At this point, Taylor Swift has become my entire personality. Yes, I was baptized into Swiftiehood during the 1989 era, but since The Eras Tour began, all I want to consume is anything Taylor-related. I was one of the lucky ones who won “the great war” and acquired tickets for the last night of the first leg of her U.S. tour at SoFi Stadium.
In the months leading up to the concert, I watched countless Eras videos on my phone and sang along to grainy livestream videos of blissful concertgoers while I made friendship bracelets after my boys went to bed. I knew I wanted my Eras Tour outfit to be from the Lover era bejeweled with all the shiny sequins and bright colors that would make my heart happy. At first, I was going to take my son—a Swiftie in training—to the concert, but I opted to take my husband instead because taking young children anywhere is complicated. But, there was only one problem—my husband wasn’t a Swiftie. Yet.
Fast forward to the present and my husband is now a bonafide Swiftie dad. He accompanied me to The Eras Tour—the night she announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version)—wearing the most adorable Lover-era outfit. We had many Swifties come up to us throughout the night loving our outfits, trading friendship bracelets with us, and even asking us to take pics because they loved what we were wearing! My husband, Pete, knew all the chants, shouted at the top of his lungs “F*ck the patriarchy!” during her rendition of “All Too Well (10-minute version)”, and has become immersed in all aspects of Swiftology.
But, my husband is not the only one who proudly identifies as a Swiftie dad. Many men traveled across the country with their daughters to the concert, wore “I hate John Mayer” shirts, and sang loud and proud the bridge of “Cruel Summer” per Taylor’s wish. Swiftie dads are my new favorite trend and below are my five—not 13—reasons why I am loving it.
1. It’s redemption for those Swifties who experienced the Reputation era
It’s hard to believe it now, but there was a time not so long ago when it seemed like everyone hated Taylor Swift. Those were dark Swiftie times when #TaylorSwiftisOverParty was trending on Twitter. This resulted in Taylor “vanishing” from social media and from making any public appearances. She was “canceled” for reasons that—in my opinion—were cruelly unjust.
But, she “got harder in the nick of time” and entered her Reputation era. She reclaimed the snake symbols once spewed at her to inspire her next album and sold-out international stadium tour. For those of us mocked for liking Taylor Swift in the past, seeing new fans of different generations emerge, including Swiftie dads, feels like redemption for the challenging times. Turns out karma is real and also a cat.
2. I love witnessing the birth of a new Swiftie
In preparation for The Eras Tour, I gave my husband a deep dive into Taylor Swift. It brought me great joy to witness firsthand his growing admiration. He studied her lyrics and watched her interviews where she challenged the sexism in the music industry. And another Swiftie was born! His favorite song is “August” and he proudly wore his “London Boy” outfit at The Eras Tour!
I could spend all day watching TikTok videos of former Swiftie haters transforming into Taylor Swift fans. I particularly enjoy seeing Swiftie dads bond with their partners and children over Taylor’s music of love, loss, and female empowerment. To quote my husband, “For somebody who didn’t know Taylor Swift that well, I gave her a chance because of someone I love, then I ended up falling in love…myself.”
Source: Carmen Garcia-Shushtari
3. It’s more fun to live in a unified Swiftie household
When raising children, you don’t have to have all the same interests as your partner. But, when it comes to Taylor Swift, it’s so much better when both you and your partner are Swifties! We don’t have to argue about which playlist to have on repeat and since we both are fans, our children are now mini-Swifties. It feels like we are enjoying something beautiful together as a family. We hope one day to take both my sons to a future Taylor Swift concert.
For my Eras experience, though, I am so happy I took my Swiftie husband because he gained an even deeper appreciation for Taylor Swift as an artist. We even had one Swiftie approach my husband who was giddy that she made a “London Boy” bracelet and wanted to trade with him because he was wearing a “London Boy” outfit.
4. Swiftie dads can be strong advocates for female empowerment
It’s not just women who should challenge the patriarchy—we need male-identifying allies to lobby with us for equity. Taylor Swift has dedicated much of her art to female empowerment, yet some dismiss Swifties as “frivolous teenage girls.”
Now, the existence of Swiftie dads is a powerful example of the great strides we are making in having society value female voices. This is especially relevant for my husband and I who are raising sons to be the next generation of feminists and Swifties. To quote my husband again, “Taylor Swift is an artist who ventures forward, is brave (because I know she has fears), and takes risks for the sake of growth. That’s admirable modeling for my sons.”
Taylor Swift is an artist who ventures forward, is brave (because I know she has fears), and takes risks for the sake of growth. That’s admirable modeling for my sons.
Of course, more progress is still needed, but Swiftie dads—and our Swiftie sons—remind us we are living “for the hope of it all.”
5. Dads add diversity to the Swiftie fandom
Taylor Swift is already one of the most successful artists of all time. Her re-recordings, The Eras Tour, her brilliant marketing, and her Shakespearean lyrics have propelled her into a mega-star. At first, many of her fans were of a certain young age and mainly female. But, Taylor Swift’s fandom has grown exponentially, with Swiftie dads as proof. They add diversity to her fandom, whether they’re listening to Taylor Swift songs in their car, attending The Eras Tour, or waiting in the parking lot while their children attend her concerts.
I already loved Taylor Swift and my Eras Tour experience, but Swiftie dads are an unexpected highlight I love so much, too.
