I was at a conference where there was talk, among other issues, about the male alliance, when a news appeared on my phone: Taylor Swift had managed to buy all his first Masters and the related material. For an alleged cost of 360 million dollars, the artist became the absolute owner of everything she had created: her first six albums, her videos, visual art and covers.
His community of friends and fans, the swifties, exploded in joy and messages of mood online. The media rushed to cover the news. In 24 hours, their first albums reached the top 10 on the lists of streamingwith Reputationthe most anticipated album as relaunch, reaching number 1, while fans exercised their purchasing power.
It seemed that the universe was partying. Even the cunning companies joined the celebration. Delta Airlines published: “Fly Like A Jet Stream, High Above The Whole Scene. Keep Climbing Taylor 💚💛💜❤️🩵🖤”, in relation to his song “Call It What You Want It”.
Starbucks said: “And in a cafeteria on a Friday, we saw that he started again … Congratulations Taylor 💚💛💜❤️🩵🖤”, in relation to his song “Begin Again.”
And, to anyone’s surprise, the cunning gurus of the social networks of Empire State Building sent a message: “We love you Taylor”, about a photo of Taylor from the top with a view to New York.
Left us all hypnotized
Taylor has us hypnotized. Some detractors say they planned everything with a very calculated strategy. Reminded me of the series The Handmaid’s Tale. I recently saw the four and five seasons to update the premiere of the sixth. In those deliveries, the public got tired of the constant suffering of fertile women and then bewildered when they themselves began to draw up burning revenge plans.
Didn’t Taylor do just? He used his anger, his intelligence and his strategic alliances to execute a long -term plan, such as June, the protagonist of the series. As if sent a sign, his song “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s version)” became the anthem of the sixth season, just a few days before announcing the purchase of his original work.
A lot of money
Taylor accumulated an intense fortune, enhanced by the success of the Eras Tour. He had become financial enough financially to recover his name and reputation, leaving those who betrayed her in a metaphorical land of anyone. He did not do it alone, and it is not the first. For decades, centuries and, perhaps, even from the beginning of the times, the disadvantaged struggled to be seen, heard, accurately valued and resurface from the ashes to claim what belonged to them.
For example, half a century ago, Dolly Parton left behind the domain of the entertainment industry that minimized female empowerment and claimed her own space, driven by her talent. In 1974, Parton entered the Porter Wagoner office and announced that it left the program that bore her name, which had catapulted her to stardom. He sang a farewell song entitled ”I Will Always Love You”, as a show of respect for Porter for being his mentor.
Dolly exceeded his role as Porter’s partner, but cost him effort, strategy and courage to free himself. Porter demanded it, a common tactic among the powerful, but through conversations, compassion and a large sum of money (as reported, around one million dollars), Dolly resolved the case.
Independence
How did some women achieve sufficient resources to buy their independence? Many point to the suffragist movement of the early twentieth century. But even that important advance was possible thanks to the collaboration between women and men.
In August 1920, Harry T. Burn, a conservative legislator of Tennessee, gave the decisive vote in favor of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote. In his pocket he carried a letter from his mother, Febb E. Burn, asking him to behave well and vote in favor. That unexpected vote promoted during the last century the autonomy and economic freedom of many women. Throughout history, disadvantaged women and groups have taken every opportunity to make their way to influence, power and self -determination.
Today, when fundamental human rights are questioned – as due process, reproductive freedoms or the right of children not to be separated from their parents – Taylor Swift reminds us that, when getting the best out of us and connecting with the soul, we can move mountains. We can awaken in others the desire to be part of something bigger, something with meaning, strength and soul.
And as I learned at a conference at Johns Hopkins University, creating alliances with unexpected partners generates real and durable benefits.
Hope and power
We support Taylor Swift because we are reflected in it. As those who are not always the favorites in any fight, through it we find hope. That hope is born of converting our talents into economic power, a power capable of moving mountains and, apparently, also cloves!
