Not because I want to be one of the most famous pop stars in the world, but because I can’t imagine handling the immense amount of pressure being placed on her shoulders by politicians hoping she can save — at least temporarily — the institutions they’re in charge of leading.
They’ve realized that Swift is capable of doing what so far they’ve largely struggled to do: reigniting life in public spaces hollowed out by the pandemic.
The economic impact of Swift’s Eras Tour can hardly be overstated. On Saturday night, Swift wrapped up two consecutive, sold-out performances in Santa Clara, which may have marked the largest economic boon for the Bay Area since the 2016 Super Bowl. On Thursday, she’s set to perform for the first of six nights in Los Angeles before heading to South America, Asia, Europe and Australia. The Eras Tour could generate $5 billion for the global economy, according to market research firm QuestionPro.
Desperate to cash in on this Swiftian stimulus package, countries without scheduled Eras Tour dates are attempting to lure the singer, sometimes with cringey, lyrics-laced appeals.
“It’s me, hi. I know places in Canada would love to have you. So, don’t make it another cruel summer. We hope to see you soon,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently tweeted at Swift. The request came not long after a conservative Member of Parliament, Matt Jeneroux, announced plans to file an official grievance over Swift’s lack of Canadian tour dates, which he said would not only deprive fans of the chance to see her but also signal a huge missed economic opportunity for the country.
Back in the U.S., the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia recently noted in May that the region notched its strongest month for hotel revenue since the pandemic, “in large part due to an influx of guests for the Taylor Swift concerts in the city.” Numerous entities, including the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board, have suggested that Swift — with her ability to draw enormous crowds — could help struggling public transit systems identify ways to regain riders post-pandemic.
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need a mega-famous pop star to save our public transit systems — they would be clean, safe, functional and reliable, and their value would be self-evident. But in a world where our transit systems — even before the pandemic — were struggling to meet these standards, it’s easier to hail a messiah-like figure who can magically fix everything than it is to do the complex, nitty-gritty, often boring work required to identify problems and implement solutions.
It’s no surprise that Santa Clara passed a resolution making Swift the honorary mayor during her performances, temporarily dubbing the city “Swiftie Clara.” Meanwhile, San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey introduced a resolution proclaiming July 28-29 to be “Taylor Swift Weekend.” Other cities also temporarily changed their names during Swift’s tour dates, with Minneapolis becoming “Swiftieapolis” and Pittsburgh becoming “Swiftsburgh.”
Fans arrive dressed in their best while heading to security before Taylor Swift takes the stage at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Friday.
Jessica Christian/The ChronicleOn the one hand, such gestures are playful and sweet, and appropriately pay tribute to an extremely gifted musician whose songs have accompanied legions of fans — including me — through years of formative experiences as we grow up, fall in love, endure heartbreak, make friends and lose them.
Yet they also point to the unreasonable expectations being placed on Swift. Not only is she the savior of public transit and the reviver of decaying downtowns, she’s also an arbiter of democracy:
“Thailand is back on track to be fully democratic after you had to cancel last time due to the coup,” Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of Thailand’s Move Forward Party, recently tweeted at Swift. “The Thai people have spoken via the election and we all look forward to welcoming you to this beautiful nation of ours! Do come and I’ll be singing Lavender Haze with you!”
But Swift can’t determine whether Thailand is a democracy or not — that’s up to the people of Thailand. Similarly, Swift won’t make or break public transit systems in cities in which she performs for just a few days — their long-term fate is in the hands of public officials, community members and voters.
What Swift has done is prove that people still want to gather, that downtowns don’t have to be dead, and that there is a huge demand for high-quality art and entertainment. Swift is one of the few people in the world who can offer that at such a large scale — and cities are right to court her and other artists and events of her stature.
But they can’t rely on megacelebrities to stay afloat. Cults of personality are not a substitute for institutional change and for widespread investment in the small businesses, local artists and infrastructure that define a community and give it social and economic life on a daily basis. To think otherwise would be to worship what Swift might deem a “false god.”
Instead of simply praying for superstars like Swift to enter their orbit once every few years, cities like San Francisco should focus on creating environments that allow young artists to thrive. That means building more housing, especially affordable housing, so the next generation of potential Swifts can actually afford to live here. That means cutting red tape that hinders small businesses, performers and artists from pursuing their dreams and exploring their creativity. And that means investing in essential infrastructure like public transit so that people can move around safely and efficiently all the time — not just when a big name comes to town.
Reach Emily Hoeven: emily.hoeven@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @emily_hoeven
