MEDIA P2 OSP (Taylor swift)

Question 1

Who discovered Taylor Swift and what was her first music contract?

Answer 1

Scott Borchetta discovered her and signed her to a songwriting contract with Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

Question 2

What makes Taylor Swift influential beyond music?

Answer 2

She shapes cultural conversations around fame, relationships, gender, and identity.

Question 3

What major controversy led Taylor Swift to start re-recording her albums?

Answer 3

In 2019, Scott Borchetta sold the masters of her first six albums without her consent, prompting her to release “Taylor’s Version” re-recordings.

Question 4

What tour solidified Taylor Swift’s commercial success in 2023–24?

Answer 4

The Eras Tour.

Question 5

What record label is Taylor Swift currently signed to?

Answer 5

Republic Records under Universal Music Group.

Question 6

How does Taylor Swift benefit from being signed to Republic Records?

Answer 6

She has access to global distribution networks, allowing her music to reach a vast international audience.

Question 7

How does Taylor Swift use Instagram for album promotion?

Answer 7

She combines personal posts with promotional material to engage organically with fans (e.g. Folklore 2020 rollout).

Question 8

What is the core demographic of Taylor Swift’s audience?

Answer 8

Teenagers and young adult women aged 13–34.

Question 9

How does Taylor interact with fans through Taylor Nation?

Answer 9

Through retweets, comments, exclusive ticket offers, and fan engagement.

Question 10

Give an example of user-generated fan culture in the Swift fandom.

Answer 10

During the Eras Tour performance of “Marjorie,” fans hold up photos of her grandmother, a gesture linked to the song’s lyrics.

Question 11

What was Taylor Swift’s impactful political Instagram post in 2023?

Answer 11

A post encouraging voting that led to 35,000 new registered voters.

Question 12

Why did Taylor Swift delete all her social media posts in 2017?

Answer 12

Following the #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty controversy with Kanye West, she rebranded with the snake imagery for Reputation.

Question 13

What TikTok trends are linked to Taylor’s songs?

Answer 13

The “August” beach-running trend (from Folklore) and the “Love Story” dance remix challenge.

Question 14

How does Swift challenge gender stereotypes in her music?

Answer 14

Through feminist lyrics like in The Man, where she critiques double standards in the industry.

Question 15

How does Swift present herself across different platforms?

Answer 15

Website – professional; Instagram – blend of personal/professional; TikTok – casual and playful.

Question 16

What tweet reflected her stance on gender?

Answer 16

“Proud to be a woman today, and every day.”

Question 17

How does Swift balance commercial success with authenticity?

Answer 17

She integrates merchandise promotion naturally into content and selects brand partnerships (e.g., with Stella McCartney) that align with her values.

Question 18

How can barthes theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 18

Swift carefully constructs her media platforms where signs create layered meanings. On her website, the use of sepia-toned images and serif fonts signifies nostalgia, connoting Taylors evolution into a more serious musician.

In contrast, her playful TikTok’s with her cat function as signs of relatability, constructing the myth of the ‘accessible celebrity’

Question 19

How can neales theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 19

Taylors music consistently explores themes like love, heartbreak, empowerment, and identity, which are expected conventions of pop genres – Alumbs like ‘fearless’ and ‘red’ contain classic romantic ballads with narrative lyrics.

Taylor does also frequently blend and shift genres, evolving her sound with each era from country pop (debut album fearless), to mainstream pop (1989), to indie-folk (folkemore)

Question 20

How can strauss’ theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 20

Public vs private is a clear binary oppositon constructs, in her reputation era taylor directly engages with the binary between how the media portrays her and who she really is

the snake imagery on instagram reclaims a symbol used against her, showing how she subverts the medias villain narrative. On her official website she appears more polished and professional contrasting to her informal tiktok page

Question 21

How can baudrillards theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 21

Taylors media prescene may create a sense of a heightened reality, as she constructs a carefully curated version of herself on social media.

Images of her caat, behind the scenes tour clips, aesthetic instagram posts, all form a branded persona that fans connect with as if it were real

Question 22

How can halls representation theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 22

In earlier eras, such as the album ‘1989’, taylors videos like ‘wildest dreams’ were criticised for reinforcing whiteness as the video was set in a colonial african setting with no black representation.

This may reflect dominant ideologies of beaty, whiteness, reinforcing western supremecy.

In music videos like ‘the man’, taylor represents herself in male drag to expose the gender trouble standards in the music industry, subverting traditional gender stereotypes

Question 23

How can gauntletts theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 23

Taylors fanbase ‘swifties’ can be seen as an example of collective identity formed through shared values and experiences.

Fans conduct pariticpatory acts such as when they held up photos of her grandmother during ‘majorie’ or creating tiktoks for ‘august’.

Taylors public persona is a constructed identity built over representations of herself on several platforms which differentiate from each other, such as instagram and tiktok, and her website

Question 24

How can butlers theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 24

Taylor performs different versions of feminity across eras, showing that gender is performed through fashion, tone, and persona.

In albums such as ‘fearless’ taylor performs a more traditional and romantic femininity, compared to in ‘folelore’ she performs a more literary femininity, blending indie aesthetics with emotional storytelling

Question 25

How can mulveys theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 25

In her early career taylor was often portrayed throug a conventionally feminine and romantic lens, fitting the expectations of a young female pop star – videos like ‘you belong with me’ show her in passive, idealised roles, reinforcing the male gaze. Later in her career, swift challenges the male gaze in ‘the man’, where she performs as a man

Question 26

How can van zoonens theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 26

Taylors career exemplifies the idea that media representations allow an audience to construct their idea on gender, as in her early career she was stereotyped as a typical pop female singer, but she has challenged this over time through songs like ‘the man’ which represents an alternative of gender.

Question 27

How can gerbners theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 27

Over the years swift has increasingly incorporated messages of empowerment and self worth, especially for young women. This consistent messaging can cultivate an expectation among audiences that women should claim power over their identities, careers, and relationships. her social media posts emphasising pride in womanhood and the feminist themes in ‘the man’ reinforce these attitudes

Question 28

How can banduras theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 28

Taylor swifts active engagement in social issues such as support for the LGBT+ community of her promotion of voter registration through instagramn, models civic responsibility. Fans observing this behavoir may be inspired to engage more actively in social causes themselves the september 2023 instagramn post that helped register 35k new voters shows swift using her platform to have an effect on audiences

Question 29

How can gilroys theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 29

Swifts early work was criticised for reflecting a predominantly white middle class cultural identity, with minimal racial diversity in her music videos and imagery. This reflects a postcolonial cultural dominance where non white cultures are used as exotic backgroups without meaningful inclusion or representation the music video for ‘wildest dreams’ set in an african landscape but lacks representation of black or african people, could be ‘cultural appropriation’

Question 30

How can shirkys theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 30

Taylors fans are highly engaged, creating user generated content that shapes and extends her cultural narrative. This interaction shows fans that are not just passive consumers, but active collaborators in meaning making around swifts persona and music Fans analuse her lyrics, decode hidden meanings, create fan accounts with latest news

Question 31

How can jenkins theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 31

Fans produce a wide range of content such as analysis videos (TheSwiftologist on youtuve and tiktok), as well as textual poaching through the creation of tiktok trends to swifts music.

Question 32

How can halls reception theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 32

Preffered reading – fans being able to decode her content as messages of empowerment and self discovery, becoming active audiences. Negotiated reading – some audiences may enjoy swifts music and relate to her narratives but question aspects of her public persona or media strategies. Oppositional reading – critics and some members of the public may reject or challenge swifts image and messages

Question 33

How can saids theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 33

taylors earlier work and music videos have been criticised for cultural appropriation and a lack of authentic representation of non western cultures – the music video for ‘wildest dreams’ is set in an african landscape but does not feature any black or african people

Question 34

How can bell hooks' theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 34

swifts identity as a white women may mean she experiences gender oppresion differently compared to women of colour, who may face intersecting racial and gender biases. swifts early work was critisedr for lacking racial diversity, which contrasts with intersectional feminism’s demand to center marginalised voices, particularly those of women of colour

Question 35

How can curran and seaton theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 35

Swift is signed to republic records, part of universal media group, a global media conglomerate controlling vast resources and distribution channels. This coporate backing ensures swifts global success but also paces her within a system primarily motivated by profit.

Question 36

How can livingstone and lunts theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 36

Swifts instagram has disabled comment sections, likely a response to hate speech or toxic comments. It reflects the balance regulators and platforms try to strike between free speech and protecting users from harm. This shows a regulatory effect, aimed at protecting swifts mental health and public image, while limiting audience interactivity

Question 37

How can hesmondhalghs theory be applied to taylor swift?

Answer 37

Swifts presence across multiple platforms (instagram, twitter, tiktok, website) helps her team maximise audience engagement. Social media campaigns, music videos, anc exclusive merchandise, all further generate increated revenue during the release of her ‘midnights’ album, swift posted teaster and behind the scenes content on instagram and tiktok as promotion to drive streaming and physical sales