Taylor Swift has always been one of my favorite singers, but recently this position has been reinforced. I love how all of her albums are different, enjoy following her Instagram and like knowing who most of her songs are about. She is very creative and isn’t afraid to show it in her music. My sister and I always talk about her music and we would always jam out to it when together. On Nov. 11, my friend Ashley Kline and I went to Target to purchase Taylor Swift’s newest CD, released earlier this month, Reputation. We were so excited that we asked an employee to take a photo of us holding merchandise being sold for this new album.
However, we didn’t simply buy the CD because we loved the new music, but because Taylor Swift has partnered with Ticketmaster to create a program where fans have to earn points, called “boosts,” by purchasing albums, purchasing merchandise, watching videos, referring friends and doing various activities on social media. How many boosts one earns will determine how early they’re able to buy tickets for her upcoming tour and the type of seats they’ll be eligible for. Each activity is worth one boost and the type of activity determines whether it’s a low, medium, or high boost.
When I first saw that Taylor Swift was making her fans work to go to her concert, I was annoyed. My initial thought was, she is making her fans work to go to her concert when her fans are paying to see her. I love her but who does she think she is? Later, I thought the idea was pretty cool. She’s making it a game. Then, I worked hard to earn over 100 boosts and still didn’t reach top priority. I was annoyed.
Taylor Swift has always been a smart business woman with how she handles her fame, but I think what she’s doing is crazy. It makes me feel that she thinks she’s better than her fans. If I want to purchase a ticket now, then I should be able to do that. I shouldn’t have to earn it. Even though I am annoyed with having to earn the tickets rather than just buying one, I still hope to earn it eventually.
I’ve only been to one of Taylor Swift’s concerts when she went on tour for her album 1989, but I remember having the best time. Taylor Swift knows how to get her fans’ attention.
Taylor’s new system for tickets
Farah Haidari
fahaidari@vwu.edu