Taylor Swift is a big social liberal, but she clearly loves capitalism, too | Opinion

If her “Eras” tour has demonstrated anything, it’s that Taylor Swift’s pennies made her crown: Look what you made us do, Taylor.

Like many younger millennials, the 33 year-old singer leans to the political left: In 2018, she made waves when she endorsed Phil Bredesen, the Democratic candidate for Senate, in her home state of Tennessee. She said she couldn’t support Republican Marsha Blackburn because of her stances on social issues.

She was adamantly opposed to Donald Trump during his presidency. She has supported groups that advocate for gun control and backed politicians who favor the Equality Act, which promises to bolster rights for LGBTQ people, although it’s yet to pass in Congress.

But when it comes to Swift’s music business, she’s a firebrand for the free market — and it’s hard not to be impressed by it.

Swift makes about $150 million per year and has been known to sweep up $400,000 via streaming royalties in a single week. That doesn’t count this year, when she launched an incredible multi-city tour, complete with 27 concerts that last more than three hours each. She plays 44 hits cherry-picked from previous albums. She just left Arlington, where she sold out AT&T Stadium for three straight nights. In a few weeks, she’ll be back to Texas to play in Houston.

According to Billboard, Swift is on track to sell $600 million in tickets. Of course, a significant part of that goes toward production costs, the incredible set, backup dancers, the venue and more. Attendees have said the show’s production is top-tier and worth the hefty price of admission, which approaches the cost of at least a month’s rent for two people.

Original ticket prices for the Texas concerts ranged from $49 to $499. In the hands of resellers, greed — I mean, the market — forced some ticket prices to $5,000 and beyond. As the concert dates neared, even up until hours before Sunday’s show, tickets simply got more expensive: Seats that had been in the $300 range were now $500 and so on. Even spots with limited viewing, somewhat behind the stage, were nearly $800 a piece.

Everybody loves the free market when it’s in their favor. Swift will make some serious bank on this tour.

I don’t begrudge her at all: This is capitalism, baby. Singer, songwriter, show woman: Taylor Swift embodies that unique entertainment trifecta, a publicists’ dream, a venue like Arlington’s AT & T stadium’s unicorn. She doesn’t just make money because of capitalism, Taylor Swift practically embodies it. Even her fans get in on it.

She could keep all her tickets in a reasonable price range like her bestie Ed Sheeran does. You can find tickets to his concerts for under $100. But if people are willing to pay more, why not charge more? That’s the free market working for you.

Back in 2014, Swift took a stand against Spotify and Apple Music’s streaming policies that seemed unfair to artists. She didn’t just scold them, either: She removed her entire catalog from Spotify. The next year, she gave Apple Music a tongue lashing for not paying their artists for trial period streams; they stopped. (Eventually, she did release her entire catalog on all streaming services in 2017.)

But here’s the thing: The Democrats she backs don’t exactly support capitalism. Democrats raise taxes on the middle class and wealthy taxpayers, and constantly are fighting to place more and more regulations on small and mid-size businesses. This is why so many people are moving to Texas from California; it’s a bit easier and lighter on the wallet to run a company.

Democrats are socially more liberal, and Swift is drawn to these values, like many are in the entertainment industry. Socialist ideas sound good on paper — all that sharing and equality. But in reality, Swift’s cleaning up in a business that thrives on the advantages of the free market, which most conservatives not only support but try to advance when possible, by lowering taxes or supporting deregulation.

Competition drives Swift’s choices, from venue to pricing. When supply doesn’t meet the demand, ticket prices skyrocket. While she may not pocket all that change, she, in fact, is the demand.

If you went to her concerts or paid for any of her albums or merchandise, you made this all happen for her, too. Even if you vote for liberal tax policies, you love the kind of dazzling, glittering, swooping, sloping, cursive-lettered production that only Swift could create. That’s OK, too. Swift is a liberal in the sheets and a conservative in the streets.