her. To bring her into our music vocabulary and dance to it is pretty cool.
‘It’s not that you get older and no longer feel emotions’
As musicologist Nate Sloan told Yahoo Entertainment in October 2023, Swift’s 2012 album was: Red, exemplified Swift’s turn from country to pop, particularly in songs like “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Her transition from country artist to pop superstar was fully realized with the release of her next album in 2014, 1989which Swift calls her first “official pop album.”
Suzanne Ely, who is 53 years old, didn’t appreciate Swift’s pop sound until she came out Red.
“The country thing didn’t do anything for me, but when Red When I came out, I was like, ‘Oh, yeah,'” Ely told Yahoo Entertainment. “Regardless of what she does and what she could do for many people, [Swift] is just talented. You can’t take that away from her.”
Ely describes herself as a “Senior Swiftie” and says listening to Swift’s music takes her back to her anxious teenage years, when music provided an escape from a world that seemed “too big and so complicated.”
“It’s that feeling of being alone in my bedroom. I could put on a record and just feel everything. I can let go a little [my stress] and get some kind of relief, and that saved me. Emotionally, that’s how I dealt with life,” she said. “It’s the same with Taylor. It doesn’t change. It’s not that you get older and no longer feel emotions.”
Likewise, Sara Reiner, 33, has been following Swift’s career since the singer, now 34, was 17, though she only recently caught Taylor fever.
“Although I am closely related to Taylor in age, I could see myself as a senior Swiftie, meaning the new generation [of fans] I’m discovering her now,” Reiner told Yahoo Entertainment. “When I went to her ‘Eras Tour’ I saw people of all ages – from their 50s to four-year-olds who just wanted to exchange bracelets. There’s probably at least one song that everyone can relate to, whether they acknowledge it or not.
“She delivers this pseudo-personal message to her fans through her music,” Ely said. “When was there ever a time when someone could be so many things, everywhere?”