Hundreds of Swifties and tortured poets alike descended upon the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Downtown Cleveland Friday for Taylor Swift Fan Day, celebrating the release of the pop superstar's 11th studio album.
Fans traveled across the region to sing and dance, make friendship bracelets and view some of the outfits Swift wore in various music videos and performances, including her iconic "Folklore" cardigan.
The singer’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years. Her Eras Tour is the highest-grossing concert of all time, and her newest album "The Tortured Poet's Department" is already breaking records. Within 12 hours of its release, the surprise double album became Spotify's most streamed album in a single day in 2024, according to Billboard.
"She understands how you feel in a way that it seems nobody else really has been able to put into words," said 33-year-old Sydney Cunningham, who traveled to the Rock Hall from Ashtabula with her mom and daughter. "She has such a gift for metaphors. It's just poetic."
Swift is not eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame until 2031 — 25 years after the release of her first record — but Amanda Pecsenye, the museum's director of curatorial affairs, said they wanted to bring together Swift's multi-generational fanbase and celebrate the effect she's had on the music industry.
"She has an amazing, supportive and creative fan base, and I think she's such a great artist," Pecsenye said. "She herself is so creative and dabbles in so many different genres and is just also a strong, businesswoman who's totally in charge of her career. So she's, definitely someone worth celebrating."
58-year-old Debbie Fay of Youngstown and Lucia Martuccio were among the scores of fans enjoying a DJ spinning remixes of Taylor songs in the museum's atrium. The pair met as part of a breast cancer survivor group and bonded over their love of Swift.
"She’s just it," Fay said. "She is, to me, the modern-day Dolly [Parton]. You know, Dolly is a legend. Taylor is a legend already. ... I mean, listen to her! I mean, she just makes you feel good. She makes me feel good."
The event was on Martuccio's 44th birthday; two times "22," she quipped in a nod to Swift's 2013 hit song. She said she stayed up until midnight to listen to the new album and when Swift announced a surprise 2 a.m. drop of 15 additional tracks, she woke up to listen to the rest.
"I love how genuine she is. I love her music. She's generous. And I love how in love she is right now, too," she said, referencing Swift's boyfriend, NFL star and Cleveland Heights native Travis Kelce.
Last month, the Rock Hall hosted a Beyonce fan event the same day the singer released "Cowboy Carter." Though neither Swift nor Beyonce are yet inducted into the Hall of Fame, Pecsenye said the museum is considering offering more of these events in the future. This year's nominated inductees include the likes of Mariah Carey, Cher and the Dave Mathews Band.
