After an exceptional year headlining the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift secured the title of Time magazine’s Person of the Year recently. Tech magnate Elon Musk chimed in with his thoughts. “Some risk of popularity decline after this award. I speak from experience lol,” tweeted the X CEO and owner in response to Swift’s gratitude for the recognition.
Musk, the visionary behind Tesla and SpaceX, had previously held the Time title in 2021, long before courting controversy for acquiring Twitter and rebranding it as X.
This isn’t the first occasion Musk has offered advice to Swift via his social media platform. Back in September, he responded to one of the pop star’s posts promoting “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” with a suggestion: “I recommend posting some music or concert videos directly on the Twitter X platform.” The comment sparked outrage among Swift’s millions of fans, criticizing Musk’s platform management and perceived lack of relevance.
Facing scrutiny for controversial comments, X-related decisions, and accusations of hypocrisy, Musk has seen a decline in public respect and status. His recent cancellation of an in-person appearance at San Francisco’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, opting for a virtual presence despite his prior critique of remote work, further fueled the criticism.
However, Swift may not need to heed Musk’s warning. Her ever-growing popularity, evident in the reported gain of a quarter of a million online followers after the Time interview, suggests she’s here to stay. The Eras Tour, breaking records with a staggering $1.04 billion gross and 4.35 million tickets sold for 60 concerts alone during the chart eligibility period (Nov. 17, 2022, to Nov. 15, 2023), solidifies her position. Projected to surpass $2 billion in total ticket revenue through the coming year as she continues international dates, Swift remains a formidable force in the industry. The global leg of the Eras Tour is set to commence on Feb. 7, starting with a four-night run at Tokyo Dome.
