WOMEN+POWER: Taylor Swift

The smashing success of the Eras Tour hasn’t just been a boon for Taylor Swift and her team; it’s also given a boost to the economies of the cities it passes through.

The survey company QuestionPro estimated that the tour could generate close to $5 billion in consumer spending in the U.S. alone as Swifties travel far and wide to see the pop star live, spending money on travel, accommodations, food and, of course, merch.

Swift’s superstardom is nothing new, but she’s managed to reach even greater heights this past year. With the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in July 2023, she became the first woman to have four albums on Billboard’s Top 10 chart simultaneously. The rerecorded album was also Swift’s 12th record to reach No. 1, more than any other female artist in history.

Just last month, Swift’s Album of the Year Grammy win for Midnights made her the only artist to win the accolade four times. (Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon comprise the small list of people who have won three times.)

Swift even made America’s most popular sport more relevant when she began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Throughout the 2023 NFL season, viewership among teen girls increased 53 percent as glimpses of Swift cheering on Kelce provided a new reason to tune in.

According to Apex Marketing Group, the pop star generated $331.5 million in “brand value” for the Chiefs and the NFL.

The Chiefs’ February 11 Super Bowl win against the San Francisco 49ers is the most-watched telecast of all time, and it’s safe to say that Swift had a hand in that.

What if we told you none of it was accidental? We’re dealing with a mastermind, after all.