34-year-old American pop music queen Taylor Swift, also known as 泰勒·斯威夫特 (Tài lè·sī wēi fū tè) in China, embarked on and has continued her “The Eras Tour” last year, which has been widely embraced by many fans. Wherever she goes, the hotel and catering industry sees a boom in business, leading to what the Wall Street Journal has dubbed as “Taylornomics.” However, recently some of her fans have criticized the high prices of her merchandise, especially a 50-dollar 8-ounce candle, sparking controversy.
According to Newsweek’s report on the 20th, Taylor Swift’s personal website offers a range of products including clothing, select accessories, and collectibles. While some of her fans, known as Swifties, are highly loyal, they still express dissatisfaction with the high pricing of these products.
In particular, one item that has caused a stir is an 8-ounce candle priced at 50 dollars. This soy wax candle features Taylor Swift’s latest album title, “The Tortured Poets Department,” printed on the glass jar and box, and according to Taylor Swift’s website, this candle has a scent of “sandalwood and amber.”
One fan posted a screenshot of the candle on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “I appreciate Taylor Swift’s merchandise, but 50 dollars for an 8-ounce candle is just crazy.” Another fan commented on Taylor Swift’s X account @taylorswift13, saying, “I love you, but the price of this candle is really outrageous, you (referring to Taylor Swift) shouldn’t treat your fans like this.”
A comment quipped, “It’s only worth the price if Taylor Swift herself lights the candle.” Apart from the candle, fans have also complained about the unreasonable price of a 75-dollar blanket. Taylor Swift’s company has yet to respond to these criticisms.
Currently touring in Toronto, Canada, Taylor Swift enjoys immense popularity and staggering wealth.
In a Forbes report focusing on celebrity business and wealth, it was revealed on October 7th that Taylor Swift has topped the list as the world’s wealthiest female singer. The report states that Taylor Swift currently has a net worth of 16 billion dollars, with the majority of her income coming from last year’s world tour, The Eras Tour, amounting to a total of 6 billion dollars in merchandise rights and ticket sales, and an additional 6 billion dollars in music rights income, with real estate investments bringing in 1.25 billion dollars. Based on this data, Taylor Swift surpasses Rihanna with 14 billion dollars to become the richest female singer in the world.
Of note is the fact that Taylor Swift’s asset value in 2020 was only 3.65 billion dollars, and in just 4 years, her wealth has rapidly grown by approximately 3.5 times thanks to global tours and merchandise sales.