Chasing the music

Can you spot the difference between these word banks?

• Rituals, communal belonging, pilgrimage, religious transcendence¹.  
• Fellowship, walking in faith, congregation, discipleship².

They’re extremely similar, right? But what if I told you that one of them is about church, and the other about attending a Taylor Swift concert¹? Now that’s intriguing…

Like her, or not, the world’s insatiable hunger for Swift’s heart-wrenching lyrics, infectiously catchy choruses and magnetic charisma is undeniable.

From her Eras tour being the highest-grossing of its kind in history, to the Swifties (diehard Taylor Swift fans) who spend so much of their time following her and thousands of their hard-earned cash on tickets, music and merch, there’s something intriguing about Swift’s popularity. Almost two decades in, her relentless chart-topping presence is showing no sign of abating.  

This isn’t entirely unusual. Look back through music history and you’ll see that every generation has anointed a select few artists to be the voice of their era. Icons of music like the Beatles and Bob Dylan in the 1960s soundtracked the era’s shift to social and political liberalism. Then we had the Rolling Stones in the ’70s and Madonna in the ’80s. These enduring artists act as cultural glue, providing generational collective catharsis as they use their music to speak to the feelings and themes of the times.  

For Gens Z and Alpha, the likes of Taylor Swift is the glue that makes them stick. So much so, that Swift’s concerts have been likened to a spiritual experience, suggesting that faith and music actually share more in common than we think.

Music as a mirror

Music is an intensely emotive tool. It can speak to us when our own words fail; it can defy language voids. From a faith-based perspective, music is integral to worship. Most Christians have a go-to worship song that brings their faith to life when all other words fail. Scripture itself encourages the use of music to glorify God, with Psalm 100:2 urging, ‘Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.’ Scripture also promotes the use of music to share God with others, as suggested by Psalm 40:3, ‘He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord, and put their trust in him.’

From songs of salvation to the arena-filling anthems of pop idols, music is a great equaliser across a myriad of communities. It’s a conduit for connection, mirroring the realities, struggles and identities that deeply resonate in the people of that time. Swift is a talented singer-songwriter with incredible production value and ever-evolving aesthetics. But it’s her deeply human lyrics and love for her fans that resonate with today’s generation.  

Bridging the (generational) gap

Gens Z and Alpha are people characterised by uncertainty and apprehension; they are emerging in an increasingly anxious world, conscious of climate-change, the alienation caused by social media, AI and the longing for human connection. We are a generation engulfed by hypocrisy – sold the promise that we are living in the golden age of communication yet drowning in the reality of its alienation.

A 2018 study found that increased screen time and social media use has led to heightened distraction and decreased quality time spent on interpersonal relationships.³  Along with this, the generation’s self-esteem is suffering as the influx of idealised images and curated profiles contribute to feelings of inadequacy⁴ and loneliness⁵.  

Amid the growing decline of human connection and increased feelings of insecurity, Swift’s lyrics – and the lyrics of others who are rising in her wake – uncover something deeply profound about the state of the human condition in the 2020s. They are steeped in introspection, self-reflection and self-deprecation.

In her hit, ‘Mirrorball’, Swift reflects on comparison and conformity, exposing her desire to please others even if that means losing herself in the process. These themes are poignant for a generation that grew up with social media and the pressure of homogeneity it preys on. Declaring that she ‘can change everything about [her] to fit in’ reflects the universal pressure, particularly associated with young people, to conform⁷. This moves to another level of significance when positioned in the era of the ‘Instagram face’ and digitally altered images becoming the default⁶.  

Further, songs like ‘Antihero’ offer a perfectly imperfect exploration of self-sabotage and the grappling fear of others’ perceptions of herself as she sings, ‘I’ll watch as you’re leaving, ’cause you got tired of my scheming / I’m the problem, it’s me.’ It’s refreshing to hear one of the world’s biggest pop stars bearing her own transgressions and self-doubts that we all face in the vulnerability of relationships.  

This exploration of disenchantment and broken relationships strikes deep chords across the generations as evidenced by her smash hit ‘All Too Well’ which broke the internet and remains one of her biggest songs⁸. With lyrics like, ‘And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest / I’m a crumpled up piece of paper lying here / ’Cause I remember it all, all, all / Too well’, young adults see their relationship breakdowns and mistrust issues and take refuge in the music. This is especially so in a time of digital modern dating that promotes ghosting, avoidant attachment and bemusement⁹.

Such songwriting reminds us that nobody, no matter status or creed, is exempt from the imperfectly perfect fragility of the human condition. We admire Swift and her contemporaries (e.g. Ed Sheeran) because as easy as it would be for these global superstars to bask in fame and fortune, they choose to be vulnerable and embrace fans with great love and warmth. In an era fixated on superficial success, Taylor demonstrates how there’s genuine empowerment and hope found in being humble, honest and imperfect.

Going deeper

Changing gears here, while Swift’s songs may strongly relate, they do not redeem, at least in the long term. People’s intense emotional response to her songwriting reveals a deeper spiritual craving to be connected to an unconditional and lasting love.  After the concert has finished, and the playlist has paused, the sense of identity and being known fades more quickly than we would like. We long for permanence of the experience.  

Music can open the door to something greater; to the one who can make these feelings permanent. Our cries for long-lasting connection and acceptance are ultimately revealed and embodied in the unconditional love of Jesus. The most famous figure across all generations was cast as the Saviour of all, the source of eternal life and the light of the world. The son of a carpenter, born into controversy and peril; he empathised with our human struggle and knew what it was to contend with judgment and shame.  

Jesus’ message was one of love and acceptance. He came to love the marginalised and serve the imperfect and flawed. Jesus sees humankind on a deeper, more profound level than will ever be humanly tangible. Scripture shows us that Jesus understands our longing, and he yearns to offer us the deepest depths of safety and a limitless embrace.  

The depth of his interaction with us is profoundly demonstrated in the account of his impromptu meeting with a Samaritan woman at a well outside a village in Samaria. As the woman draws water from the well, Jesus says to her, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst – not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life’ (John 4:13 and 14, The Message).

Today, more and more young people are looking for and finding lasting solutions in Jesus. In a comprehensive report titled The Quiet Revival released earlier this year, the Bible Society highlights that the number of young people in England and Wales who are turning to Jesus in the 2020s is steadily increasing, and that this phenomenon is being led by the young. Similar change is also being observed in other countries and across Christian denominations, including in The Salvation Army.

As illustrated by the millions who attended Taylor Swift’s Eras tour last year, these young people continue to love their music. Yet, ultimately, whether it’s the soul-bearing lyrics of a Taylor Swift anthem or the shared euphoria of praise and worship, music can be a powerful channel towards the everlasting love of God and discovering our true identity in Christ. While the music might be loud, there’s something profound playing out in the background… Have you tuned in?

Marina Ley is Administration and Editorial Assistant, The Salvation Army International Headquarters

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