When you think of a stereotypical Swiftie, a dad with two sons is not what comes to mind.
But that’s what Adam Eslick is. A proud Swiftie and a dad to 10-year-old Max and 12-year-old Damian.
And he’s not alone. According to data from Spotify, 29 per cent of Aussie dads are fans of Taylor Swift. While almost one in five admit to being more of a casual listener, one in 10 say they are passionate fans. And that’s the camp Dr Eslick fits into.
The Canberra anaesthetist has even been known to drink his coffee out of a “What would Taylor Swift do?” mug and pair his scrubs with some bejewelled Eras Tour sunglasses. And his new Kansas City Chiefs jersey arrived in the mail this week ready to wear to Saturday’s concert in Sydney as a nod to Swift’s boyfriend, NFL player Travis Kelce – who is also expected to be in attendance on the night.
“I’ve liked Taylor Swift for a long time – probably since before she was super popular,” Dr Eslick said.
“I’ve liked her since her first album [released in 2006]. I like a bit of country and western music so that’s how I came to enjoy her music. And my wife, Renee, has also grown into a crazy Swiftie in the last five to 10 years as well. We’ve always just listened to her together.
“We might argue about this but I think I came [to liking Taylor Swift] first.”
It’s Swift’s diversity that Dr Eslick likes. She covers a huge number of genres and has brilliant songwriting to back it up.
And as a family, Swift is one of the only artists they can all agree to listen to together – which means car trips are often filled with the singer’s songs.
They are a family of Swifties. Max is an unashamed Swiftie who’s been in the thick of friendship bracelet making and while Reputation is Damian’s favourite album, Dr Eslick said he’s a closet Swiftie because “he’s trying to be cool and not own up to it too much”.
But while Dr Eslick was a fan long before his sons were born, he is in the minority of Swiftie dads whose love of the singer was not influenced by their children.
Of the 29 per cent of Swiftie dads found by Spotify’s survey, 79 per cent noted their kids have influenced their Swiftie fandom, including more than one in three (35 per cent) who say their child or children have had a significant impact.
Of the Swiftie dads whose kids influenced their fandom, a mammoth 91 per cent noted Taylor Swift’s music has had a positive impact on their relationship with their kids, with 85 per cent suggesting this shared love of all things Tay Tay, has brought them and their kids closer together.
Almost nine in 10 (88 per cent) of Swiftie dads surveyed agreed that listening to Taylor Swift with their kids helped allow them to explore a more sensitive/vulnerable side, helping them find that irreplaceable connection point with their daughters and sons.
The phenomenon of the Swiftie dad has been recognised during the Eras Tour.
When speaking to The Canberra Times about the outfit she was embroidering for the concert, Johanna Evans said she was also embroidering a hat for her dad which read “Veteran Swiftie Dad” and included patches for the four Taylor Swift concerts they had attended together.
When it comes to famous Aussie dads who are getting into the Swiftie fever, musician Paul Kelly covered Swift’s Anti-Hero for Triple M last week, while Collingwood player Jack Crisp went viral this week after attending one of the Melbourne concerts over the weekend with his daughter.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he is attending Friday night’s Eras Tour concert in multiple radio interviews this week.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Mr Albanese told ABC Brisbane on Thursday.
“There’s a real buzz in this city [Sydney]. People are queuing up for hours to buy merch.”
When host Steve Austin then asked the Prime Minister if he would rather meet Taylor Swift or Travis Kelce he replied: “That’s a no-brainer. Taylor first, second, third, fourth and fifth.
“I think she’s an amazing lyricist. And I, as you know, DJ sometimes, and if you want to get people on the dancefloor, just play Shake It Off, which I think is a really good message to women as well.
“She speaks about female empowerment, which is so important. I think she’s a really good role model and she’s a very welcome guest in our country.”
As the lifestyle reporter, I love finding out what makes people tick and giving insight into the different ways that you can enjoy the city we live in. Email: [email protected]
As the lifestyle reporter, I love finding out what makes people tick and giving insight into the different ways that you can enjoy the city we live in. Email: [email protected]
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