The idea here is not to equate things that have no equivalence, but I have to admit that my curiosity towards all human beings always takes over.
On the occasion of the singer Taylor Swift's visit to Canada for a series of six concerts, I wanted to speak about the megaphenomenon that she has become over the years, the cult of celebrity and above all the personal cost of notoriety.
This is especially relevant considering that female pop singers are rarely considered singer-songwriters in their own right, even when they write their own songs.
Tortured poets and the gilded cage of fame
It's difficult for ordinary people to understand, but being admired and surrounded by people, at all hours of the day and night, can cause a feeling of alienation. How many celebrity interviews are there where the gilded cage metaphor is brought up in one form or another? The title of Swift's eleventh and final album, The Tortured Poets Departmentevokes this ambivalence in the face of notoriety.
In 2014, in an interview with the late host Barbara Walters for the ABC News network, the singer said:
“The most abnormal thing about my life is seeing crowds forming everywhere I go. Absolutely everywhere. And when that happens, I have to have security guards with me everywhere I go. And suddenly I realize that I haven't been alone, truly, for five years.”
In 2023, Swift was crowned Person of the Year by TIME Magazine. The same year, she split from her partner of the last six years, Joe Alwyn. The song I Can Do It With A Broken Heart evokes this rupture. Swift was then in the middle of her tour, The Eras Tourwhich stops in Toronto this week, one of the highest-grossing tours in music history.
The myth of Cassandra and the other side of the coin
On The Tortured Poets Departmentthe room Cassandrathe only one that touched me on this last opus, echoes the myth of Cassandra; the story of a cursed prophetess who tries to warn everyone of imminent danger without anyone taking her seriously.
Although the singer never speaks about the people who inspire her songs, it is difficult not to see it as a direct reference to her troubles with rapper Kanye West and his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. Or the saga between him and his former record company, Big Machine Records. To be able to rediscover the motherhood of her first six albums – and, ultimately, of her art, Swift chose to re-record them with the name “Taylor’s Version» to distinguish them from the versions of which it was dispossessed.
In Quebec, the cult of celebrity is not the same as among our neighbors to the South. Fortunately, we seem to have a certain modesty when it comes to public figures. However, money and power reveal the true nature of being human. Let's think of the Lavigueur, this family from the working-class Center-Sud district of Montreal who left their mark on the collective imagination after winning a historic Loto-Québec jackpot of nearly $8 million in 1986. One of the members of the family sued his father for his share of the loot.
Another example: in the early 2000s, amid tensions within the group Destiny's Child, Beyoncé had to break up with her long-time lover. He would later admit that the singer's success meant that he no longer felt up to par with her. The singer will be depressed for two years, convinced that no one will ever be able to love her. Her condition is so serious that she is bedridden and will sometimes refuse to eat. Beyoncé will explain that she was afraid to tell about this dark phase of her life because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy award.
«Champagne problems» and the race for oppression
You can certainly be privileged because of your social class, your skin color or even your gender. However, it is not because a person has privileges that the pain they can express is not real.
Let's think about all those stars who develop mental health problems, drug addiction or who end up taking their own lives. The 27 club, this famous list of musicians who all died at the age of 27, including the singer of the group Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, the guitarist Jimi Hendrix and, more recently, the singer Amy Winehouse, is one of them. eloquent example.
In 2021, Prince Harry, along with his wife Meghan Markle, conducted an intimate interview with host Oprah Winfrey. Markle has spoken out about the suicidal ideations she had during her pregnancy due to the harassment she suffered from the British press. Many people made fun of her as a “princess in a castle.” However, speaking about the darkest period of her life in public knowing full well that a pack awaits us at the first misstep is immeasurable proof of the strength of character of Meghan Markle.
Being at the top of a podium means standing out from ordinary people. There is a cost to this, even if it is not monetary. Even if we have all the material advantages in the world, that does not guarantee happiness. A person's professional advancement transforms the relationship they have with themselves and others. And it’s always for better and for worse.
To receive all of Kharoll-Ann Souffrant’s columns, subscribe to the newsletter Saturday debaters.
