Pop star Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris for the 2024 U.S. presidential election is generating buzz, not only in the political sphere but also in Swift’s music, and social media metrics.
Since her public declaration of support for Harris on Sept. 10, Swift has gained a notable boost in followers across multiple platforms, despite facing criticism from Donald Trump and some of his supporters.
Swift’s Spotify following has surged since her endorsement of Harris. According to Chartmetric, Swift has gained 1.85 million new followers on the platform, reaching a total of 122.56 million by Oct. 3. This impressive figure places Swift just behind Indian music star Arijit Singh, who holds the top spot with 123.29 million followers.
However, some critics, particularly Trump supporters, have pointed to a drop in Swift’s Spotify monthly listener count as evidence that the endorsement has cost her fan support. Since Sept. 10, Swift’s monthly listener number has dropped by about 3%, with a decline of 3 million listeners, bringing her total to 91.4 million.
Related: John Legend Praises Taylor Swift for Endorsing Kamala Harris Despite The Risk
But experts argue this drop is misleading, as it comes on the heels of an all-time high following the release of her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, in April 2024. Swift’s listener count reached a peak of over 116 million in May, and the current decline is seen as a natural return to more stable levels.
Despite the current fall, Swift’s monthly listener count is still greater than her averages from 2020 to 2023, according to Songstats.
Despite not releasing new music in over six months, Swift remains the fifth most popular artist on Spotify, following only The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Bruno Mars, and Lady Gaga.
Away from Spotify, since endorsing Harris, Taylor’s Instagram follower count has also grown by around 260,000, bringing her total to 283.9 million.
Related: Taylor Swift Feeds Over 900 People Through Cardiff Foodbank Charity Donation
Additionally, her YouTube following has increased by 200,000, now standing at 60.1 million, while her video views on the platform have risen by 0.7%, reaching 372.2 million views in the past 30 days, per Social Blade.
Swift’s endorsement of Harris didn’t go unnoticed by former President Donald Trump. In an interview on Fox & Friends, Trump commented, “I was not a Taylor Swift fan,” claiming that Swift would “pay a price” for endorsing Harris in the marketplace.
Just days later, on Sept. 15, Trump posted “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on his Truth Social platform, without providing any further explanation.
In her September 10th endorsement of Harris, Swift criticized Trump for previously circulating a fake, AI-generated image that falsely suggested she had endorsed him. Swift directed her Instagram followers to Vote.gov, driving over 400,000 visitors to the U.S. government’s voter registration website in a single day.
Related: Taylor Swift Net Worth in 2024
