Taylor Swift’s recent endorsement of Kamala Harris seems to be hitting a sour note with some of her fans. The pop sensation, who has a history of wading into political waters, threw her support behind Harris during the September 10 presidential debate. But what seemed like a move to stay on brand as an activist artist has apparently come with a hefty price tag. Since that night, Swift has reportedly lost over 2 million Spotify listeners, according to music analytics company Chartmetric. And that’s not the only platform feeling the fallout.
Her YouTube viewership in the U.S. has also taken a noticeable dip, dropping nearly 10 percent since her Harris endorsement. For an artist whose digital presence is an integral part of her empire, these losses likely won’t go unnoticed in her bank account, either. After all, Spotify compensates artists based on streams, so fewer listeners means fewer dollars.
Before the debate, Swift had 94 million unique listeners on Spotify each month. Fast forward to September 27, and that number had dropped to 91.9 million. While she’s still sitting pretty with massive numbers, losing 2 million listeners is no small hit for an artist of her stature, especially one so accustomed to shattering records.
Report: Taylor Swift Loses 2 Million Spotify Listeners After Kamala Harris Endorsement https://t.co/Xe2RENUucn
— Rob (@Raddog55) October 2, 2024
But this drop in listeners is just one piece of the puzzle. Swift’s popularity seems to be taking a broader hit across the political spectrum. According to a recent NBC News poll reported by Breitbart, her favorability rating among registered voters has taken a dip. Last year, Swift enjoyed a 40 percent favorability rating among voters, but that’s fallen to 33 percent this year. The shift in perception isn’t just among Republicans or conservatives; her approval among independents has dropped as well, sliding from 34 percent in 2023 to 26 percent now.
It seems that not everyone is interested in hearing pop stars weigh in on politics. The numbers reflect a growing divide between those who applaud Swift for using her platform and those who would prefer she “shake it off” and stick to music. While celebrities backing political candidates is nothing new, Swift’s political push appears to be alienating a portion of her fan base that may have been drawn to her music but not necessarily her politics.
SHOCKER Taylor Swift is voting for Kamala
TBH Taylor is a capitalist queen…crazy how her middle class fans dip into their savings & get new credit cards just to be able to go to her concert, buy new albums or get her merch…yet Taylor fails to mention inflation or economy pic.twitter.com/HqUPhbrZKn
— MORGONN (@morgonnm) September 11, 2024
The broader question here is whether Swift can afford to alienate a significant chunk of her audience. Of course, she’s a global star with a vast and loyal fan base, but these kinds of numbers show that her influence may not be as bulletproof as once thought. It’s one thing to win over the headlines with bold political statements, but it’s another when the consequences start hitting the bottom line. Only time will tell if this dip in popularity is a temporary blip or the beginning of a more significant trend.
Either way, it seems clear: not everyone is ready for the “Taylor Swift for President” era.
