Swifties open up about Taylor Swift as her new album rolls out

We talked to three Metro Detroit Swifties about their fandom of the singer, as “The Life of a Showgirl” kicks off her latest era.

They come in all ages, shapes and sizes, all united by their love of globe-dominating pop sensation Taylor Swift.

They’re Swifties, Swift’s loyal fan army, and the hive has been activated for this week’s release of Swift’s latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” due out Friday.

“The Life of a Showgirl” is Swift’s 12th studio set, and it will be joined in movie theaters by “Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” which is scheduled to have a three-day run in theaters, with showtimes starting at 3 p.m. Friday.

Fans across the board are getting geared up.

“I totally see the excitement across generations for Taylor,” says Emily Yob, a 27-year-old Swift superfan from Farmington Hills. “It does connect us across so many different ages, which is not something I’ve experienced with other fandoms.”

We talked to three Metro Detroit Swifties of varying generations — one from Generation Alpha, one Gen-Zer and one Gen-Xer — and we asked them the same 10 questions to get their perspectives on the singer, their fandom and what it means to love Taylor Swift.

Abby Graves, 11, Grosse Pointe Farms

Abby Graves is a sixth-grader at Brownell Middle School who wrote a 12-page paper on Taylor Swift for school and dressed up as Swift (from her “You Belong With Me” music video) for Halloween. She was also the first to break the big news about Swift’s engagement to Travis Kelce to her mother, Melissa. She’s never seen Swift in concert, but she hopes to fix that as soon as possible.

When and how did you become a Swiftie?

I think I started listening to her when I was 6 or 7, and I remember specifically liking her songs “Bad Blood” and “Shake it Off.” I remember I would watch music videos of a lot of her different songs, because I would like to see the videos where they would dance and do all the singing and stuff, and then that’s when I realized I liked not just two of her songs, but I liked a lot of her music.

What does being a Swiftie mean to you?

Being a Swiftie, to me, means that I don’t only like her songs, but I also like (Swift) as a person. I love her personality, because I know she’s really nice to her fans. She just has like a very fun, bubbly personality, and she’s very welcoming to all her fans that she meets, and she goes above and beyond for her fans, and I think that’s really fun.

Do you feel a sense of community with other Swifties? How?

I think I do, and I think it’s because, like, even if we may not know each other personally, we’re kind of brought together by our love of Taylor.

How does the Swiftie community distinguish itself from other fan communities?

I think it’s different because our love of Taylor is so strong, we all have an instant connection, and we immediately have something to talk about. Like, “Oh, did you see this about Taylor?”

What do your friends think about your fandom of Taylor Swift?

I think they are supportive of it, because all my friends love Taylor Swift. We all love her.

What is the biggest misconception about Swifties?

I think the biggest misconception is that Swifties give her too much attention and that she’s overrated. But I don’t think that’s true, because she works so hard and she writes most of her songs herself, and so even though she does have so many fans, it’s well-deserved, because she worked so hard to get them.

What do you think is Taylor Swift’s best song?

I think her best song is “Don’t Blame Me” (from “Reputation”), because her vocals in it are really good.

What is your personal favorite Taylor Swift song?

My personal favorite is “Fearless” (from “Fearless”), because I really like the melody and the lyrics are really nice.

What is your favorite Taylor Swift album?

My favorite album is “Fearless,” because a lot of my other favorite songs, a lot of my top songs, are also on that album. I thought (going back in her catalog and discovering that album) was really cool, because you could tell that her music style has changed a lot, because her old songs are more country, and her new songs are pop, but they’re all so good.

In a Chiefs-Lions Super Bowl, who would you root for?

I think I would root for the Lions, just ’cause it’s our home team. But if the Chiefs won, I would be really happy for them and for Taylor.

Emily Yob, 27, Farmington Hills

Emily Yob has been a Swift fan for most of her life, and she was there at the very beginning of Swift’s career. “I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty proud of that,” she says. Yob, who works as a parapro in the special education department at Novi Meadows Elementary School, says Swift’s artistic eras have helped define and explain her own eras of her life.

When and how did you become a Swiftie?

My first CD that was truly mine, my mom brought home the debut CD (2006’s “Taylor Swift”) when I was like 9 years old, and she was like, “hey, I found this cool new artist, she’s really young, I think you’d like her stuff, here’s the CD!” That was how I was introduced to her, and ever since then I just feel like, even though I was only 9 years old, I feel like it was relatable in the way that she sang and the words that she used. I feel like she was able to portray emotion for all ages, and that helped build that connection. As I got older and I went through things that she would sing about, it just became more solidified.

What does being a Swiftie mean to you?

I think it really comes down to the sense of community, and I think the Eras Tour was a great way to see that in full force. I think it solidified the fandom in a way, and helped us to understand, as a group, what our values are, how we interact with Taylor, or how we have a relationship as a fan without being too parasocial, and being respectful of her.

Do you feel a sense of community with other Swifties? How?

Yes! Overall the values that really shone through during the Eras Tour, a big one was girlhood, the beauty of being a woman — obviously not all Swifties are women — but I think the friendship and the joy that comes with the expression of being alive together and going through all these hard things, but being able to cry about it when we feel like we need to cry about it, no matter who you are. Being able to value empathy and introspection, I think that’s something that her music really brings out in all of us. So to be there at the Eras Tour, and be there with all those other people who are all sharing a similar experience or similar feelings, and scream, and cry, and let it all out. And the person next to you has no idea who you are but knows exactly why you’re crying, knows exactly what you’re feeling, because even though their experiences aren’t exactly the same, there’s a kinship there that is like, “hey, I know what you mean, girl.” Being there for each other, seeing each other and being able to see those emotions and respect and validate that for each other, was great.

How does the Swiftie community distinguish itself from other fan communities?

I think it goes back to that sense of community. The day she got engaged, there was so much connection. I think we all kind of agree she’s our girl, and anything that has to do with her, and especially something as big as her finding the love of her life, we all understand how monumental that is — not only for ourselves, but especially for her, who has been writing and singing about it for so long. I think it just goes back to that community and that kinship that we all experience together. I could be at the farmer’s market with a Taylor shirt on, and I’m gonna get at least three comments — “oh, hey, I like your shirt!” “Hey fellow Swiftie!” and so on. We see each other, and it’s just an automatic understanding. It’s so widespread, too. Obviously, there’s other artists that I like, but it’s other Taylor Swift fans that I connect with the most. It’s a very, very kind fandom. Everything I see online, everything I experience in person, everyone is so kind.

What do your friends think about your fandom of Taylor Swift?

They think of me when they think of Taylor Swift. I have a few friends that are into her, but not quite in the same way, but they see how much I love her music and how long I’ve loved her music, and they respect that, so they support me in that, for sure. The day she got engaged my phone was blowing up because all my friends were telling me, “Oh my gosh, did you see?” because they knew I probably would want to know. So it’s really cute, they’re very respectful and very supportive of that.

What is the biggest misconception about Swifties?

I think there’s a bit of a stigma that it’s just “white girl music,” but you go to a concert and you see all walks of life, and that is really awesome to see. Especially in the way she’s progressed in her music career, she’s been able to word things and express things in a way that can connect with so many walks of life. I also think her discography is something people have a misconception about, too. I think a lot of what they know about Taylor’s music is what they’ve heard on the radio, but I think if anybody were to take a deeper dive into her very vast discography, they would find something that they love. A lot of people say, “You know when you find your Taylor song.” There’s a Taylor song for everybody, there’s a Taylor song for every situation, and that’s one of the reasons I love her so much.

What do you think is Taylor Swift’s best song?

How do you pick a favorite friend? (Laughs.) When I think of her best song, I think personally, for me, about her lyricism, and how she tries to pair that with the sonic side of it, and I tend to go back to “Midnights” or the “Folklore” and “Evermore” eras, because I think those are the strongest, lyrically. So I think it’s probably “You’re On Your Own, Kid” (from “Midnights”), because it hits you in a way that people don’t expect. A lot of people connect to that because she captures that feeling of “yeah it sucks to feel alone in the world, but you’re also strong enough to deal with it,” and I think it’s a really beautiful dichotomy in that song, matched especially to the music, the way she builds it, the way she puts it all together for that song.

What is your personal favorite Taylor Swift song?

I think “Labyrinth,” from “Midnights.” It’s a song I relate to a lot, but also the synths on that song were done by her cat, which is a fun little fun fact, so not only is she putting her raw thoughts in that song, but she’s also infusing herself even more into it with her pets. And I think the way that it sounds, matched with her lyrics, really illustrates being in your head, going through the labyrinth of your anxieties, and different things you’re going through. That one really sticks out to me.

What is your favorite Taylor Swift album?

This is one I had to think about before the Eras Tour because I wanted to match my outfit to my favorite, so I had to put a lot of thought into it. But my favorite — so far — is “Midnights.” I’ve always connected with her music, but I felt like she was taking that deeper with “Midnights.” I felt like she was exploring a lot of different things with that album, and it was something very relatable, as far as having songs about where she feels about her place in the world and how she moves through the world. I feel like there were a lot of similarities in what she was singing about and what I was going through as well, and it really helped me work through a lot of the things that I was moving through as well in that time in my life. So it definitely has a special place to me for that reason.

In a Chiefs-Lions Super Bowl, who would you root for?

I can’t ditch my Lions. I love Taylor, I think she’s awesome, Travis is great, they’re great together. But my loyalty is to the Lions.

Carolyn Howarth, 58, Oxford

Carolyn Howarth always knew about Taylor Swift, but her full on fandom of the singer was ignited in recent years by her niece, Sophia. Now she’s fully immersed in Swiftiedom, and even has a license plate, 13KRMA, that lets everyone else on the road know who she’s riding for. “I liked her music just fine, it was when I started listening to everything of hers that I really got into her,” says Howarth, who works as a mortgage loan officer. “I listen to her words and I think about the words, and she has such great metaphors and literary references, and I love that you can deep dive and learn things listening to her music. I think about where her headspace was at when she wrote something, and what she really means when she says something. For me, it feeds me in that way.”

When and how did you become a Swiftie?

A few years ago, I think it was during her Eras Tour, and my niece was into her music, and we would scrapbook together and we would listen to it, and it started getting me hooked. And then I literally got every single album and listened to every single song, and I just really started to appreciate her as a songwriter. And I sort of have an obsessive personality about things, so I just went crazy. And then she started dating Travis, and there’s a whole different excitement about it, and sort of getting to live vicariously and be young again through her. So it’s all of that.

What does being a Swiftie mean to you?

It means I’m a superfan of her music, I’m a fan of her as a person, and I’m here cheering on her all of her accomplishments. I know the whole parasocial relationship situation we all have with her, as a Swiftie that’s sort of a necessary requirement — while realizing she’s not really our friend — but you feel supportive, you feel excited for her, like you would be for a friend. And I do think that’s unique to her, but maybe fans of other artists would say the same thing. But she does have a unique way of connecting with her fans.

Do you feel a sense of community with other Swifties? How?

Oh absolutely, because my friends don’t want to hear it, and my kids don’t want to hear it. (Laughs.) I can go and share my excitement with other Swifties on Facebook groups: I’m in a Swiftie Over 50 group, and the Detroit Swifties, and a couple of other ones.

How does the Swiftie community distinguish itself from other fan communities?

I think the whole parasocial element, but again, fans of Lady Gaga might say the same thing. I just don’t think it quite rises to the degree that it does with Swifties. She could put out the same album again and everyone would buy it, and stop listening to the first album. You just didn’t listen to the old stuff anymore! I think that’s unique, and her whole connection with her fans going back to the beginning, I think that planted the seeds for the way her fans are now.

What do your friends think about your fandom of Taylor Swift?

They think I’m insane. They probably roll their eyes behind my back, but I don’t care. I just have fun. I make friendship bracelets for my Jeep Babe group, and they’re all excited to get bracelets with their Jeep name, so I sort of carry it over into there. Maybe I’ll make them Swifties at some point, I don’t know. (Laughs.)

What is the biggest misconception about Swifties?

I don’t want to get political, but I think everyone would assume if you’re a Taylor Swift fan you must be totally on the left, and I don’t think that’s necessarily true.

What do you think is Taylor Swift’s best song?

You could ask me that tomorrow and it would be a different answer than today! I’m going to say the same answer as Taylor Swift, “All Too Well,” the 10-minute version. I mean, it’s a whole story in a song.

What is your personal favorite Taylor Swift song?

Again, the answer could be different any day. That is so difficult, it’s like picking a favorite child! Yesterday I was listening to “Nothing New” (from “Red − Taylor’s Version”), it’s her mindset earlier in her career, “Are you still going to like me when I’m nothing new?” That’s sort of been stuck in my head. I can’t pick a favorite-favorite, but that’s one.

What is your favorite Taylor Swift album?

That changes also! I would have said “Tortured Poets” a year ago, because I listened to it probably for a year non-stop after it came out. Literally, probably didn’t listen to anything else. But now I’m going back and I’m listening to everything else again. Her debut album was great, in that she was so talented at such a young age, and I listen to the songs now and there were so many of those that could have been great singles. But that’s not my favorite. I would say “Reputation.” Because it was a comeback album, because she took a chance and did something totally different, and it hit.

In a Chiefs-Lions Super Bowl, who would you root for?