Taylor Swift has been a cultural behemoth for years, but in 2024, the so-called “Taylor effect” has become downright all-encompassing.
Last week's Super Bowl, for instance, was the most watched in the history of the American sport, and Swifties, as they are known, have been credited with contributing to the record boost in viewership from last year’s 115 million.
Tuning in not to watch the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, Swifties wanted to see their favourite singer cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce.
But that's just one example of how powerful her fan base has become, as their influence and spending power stretch far beyond traditional fan culture.
Swift's legion is not the only group that has tremendous influence on our current culture.
We highlight the world’s biggest fandoms and the lengths they go to to ensure their hero stays on top:
Swifties, Taylor Swift
Arguably the most powerful fan base in the world right now, Swifties (the word has been trademarked by the US singer) are among the most engaged and devoted.
Swift has been credited with redefining the relationship between celebrities and fans, creating an intimacy (or at the very least a perceived intimacy) between herself and her ever-growing throng of admirers.
By openly mining her private life for song material and using her tours, social media posts and Easter eggs in her music and videos, Swift has created a bond that goes beyond the traditional fan-celebrity relationship.
Calling the fan base “organised and undeniably effective”, Forbes wrote: “Swifties command a deeply active corner of the internet – one that’s not only celebratory but investigative and even conspiratorial in nature.”
Swift herself is well aware of the power of her fan base, galvanising them in her public feuds with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, as well as during her music ownership dispute with Scooter Braun – Swifties attacked each of their social media platforms en masse.
Fans who repurchased her re-recorded albums, sent all four to number one in the US, UK and other countries. Her economy-stimulating tours, coupled with the spending power of her fans has been called “Swiftonomics”.
Interestingly, Swifties have grown with the singer, most notably during her pivot from country music to pop, a move that seems to highlight the fact that they are loyal to Swift as a person, not just as an artist.
Army, BTS
The South Korean boy band may be on hiatus right now as all seven members carry out their mandatory military service, but the fervour and loyalty of their fans shows no sign of abating.
Millions-strong, the Army started amassing beyond South Korean borders on a global scale after BTS became the first all-South Korean act to reach the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 with their hit Dynamite.
As the music industry came to terms with the scope of the new K-pop phenomenon, they also got a taste of the fan base flexing its influential muscles when BTS won the Top Social Artist award at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, having garnered more than 300 million votes.
Army, which stands for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth, has shown that it can mobilise faster than any other fan base, particularly for charity endeavours the band supports.
On June 5, the Black Lives Matter organisation revealed it had received a $1 million donation from BTS and its record label. Twenty-five hours later, following an online campaign, the Army had matched the amount.
Potterheads, Harry Potter
The story of the global Harry Potter fandom is inextricably tied to the internet.
Published in the UK in 1997, and in the US the following year, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone gave rise to the first fandom to actively use the World Wide Web – still in its infancy, having been made available to the public in 1991 – to connect with fans around the world.
Thanks to its universal themes of friendship, loyalty, belonging and sacrifice, the books, and later the films, united millions globally, who took to sites and forums such as mugglenet and The Leaky Cauldron to meet like-minded fans, discuss plot points, share fan art and post fan fiction.
The fandom also gave birth to some of the first fan podcasts, including MuggleCast and PotterCast.
The collective power of the Potter fandom was fuelled in no small way by author JK Rowling who harnessed the power of the internet to engage with, support and boost many fan sites.
One of the biggest demonstrations of Potterhead power came in 2000 when Warner Bros bought the merchandising rights to Harry Potter and began sending out cease-and-desist letters to fans, demanding they close fan sites and delete their fan fiction.
Taken by surprise by the speed at which the community organised and pushed back, the Hollywood studio was forced to backtrack.
“We didn’t know what we had on our hands early on in dealing with Harry Potter [so] we did what we would normally do in the protection of our intellectual property,” Diane Nelson, Warner Bros Family Entertainment’s senior vice president at the time, told Henry Jenkins for his book Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. “As soon as we realised we were causing consternation to children or their parents, we stopped it.”
The Beyhive, Beyonce
As one of the most famous and popular women in music, Beyonce has achieved near mythic status as a performer.
Her fan base is called the BeyHive – they call the star “Queen B” – and members are marked by their fierce loyalty and devotion to the Crazy in Love singer.
Despite having pointedly and deliberately withdrawn from the media gaze over the past few years in ways that would previously have been considered unfathomable from a publicity standpoint, Beyonce has not diminished her image nor her fan base.
Her last face-to-face interview was back in 2014, and since then she has conducted and directed all interviews and documentaries herself.
This has had the effect of creating an intimacy with her fans – she gives them details about new music, tours or fashion projects directly via her website and social media.
Over the years, the BeyHive has proven its ability to organise quickly to channel and direct their support both to causes the star extols and to anyone who criticises the singer.
One of the most famous examples of a BeyHive attack was in 2015 when Kid Rock told Rolling Stone he was “flabbergasted” by her success and criticised her music and appearance.
Fans converged on the rapper’s social media, flooding the comments section with their signature bee emojis.
When US rapper and radio show host Trick Daddy said in 2021 that he didn’t “think Beyonce could sing”, her fans headed to Google to leave scathing one-star reviews for his Sunday's Eatery restaurant, temporarily lowering its rating to 2.6.
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
QUARTER-FINAL
Wales 20-19 France
Wales: T: Wainwright, Moriarty. Cons: Biggar (2) Pens: Biggar 2
France: T: Vahaamahina, Ollivon, Vakatawa Cons: Ntamack (2)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S23%20ULTRA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.8%22%20edge%20quad-HD%2B%20dynamic%20Amoled%202X%2C%20Infinity-O%2C%203088%20x%201440%2C%20500ppi%2C%20HDR10%2B%2C%20120Hz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204nm%20Qualcomm%20Snapdragon%208%20Gen%202%2C%2064-bit%20octa-core%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F12GB%20RAM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20128%2F256%2F512GB%2F1TB%20(only%20128GB%20has%20an%208GB%20RAM%20option)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Android%2013%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20quad%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20f%2F2.2%20%2B%20200MP%20wide%20f%2F1.7%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%20f%2F4.9%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%202.4%3B%203x%2F10x%20optical%20zoom%2C%20Space%20Zoom%20up%20to%20100x%3B%20auto%20HDR%2C%20expert%20RAW%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208K%4024%2F30fps%2C%204K%4060fps%2C%20full-HD%4060fps%2C%20HD%4030fps%2C%20full-HD%20super%20slo-mo%40960fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20f%2F2.2%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205000mAh%2C%20fast%20wireless%20charging%202.0%2C%20Wireless%20PowerShare%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205G%2C%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.2%2C%20NFC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3B%20built-in%20Galaxy%20S%20Pen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESIM%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20single%20nano%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20nano%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20cream%2C%20green%2C%20lavender%2C%20phantom%20black%3B%20online%20exclusives%3A%20graphite%2C%20lime%2C%20red%2C%20sky%20blue%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh4%2C949%20for%20256GB%2C%20Dh5%2C449%20for%20512GB%2C%20Dh6%2C449%20for%201TB%3B%20128GB%20unavailable%20in%20the%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5