2018 Ticketmaster Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift
What inspired US fans to name Taylor Swift as 2018 US Artist of the Year after her blockbuster Reputation tour came to a close? Let us count the ways.
For one thing, Swift was starting from a place of strength. After all, the album Reputation was certified triple Platinum, with its biggest single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” going Platinum four times over. The album boasted a larger-than-life production, the tour production matched it in spades. From Swift’s high flying over her audiences, to surprise guests, and the gigantic, building-sized snake sculptures looming over the stage, Swift has forevermore upped the standard for stadium tours.
Speaking of stadiums, Swift broke attendance records at one after another, throughout her tour’s 53 shows. She raised the bar for touring records set by everyone from Metallica to One Direction and even U2. And at several of them she became the first female ever to headline multiple nights, giving her longtime “girl power” theme some real teeth.
Like Springsteen on Broadway, Swift’s Reputation tour was also powered by Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan, enabling a staggering one million fans to gain access to tickets early, safely, and quickly based on their engagement and passion for this powerful performer.
The tour became the biggest-selling North American run by any woman ever, and guess who Swift beat out for that honor? Yep, you guessed it: herself. She actually set the previous record with the 2015 tour for her album 1989.
It’s no wonder the Reputation tour earned rapturous reviews everywhere from Variety to Billboard and beyond, and her fans were “Ready For It” as they dub her Ticketmaster’s 2018 Artist of the Year for the US.
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