Taylor Swift’s Biggest Fan ft. Olivia Levin | Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel #356

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel

Episode #356: Taylor Swift’s Biggest Fan ft. Olivia Levin
Release Date: February 7, 2026
Host: Rachel Uchitel
Guest: Olivia Levin (Creator of “Swifties for Eternity” and Author)

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Episode Overview

Rachel Uchitel sits down with Olivia Levin, one of the most prominent voices in the Taylor Swift fandom and the creator of the “Swifties for Eternity” fan page. The conversation offers a deep dive into what it truly means to be a Swiftie, details the evolution of fan culture around Taylor Swift, and explores how Olivia built her successful fan-centered brand and forthcoming book. The episode is a heartfelt celebration and examination of fan devotion, Taylor Swift’s cultural impact, and the misunderstood realities of “stan” communities.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Power of Taylor Swift and the Swiftie Community

[02:19–05:08]

• Rachel shares her experience attending the Eras Tour concerts with her daughter, describing the emotional connection fans of all ages have with Swift’s music.
  • “As a mother...the absolute joy, the tears...what those songs mean to these kids and adults...I can't even give it words.” (Rachel, 02:19)
• Olivia explains how the online fan community—especially on social media—creates a world “you either get or you don’t.”
  • “It's this whole other world...that's either you get it or you don't.” (Olivia, 04:54)

Olivia’s Origin Story as a Swiftie and Fan Page Creator

[05:28–08:33]

• Olivia recounts her journey from discovering Taylor’s music as a child, to engaging on Tumblr and Instagram, where Taylor noticed her.
  • “When I was 14...I want to have an outlet for it, I want to post about it, and I want to connect to other people who get it.” (Olivia, 06:12)
• Taylor Swift personally interacted with Olivia online—voting in a poll on her story and sending a smiley face.
  • “She swiped up and sent me a smiley face. That's it. No words, just a smiley face.” (Olivia, 07:12)

The Secret Session at Taylor’s House

[08:33–15:12]

• Olivia describes being invited to Taylor’s “Secret Session” at her Rhode Island house, hearing the Reputation album before its public release alongside dozens of selected fans.
  • “She used to invite fans over...to her five homes...play the entire upcoming album that wasn’t out yet.” (Olivia, 08:33)
• The surreal, emotional first meeting with Taylor Swift, and how Taylor’s humility continued to impress.
  • “I love that she always introduces herself...‘Hi guys, I'm Taylor’ even though obviously we all know.” (Olivia, 14:11)

Evolution from Fan to Influencer

[23:43–28:08]

• Olivia outlines how her interest evolved from pure fandom into a business and community, with her fan page growing organically into a full-time career—eventually supplemented by ticket facilitation services and brand deals.
  • “I was making more money than I ever did in corporate, so I was like, oh my God, I don't need to find a job.” (Olivia, 26:57)

The Book: “The Story of Us”

[28:08–30:59; 58:49–61:29]

• Olivia previews her upcoming book, a hybrid memoir and history of Swiftie fandom, featuring detailed illustrations.
  • “Chapter one is kind of about me and my story...and then the rest is really the fandom story...It just has it all.” (Olivia, 30:26/33:34)
• The book targets all ages—both longtime Swifties and those interested in understanding the community.
  • “There’s no age for it. Could be, you know, 95-year-old...‘Let me pick up this book.’” (Olivia, 61:29)

What Makes Taylor Swift and Her Fandom Unique

[34:04–39:13; 54:24–55:47]

• Taylor’s lyricism, honesty, and vulnerability are highlighted as the foundation for deep fan bonds.
  • “She is a poet before she is a singer...her one, her vulnerability.” (Olivia, 34:29)
• Olivia discusses how Swifties are misunderstood—often labeled as “crazy fangirls,” but actually a diverse and joyful community.
  • “People think Swifties are a cult-like group of crazy, obsessive, annoying fangirls. They couldn’t be more wrong…We’re passionate about music and Taylor just happens to be our favorite.” (Olivia, 54:30/55:47)

Swiftie Reflections on Taylor’s Love Life and Controversies

[35:42–48:14]

• Olivia shares her insights on Taylor's high-profile romance with Travis Kelce, explaining why he feels like the perfect match for Taylor Swift, especially as a supportive partner in the public eye.
  • “He handles the attention so well, truly better than anyone she’s ever dated. He understands that’s what comes with it.” (Olivia, 36:43)
• Discussion covers fan reactions to controversies—including the recent leaked texts involving Taylor—clarifying that fans overwhelmingly empathize with her and see her as supportive and real.
  • “If anything, it made her look better...She was just supporting her friend...If my texts ever get leaked, they’re way worse than that.” (Olivia, 43:43/43:59)

The Eras Tour Phenomenon and Taylor’s Future

[48:14–53:36]

• The host and Olivia discuss the Eras Tour and film as the “magnum opus” of Taylor’s touring years and hypothesize about Taylor’s possible future: residencies, new albums, legacy-building.
  • “How do you beat the Eras Tour? Truly.” (Rachel, 49:03)
  • “She’s big time legacy building right now.” (Olivia, 53:21)

The Meaning of Being a Swiftie

[55:47–57:42]

• Olivia says Swifties would collectively say “thank you” to Taylor—crediting her with giving fans a supportive space and musical therapy.
  • “Thank you for being yourself and never listening to the outside noise and letting them change who she is.” (Olivia, 55:55)
• Taylor’s example has provided life lessons to fans, emphasizing growth, vulnerability, and success as the best revenge.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Taylor’s Vulnerability:
  • “I truly...I do think she is the lyricist of this century. I think she’s a poet before she is a singer.”
    —Olivia (34:29)
• On Meeting Taylor at Her House:
  • “We all started singing...and in the middle of the song, Taylor comes running down and she’s like, ‘Hey, guys!’”
    —Olivia (13:11)
• On Olivia’s First Direct Taylor Message:
  • “She swiped up and sent me a smiley face. That's it. No words, just a smiley face.”
    —Olivia (07:12)
• On Taylor & Travis Kelce:
  • "He doesn’t mind being referred to as Taylor Swift's boyfriend...He loves it. And I’m sure she would love it too…they love each other so loudly…" —Olivia (37:54)
• On Handling Leaked Texts:
  • “If my texts ever get leaked, they’re way worse than that.”
    —Olivia (43:59)
• On the Essence of the Fandom:
  • “We'd love if she could be on all the time...We would never get tired. I think we get tired when she’s not around.”
    —Olivia (53:54)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Rachel’s Swiftie confession and Eras Tour bonding: 02:19–03:22
• Olivia’s fan story and Taylor’s first interaction: 06:12–07:12
• The Secret Session at Taylor's house: 08:33–15:12
• Reflections on Taylor’s lyrics and the fandom’s vibe: 34:04–35:42
• Insights on Taylor & Travis (relationship dynamics): 35:53–39:13
• Reaction to controversies and fandom’s response: 43:22–45:35
• Discussion of the Eras Tour and Taylor’s future: 48:14–53:36
• Swiftie positivity and what the fandom wants to tell Taylor: 55:47–56:38
• About the book “The Story of Us” and why it matters: 28:08–30:59, 58:49–61:29

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Final Thoughts & Closing Remarks

• The episode not only humanizes die-hard fandom culture but highlights Olivia’s thoughtful approach to building community.
• Swifties are portrayed as joyful, inclusive, and multigenerational.
• Taylor’s openness, vulnerability, and legacy are central to why her community remains fiercely loyal and enduring.

For more, find Olivia’s book “The Story of Us” wherever books are sold. Preorders include special edition features.

Transcript

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[A]

I'm able to live my and still hit my goals. Lose more@weight watchers.com. Olivia, thank you so much for joining me today on Misunderstood. It's such an honor to finally meet you. My daughter is obsessed with you.

[B]

Oh, thank you. Well, thank you for having me on the show. I love to hear that your daughter follows my page and is the huge swifty. I feel like that's an instant bond bonding thing right there.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. Well, she's dragged me to, I want to say, three eras tour concerts. We did one in Pennsylvania, one in Florida in like the Miami area. And then we went all the way to Spain to see her as well. So as an adult, it was funny. My first time, I was shocked at how many songs I knew and I thought, oh, this is going to be dumb. Like, I don't really want to go to this. And I had the best time and I've had a great time ever since. And the best part of it, as A mother is watching your daughter at all stages of her life, of her ages. Going to these concerts and seeing the absolute joy, the tears. Like, what the. What those songs mean to these kids and adults is so, you know, it's. I can't even give it words because that, to me, was what, you know, I. What the takeaway was of how important and how moving and how, you know, this is ingrained in these kids, you know, and it was just a really special time I had with my daughter. So I just wanted to say that.

[B]

Yeah, no, I have to ask. How did you. How did she become a Swiftie if you weren't a massive Swiftie?

[A]

I don't know. I guess. Listen, I don't listen to her music, right? So I don't know. Like, right now she's really into the Weeknd, and I might know one song from the weekend, so you just never know what kids are listening to. And obviously, as. As a young girl, she became a fan. Listen, I love the old Taylor Swift stuff because those songs resonate. Like, I get it. Like, Bad Blood and all those. And that song mean, like, those are written from a place where you feel like in high school, that's how you're treated. And you know those words, and they mean something.

[B]

Right?

[A]

And then her. The evolution of Taylor is that her music has changed and it's gotten different. But Wyatt is. My daughter's name is such a loyal Swiftie that, like, when the dead. Is it Dead Poets Society, the Tortured Poet Society, tortured whatever, one or the other Tortured Poets Society came out, and, you know, she was up till midnight and she was waiting for the drop, and she was on the phone with all her friends and they were screaming. And, you know, it's interesting because she's followed the songs and loved and been a loyal fan. Even if I was like, wait a minute. That's like, so many songs. I don't get them. They're not upbeat, like. And she's like, no, mom, you don't get it. And she, you know, she's loved everyone. And now listen, we listened to it on the car ride on the way home. She's getting a little older. So, you know, her. Her music, you know, whatever, the breadth of her, you know, what she likes is a lot different. But I think she will always be a Taylor Swift fan.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I think that's a testament to the Taylor Swift community because she probably found, you know, my page or online community and got more ingrained into the fandom, and then it's this whole other world that it's either you get it or you don't.

[A]

Yeah. It is a whole nother world. So before we get into it, because as people know from my intro, you. You have. Is it three pages you have now? Swifties for Eternity is your big one, right?

[B]

I have Swifties for Eternity on Instagram. I have Olivia Levin, which is my personal Instagram. Those are my two main ones. And then, you know, I do the TikTok thing, but Instagram is my jam.

[A]

Got it. Okay, so I don't know who you like, how you got into this. How did you become a Taylor Swift fan? Because I'm assuming before you started this whole platform that you started out as a fan, correct?

[B]

Yeah, of course. So I was probably. I always listened to her music when I was like, 8, 9, 10, 11 years old, but I was more so into, like, sports at that time. That was really my passion. And then as I got older, I was like 13 years old. I started listening to more and more of Taylor's lyrics and paying more attention. And that's when I started to become like a full on Swifty. And there was like. There was a switch that flipped, and I was like, you know what? I know Taylor's interacting with fans online. I'm gonna create a Tumblr account. I don't know if you're super familiar with the Tumblr world, but that was a huge thing. It was a huge thing. When I was young, probably from like early 2000s to 2017, that was like a big thing. And so that's where I started my account initially, and Taylor eventually followed me on there. And around the same time, I started my account on Instagram, so I would post on both. But Taylor would interact with the fandom on Tumblr, and that's where she would consistently like my posts or reply or re. Reblog, which is basically like reposting something and saying something. And. Yeah, so I think that probably when I was 14 years old is when everything changed. And I was like, you know what? I'm so passionate about this that I want to have an outlet for it. I want to post about it, and I want to connect with other people who get it. So that's probably when everything changed. And then, yeah, when I was a senior in high school, that's when Taylor messaged me on Instagram, and I.

[A]

What did she say?

[B]

She. So she went on my Instagram and then she voted on a poll that I had on my story, which said, will the Reputation era, Reputation is one of her albums live up to the previous eras, and she voted yes. And then there was a picture of me, like a selfie on my story, and she swiped up and sent me a smiley face. That's it. No words, just a smiley face.

[A]

So wait, when you logged on and you saw this, did you just about die?

[B]

Oh, yeah, I freaked out. I freaked out, but I didn't know what it meant. I was just like, okay, she's interacting with me. She liked a few of my posts that day, too, but I really didn't know what it meant until a few days later, Taylor Nation, which is her team, reached out to me on Tumblr and they sent me a message, a confidential message at the time.

[A]

And what did they say?

[B]

They said, hey, Olivia, we would love to gather, like, more of your info. Can you give us your birthday, where you live, and your phone number and email? And so I did. And that's when I started to think, okay, something's up. Because there were rumors circulating in the Tumblr fandom about secret sessions. I don't know if you've heard of those, but she used to.

[A]

No, wait, tell me everything.

[B]

Yeah, it's crazy. So she used to invite fans over to her five homes, and it would be like a small group, anywhere from like 30 to 50, I would say. For the 1989 album, it was. I think it was supposed to be 89 fans. And so she did it for three albums, and it was three to four weeks before she would come out with the album. She would invite these fans to her home and no one had their phones, and she would play the entire upcoming album that wasn't out yet.

[A]

And wait, up until that moment, like, had you never heard any of these songs? You didn't know it was gonna be on it?

[B]

Yeah, no, it was for reputation. And we get there, we pull into. Okay, keep in mind, they give us a location. I got a phone call from the team and they were like, hey, Taylor, saw how big of a fan you are. She would love to invite you to a special private event on Thursday. Can you come?

[A]

And I was like, tell me where you were. Were you at the grocery store and you just fell over? What happened?

[B]

I was. I was at my house. I was at my house and I was waiting for a call because I sent them my contact information, right? So I'm like, okay. They hopefully will contact me. And, yeah, so I was just at home and my mom and dad were in the K. And I got off the phone and I was like, oh, my God. Like, I think we're going to Taylor's house. I just. I had a feeling. And. And, yeah, fast forward five days. My mom and I get our hair and makeup done, we drive to Rhode Island. They gave us a location. They still didn't tell us what it was for.

[A]

A location meaning a state, like, or what.

[B]

They gave us an address to meet at in Rhode Island.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Because Taylor has a house in Watch Hill, Rhode island, and we meet in this parking lot and so.

[A]

Wait, you flew there?

[B]

No, I. I'm from Connecticut, so I'm an hour, hour and a half drive from there, and we drive to this kind of deserted parking lot because it's, you know, late October. No one really is at the beach. It's. It's. It's like an empty town at this point.

[A]

And they were inviting your parents, too, or just you just.

[B]

I got a plus one because I was under the age of 18, so I brought my mom.

[A]

Okay. Amazing.

[B]

Yep. And we pull into this empty parking lot, and there's just, like, two vans and. And then, like, a table that they set up and Taylor's team and then a small group of fans, and they take our phones. We get in the van, and we drive up to Taylor's house.

[A]

Stop.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, my God.

[A]

So what was her house like? I mean, I heard rumors that she's, like, getting married there or not in the house, but, you know, in that area.

[B]

I mean, rumors are swirling about that. I. The house is incredible. And because I'm from Connecticut, I grew up going to that beach town, so I would always, like, be on the beach, and I'd be like, oh, my God, that's Taylor's house. And then it was crazy because we go up to the kitchen area, and then we're on the balcony, and I was looking down at the beach, and I'm like, oh, my God. I'm usually down there. So the perspective just, like, switched. It was crazy. And her whole family was there. Her dad, her brother, her mom. So.

[A]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. So how do you decide what to wear to Taylor's house? Like, I get anxiety about what to wear to the Eras tour.

[B]

Yeah, well, I knew because the Reputation album era was darker. I was like, I'm going black. I'm wearing black and black shoes, black dress. And I probably. I was 17, so I didn't have the best sense of my fashion style yet. But. But I. You know, you can't go wrong with a black dress and black shoes. And, like, I think I wore these fishnet socks. I don't know what I was doing. But that's not in the picture. I don't think so. Oh, my God.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

But.

[A]

But yes. Do you have all your bracelets on?

[B]

I. So friendship bracelets became more of a thing later on.

[A]

Later on. Okay. Okay, got it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So you walk in, you're there with your mom. Are you making friends with the other kids there or you're not there?

[B]

No. Yeah. I was really nervous. They had food set up and I was like, I can't eat. I'm so nervous. I think I took a bite of a chicken nugget to be like, okay. I could tell people I ate in Taylor Swift's house. Like, I had dinner there. Right, right, right. But no, we went out on the balcony and that's where Scott Swift, her dad, was. So we all hung out on the balcony. We were talking to him, and then her mom came into the kitchen and her brother came. Came into the kitchen. Taylor still was nowhere to be found.

[A]

And so how many people were in this room with you? How do you think?

[B]

Gosh, probably like 30. 30 to 40, if I had to guess.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. And. And then we. We end up like an hour later going into the living room where there was a chair set up and then a bunch of pillows on the ground. And so we're all sitting on pillows and waiting for Taylor to come down because she was still like, probably getting ready in her bedroom. Yeah, upstairs. O yeah. It was crazy. And we all started singing. I think the song was fearless that we were all singing. And in the middle of the song, Taylor comes running down and she's like, hey, guys. And she sits in the chair. Everyone's freaking out. I like saw my life flash before my eyes. I'm like this 17 year old, small town Connecticut girl. I never thought I would meet a celebrity, you know, especially at that time. Like, I idolized her when I was young, you know, and so it was a surreal experience. And then she just. I love that she always introduces herself. She was like, hi, guys, I'm Taylor. Even though obviously we all know. But it's nice, it's nice that she still does that because it's like a normal human thing, you know?

[A]

And was everybody crying?

[B]

People were crying, People were screaming. It was just collective chaos.

[A]

And then she. And then she did her whole album for you guys.

[B]

Yep. She went song by song playing the Reputation album, explaining. And this is. She had been in hiding for over a year because this was after. I don't know if you know about this, but her 2016 cancellation, where the Kim Kardashian Kanye west happened. Yeah. And the world collectively decided, we don't like Taylor Swift anymore. And so she had been in hiding for over a year. No one really knew what she was up to. We didn't even know, honestly, if she was going to come back to music because it was. It was a bad time. It was a bad time for her. It was a bad time for the Swifties too. It was hard to be a fan and defend her all the time. So, yeah, so she played the whole album and kind of told us what she had been up to and the process of writing the album and went song by song. It was incredible.

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[B]

So my favorite song was probably. And End Game was the first song on the album that we heard. And it was. I love that there was Ed Sheeran in it. And Future. That one, I would say was probably my favorite at the time. At the time. But Don't Blame Me was also that. I think that's my favorite song on the album. So those two were probably the ones that stood out to me the most, but all of them, because I had never heard them. I was freaking out.

[A]

Got it. So do you get some personal time with her on this trip?

[B]

Yeah. Yep. So after that, we all went into a separate room where there was a piano and she sang. She came into the room and sang a song for us on the piano. We were all gathered around the piano and we all kind of sang together. It was really cute. We sang all too well.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah. And then after that, we kind of each had our one on one time with her. So my mom and I, I don't know, we were probably like halfway in the group. I don't know. Thirty minutes later, we got called in to hang out with Taylor in the living room and take photos. And we were probably with her for like five to seven minutes.

[A]

That's amazing. You can say a lot in that time. So did you tell her about your platform and did she, you know, interact with you about that?

[B]

Yeah, I told her about my account and obviously she knew about it because she followed it. And When I was 15, I went to Nashville to one of her 1989 concerts, and I dressed up in this extravagant costume because that's another big thing at Taylor's tours. And so I brought that up to her and she was like, I remember that. And she was like, thank you so much for doing that. Like, you've been such a supportive fan, all that. And then it was just, we talked about, I don't know, I think I asked her what perfume she was wearing because it smelled really good. And she was like, oh, it's the Tom Ford tobacco vanilla one. And my mom was telling her how it's so great that Taylor has learned to kind of separate her private life from the public eye and that she should keep doing it because the media and the public, they don't deserve her. And Taylor was like, I know, like, you're right.

[A]

So who was she dating at that time? Do you remember?

[B]

She was, she was, she had just begun dating, I think a year earlier. Joe Alwyn.

[A]

Okay, got it, got it.

[B]

Became like her six, six and a half year relationship.

[A]

If I had a one on one with her, my big question would be, how do you. What is that lipstick that you wear that always stays on no matter what you're doing?

[B]

Yeah, I know. She wears the Pat McGrath one a lot. Yeah, that's one of them. And she must use some sort of like lip stain for it to stay on that long, you know?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I think if I would love to officially like meet her again and. Because my conversation with her, I think would be very different now than when I was 17.

[A]

Of course. Yeah, of course. And from a different perspective. It's funny because if my daughter ran into her, she would just fall over and she wouldn't be able to talk. Like that's what's funny about it.

[B]

So thank God.

[A]

Yeah, thank God you met her when you were a little more mature.

[B]

Yeah, that's definitely. I still was internally like blacking out a little bit. Um, so. And I don't think that would happen now. I think now I'm, you know, I'm almost 26 years old, I could have, I could have a normal conversation with her and not be like, oh my God, oh my God. And freaking out. So I would love to meet her again at some point, tell her about my book if she hasn't heard about it already and just like talk about life, you know, There's a lot to lot to say.

[A]

Do you think you'll get to the point where you can, you can get ahold of her team to ask if she could write something towards your book? Like whether part, you know, like on the back of the book or whatever?

[B]

Yeah, you know, I had thought about it during my writing process I was like, of course it would be epic for her to write the prologue for the book because this is a book for the fandom that she created. But my end goal is really for her to just read it. And hopefully her mom, her family, hopefully they'll read it too. But I don't really want to ask her for anything. I'm like, if she. She's so gracious and generous with her time, and I think that if she ever wanted to, she could just reach out and be like, hey, I loved your book. I would love to, I don't know, do something for it, you know?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

So I kind of want to leave that up to her if she ever gets it in her hands.

[A]

You mentioned her brother. I've always been curious, what's the story with her brother? Like, does he have a job? Like, what. What happened to him?

[B]

So they're actually like a family business. He works for Taylor and he handles all of her movie and TV licensing of her music.

[A]

Okay, so smart guy. He's not just like, oh, very smart guy.

[B]

I think he started out in acting. He was trying to become an actor, and then he just kind of morphed into working for Taylor. And yeah, they're really like a family business. I know her mom's with her all the time. She says her mom is like her full time therapist. And her dad, you know, he has a background in stocks and investing in money, so I'm assuming he probably handles the financial stuff.

[A]

Right. And did you get to meet her cats?

[B]

I didn't officially meet her cats. I know they came down at some point, but I think it was after I had left, she. Someone actually asked her, like, bring the cats down. And because some people have allergies, she didn't want to. It is. It is smart. Yeah.

[A]

So, all right. So how old are you now?

[B]

I'm 25.

[A]

And have you made, like, is this your full time job? Like, what. What do you do?

[B]

So I get asked that all the time. I started this account with no goal in mind to ever make a dime from it. It was just pure passion. Right. And I ran it throughout high school.

[A]

Throughout college, and it was just to support the swifties and talk about Taylor.

[B]

I think it's so fun to have a, like, you know, a lot of guys have their sports communities online. All they do is talk about football and blah, blah, blah. I'm like, that's cool. Well, I have my own version of it. So I always thought it was fun connecting with people around the world and. And I met A lot of fans through that too. Like, in person. I would fly to certain places and go to concerts with people I'd never met.

[A]

So that's cool.

[B]

Yeah, it was like a summer camp. It was crazy. So then after college, I graduated in 2022 and I moved to Nashville because I had done an internship here. And I was like, you know what? I love the city. Let me go there.

[A]

Internship? And what kind of.

[B]

I did a PR internship.

[A]

Okay. And.

[B]

Yeah. And I really didn't know what I wanted to do after college, so I just. I came here and then I started working for a book publishing company, ironically, this small one based in Oregon. But I was remote and I hated it. Honestly, I hated. I hated having a 9 to 5. I hated what I was doing. I wasn't being treated very well at the company. It was just all around. I was miserable. I was like, I don't feel fulfilled. And there was one day where my mom was visiting me. This was like April 2023. And I was like, mom, I can't do this anymore. I hate my job. I wake up every day and I love every other aspect of my life, but I hate my job. And it's most of my days, so I'm miserable. And she was like, okay, well, you've been there for like four or five months. Try to stick it out another six months because it looks better when it's on your resume. You've been somewhere for a year and you're not bouncing around jobs. And I was like, okay, fine. Well, the next day, I get on a call with my boss and they're like, olivia, I hate to do this, but we need to do budget cuts and we're cutting your position. And I was, oh, yeah, okay. I guess that was. I asked for it in a way, you know, and it happened. And then there was a point where I was freaking out. I'm like, oh, my God, what am I going to do now? This was towards the beginning of the eras tour. So May 2023, I see Taylor in concert. I hit 40,000 followers on my Swifties for Eternity account. So it hadn't grown that much yet. And that summer, everything just changed. Everything started to. My account started to grow super, super fast. I was in LA and I met my now brand partnerships agent who was like, hey, Olivia, I love your account. I would love to represent you and get you brand deals. And I'm like, you think you can do that on my technically fan page? Even though there was a face to it, yeah, let's try it. I mean, there's no harm in trying. And it worked. And I was making more money than I ever did in corporate, so I was like, oh, my God, I don't. I don't need to find a job.

[A]

That's amazing.

[B]

Yeah. And then I started helping people get concert tickets at face value to the ERAS tour. So that was.

[A]

Now explain how you do that, because I'd like to know.

[B]

Yeah. So for a while, I was just. People would message me and say, hey, Olivia, I have extra tickets to the ERAS tour or I can't make it anymore. I would love another fan to get these at the price that I paid or, like, so slightly more, but not a lot more. And so I would post them. I would kind of be the intermediary and make sure everything went well. The sale between the buyers and the sellers. And it got to a point where I started a Google form to verify all the tickets. And there were hundreds and hundreds of submissions all the time. And I was spending full, like, entire days doing this. And I was like, I would love to keep helping people, but I can't do it for free. So I started partnering with a subscription platform where I would post the tickets on there. And then one wanted an opportunity to get those tickets, they had to subscribe. And that kind of just allowed me to make that part of my job, part of my job in 2024. And that's also when the book deal came along.

[A]

Wow. Okay, so. And by the way, I mean, for people that have been listening to this and still don't know, like, you have to go on her account. She really has the cutest stuff on there. And her book, the way this book looks. The illustrations.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. Show me the book. Yeah. It's so beautiful.

[B]

This is it. This is the galley copy. So it's actually. It's going to be cloth, and then this is all going to be gold foil. There's a gold wax seal. I don't know if it's on this copy. No, it's not. And then there's going to be, like, vintage sprayed edges right here. And then. Yes. I revealed, as you saw, one of the illustrations, which.

[A]

So is it. Every chapter will have an illustration.

[B]

Every chapter has a couple illustrations.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So there's probably like a total of, I don't know, around 30.

[A]

How did you find this illustrator? I mean, like, what you're putting together, at least the way it looks. Right. Is so Taylor Swift.

[B]

Yeah. And that. I mean, obviously that's the goal. I wanted it to look super timeless and vintage, but also have A little bit of, like, fairy tale aspect to it, because all of her songs, they are that fairy tale that we grow up with, you know, thinking in our minds. And I think she allows us to keep that part of us intact even as we get older. But the way I found the illustrator, just like I found connected with every other Swiftie in the community, it was just. She paints these amazing jackets, like jean jackets. She illustrates these paintings on the back of jackets. And I was like, she's so talented. And so I reached out and I was like, hey, I think you're so talented. I would love to work with you on my book. I don't know if you have any experience doing book illustrations, but would you be open to it? And she was like, I've never done book illustrations, but I'm confident I can, so let's do it. And we spent months and months going back and forth, and I was like, can you change this little tiny detail? Like, Swifties are so detail oriented. I want every thing to have a meaning.

[A]

Yeah. And there's always, like a message within the message or whatever. So that's very cool. And that photo was so cool. You could spend a lot of time just looking at all the little details, which I love.

[B]

Yes, for sure. And it has every single era till, you know, the life of a showgirl, that. Which is included. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And so the book, it's a memoir of you as a fan, or what is it?

[B]

It's a little bit of a mix. So there's. Chapter one is kind of about me and my story and how I built what I built and how it turned into what it turned into. And then the rest of the book is really the fandom story. And some of it is from. I mean, most of it from my perspective. And I lived through all of it, so it is from my perspective. But, yeah, it just tells. It tells about the Tumblr times. So the time, you know, newer Swifties might not know that we used to hang out with Taylor on Tumblr.

[A]

This episode is sponsored by Better Help. The new year doesn't require a new you. Maybe just a less burdened you. I think a lot of us walk around carrying things we don't even realize we're holding onto. Fear, pressure, the need to be perfect, doubt about whether we're doing enough or being enough. And sometimes what really helps is having an unbiased perspective. Someone whose role is to help you better understand your relationships, motivations, and emotions so you can let go of what's weighing you down. Better Help makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. They work with fully licensed therapists in the US who follow a strict professional code of conduct. Better Help Also does the matching work for you. You answer a short questionnaire and they help connect you with someone who fits your and if your first match isn't quite right, you can switch to another therapist anytime. With over 30,000 therapists and more than 5 million people served globally, BetterHelp has an average rating of 4. 9 out of 5 for live sessions. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail]. that's B E T T E R H e L P Com and thanks for listening to Misunderstood with Rachel Yukitel. This episode is sponsored by Kalshi, the largest prediction market in the US Kalshi lets you trade on what you think will happen not by against a house, but by trading peer to peer with other users. Think of it like the stock market, but for real world events. You can buy a yes contract if you believe an event will happen, or a no contract if you think it won't. You're trading with other users and you can jump in or out of positions at any time to lock in gains or cut losses. Kalshi is available across the country, including California and Texas, and they even offer combos which let you predict multiple events to increase your potential payout. In short, Kalshi is where you put your money, where your prediction is Download the Kalshi app and get $10 when you deposit with code SB60. Use promo code SB60 when you sign up to get $10 when you trade $10. That's K A L S H. I find it on the app. You know that wellness goal you said at the start of the year? It's not too late to stick with it and make your future self proud. Especially with the all in One Nutrition Shake from Kachava. With 25 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, greens, adaptogens and more. No fillers, no nonsense, just the highest quality ingredients. Stick with your wellness goals. Go to kachava.com and use code fitness for 15% off. That's K-A-H-A-V-A.com code fitness for every day.

[B]

But that was a core part of our fandom and flying to shows and meeting friends and and the Taylor Swift impact, the Swifty impact. The way we make everything sell out the second she walks out in an outfit. It just. It has it all. The relationships between mothers and daughters and fathers and daughters and the music and why it speaks to us so loudly and more so than any other artist. So it. It's. Yeah, it's our entire story.

[A]

Why do you think she speaks to the Swifties more than any other artist seems to do?

[B]

I think. Well, number one, she writes her own songs, which, you know, not all artists do. I know some artists in Nashville who don't write their songs and everyone's like, oh, my God, that's such a sweet song. Like, well, you didn't write it, so.

[A]

Right. But by the way, and the songs that I've now found out that she's written for others that are so good, like, her lyrics are phenomenal.

[B]

They're unmatched. I truly, like. I know I'm biased, but I do think she is the lyricist of this century. I think she's a poet before she is a singer. And I think her one, her vulnerability. I think she writes things that don't always make her seem perfect. And that's what people relate to. They're like, okay, I've also had those thoughts that maybe aren't right, but I've had them, you know, guilty, as in it's one of my all time favorite songs from the tortured poets department. It's about being in a relationship, but you're thinking about being with someone else because you feel trapped in your current relationship. And she humanizes all of these feelings. And I think she just validates us in every single thought we've ever had about relationships, about friendships, about life. It's like it's. And it's okay to not lose that, you know, that innocence you have when you're young and you have that. That fantasy in your mind that fairy tales are a thing and all that stuff. And you're told as you get older, grow out of it, time to snap out of it. That's not life. Well, I think it can be. And I think she makes. She kind of makes life a little bit more magical for all of us, even as adults.

[A]

Right. So in the talking about relationships in the last couple years, she's lived and, you know, in front of our eyes, this kind of out of a storybook love story.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I mean, it's kind of been phenomenal, the fact that Travis is out there playing football wins, you know, and I mean, to see that play out must have been scary for her. But also at the same time, what an amazing story all the way to now, them getting engaged. So as a swiftie and someone who's followed her, he seems a lot different than the other guys she's dated. What are your thoughts on Travis?

[B]

Yeah, I. I mean, he's. He's my favorite of all of them, I think. I think they are a perfect match. And, you know, they're opposites in a lot of ways, which I think the opposite to track. Right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think she needed someone who understands her world but isn't fully in the same world. So, you know, she had dated singers and actors before that. That part of entertainment. Sports is wildly different.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I love that he understands what it's like to be in a stadium and perform for people. And he talked about this in her Aerostore documentary, too. And the podcast that she went on. When she went on Travis's podcast. They have very similar jobs, but in very different ways. And so they relate to each other. And I think he handles the attention so well, truly better than anyone she's ever dated who I think made her feel bad and guilty for that kind of attention to their relationship. But he. He's okay with it. He understands that that's what it comes with. And I think they found a perfect balance of. With. Of, like, what they show the world and what they keep private.

[A]

The other one seems so dark and broody and, like, always had an attitude or something. I don't know. It was. They seem boring to me. Right. And. And they weren't so outward about their affection and their emotion and their pride for her. And it almost seemed like they felt like she upstaged them or she did whatever. And he has his. And he has his own tribe of people. And he's a man's man, by the way. He's not like, some pussy that needs to be like, okay, stop getting all this attention. All these little girls running around. I don't care. Like, he loves it. He seems like he really loves it.

[B]

I think that can be an issue with a lot of. A lot of men. If a woman is way more successful than them, they have issues with it, and it's like an ego thing. And they. They probably hated being known as Taylor Swift's boyfriend rather than their own person with their own big, big amount of fans. So, like you said, he has his own fan base. He's a killer success on his own, and he has his own name and his own brand. I think that's what makes them so perfect. It's like he. And he's also. He doesn't mind being referred to as Taylor Swift's boyfriend or fiance. He loves it. And I'm sure she would love it, too. It's just, they encourage each other, and they love each other so loudly. She has always loved. Been one to love loudly, and she never got it. It reciprocated. And with him, he loves her loudly. He appreciates her loudly, and the Swifties love him because of it. We've never seen anyone like him before. Yeah.

[A]

So if something were to go awry, would you guys all, like, kill him? I mean, what is it like to be part of the Swifty tribe and go after someone?

[B]

There are parts of the community that are, you know, very radical, and anyone who is. Okay, this is the thing. If they were to ever break up, obviously we're all going to be here for Taylor. Like, that's who we're.

[A]

We know the side you're picking. Yes.

[B]

Yeah, but there are some people who would take things too far and have in the past and go after people that either, you know, don't deserve it. Also, I'm not a big believer in social media bullying. I don't think it does anything, and I think you're just adding to the negativity of the world. So I don't participate. Would some Swifties go after him or anyone that does Taylor wrong? Absolutely. The thing is, we never know the full story until we hear the songs.

[A]

Right. So are you guys not fans of Kanye or Kim Kardashian? No, for the most part, that's.

[B]

For the most part, no. I mean, I don't. I don't follow them. I don't know what they're up to or anything. I'm not. I don't care enough to know. But like Taylor says, thank you, Amy. You know, Kim Kardashian, what. Everything that happened is what led her to where she is at now. And it's like, you can't. You can't hate the life journey.

[A]

Right, Exactly. All right, so let's talk about for a second what's going on. Oh, wait, by the way, talking about relationships, do you have a boyfriend?

[B]

I don't have a boyfriend.

[A]

If you have. If you get one. Does he have to be, like, a massive Taylor Swift fan?

[B]

No, no. I need him to respect her and appreciate that she's talented. I don't need him to be, like, blasting Taylor all the time. That. That can be my job, you know, And I would love. I don't need some. A copy paste version of myself either. I wan. I have lots of other interests than Taylor, contrary to popular belief.

[A]

Oh, like what?

[B]

I'm a big music girl, so I love, love, love Fleetwood Mac. Oh, yeah. Love Fleetwood Mac. But I listen to. I grew up on, like, the 70s, the 80s.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I love music in general. My other interests outside of music, entrepreneurship. I'm a big businesswoman and I. Yeah, I like to do. I love sports. I love going out and playing sports. I love traveling. I travel all the time, so I love to see the world.

[A]

Yeah, I love that because you come from a position where you're. You're a fan, but you're. You're like borderline journalist, you know, with a fan, with now having a business account that you run. So you have some. You know, it's different than just being a fan and you just put anything out there. You have to have some sort of conscious effort about what you put out and why you put it out. And it's now a business.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, talk about the title of your podcast being misunderstood. I mean, I've definitely felt misunderstood in that way where I just, just people are like, oh, you're just a crazy fan. Like, no, I'm a fan. I'm passionate. But I do a lot of other things too, and I'm an entrepreneur, and that's not easy to be as a woman nowadays, you know, a hundred percent.

[A]

I'm really proud of what you've done. I think you're amazing. Okay, so let's get to this for a second. I know you don't really want to talk about it, but we have to for a second. So right now, the biggest non music story touching Taylor Swift involves the ongoing legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldon. Funny, related to that movie. It ends with us, by the way. Did you see it?

[B]

I did. And I. I might be the only one to say this, but I kind of liked it.

[A]

Okay. No, I liked it. I mean, I saw it before controversy came out.

[B]

Okay, same. And I liked it when I saw it. And a lot of my friends were like, oh, it was terrible. I'm like, I liked it. I don't know.

[A]

The only thing that stuck out to me after I saw it, I was like, why did Blake, who, Who dressed her. I thought her outfit choices were totally bizarre. I thought the two guys in it were extremely good looking. I was like, who are these people? I'd never heard of them before.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I didn't know. I knew it was about domestic violence, but they didn't. You know, you sort of don't know how to feel about it because you kind of like him and then you don't like him. And then. I don't know. It was complicated. It was complicated, but I liked it. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So then, as people should know, unless they're living under Iraq. Now there have been all these accusations and sexual harassment claims, and here we are, fast forward to now. And Taylor Swift's name has been implicated and there have been text messages that have been released. So I guess my first question is basically from what you're seeing inside the Swifty spaces, how are fans reacting to Taylor's private text messages being made public?

[B]

Yeah, actually a lot of fans. All the ones I've seen, and also kind of me when I read those. First of all, it felt so invasive to be able to read those. Like, I can't imagine how she feels. And it's hard not to read them when it's all you see in the headlines. And I kind of, you know, we all wanted to form our own opinions.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I think everyone's like, okay, she's a girl's girl. Like, she was just supporting her friend. If anything, it made her look better. And she called a man a bitch. Like, there's. Have you ever called a man a bitch? Because I definitely have.

[A]

Yeah, of course.

[B]

Right. So, like, everyone, all the comments I saw, I did post something about it and all the comments were like, gosh, if my texts ever get leaked, they're way worse than that.

[A]

And that is true. That puts it into perspective that I think a lot of people that are commenting the opposite way are like, oh, my God, this is so terrible. You know, how could she have this Swifty community follow her? And it's kind of like, listen, if we all looked at everyone's text messages, when you're supporting a friend or angry at someone, you'll see similar texts, if not worse.

[B]

Right, so, yeah, so.

[A]

So you don't think it's changing the way people feel about her?

[B]

I think the. The outside world that aren't in the Swifty community, I think it's actually made some of them appreciate her more and be like, wait, why am I actually starting to like Taylor Swift? I saw some tiktoks of that. Of course, you know, the media tries to get the headlines and they owe. The first chance they get. They love to try and cancel her. It's never going to work again, in my opinion. They did it in 2016. I think think the world has collectively decided Taylor Swift is a good person. Nothing you guys try and twist is going to make us hate her. But there's those people that will take it and run with it and be like, yeah, she took down a man's career, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. When, number one, I don't. I haven't been like, super following the case. So I don't know all the details. I don't think he's in the right. Not that she is either. Blake is either. But I think whatever your friend is telling you, if you're just being supportive, of course you're gonna support whatever they're telling you is happening, regardless of if it's factual information or not.

[A]

So have you been following the Blake and Justin saga? Like, do you have. I mean, it sounds like you think they're kind of both in the wrong, but do you think that the text messages coming out about her are terrible? Like, I've been to the concerts I went to. She was actually at all of them.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so I was like, oh, wow. And then as. I mean, you know, more than me. She has some songs that are named around Blake and Ryan's children. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. So she's like the godmother or something. I mean, she's very, you know, much part of their family and them hers. So, you know, I. I just wonder, like, we all thought she was just this big swifty and that she was amazing and fun, and her kids were, you know, light and happy and this. And then you see what's going on behind the scenes. And. And there was some really damaging video. Did you see that video of her? Like, the woman interviewing her? And the woman's like, oh, congratulations on your bump. And she's like, you know, she was rude to the woman the rest of the time. I mean, it makes her look really bad. And again, it's totally separate from Taylor, but she is Taylor's best friend, so do you have thoughts on that?

[B]

I did see some of those videos last year when they were circulating. Um, yeah. I mean, some of them, you can't. You can't say they were taken out of context because it's like, okay. Then again, some people are like, well, people have bad days, and they're just kind of not the nicest if they're going through something like, sure. So I don't know. I haven't been following the case in detail. I don't really care enough to read all the documents and the text stuff. I kind of just think he's definitely in the wrong. And I don't really know about Blake. I don't know enough about what happened. Like you said, I always liked her before all of this. I don't really think her and Taylor are friends anymore. It's. So I don't really pay attention much.

[A]

It does seem. Especially in the last day or in the last 24 hours, I've seen the headlines and I don't know where they're getting the information, but the. Taylor's really pissed about being dragged into this and does not want to be part of it.

[B]

Of course she's gone through enough in the media and been dragged into enough drama that I can't imagine. She was thrilled when she got pulled into this lawsuit and they were like, Taylor Swift might get deposed and. And now she, she has to release all this like evidence and text messages. I would be pissed. I'd be like, why did, why did you pull me into this and involve me in this shit? And so I, I mean, I'm sure there's so much behind the scenes that we don't know what happened, but, but.

[A]

Especially coming off such a huge year for her, you know, it just seems like, I don't know, it's. It's like not great.

[B]

No, it's not.

[A]

I would be mad too. All right, let's talk about the Heiress tour and the Heiress tour movie. It's no longer just a concert. It's like a phenomenon and it keeps going and going and I believe it's out on Disney now and all sorts of stuff. Like what, what are your thoughts on that and how long it's gonna last?

[B]

I, Well, I loved the documentary. Did you watch the doc?

[A]

I did, yeah, I did.

[B]

Is your daughter love it Obsessed?

[A]

I think she's seen it a bunch of times.

[B]

Yeah. So I thought the docu series was great. I think they could make a hundred more episodes of that because there are still so many questions, but like, obviously we can't get it all answered. I think that probably was the magnum opus of her touring career. I do think she's going to go on tour again at some point. But I think, how do you beat the eras tour? Truly.

[A]

I know. And would you want to attempt to do that? Because then people will always compare it. I mean, I, I feel like she could keep coming out with music. She could do tours, you know, maybe, or just like where she does a tour that has all of her stuff as opposed to like just her next album. But I would think that eventually she's going to be in baby mode and not that that makes her have to.

[B]

Stop, but maybe take a break. But I, you know what I've thought of? I've thought, why doesn't she do a year long residency somewhere so she gets to be home with her family all the time, doesn't have to travel and be away from them and go. Everything that comes with that. I think it's you don't have to rebuild the stage. It's just. I think that would be perfect. I know everyone's like, well, people do that when they're old. And it's like, I don't know. Right. It's all the old people who do old artists.

[A]

Oh, yeah. I mean, Britney Spears did it in Vegas. I mean, it's also when people say that you need money or something, and she maybe could care less because her and her future husband have a ton of money. But it's also doing what you love to do. If that's what she loves. I never understood when Brittany stopped touring, but then we found out she had, you know, some mental issues. But, you know, I would think this is what she loves. She will always love to do it. Whether or not she has children or starts a cat sanctuary or whatever, she will want to always perform or be connected to her music. Agreed.

[B]

And her fans, I think. I mean, you can tell how happy she is when she's performing. So. And that's, you know, part of the travel schedule makes her exhausted. But if she did a residency, I think one thing we've all learned is that swifties will travel to see her. She doesn't need to go around the world. I think everyone would go to her. Maybe she could do residencies in certain places, like, kind of like Harry Styles is doing. He's doing 30 nights at Madison Square Garden and then other residencies around the world.

[A]

Do you think she would ever do the Sphere? Have you seen anything at the Sphere?

[B]

I have not. I really want to go because it looks so cool. I remember there were rumors swirling about Taylor doing a residency at the Sphere.

[A]

But I almost feel like that would be too over the top. Like, people would lose their shit.

[B]

Would lose their shit. Tickets would be so expensive. So I don't know what the capacity of the Sphere is. Do you?

[A]

Yeah, I don't know what the capacity is. I should know because I was just there. And it's not as big as you think. I mean, it's big, but it's half of us, you know, it's. It doesn't seem as big, but what they do inside of it is so incredible. And her show is already incredible. She doesn't need that. That. Right. She doesn't need all that extra stuff, but it would be amazing, and I really hope she does do it. Let's talk about, first of all, this morning, I saw that. So now she has 14 Grammys, right? Yes, something like that. She didn't get a. Nominate a nomination for the Grammys. It said due to her release date. Is that true?

[B]

Yes, she will. Yes, she will be nominated next year, probably a lot.

[A]

Got it. So it's not a snub. And then there was like, rumors of whether or not she'd perform, and then people are saying probably not.

[B]

I knew she wasn't going to attend.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, got it. Okay. But do you think there's a reason for that?

[B]

I just think she's not up for any awards like her. I think she wants to be. I think she wants to stay kind of on the DL right now. And here she'll probably come back.

[A]

Do you think Swifties care about awards anymore? Like. Or moments like the Heiress tour feel bigger than trophies that she could get?

[B]

A really good question. I think we are, you know, not to sound snotty, but I think we are above awards now. We kind of decide what deserves awards. And if she gets snubbed, she gets snubbed. If you think about it, they can't give her album of the year every single time. They just. She's already. I think the. She's the number one with the most album of the year Grammys. They can't just give it to her every time. But does she deserve it every time? Probably. I mean, she makes the best album.

[A]

She does feel like she's playing a longer game now, like, focused more on history than on, like the charts.

[B]

Yeah. And look, the Songwriters hall of Fame. She's getting inducted this year. It's. I think she's. She's big time legacy building right now.

[A]

Yeah. Let's see. Let's talk about this for one second. Is there fatigue in the fandom at all when Taylor's personal relationships or any sort of issues get. Get pulled into unrelated controversy, do you. You think?

[B]

I. I mean, I really. I don't think there's ever Taylor Swift fatigue in the fandom. I think we would love if she could be on all the time and we could see her every day and there could be albums coming out five times a year. We would never get tired. I think we get tired when she's not around. Got it.

[A]

So that, that's interesting because it was like she had such a big year and then everyone was talking about if they could go to the Heiress tour or not and what the Heiress tour is like for them. And there's not that much talk yet because there's, you know, there's not much to talk about at the moment besides the stupid shit with Blake. And so it's interesting. I feel like fans just are more Protective than anything and just protecting her legacy, which is who she is and what she's built. And that seems really cool.

[B]

Yeah, 100%.

[A]

What do you think people outside the fandom misunderstand most about the Swift Swifties?

[B]

I think people think the Swifties are a cult like group of crazy, obsessive, annoying fangirls. That's, that's what I think people think of us. And they couldn't be more wrong. If they just decided to open their minds a little bit and, and get a taste of what it's like to be in the fandom, then they would see that, okay, maybe we are a little cult like, but in the best, most positive culture cult ever. And we're just a group of very kind people. You know, you go to an aerosore concert or any Taylor concert or Taylor event and everyone will talk to you as if they've known you forever. It's incredibly bonding. Everyone is just so nice and open minded and there's no more joyful community in the world in my opinion. I don't think there's a nicer, more joyful group of people that exists. And yeah, we're passionate, we're passionate about music. One thing about Swifties is yes, they love Taylor, but we love all music. And you know, the ones going to see Taylor are also the ones going to see Gracie Abrams and Sabrina Carpenter and Chapel Roan and everybody else. We just, we're passionate about music and Taylor just happens to be our favorite.

[A]

Got it. Love that answer. If Taylor herself was listening, what do you think Swifties would want her to know most in this moment? Moment.

[B]

I think. Oh, that's a good question. I think Swifties would probably just want to all collectively say thank you. Thank you for, for being yourself and, and never listening to the outside noise and letting them change who she is and, and for giving us, you know, free therapy because that's what her albums are that, you know, you have a bad day, you put the tortured poets department on, you're like, okay, I feel seen. Or you're having a great day and you're in love. You put the life of a showgirl on and you're like, oh, I feel seen. So yeah, I guess. Thank you for giving us music to turn to in every season of life.

[A]

Wow, that's a really cute answer. Do you feel like you as a person have changed or like you see what things in her and it makes you grow as a person? Is it getting lessons from like a big sister?

[B]

Oh my God, absolutely. And there's actually A chapter in my book about that. Yeah, it's the lessons we. We've learned from her. So, yeah, I think the way she. She moves through life and. And when she goes through hardships, she doesn't let it bring her down. Her.

[A]

Her.

[B]

Her version of revenge is success. You know, she never stoops to people's level. She's never a mean girl. Her version of revenge is like, okay, fine, I'll use that. How can I use this to make myself better and go higher than you? You know? So I think we've learned so, so much from her and her ability to stay vulnerable. Even though she knows everybody in the world's gonna have something to say about a certain lyric, she still puts it in there because that's who she is, and she wants us to feel seen. I don't think she cares about the rest of the.

[A]

Got it. Okay, finally. What's making Swifties excited about the future? Even with all this extra noise, like, what is there to look forward to?

[B]

I think we're all looking forward to her fairy tale ending, her wedding, which hopefully will happen this summer, this year. You know, we've been on this journey with her since the beginning, so for her to have her fairy tale ending, we're like, it's possible. And if anyone deserved it, it was her writing all those songs and getting burned by all these men. So I think we're super excited for that. And like her mom said in the documentary, she's like, I hope you guys know that Taylor will come back, but she gave you her all, and she needs some time. And I think we're all very respectful of that. We're like, okay, she can take all the time she needs, go have her fairy tale, beautiful wedding, and hopefully we get some videos and pictures from that and we can feel like we were there. And then we're looking forward to the next album and next tour, whenever that. Whenever that is, hopefully in the next couple years.

[A]

And what's next for you beyond this Swifties for Eternity account?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I'll. My book comes out in April, so, you know, I'm probably gonna do a lot of podcasts and a lot of traveling and some book events. I'll do a book tour, so I'm excited for that. And I always have stuff going on on the outside that I just don't talk about out on online, but I'm. I'm involved in certain ventures and. And seeing what we could do, but it's all related back to music, the music industry and fans and making the Fan experience better. So I'm gonna keep doing that and you know, eventually when, when things launch, I'll probably share more stuff online about it, but for now I'm just quietly, quietly moving along.

[A]

Did you like writing the book? Do you think there's another book in you if it does?

[B]

Well, I love writing. I've always been a writer at heart, so absolutely, I would love to write another book. Not even about, you know, Taylor Swift or Swifties, just about life wisdom. I don't know, I guess I'll see what happens to me in the next five years. Maybe it'll. Life will give me even more stuff to write about in my early 30s.

[A]

Amazing. Well, I think the book is going to be amazing. It's who. I mean, every Swifty is going to buy it. I'm clearly going to buy it for my daughter and all her friends probably. So tell people where they can get it when it's out. They can get a pre. Copy, whatever.

[B]

Yes. So you can pre order anywhere you get your books. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, literally wherever you get your books. It comes out April 14th. And you can, if you pre order now, it ensures that you get the vintage sprayed edges on the pages because that is only for the first printing.

[A]

And so if you pre order, you just don't get it now, but you're part of it when it comes to.

[B]

Exactly. You get it when it comes out. I'm also doing an audiobook, so if people like to listen to the book, then they can listen to it as if it's a podcast. And.

[A]

Yeah, well, I can't wait to hear if Taylor reaches out and, you know, reads the book and what she says about it. And I'm sure that she will be interviewed. Here's my prediction. Somebody's going to interview her about something and someone will raise their hand and say, have you read the book the Story of Us? That's what it's called. Right. And, and what are your thoughts on it, about your fans and about this girl Olivia? So that's my prediction that, that there will be a sound bite of that.

[B]

I hope she reads it. I mean, I just want it. I want her to have it on her bookshelf. And you know, Donna Kelsey follows me on Instagram, so hopefully she'll read it too, and maybe Travis will read it. That's the big, that's the big goal. I mean, I want Swifties to all, you know, we can reminisce. And I want Taylor to look back and be so proud of like the community she created.

[A]

What's the target age range for that buck?

[B]

I don't think there is one. I mean, truly, if you think when you think about it, Swifties are five and they're 80 and they're everything in between. So for people who want to learn more about the fandom and why it is what it is now and then for the swifties who were there back then, who want to be like, oh my God, I forgot about that. That was so. That was such a great time. And then Taylor, when she reads it, she'll be like, oh my God, I remember those little moments. And when she showed up at people's weddings, all the inside jokes, all the lore, if people just want to educate themselves so there is no age for it. Could be, you know, 95 year old. It's like, I want to understand the Taylor Swift fandom. Let me pick up this book.

[A]

I love it. So I'm really proud of you. I hope you do such great things in the future. I can't wait to read the book and hopefully you'll come on again when you do your book tour so we can hear all about that.

[B]

Sounds good. Thank you so much for having me, Rachel. It's such a fun chat.

[A]

Thank you so much for listening to Misunderstood. I'm your host, Rachel Yukatel. Please be sure to subscribe to the show and give us a five star rating and review. You can support the show by joining our [e-mail] misunderstood with rating. Rachel, you could tell. Do you have ideas for the show or want to reach out? Email us at infomisunderstoodpodcast@gmail com. That's spelled M I S S. Understood. Thank you so much and I'll see you next.