It feels as if Taylor Swift has seeped into every facet of the male experience.
I remember a time, in 2014, when Taylor was sanctioned to the world of pop. She was over there and I was... not there. Sure, I sang "Shake It Off" at my high school homecoming and I shed a singular tear when I listened to "the 1" after my first heartbreak, but as the icon gained unmatched levels of popularity, I got scared.
As a straight man, my dating pool consists of women. In the past few years, since the release of "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)," the women I date have started to blend together, forming one kind of woman who often worships the pop artist to a transcendent extent.
If I say I dislike her music, I'm subjecting myself to a mob of faithful fans, holding pitchforks, ready to drag my image and toss me in with the rest of the men who never get laid. So... I keep my opinions to myself and I force her melodies down my throat and out of my mouth.
To the women I date, I'm a bona fide Swiftie ready to treat you with respect and pay for your "The Eras Tour" floor tickets, but deep down, I can't help but wonder if this pop artist is contributing to an overall decline in the quality of women.
So, I thought I would bring you along on a date with one of these women so you can witness the major cultural shift young men are facing in the dating world, thanks to T-Swift.
Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince
I matched with a woman on a dating app. Her profile stood out to me. She seemed accomplished, intelligent, well-traveled and... hot. It was match at first like.
We spent a couple of weeks texting back and forth, establishing a foundation of basic details about each other. We both went to ASU. I was majoring in sports business and she was majoring in nursing. We talked about sports we played in high school, sourdough bread and music.
"What kind of music do you listen to?" I texted.
"i love taylor swift! she's so masterful in her lyric writing!" she responded in signature Swiftie lowercase.
"Oh cool! I like her too!" I said sympathetically.
Then, the conversation quickly veered into talk about cats until I asked about setting up a date.
I offered to take her to a sports bar for a casual drink. She said she liked sports, so I thought it was a good choice based on our shared interests.
The night of the date approached quickly. We decided to meet at the bar. Since we were still strangers, she thought it was safer to drive herself in case I was planning on kidnapping her. I thought that was wise.
I waited outside the bar 15 minutes before the time we agreed to meet. I was wearing a dark blue, long-sleeve button-down with black pants and my nicer pair of brown leather shoes. I doused myself in Georgio Armani Acqua Di Gio, which I only wear for special occasions.
I looked nervously in the parking lot for any sign of this girl. It wasn't long before I saw a flash of blonde hair flipping around through the window of a 2020 Land Rover Defender adorned with a bumper sticker that read "taylor's version" in the classic "folklore" font.
That had to be her.
I dug my hands into my pockets, furiously rubbing the sweat off them. I rocked back and forth on my feet, attempting to dissipate my anxiety.
I saw the car door open and two sneakers hit the pavement. She peeled the rest of her body out of the driver's seat and slung her purse over her shoulder. She looked exactly like I thought she would — beautiful.
She wore blue skinny jeans, a striped t-shirt and a sweater. She walked toward me flashing a smile of recognition.
"Hi! So nice to finally meet you!" I said, extending my arms for a hug.
"You as well! I'm glad we could finally do this!" she said.
"I like your sweater. Kinda wish I wore one myself," I said.
"It’s actually a cardigan. But yeah, you look cold," she responded.
My Adam’s apple dropped into my stomach and red flooded my face. I felt so stupid.
"Should we go in?" I awkwardly laughed, trying to distract from my embarrassment.
"Sure!"
We sat at a table and ordered drinks.
I got a Bud Light and she ordered a whiskey sour. We spent the next couple of minutes easing into conversation.
"Do you like football? I'm actually going to the Cardinals game this weekend," I asked.
"I do! I’m a Chief’s fan," she said.
"Oh really? Are you from Missouri?"
"No, but I thought they played in Kansas," she said.
"Yeah, that's a common misconception," I laughed. "What got you into the Chiefs?"
"I really like the players and their families," she said.
"I do too. Makes the game much more interesting. Which players do you like?"
"I love Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes!" she exclaimed. "I really started to pay attention when Travis started dating Taylor."
"Ohh, I see. Are you a big Taylor Swift fan?"
"Yes! I’m a huge Swiftie. I even saved up for a year to go to the 'The Eras Tour' for one of her NYC shows. I flew all the way out there because I needed to see her in her favorite city."
"Oh wow, I heard those tickets were like crazy expensive."
"Yeah, I spent over $3,000 for two tickets, but it was soooo worth it."
"What’s your favorite song of hers?" I asked.
"You can't ask that! They're all genius. She’s one of the most prolific writers of our generation, you know. Her lyricism is masterful and she's light years of intelligence beyond the average person," she said.
"Really? What makes you say that?"
"Have you listened to her music? You’re not one of those guys that hates Taylor, are you? If so, that’s going to be an issue."
"Uhh, I don’t hate her. I just haven't listened to her music a ton, but I would love to hear more about why you like her so much," I said nervously.
"Well, it's more than just her music, it's what she represents. There is nothing that makes me happier than when I listen to her music. She also does the Easter egg thing and I get really into it. I will watch and rewatch all of her public appearances, listen closely to every lyric of every song and dissect everything she does. Nothing is ever a mistake. Once, she held up her hand and made an unassuming gesture. I noticed it right away and did the math to calculate what her next album would be and when it would come out. I also have a collection in my room of all of her albums, CDs and little trinkets from every concert I've been to of hers. It's kind of like a little shrine. They're my most prized possessions. Last year, Spotify logged over 2,000 hours of time I spent listening to her music. She just means so much to me."
"Oh wow. Okay. That sounds like a lot,"
"A lot? I mean, it's not half as bad as other Swifties out there. We all just want to support our girl."
"I get that. I really love Kanye. I know he’s controversial, but listening to his music really helped me through a tough time," I said, trying to relate.
"You like Kanye? Are you serious? Do you know what he did to Taylor Swift? The whole 'reputation' album is about that. You really shouldn’t support him," she said angrily.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know. I just like his music," I said, trying to seem human.
"All of you men are exactly the same. You don't respect women and you support men who disrespect women. We can never catch a break. I bet you listen to indie music too. Typical. You know what? I don't think this is going to work. I’m just going to leave."
"Wait, did I say something wrong?"
"No, it's just the kind of guy I can sense you are. I hope you never get laid another day in your life," she said.
We’re never getting back together, like ever
When she walked out of the restaurant, I started to feel crazy. I was genuinely interested in hearing more about Taylor Swift. I mentioned Kanye once and the date was over. I was shocked to see how angry someone could get on behalf of a pop star she didn't even know. She would ruin a potential relationship or even friendship based off a perceived lack of support for a singer.
The thing is, I've met girls like her before. This was only a first date. I had a girl break up with me after I said I thought calling the 31 song version of "The Tortured Poets Department" an "anthology" was stupid because an anthology is a collection of poems and literary works, not an extended album.
The die-hard support of Swift is hard to wrap my head around. Not only do I not like her music (sorry if I don’t think "Did you girl-boss too close to the sun?" is a stroke of lyrical genius), but the recent obsession with her has become nauseating. Every media outlet capitalizes on covering the smallest things she does. Companies use her to market products, and they make a ton of money because her fans will buy anything she’s tied to. You even clicked on this article because you saw "Taylor" in the title and you wanted to see if anyone was talking trash about your girl. I hope this lived up to your expectations. Roast me in the reviews.
Taylor Swift isn't just an artist anymore, she has become an identity.
I'm here to offer a dissenting opinion: It's okay to like other music and no, Taylor Swift is not the greatest artist of all time. Sorry. We need to stop demonizing people who don't like her music because if every non-Swiftie is secretly evil, I fear this fandom may be more of a cult.
And... I need to get laid.
Edited by Leah Mesquita, Natalia Jarrett and Abigail Wilt. This story is part of The Herd Issue, which was released on November 5, 2025. See the entire publication here.
Reach Abigail Wilt at amwilt@asu.edu and follow her on Instagram at @abigail.wilt.
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Abigail Wilt is a managing editor for State Press Magazine. She is a fourth-year student majoring in journalism and mass communication with a minor in English literature. She was a fellow for Carnegie-Knight News21 for 2025 and is currently a health disparities reporter for Cronkite News. Formerly, she was a magazine reporter, visuals editor and photographer for The State Press.
