Can Taylor Swift Conquer China?

From her record-breaking Eras tour and subsequent filmed concerts to her romance with NFL star Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift has had an incredible year.

Swift nearly doubled her personal wealth this year, earning more than $1 billion from her tours and films, according to Forbes magazine. This singer was named “Person of the Year” by Time magazine and is credited with being able to improve the local economy at every stop on his tour.

However, Swift received attention on her world tour when she decided to skip several Asian countries, including her favorite China. Newsweek has reached out to Swift's representatives for comment via email.

Swift still plans to release Eras in China. Billboards are starting to appear in Chinese cities, suggesting that government regulators may be giving the green light, according to Variety magazine .

Oscar Zhou, a media studies professor at the University of Kent in England, interviewed Swifties in China. Country. . Zhu added that the singer had a "special destiny" with China.

Sherlock Swifties

Swifties are scouring the internet for clues as to when Eras will drop. Some people think it will happen before or on December 13, Swift's birthday. And when these films hit streaming services, it reduces box office receipts in China, increasing the risk of international piracy.

Zhou said the release date was "the most popular topic of discussion on Chinese social media." Many fans predict that the film will be released in April, when Taylor will take a break from her touring schedule after performing near Singapore.

“That means this probably happened in China [first],” Zhou added. “His fans are doing research and trying to figure out when is the right time for him to come here.”

It remains to be seen whether Eras will achieve the same success in China ($250 million worldwide in just a few weeks, according to IMDbPro). Box office performance could be hampered by the piracy epidemic and rising anti-Western sentiment.

Taylor '1989'

Before we get into the economics, it's important to understand how popular Swift is in China. “It's not just because he's extraordinary,” said Jonathan Sullivan, director of the Chinese language program at the University of Nottingham in England.

"Everything around Taylor was a global phenomenon, and the Chinese people were very enthusiastic about participating in global experiences and discussions, even as domestic and international politics became more limited," Sullivan told Newsweek.

In particular, some of Swift's works have resonance with Chinese culture. “It makes people feel connected to it,” Zhou said of his first tour of China with his album Red , the country's national color.

Then came their acclaimed album 1989 . It was the year of the Tiananmen Square uprising in Beijing, China, “a special year for the Chinese people,” Zhou said. This informal and ongoing relationship has helped endear Swift to the Chinese people, especially in a tough cultural market, Zhou added.

According to Sullivan, Swift has many young Chinese girls who admire her independent character, political views and of course her health.

Swift fits the Chinese aesthetic of a Western woman, and her music is very different from the K-pop and tangerine pop that dominate China's charts.

Geopolitics and Swift

It's these qualities that have helped Swift avoid becoming part of a trend among Chinese consumers turning away from Western media content. Political relations between the United States and China are not good and patriotism is on the rise, which is reflected in the poor performance of Western films and audiences being more receptive to Chinese content.

“US-China relations are at an all-time low, patriotism is on the rise, debate over the appeal or relevance of Western culture to China is rife,” Sullivan told Newsweek .

According to Sullivan, releasing the Era concert film alone could be a way to show China's goodwill after the thaw in US-China diplomacy.

The two researchers discussed the issue of piracy in China, but said they did not believe it had a major impact on Eras' box office performance. Concert films are more of an experience than a product.

“The goal for the fans is to be there, dress up, sing and feel the impact they have on the community. "I don't think the inevitable pirated version will make a huge difference in ticket sales, it's significant," Sullivan said.

Zhou added that the film's release was an opportunity to "do the right thing" by educating the public about intellectual property and supporting the film in theaters.

Taylor politics

Elements of Swift's brand, which could pose a threat to Eras in China, are one of the biggest concerns of young Chinese fans. Her outspoken opinions on topics such as LGBTQ+ rights, feminism, and politics.

“Her support for LGBTQ+ rights and feminism will help her become popular in China,” Zhou said. He added that although the musician is often outspoken, people enjoy hearing about Swift because "she's the girl next door."

But Swift had to be careful in negotiations to bring her film to China without "hurting feelings" or "upsetting the Chinese public," Sullivan said. As long as she avoids unrest in countries like Taiwan and Hong Kong, Swift will be fine, both experts said.

Taylor is a game changer

Another sign that Eras will be a success in China comes amid two changes in the film industry, both there and at America First, where Swift and her team are producing Eras and negotiating directly with AMC theaters, cutting out the middle. Humans in the distribution system. This move had the potential to disrupt the Hollywood system as we know it, and even Beyoncé followed suit and released her own Beyoncé concert film.

AMC will split 43% of profits in what it calls "new business lines," and Swift gets the remaining 57%. Its former majority shareholder, Wanda Films, has close ties to China's largest cinema chain, which could help Eras get past that threshold, Variety said.

China Eras could then become the first film to be screened under the country's new "branch distribution" policy. In the past, films were distributed entirely by the government, but the government is trying to transfer this function to private parties.

Alibaba, the e-commerce company , is reportedly in talks to distribute Picture Eras. Due to direct participation in the deal, this can make a big difference in when and how many theaters it will be released in .

Whatever happens, Chinese Swifties are thrilled that Eras was able to make it happen, and so is Zhou. “I'm personally very happy that this is happening,” he said.

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