Swifties, this one’s for you. It seems like Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has lasted eons. Yet somehow, there’s always something to talk about. Just thinking about how much she’s accomplished while on tour makes me want to buckle down, lock in, and channel my inner girlboss. But while I can’t even be bothered to cook dinner at home after a long day of work, Taylor is accomplishing milestones most musicians can only dream of. Let’s recap.
The Era’s Tour began in March 2023 with its North American leg. It’s set to go until December 2024, with dates in Europe, Australia, Asia, and South America— spanning 152 shows across five continents.
As the queen of multitasking, Swift hasn’t stopped at just selling out stadiums. Since the Eras tour began, she’s released multiple albums — both new and old — and shaken up the tour setlist with each new release. Her list of new releases started on the first day of tour with “All Of The Girls You Loved Before,” which was quickly followed up by “The Alcott,” a feature on The National’s album — reciprocity for their work on her pandemic era albums, Folklore and Evermore.
She also released Midnights: Late Night Edition (including the iconic collab with Ice Spice), as well as not one but two album re-releases — Speak Now Taylor's Version and 1989 Taylor's Version. As if that wasn’t enough, she announced her latest album, The Tortured Poet’s Department, in a GRAMMY’s acceptance speech. Talk about legendary. Since its release, she’s also been churning out deluxe versions and remixes to keep us on our toes. The Eras Tour was even made into a Blockbuster film that brought Beyonce to its premiere. Star power: confirmed.
But that’s just her work life. Her personal life is just as eventful. She ended her 7-year relationship with Joe Alwyn in April 2023. Then entered into a brief but controversial fling with 1975 frontman Matty Healy. Though it didn’t last long, the relationship was enough to inspire a whole album and catapult her into her current romance with Travis Kelce, aka Amerca’s first nepo boyfriend. Now they’re the American Royal couple — and she somehow had time to fly from tour to his Super Bowl performance.
We all have the same hours in the day as Taylor Swift, but how she uses them will always be a mystery to me. I work eight hours a day and can barely manage a social life. Meanwhile, Taylor literally has it all — though conservatives are turning on her for daring to be a woman in her 30s who’s not married with kids. If that’s not proof that women can’t do anything right, I don’t know what is.
Clearly, she’s working late because she’s a singer. No wonder Taylor Swift became a billionaire months into her tour in October 2023. Her net worth is currently around 1.3 billion dollars, making her the only female musician to become a billionaire from her music.
Other entertainment billionaires like Rihanna, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Jay-Z, and Kanye West have joined the three-comma club thanks to ventures like clothing brands, beauty products, and other entrepreneurial pursuits. Rihanna has her FENTY Empire. Kim has her award-winning SKIMS. Ye had Yeezy. But Taylor has an unbeatable catalog of publishing.
But Taylor isn’t just different from other Billionaires because of how she earned her money. She’s the Taylor we know and love because of how she spends it. Her rollercoaster Eras Tour is how she’s made much of her fortune. And she’s using it to give back in monumental degrees. From individual donations to investing in local infrastructure, Taylor is literally changing lives on a macro and micro scale. And teaching us what to expect from all billionaires in the process.
The Era’s Tour Bonuses — Talk About Workplace Benefits
First to make headlines were the Eras Tour crew bonuses. While some of us get rewarded with a pizza party or a $10 gift card to Starbucks, Taylor casually dropped $55 million in bonuses for her tour crew. The massive sum was paid out to everyone who makes the Eras Tour go around, from truck drivers to dancers and sound technicians.
In fairness, these bonuses are definitely well-deserved. Taylor’s shows are over three hours long. Imagine dancing for that long — because Swift certainly isn’t the one with the impressive moves — for hundreds of tour dates. Or remembering countless combinations of light cues to go with a setlist that changes daily. Yeah, they’re clocking in. And if my boss had millions to blow, I’d be expecting a comfortable bonus too. But $55 Million? That’s a testament to Swift’s generosity. It's like she's Oprah, but instead of cars, she's giving out life-changing amounts of cash. "You get a bonus! You get a bonus! Everybody gets a bonus!"
It’s similar to how Zendaya gave film equity to every member of the crew that worked on her controversial black-and-white drama, Malcolm & Marie. Filmed in a few days with a bare-bones crew during the peak of the pandemic, the film was Zendaya’s passion project with Sam Levinson, in which she starred alongside John David Washington. Though the film got mixed reviews, it captured the audience’s attention all the same. After all, it was Zendaya — and we’ll watch her in anything. So since the film sold to Netflix for a hefty sum, all the crew members got payouts from the deal on top of their salaries to reward their hard work.
Bonuses and equity payouts are common in many industries, but not entertainment. Even though it’s one of the most lucrative and recognizable American industries, most entertainers don’t make enough to survive. The SAG and WGA strikes last year were proof that there needs to be systemic change in the industry. LA County has even identified show businesses as risk factors for being unhoused — after all, how many stories do we hear of actors who were living in their cars before their big break? And for many, their big break never comes. For even more, they get hired on amazing gigs with giant performers … then go right back to the grind afterward. While individual actions from our favorite stars won’t fix everything, Zendaya and Taylor are providing models for how Hollywood should treat the people who make this town go round.
And in this economy, even a little bit could go a long way. Inflation and the cost of living are not a joke. Especially when, like with many creative careers, you often have to invest in lessons or equipment for your craft. With all this considered, the impact of Swirt’s donations can’t be overstated. Imagine getting a lump sum of cash for dancing to your favorite Taylor Swift tracks? Talk about a dream job.
The Economic Impact of Swift - Swiftonomics, if you will
Like Barbie and Beyonce last year, Swift is still on a tear to boost the economy of the cities she’s in just by traveling there — ad inspiring others to make the trek, too.
The Barbie movie proved that by marketing to women (instead of just making Marvel flops like Madame Web that aren’t really targeted to women at all), the entertainment industry can make giant profits. Barbie fever went beyond the theater. Thanks to a plethora of product collabs, the phenomenon rippled through retail.
Similarly, Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour tour generated an estimated $4.5 billion for the American economy. According to NPR, that’s almost as much as the entire 2008 Olympics earned for Beijing. People were taking money out of their 401ks to pay for Beyonce tickets and the glittery, silver-hues outfits to rock at her shows. Cities even started calling her effect the “Beyonce Bump.”
Swift has the same effect. She’s not just proving her generosity on a micro-scale for the people close to her, she’s having actual, tangible effects on the economy. It's like she's leaving a trail of dollar bills in her wake, and cities are scrambling to catch them like it's a country-pop, capitalist version of musical chairs.
The US Travel Association called it the Taylor Swift Impact after she generated over $5 Billion in just the first 5 months of the Eras Tour. But how does this work? It’s not like Taylor is printing more money at those shows, but it almost is. Her tour dates are pretty much economic steroid shots for local businesses. Hotels are booked solid, restaurants are packed, and let's not even get started on the surge in friendship bracelet supplies.
“Swifties averaged $1,300 of spending in local economies on travel, hotel stays, food, as well as merchandise and costumes,” say the US Travel Association. “That amount of spending is on par with the Super Bowl, but this time it happened on 53 different nights in 20 different locations over the course of five months.” That’s not to say anothing of her effect on the actual Super Bowl and the entire NFL season thanks to her ball-throwing boyfriend.
It's like she's created her own micro-economy, and everyone's invited to the party. And unlike some economic theories that rely on wealth trickling down (spoiler alert: it doesn't), Taylor's wealth is more like a t-shirt cannon or the confetti at her shows — showering everyone around.
Donations that actually do good
Taylor isn’t just stepping into cities and calling it a night. She’s also not just throwing pennies at problems - she's making significant contributions that are changing lives. And more importantly, she's using her platform to encourage her fans to do the same.
She kicked off her tour with quiet donations to food banks in Glendale, Ariz., and Las Vegas ahead of the Eras Tour. Once the tour was in full swing, she continued this practice. In Seattle, she donated to Food Lifeline, a local hunger relief organization. In Santa Clara, she showed some love to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. And let's not forget about her $100,000 donation to the Hawkins County School Nutrition Program in Tennessee.
She’s been making similar donations overseas. Taylor Swift donated enough money to cover the food bills for an entire year across 11 food banks and & community pantries in Liverpool. Swift also covered 10,800 meals for Cardiff Foodbank and many more banks across the UK and EU. Her impact is so profound that her numbers are doing more to combat issues like hunger than the government.
Can billionaires actually be good?
One thing about me, I’m always ready and willing — knife and fork in hand — to eat the rich. Because fundamentally, can any billionaire really be good? In our late-stage capitalist horror story, the answer is usually no. Look how many of them are supporting the Trump campaign just to get some tax breaks.
But here's the thing - Taylor Swift might just be the exception that proves the rule. She's not perfect, sure. She still flies private jets and probably has a carbon footprint bigger than Bigfoot. But unlike most of the others in her tax bracket, she's not flaunting her wealth like it's a personality trait.
Take a look around. We've got billionaires trying to colonize Mars instead of, I don't know, helping people on Earth. In this context, Taylor's approach is more like Mackenzie Scott’s — Bezos’s ex-wife. She's not trying to escape to another planet - she's trying to make this one better.
And look, I'm not saying we should stop critiquing billionaires or the system that creates them. But she's just setting the bar for what we should expect from all billionaires. She's showing us that our collective power as fans can translate into real-world change. That our love for catchy choruses and bridge drops can somehow, improbably, lead to food banks getting funded and crew members getting life-changing bonuses.
So sorry to my neighbors who hear me belting “Cruel Summer” and “right where you left me” at the top of my lungs (and range). Just know it’s for the greater good.
How to Recycle Correctly in New York City
If you aren't recycling the right way, then you might as well not be recycling.
Everyone knows recycling is important, but how much of the waste in your recycling bin truly ends up being recycled?
Unfortunately, New York City only recycles about one-fifth of its garbage: around 8 percent of trash from homes and about 25 percent from businesses, according to the city's Department of Sanitation. While those numbers are discouraging, this makes it all the more important to correctly recycle the things that actually get recycled. If you've always been a person who just throws anything you think may vaguely be made of paper and plastic into the recycling bin, it's time to step it up.
The below information on recycling correctly is taken from NYC.gov.
Paper and Corrugated Cardboard
"Rules for Recycling Paper
Place mixed paper, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, and phone books out for recycling collection using any one of the following methods:
- Tie with twine into bundles no taller than 18 inches
- Place in clear, untinted plastic bags between 13 and 55 gallons
- Place in bins 32 gallons or less with green labels on both sides and the lid.
The bag or container must weigh no more than 60 pounds when placed out for collection. Bins must be secured with a tight-fitting lid.
The City does not give away green recycling bins.
Rules for Recycling Corrugated Cardboard
Only corrugated cardboard boxes may be recycled as corrugated cardboard. Heavily soiled or greasy cardboard should be disposed of with regular trash.
Corrugated cardboard must be flattened and tied with sturdy twine into bundles 18 inches tall or smaller. Bundles must not be placed in containers or clear bags unless broken into small pieces.
In buildings with mechanized collection, cardboard must be collapsed and placed into designated dumpsters.
Key Takeaways:
- You need to tie your cardboard into bundles.
- Greasy or food-covered cardboard or paper should go in the regular trash.
- Paper needs to be put in a clear bag or tied together with twine.
- Always fold up your cardboard
Plastic
"Rules for Recycling Plastic
- Rinse plastic containers, beverage cartons, and drink boxes before recycling
- Plastic can be mixed with metal and glass recyclables, but never with paper recyclables.
- Place plastic items in clear, untinted bags or blue-labeled recycling bins with a tight-fitting lid.
- Clear, untinted bags must be between 13 and 55 gallons in size and weigh no more than 60 pounds when placed out for collection.
- Containers must be 32 gallons or less and have blue labels on both sides and the lid. Containers must weigh no more than 60 pounds when placed out for collection.
To dispose of a plastic recycling or trash container, all receptacles should be clearly labeled as trash and put at the curb on the proper recycling collection day so that the Department of Sanitation will know that they should be collected.
Plastic Items That Can Be Recycled
- Plastic bottles, cups, jars, and jugs
- Beverage cartons and drink boxes (juice cartons, juice boxes)
- Milk cartons
- Plastic cutlery (spoons, forks, knives)
- Plastic plates
- Plastic hangers
- Rigid plastic caps and lids
- Rigid plastic food containers (Tupperware, yogurt, deli, hummus, dairy tubs, cookie tray inserts, "clamshell" containers, and other plastic takeout containers)
- Rigid plastic nonfood containers
- Rigid plastic packaging ("Blisterpak" and "clamshell" consumer packaging, acetate boxes)
- Rigid plastic housewares (flower pots, mixing bowls, plastic appliances, etc.)
- Bulk plastic (crates, buckets, pails, furniture, large toys, large appliances, etc.)
- Plastic appliances
- CDs, DVDs, disks, vinyl records, CD and DVD cases
- Satellite dishes
- Telephones
Plastic Items That Can't Be Recycled
- Styrofoam/plastic foam items (foam cups, foam egg cartons, foam trays, foam packing peanuts, foam sporting equipment, etc.)
- Plastic bags, wrappers, shower curtains, and all kinds of plastic "film"
- Plastic rings from soda and beer cans
- Cell phones
- Cassettes, VHS tapes
- Sports balls (basketballs, bowling balls, soccer balls, footballs, yoga balls, etc.)
- Plastic tubes (toothpaste, lotion, cosmetics, etc.)
- Single-serve food and drink squeezable pouches (juice pouches, baby food squeeze pouches, yogurt-to-go pouches, etc.)
- Garden hoses
- PVC pipes (must be no longer than 4 feet and placed out as bulk trash)
- Containers that held dangerous or corrosive chemicals
- Pens and markers
- 3-ring binders (if separate, the metal rings can be recycled)
- Umbrellas
- Lighters
- Luggage"
- Plastic food containers must be rinsed well
- Plastic must be separated from paper recyclables, though it can be mixed with glass
- Use a blue bin for plastics
Metal
"Rules for Recycling Metal
- Metal can be mixed with plastic and glass recyclables, but never with paper recyclables.
- Place metal items in clear, untinted bags or blue-labeled recycling bins with a tight-fitting lid.
- Clear, untinted bags must be between 13 and 55 gallons in size and weigh no more than 60 pounds when placed out for collection.
- Containers must be 32 gallons or less and have blue labels on both sides and the lid. Containers must weigh no more than 60 pounds when placed out for collection.
Large metal items, such as appliances, must be placed at curbside next to the recycling container. For appliances containing CFC gas, a CFC and Freon Removal appointment must be made prior to disposal.
To dispose of a metal recycling or trash container, all receptacles should be clearly labeled as refuse and put at the curb on the proper recycling collection day so that the Department of Sanitation will know that they should be collected.
Metal Items That Can Be Recycled
- Aerosol cans (empty)
- Aluminum foil wrap and trays
- Clean metallic car parts
- Dried-out paint cans (metal lids may be recycled separately)
- Faucets
- Food cans (empty and clean)
- Household metal (wire hangers with paper removed)
- Irons
- Knife blades (Blades of sharp metal knives (such as carving or chef's knives) should be wrapped in cardboard, taped, labeled "CAUTION: SHARP" and placed out with metal/glass/plastic recyclables)
- Lighting fixtures
- Nuts and bolts
- Metal utensils (including forks, spoons, and knives)
- Metal caps
- Pots and pans
- Satellite dish
- Small appliances that are mostly metal"
- Do not mix your metal recyclables with paper recyclables.
- Clearly mark large metal items you intend to recycle.
Bulky Metal Items
Large items that are all metal or mostly metal are recyclable as bulk items. If an item exceeds the listed weight, height, or amount requirements, you must hire a private carter for disposal.
Large items that are all metal or mostly metal and are recyclable as bulk items include:
- Air conditioners
- Auto parts (containing no hazardous materials or chemicals)
- Aluminum lawn furniture with plastic webbing
- Barbecue grills
- Bedsprings/Metal bed frames
- Bicycles
- Boilers
- Cabinets and appliances
- Clothes dryers
- Dishwashers
- Furniture
- Generators (less than 100 pounds)
- Lawnmower (empty fuel or bring to SAFE disposal event)
- Ovens
- Pipes (no longer than 4 feet)
- Porcelain-coated metal bathtubs and sinks
- Radiators
- Snow blowers (less than 100 pounds)
- Washing machines
- Water heaters (50 gallons or less)
Metal Compressed Gas Tanks
You can put fire extinguishers and helium tanks out for collection or take them back to where you bought them.
If you put them out, first empty them and remove the head. To empty an extinguisher, spray it into a damp paper bag.
Sanitation does not collect used compressed gas tanks such as propane, oxygen, and acetylene because they can explode in the garbage truck. You must take these tanks back to where you bought them.
Glass
Rules for Recycling Glass
- Only glass bottles and jars may be recycled as glass.
- Rinse the glass before you recycle it.
- Glass can be mixed with metal and plastic recyclables, but never with paper recyclables.
- Place glass in clear, untinted bags or blue-labeled recycling bins secured with a tight-fitting lid.
- Clear, untinted bags must be between 13 and 55 gallons in size and weigh no more than 60 pounds when placed out for collection.
- Containers must be 32 gallons or less and have blue labels on both sides and the lid. Containers must weigh no more than 60 pounds when placed out for collection.
Glass Items That Can't Be Recycled
- Drinking glasses and glassware
- Eyeglasses
- Glass tables
- Glass windows
- Light bulbs
- Mirrors
Broken Glass
To avoid bag punctures, broken glass should be placed into a cardboard box labeled "broken glass." The box should be sealed with tape and placed into a trash can or securely tied trash bag. Small containers of broken glass may be placed directly into a trash can or bag.
Larger, properly sealed, and labeled cardboard boxes that contain broken glass can be placed out for collection next to regular refuse containers/bags.
The broken ends of smaller single pieces of broken glass can sometimes be protected with several pages of newspaper taped around the broken end before being placed into a trash can or bag."
Key Takeaways:
- Only glass bottles and jars may be recycled as glass
- Rinse all glass recyclables
- If recycling broken glass mark it clearly
- Do not mix glass recyclables with paper recyclables
Here’s How cleancult Is Cleaning Up The Industry
Did you know that 91% of plastic isn't recycled? And the chemicals we use to clean our home and clothes contribute to a lot of that waste. A lot of store-bought green cleaners claim to be good for the environment and free of toxins, but they often come in plastic containers that will end up lying in landfills for years to come.
Luckily, cleancult is changing the green cleaning game for good. The line of natural household products includes everything from laundry & dishwasher tablets, all-purpose cleaner, to hand and dish soap. All products are made with only natural ingredients and aim to reduce your plastic waste by sending you the products in "milk carton" refills. You can use these to fill up your own bottles at home, or they sell zero waste glass starter bottles that you can reuse forever. Here are four reasons why people are raving about the only true green cleaning company.
cleancult sends you glass starter kit bottles that you can keep and reuse forever. From then, they send you refills in milk carton containers which save up to 90% plastic. These refills are recyclable, meaning zero waste.
Generic cleaning products contain toxic chemicals that can cause serious health conditions, like cancer. cleancult products are free of parabens and sulfates & blended with essential oils, making them perfect for those with sensitive skin.
All products are pet friendly and cruelty free.
They actually clean! The plant based formulas are tough on dirt but kind to the earth. Neat-freak approved, we promise!
It's affordable! The refills start from just $6.95 and can be delivered as little or often as you like.
cleancult products are gentle on your skin and kind to the earth. Their convenient refill plan can be delivered every one, two or three months, so you never have to worry about running out. Taking care of you, your home and the environment has never been easier!
UPDATE: Our friends at cleancult are offering readers a special discount. Follow this link to get 15% off your first order!
Here’s How cleancult Is Cleaning Up The Industry
The Green Cleaners That Actually Work
There has never been a more important time to act on improving the state of our environment. Did you know that 91% of plastic isn't recycled? That's just the tip of the iceberg.
The chemicals we use to clean our homes have catastrophic consequences on our habitat. A lot of store-bought green cleaners claim to be free of toxins, but they often come in plastic containers that will end up lying in landfills for years to come.
cleancultis changing the green cleaning game for good.
The line of natural household products includes everything from laundry & dishwasher tablets, to all-purpose cleaner, to hand and dish soap. After you take a quick quiz outlining your cleaning habits, cleancult will recommend the products you need.
When you decide which ones you want (you can customize their recommendations), they send you one-off glass containers filled with their products, so you can stop buying disposable plastic. For good. After that, they send you refills in biodegradable "milk cartons" to pour into the glass bottles.
Here's why people are raving about the only true green cleaning company.
Save up to 90% plastic. cleancult sends you reusable glass starter kit bottles, pre-filled with their products. From there, they send you refills in recyclable milk carton containers.
All products are free of toxic parabens & sulfates that can cause serious health conditions.
All products are pet-friendly & cruelty-free, and blended with essential oils, making them perfect for those with sensitive skin.
They actually clean! The plant-based formulas are tough on dirt but kind to the earth.
It's affordable! The refills start from just $6.95 and can be delivered as little or often as you like.
cleancult products are gentle on your skin and kind to the earth. Once you sign up for your first order, you can specify if you want your products delivered every one, two or three months, so you never have to worry about running out. Taking care of you, your home, and the environment has never been easier!