The pop sensation released her eleventh studio album in April of this year, and with it came a fresh wave of adoration (not to mention new NFL boyfriend) and attacks against the 34-year old singer.

Let me preface this article with this: I am not a Swiftie. Never have been, never will be. But the name of Taylor Swift in and of itself is enough to spark passionate debate, sharp criticism, and wild praise. Whatever you think of the pop sensation, one thing is undeniable - she is a tour de force in culture right now.

Her record-breaking, 18 month, world-circling Eras tour is projected to net a whopping $4 billion by its conclusion at the end of this year.

After encouraging her Instagram followers to go and register to vote, 35,000 Swifties did exactly that.

The NFL 2024 season was dominated by photos and footage of the pop star cheering on her tight-end boyfriend Travis Kelce - a relationship that has some wondering if it could spark a new baby boom.

All in all, Taylor Swift is not just one of the (if not the) highest grossing female artists of all time, but she daily influences the choices and beliefs of millions of fans worldwide.

‍How should Christians and conservatives approach this one-woman world-changer?

First, let’s look at the art she makes.

I found myself the other day comparing her songs to a bag of chips - gratifying a quick craving, but ultimately unsatisfying when we realize it’s mostly air and empty carbs. Her songs epitomize the experience of a young woman yearning for romance, thrill, adventure - reveling in the quick highs and indulging in the low low’s. This is a massive reason why the singer is so popular - her songs strike a chord with the vast majority of women experiencing the same feelings.

But in the end, her art is promoting a lifestyle antithetical to the life God calls us to live: a life of prudence, humility, self-denial, delight in God and not man. And most relevantly - a lifelong commitment to one person in a marriage covenant.

The teenage girls screaming her lyrics at the top of their lungs are unknowingly echoing a hellish rhetoric far beneath the fullness of life God intends for his children.

It’s not wrong for believers to enjoy a quick bag of chips every once in a while, but we cannot build a diet around it. We must first and foremost feast on the bread of life.

Next, let’s look at the artist herself.

I, as a woman, have much compassion for her quest to find love. Furthermore, I can’t imagine that search for love being daily in the spotlight and daily scrutinized. 

But, like most 21st century women, Taylor Swift has fallen prey to the lie that constant dating, constant hookups, and a constant search for love might end in a fulfilling joy and satisfaction. And whether intentional or not, her self-gratifying approach to love is a heartbreaking model set for millions of young girls who have her lyrics memorized front to back.

Apart from the doomed, feminist example she sets for young women, she also actively promotes ideologies that are inherently harmful. Her Instagram posts, political endorsements, and statements from the stage have resulted in widespread political influence among her fanbase - even to the extent of warranting its very own Wikipedia page. 

Apart from her art, the celebrity herself is one of immense influence - one that the active believer would be wise to hold against the standards of the Bible, and one that the politically engaged individual would be foolish to ignore.

Finally, let’s look at the debate she sparks.

With any significant platform comes significant criticism. And the outcry against her from Christians and right-leaning pundits has been significant. 

The criticism of her rhetoric is justified. As mentioned above, it is promoting an unrighteous, un-Biblical agenda. But the criticism of the art has bled into criticism of the artist, and in ways that may be too harsh to justify. Critics devalue her as a person, citing her status as unmarried and childless at 34 years old. Other critics have stooped so low as to call her ugly, and question the amount of eggs she has left.

These kinds of remarks are detrimental to the conservative movement’s loss of influence among Millennial and Gen Z women. They only give fuel to the flames of the left’s accusations of misogyny and sexism being alive and well in right-wing spheres. But these attacks approach a deeper danger at the heart of the criticism against the pop star.

Fellow believers, let’s not lose sight of the value Taylor Swift holds as an individual and as an image-bearer of God. We can disagree and battle against the ideology the feminist singer constantly purports, while still praying she finds redemption and wholeness in the miraculous salvation Christ offers us.

Let’s go on the offensive against the rhetoric, not the person. Let’s remember that these ideas did not originate with her, but that she herself has also fallen victim to the toxic feminism that currently defines Millennials and Gen Z women. 

Let’s fight back against the messages she is singing into the hearts and souls of the masses, while still praying for the heart and soul of the singer herself to be saved and set free by the love of Christ.

Please guys - let’s stop bashing Taylor Swift.

Written by Faith Victoria Duncan