After dominating stadiums, charts, headlines, and the box office, it’s official: Taylor Swift is Time‘s Person of the Year for 2023.
For many, Swift is forever and always their person of the year, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t an opportunity for Swifties to celebrate. Since the release of Lover in 2019, the pop star shied away from interviews, preferring to keep her story in her own hands. Therefore, the cover story is particularly exciting for fans and casual spectators alike.
In a tweet praising the Time cover story, she acknowledged her hesitance to do press and wrote, “I have tRuSt iSSueS when it comes to interviews but I couldn’t be happier that I did this one with [Sam Lansky].” The interview in question is full of the kinds of tidbits that will keep Stan Twitter (and anyone else keen to comment on Swift’s every move) busy for weeks.
Swift, a devoted cat lady, with lyrics like, “Karma is a cat,” posed with one of her three cats, Benjamin Button, draped around her neck. In a tweet, Swift wrote, “Time Magazine: We’d like to name you Person of the Yea- Me: Can I bring my cat.” Many praised the classically Swift move, while others poked fun at the move to only include Benjamin.
An Eras Tour update account wrote, “Meredith and Olivia Swift are silent amidst the reveal of Benjamin Button Swift’s feature on Taylor Swift’s cover shoot for TIME’s ‘Person Of The Year.'” Another fan joked, “she got one male cat and he’s the one on cover where’s the feminism.”
In true Swiftie fashion, many are using the cover story as an opportunity to clown about Reputation (Taylor’s Version)‘s announcement and release date. For example, one fan urged, “actually releasing rep tv after being named person of the year would be sooooooooo cunty do it taylor.”
In one of the buzziest quotes from the story, Swift compared her journey rerecording her previous albums to the quests from the quintessential millennial franchises Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and Avengers. She said, “I’m collecting horcruxes. I’m collecting infinity stones. Gandalf’s voice is in my head every time I put out a new one. For me, it is a movie now.”
One fan posted a screenshot of the quote with the caption, “I JUST PASSED OUT.” Others were quick to roll their eyes at the references. An X / Twitter user said, “You can be the most talented millennial in the world but you’re still a millennial at the end of the day.” Writer Hunter Harris tweeted, “say sike lmao.” Someone replied with a photo of a person wearing a shirt reading “ex Swiftie.”
The decision to name Swift Person of the Year was not without its critics. Many condemned Time for giving the distinction to an American pop star while the bombardment of Gaza continues. One X / Twitter user wrote, “times person of the year when russia invaded ukraine vs when israel is committing literal genocide against palestinians.” The tweet garnered over 68,000 likes. Another user quote tweeted the image of Swift and Benjamin, suggesting Person of the Year should have been given to one of the courageous journalists in Gaza. Others criticized Swift for receiving Person of the Year after a fan died at her show.
