For Your Consideration

October 17, 2025

Taylor Swift released her album Life of a Showgirl a week ago and I have several reflections. For now, I would like to focus on the intensity of the Taylor Swift fandom itself and how it is evolving. The time the “Swifties” put into decoding easter eggs is nothing short of neo-Gnosticism. As our society becomes less traditionally religious, new secular religions and spiritualities have taken their place. I would suggest that fandoms as a whole are one of those new religions, and that Swifties are a particular subset.

The Gnostics of the past sought out hidden knowledge that would be the key to unlocking salvation. These new Gnostics seek hidden knowledge that will set them apart from their social peers. Who can guess first when a song will drop, who a song is about, or where she will be performing next? It is concerning how quickly thousands of people, who will never actually know these celebrities, will concoct drama between them and offer it as sacrifice to the flames of the internet. Taylor Swift, for her part, has capitalized on the obsession of the masses. Is she a mastermind strategically dropping numbers into interviews to keep fans engaged (and keep them purchasing millions of dollars worth of merchandise in every color)? Or is she just benefitting from the spiritual impulse of a society that happens to idolize her? The answer is probably a bit of both.

And why her? Learning that her fans call her “mother” really caught my attention. Wicca and Paganism are other religions that are on the rise, both of which have distinctly feminine elements. Swifities are seeking out hidden knowledge about an idolized, powerful, female figure – a modern day goddess as it were.

The interesting thing about the most recent album is that there seems to be a schism in the church of Taylor Swift. Older Gen Z, or Zillenials and older, are embracing the shallow, glittery content. Perhaps it is because we’ve already lived through 1989, Reputation, and Lover. Younger fans are calling it a flop. They are hungry for more depth. The older generation is searching for easter eggs and hidden meaning to justify the album and their enthusiasm. The younger generation isn’t taking the time.

Is this not a reflection of our churches today? How many young people are hungry for more and are dissatisfied with the search for symbolism the older generation has tried to present to them? They want something real and deep to grasp onto. While society has been trending toward secular religions, younger generations are converting to more traditional denominations in droves. Instead of Taylor Swift as mother with the secret knowledge of release dates for merchandise veiled beneath the number of her sourdough starters, can we as Catholics present them with Church as mother with the truth of the real presence veiled behind the accidents of bread and wine?

For Your Consideration,

Mikayla Metzger