When Xavier Yvon and his daughter follow in the footsteps of Taylor Swift across the United States

On September 15, Donald Trump published on his social network (Truth Social): “I hate Taylor Swift!” » In capital letters. Four days before, the superstar had expressed his support, with a view to the presidential election, for the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris. And the singer took care to attach to her message a link to register on the electoral lists. In the twenty-four hours that followed, 400,000 people connected to it compared to the usual 30,000 per day. If the Taylor Swift phenomenon no longer surprises us today, we still need to understand it. This is the challenge taken on by journalist Xavier Yvon and his 13-year-old daughter, Sacha, who undertook a ten-day road trip across the United States. Together they create an excellent podcast in six episodes with the perfect combination: Sacha's freshness is infectious, their father-daughter relationship is touching, and their journey is instructive.

The teenager and her father make a first stop in Nashville, to go to the Blue Bird Café. It is in this intimate place, with only 86 seats, that the singer's career was launched in November 2004. “She sang in the middle of the room alongside the musiciansexplains the director of the premises. After his performance, Scott Borchetta asked him to join his project Big Machine Records. » Sacha remains stunned: “I can’t imagine she was there. » On the road, Xavier Yvon shows his daughter the poster for the Johnny Cash museum. “Well? He’s super ugly”she replies before asking who it is. His father protests and repeats: “Who is Johnny Cash?” Next to him, Taylor Swift is rubbish. » Misfortune. Sacha puts on his most piquant expression and says: “Well, do a Johnny Cash podcast then. »

“His career has shaken up the music market”

Following their journey, the journalist and his daughter spoke with Stéphanie Burt, a Harvard professor who initiated a teaching semester entitled “Taylor Switft and her name”. The teacher explains that the star is a good way to introduce other authors: “If you teach a course on Taylor Swift and dedicate a day to the work of Alexander Pope, you will multiply by five or even ten the number of students who will have read Pope”as there are so many of them enrolled in this subject. And a journalist from The Wall Street Journalmet later in the trip, says that Taylor Swift had somehow “predicted” the swifties phenomenon. “She foresaw the evolution of fan culture. Her career has shaken up the music market, particularly when she fought against the music industry and free streams on platforms. »

This podcast is versatile: it allows you to learn while having fun. The listener becomes a discreet ear in this father-daughter relationship. It is easy to travel with them, to join in with their various encounters, and to understand in their company one of the most significant cultural and popular phenomena of our time.

Taylor Swift, the world, my daughter and me, France Inter