LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Since 1927, Time Magazine has chosen a Person of the Year based on who they think has shaped the headlines in the last 12 months (whether it was good or bad coverage). This year, that person was Taylor Swift.

Originally founded in 1923 by Briton Haden and Henry Luce, Time started as a weekly magazine and a quick way to get information on world events. However, Time has now adapted to focusing on large-scale changes in technology, culture, and politics, amassing more than 105 million subscribers. 

After aviator Charles Lindbergh was selected as Time’s first-ever Person of the Year, it became a tradition to base their selections on the historical concept of the Great Man Theory. This belief comes from the idea that great leaders are born and not made; they possess certain characteristics and traits that are not found in all people. From Time’s point of view, this also means that the individual can transform society. 

The typical ‘Person of the Year’ patterns 

Every year, Time has been seen to tend to follow certain patterns when choosing their Person of the Year. More often than not, the person that Time selects has been a ruler over “traditional domains” of power. According to Time, these are often men who are politicians or a titan of an industry. 

“I [don’t] think [the people who are typically chosen should be recognized] because they are recognized [in different ways] year-round,” said senior Sydney Milovich. “You constantly hear about what the president is doing and other countries, [but] I feel like other people should be recognized for what they are doing.” 

Along with last year’s pick, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, there have been fourteen U.S. presidents, five leaders of Russia (or the Soviet Union), and three popes recognized. There have also been groups, such as the Ebola Fighters in 2014, who have made the cover.   

With men no longer being the center of achievements, this pattern has become more flexible and more women have been recognized in recent years. Greta Thunberg, a Swedish environmental activist, was the last woman recognized in 2019 (excluding Kamala Harris being Person of the Year in 2020 with President Joe Biden). 

The 2023 Candidates 

The final candidate’s list for 2023 was an interesting mix of nine influential figures and world leaders. Besides Taylor Swift, the other candidates were the Hollywood strikers, Chinese President Xi Jinping, CEO of ChatGPT Sam Altman (who won CEO of the year), Donald Trump’s prosecutors, the Barbie movie, Russian President Vladimir Putin, King Charles III, and Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell. 

While Time does not necessarily pick just one person every year, it shows just how influential a movie like Barbie can be in terms of the final candidate lists. If Barbie had been “Person” of the Year, it would have been the first movie picked in its history. 

Time’s 2023 Pick – Taylor Swift 

Breaking a Time record, Taylor Swift became the first musician to ever earn the ‘Person of the Year’ distinction. According to Time, Swift earned this honor because she “found a way to transcend borders and be a source of light,” while also moving millions of people around the world. 

“I think it’s really cool because she’s a woman. Most of the time it’s a man that gets picked,” said senior Sydney Milovich.  

This is not the first time that Swift has earned the title. In 2017, she was part of a group known as the “Silence Breakers” that spoke out against discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual assault faced by many women for far too long.

They reestablished the importance of the #Metoo movement, which in Time’s opinion, “provided an umbrella of solidarity for millions of people to come forward with their stories.” Millions of people, especially women, came forward and stretched the boundaries that had been set in the workplace between men and women. 

With her growing popularity in the last decade, Swift has been known for writing and entertaining songs that connect with many different types of people. From the girl who just had her first heartbreak to a mother of two, Swift can reach people through her lyrics. Time also expressed that she is the first ‘Person of the Year’ to be recognized for her success in arts, especially in a year like 2023 where people were divided because of many institution failures and enhanced world chaos. 

“I can’t find anyone, really, who’s had the same career trajectory as mine,” Swift told Time in 2014 when she first appeared on the cover of TIME after releasing her 1989 album. “So when I’m in an optimistic place I hope that my life won’t match anyone else’s life trajectory, either.”

In addition to her impressive successes in the arts, Swift has broken multiple world records. In the 17 years since her debut, she has launched more number-one albums than any other woman in history. In 2023 alone, she had three. In Time’s words, she is a representation of “generational change;” she became a billionaire earlier this year and now has university classes to study her lessons in majors like business, literature, and law.

Controversy

Despite the positive or indifferent attitudes towards Swift’s achievement, there are conspiracy theories that have surfaced from right-wing commentators. Because Swift has declared in the past that she is pro-choice and against former President Donald Trump, conservatives have become convinced that she is a political weapon that can influence the outcome of the upcoming presidential election. 

According to RollingStone magazine, a far-right creator with over one million followers said that Swift would be able to convince her “cult-like following” to “drink poisoned Kool-Aid for her.” The account added that her next steps are to likely join politics and “if you don’t think the regime has plans to weaponize her just in time for 2024, you have not been paying attention.”

In addition, former Trump immigration adviser Stephen Miller tweeted, “What’s happening with Taylor Swift is not organic.”

Most opposers of Swift’s achievement believe that her large influence in the music industry as of now can allow her to infiltrate regimes in politics. However, others are critiquing the photoshoot itself. 

Newsweek stated that one user on X tweeted that the photos featured the same “boring grey background,” with “terrible hairstyling” and “flat lighting.”

“I definitely think that she does not deserve the hate [that she is receiving] because she does so much for other people. [It’s great that] she’s been recognized in a different light besides her music,” Milovich said. 

Overall, these groups are among the small minority of people who dislike Swift. It is easy to see that Swift has made a large impact this year, so many are anxious to see what could happen next. Most Swifties are loyal to Swift and that is clear to see through the love and support they continue to give her.