Yahoo News I didn't have a clue about Taylor Swift until she came to Liverpool
Taylormania has swept across Merseyside this week as the world's biggest popstar arrived in Liverpool.
As someone who considers themselves to have their finger on the pulse when it comes to pop culture, it's quite embarrassing to admit the rise of Taylor Swift had completely passed me by. Of course, I was aware of some of her hit songs (Look What You Made Me Do is a personal favourite) and had some knowledge of her high profile dispute with former record label, Big Machine Records.
However, when talk in the ECHO office in the lead up to the gigs turned to making hundreds of friendship bracelets and what era people were going to be dressed as, I knew I'd vastly underestimated the devoted fandom Taylor had inspired. Fans truly worshipped at the altar of the 34-year-old so, when she came to Liverpool this week, I wanted to find out why she mattered so much to people.
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I made the short trip to Anfield on Thursday morning ahead of the first performance of the Eras Tour in Liverpool and found huge queues of people already there to secure a spot close to the stage. Elise arrived in L4 in the early hours of the morning to be the first in line - and the 19-year-old said Taylor is so important to her because the singer makes you feel a part of a wider community.
She said: "She's got a song for everything, for if you're happy, sad or annoyed, so it makes you feel as though you're not alone. You can see how many people are here and the community of people makes it feel like you've always got something to turn to.
"My friend Callie has travelled all the way from Florida and this is the first time I'll ever meet her at a Taylor Swift gig and we only know eachother through Taylor Swift. That's crazy because there's no way she'd be in Liverpool without that."
Callie's mum, Mindy, had just met Elise for the first time and was making her way to get some merchandise when she spoke to the ECHO. I was almost lost for words when she shared the powerful reason why Taylor matters so much to their family.
She said: "My daughter is 17. She's celebrating her 13 years cancer free right now on June 13 so that's why we're here, that's why we chose this date.
"She's gone through all of the eras with Taylor Swift growing up so it's been really special to her because she's her favourite singer. I've seen her perform once before and she's an amazing performer, a great role model and a great person."
Stories like this summed up just why Taylor's bond with the Swifties had become so deep. Hannah, Hannah, Angela and Sam are four friends who travelled all the way from Wisconsin for the concert in Liverpool.
Hannah explained growing up through the different eras of Taylor's journey meant she felt a special connection to the singer as she said: "Listening to her since we were kids has been very nostalgic. There's lots of relatability."
Taylor has always channelled her personal struggles into her music with many high profile break-ups becoming a source of inspiration for her songs. When talking about why Taylor Swift mattered so much to her, Sam laughed she needed to hold back the tears as she added: "She's just so real."
Jessica and Rebecca were two more American tourists that made the journey to Anfield for the concert. The two hailed from Colorado and said the values the musician stands for is why they felt such a strong bond to her.
Rebecca added: "She's so expressive of all the deep emotions that I feel she gives the rest of us permission to be emotional and really feel things. A lot of society tells us not to do that, and she's like, no, be who you are, feel how you feel and be proud of it."
How Taylor conducts herself in the public eye is the reason why Paddy and Katie travelled from Gloucestershire with their two daughters, Lucy and Emily, for the gig. Paddy said: "She's a strong woman and a great role model for these two."
Katie agreed as she said: "What I love about her is she's so powerful, she unites people, she's positive and she's for female equality."
The two daughters loved they got to experience events like this with their mum and dad. Emily said: "It's brought us all together and it's lovely we can all enjoy something so much."
Before she came to Anfield, I must admit I was quite baffled by the fandom surrounding Taylor Swift. However, the positivity of the Swifties is infectious and just a few hours in their company provided an insight into why the musician matters so much to them.
I can't say I'm a fully fledged Swifty just yet, but it's impossible to not get on board with the values of community and equality the fanbase represents. And I did leave L4 with my first ever friendship bracelet so, who knows, the first step into becoming a Swifty may have been taken.
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