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.
My Thank You Letter To Toni Morrison
Photo credit: Michel Euler/AP/Shutterstock
I’ll never forget the moment I finished reading Sula by Toni Morrison.
I closed the book and then cried.
I cried at how beautifully the story was written, I cried at the powerful revelation Nel (one of the main protagonists) has at the end, and I cried out in relief. Relief that, for once, both black and female characters were shown in all their glory – and flaws – outside of the white male gaze.
Their sense of self was not created based on how white America perceived them, but on how they perceived themselves. And as a gay black writer born on the East Coast, that felt revolutionary to me.
“I’m writing for black people… in the same way that Tolstoy was not writing for me, a 14-year-old colored girl from Lorain, Ohio. I don’t have to apologize or consider myself limited because I don’t [write about white people] – which is not absolutely true, there are lots of white people in my books. The point is not having the white critic sit on your shoulder and approve it,” - Morrison told The Guardian.
Toni Morrison was the recipient of the 1977 National Book Critics Circle Award for Song of Solomon, 1988’s Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Beloved, and the Nobel Prize in Literature a few years later.
Morrison’s writing and characters have gone on to resonate with millions of readers across the globe of various races and ethnicities. Not to mention the generations of writers, like myself, that she has and will continue to inspire.
From her debut novel, The Bluest Eye, to her last, God Help The Child, Toni Morrison has vigorously and unapologetically encapsulated the human experience that so many Black Americans endure despite the masks we wear for society at large, which transformed American literature as we know it.
An enormous part of her legacy is the work she did to establish and extend the Black American literary canon, both in her writing and in the work she did as an editor prior to having published her first novel.
Toni Morrison's Writing | Making Black America | PBS
Morrison leans into topics many would consider taboo and creates complex characters with raw psyches and emotions.
The authenticity, the rawness, and the brutal honesty touch you in a way I can’t even begin to try and type out or describe. All I can say is that after each Morrison novel I’ve read, I’m left both inspired and hungry for something else from her. Inspired to create characters that look like me, from worlds like mine, who are bigger than life, and unapologetically black.
“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it,” - Toni Morrison.
Her works force you to confront the ugly truths of society, the links to our brutal past, and the relationships forged because of a history we often would rather forget, than revisit.
"Quiet as it’s kept, there were no marigolds in the fall of 1941. We thought, at the time, that it was because Pecola was having her father’s baby that marigolds did not grow" - The Bluest Eye.
Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, Morrison has written is a work of literary art. However, we all have our favorites. Here are mine:
1.Song Of Solomon - “Milkman Dead was born shortly after a neighborhood eccentric hurled himself off a rooftop in a vain attempt at flight. For the rest of his life he, too, will be trying to fly. As Morrison follows Milkman from his rustbelt city to the place of his family’s origins, she introduces an entire cast of strivers and seeresses, liars and assassins, the inhabitants of a fully realized Black world.”
2.Love - “In life, Bill Cosey enjoyed the affections of many women, who would do almost anything to gain his favor. In death, his hold on them may be even stronger. Wife, daughter, granddaughter, employee, mistress: As Morrison’s protagonists stake their furious claim on Cosey’s memory and estate, using everything from intrigue to outright violence, she creates a work that is shrewd, funny, erotic, and heartwrenching.”
3.Paradise- “Starts with a horrifying scene of mass violence and chronicles its genesis in an all-black small town in rural Oklahoma. Founded by the descendants of freed slaves and survivors in exodus from a hostile world, the patriarchal community of Ruby is built on righteousness, rigidly enforced moral law, and fear. But seventeen miles away, another group of exiles has gathered in a promised land of their own. And it is upon these women in flight from death and despair that nine male citizens of Ruby will lay their pain, their terror, and their murderous rage.”
No matter which of her books catches your eye first, you’re bound to be in for an adventure that puts your emotions on a rollercoaster and introduces you to some of the most well-written and thought-out characters.
Toni Morrison is one of the best American authors. Thanks to her, readers and writers across the world are inspired to speak their truths and fully be who they are and what they stand for; just like she did.
Thank you, Toni!
Home Chef Review – See Why I Love This Meal Kit Service
Overview
Home Chef makes dinnertime a breeze. From classic meal kits to convenient Oven-Ready and Fast & Fresh options, their meals are designed to fit different needs. They’re the perfect solution for any household looking for quick-n-easy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. You can even order snacks, and cold brews as well! They’re incredibly affordable, with meals starting at only $7.99.
As a professional food editor, I tested Home Chef for a week to get a full view of how it stacks up against its competitors. Here’s everything you need to know:
What’s on Home Chef’s Menu
Home Chef’s menu features 30+ recipes and 18 extras each week. And if you consider the number of protein customizations you can make with select meals, that’s a mighty robust menu. With their Customize It tool* you can upgrade, swap, or double up on your favorite protein – options include antibiotic-free boneless skinless chicken breasts, salmon filets, Impossible Burger, and more.
Choose from fancy dinners like their Blackened Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Campanelle, or pick one of their mouth-watering Oven-Ready meals like the Cotija and Jalapeño-Crusted Chicken that requires close to zero prep. Simply assemble all ingredients in the tray you receive with your order and pop it in the oven. And on extra busy days, their Fast & Fresh microwavable options like the Cherry Chipotle Brisket Tacos are a true life savior – equally delicious but ready in only a few minutes!
Home Chef gives you the option to filter recipes based on your personal preferences, such as:
- Calorie-conscious
- < 30 minutes
- Carb-conscious
- Vegetarian
And I absolutely love their vast selection of add-ons that you can simply add to your weekly order!
Unboxing
Home Chef’s ingredients are shipped in a biodegradable, insulated box with reusable cool gel packs that keep the produce cold. You get fresh, pre-portioned ingredients organized in separate bags, making the cooking process super convenient.
Each order arrives with easy-to-follow recipe cards. Of course, they’re recyclable, but the idea is to hold onto them and reuse. The cards provide clear instructions and an image of the delicious meal so you know the degree of difficulty, spice level, cook time, and what your Home Chef meal will look like once plated.
Cooking and Eating
Brainstorming recipes, driving to the grocery store, selecting all the ingredients, and cooking can get exhausting. No wonder we go for highly caloric frozen meals or greasy takeout.
Home Chef, however, takes the hassle of cooking away, by saving time and making the cooking process enjoyable! Did you know that they feature the most Oven-Ready options of leading meal kit services? Plus, you will never cook the same meal twice. Instead, you can explore a wide range of flavorful recipes and cuisines from all around the world.
It’s astonishing how easy it is to develop a solid routine where the family gathers together every night to enjoy a wholesome, home-cooked meal.
Subscription
Signing up for Home Chef is super simple:
- Click on one of the links below and get redirected to the Home Chef Website. Then click on your preferences by answering a few questions.
- Enter your email address and zip code to create your account.
- Build a box that suits your needs by selecting the number of servings and recipes you would like to receive each week
- Enter your address and choose your preferred delivery day. Remember, their subscription is flexible, you can skip a week or pause your account at any time in just a few clicks. You won’t have to call or email anyone.
- Pick your favorite meals from their menu . . . and done!
You might find it a little frustrating that you have to complete the checkout process before you get to their menu page. But don’t worry. You can still change your mind after browsing their recipes.
If you need further assistance, just reach out to Home Chef — the #1 in Customer Satisfaction among leading meal kit companies**.
The Bottom Line: Is Home Chef Worth It?
Home Chef is a fantastic service for any household looking for a convenient dinnertime solution. Their recipes are tasty, easy to cook, and fit various lifestyles and dietary needs – all for a brilliant price point, with meals starting at only $7.99.
Sure, there are cheaper meal kits out there. But I can honestly say that Home Chef’s overall service is of the highest quality, so I don’t mind paying a little extra. What an exceptional experience, I will for sure continue with my subscription.
Home Chef is worth the investment, I highly recommend you try it!
Our friends at Home Chef are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get 18 Free Meals & Free Shipping!
Offer Expires In
*Source: https://www.homechef.com/customize-it
**Source: US Grocery Benchmark Study, April 2020, Market Force Information, Inc.
What We’re Watching: Everything We Loved About The Piano Lesson
Image courtesy: Broadway World/Shutterstock
Monday night, I left the Barrymore theater in awe, inspired, and excited to tell anyone with ears how incredible the Broadway revival of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson was from start to finish.
To be honest, I wasn't sure how it would turn out with such a star-studded cast consisting of Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Brooks, and John David Washington, with Samuel's wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, directing. But boy, did they not only exceed my expectations, they brought such personality and fire into their characters.
The Piano Lesson is a play about family, inheritance, and heritage and how best to honor that heritage. Wilson’s play opened at Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre in 1990, and ran for over 10 years, winning multiple awards, including a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Set in 1936, the story revolves around two adult siblings who cannot agree on what to do with a family heirloom: a piano carved with the faces of their enslaved ancestors. One insists on keeping the piano as a reminder of their ancestors’ hardships, while the other, a sharecropper, wants to sell the piano to buy the land where their ancestors worked, believing that to be the best way to honor them.
The show brings to light the experience, trials, and tribulations many African Americans faced during the great depression. Wilson’s authentic writing, paired with the talent placed on stage – particularly Brooks, who delivered a show-stealing performance – creates an experience like no other.
Credit: Andy Kropa/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Believe me when I say you must see this before it leaves Broadway! I know I’m happy I was able to snag tickets.
Until you get your tickets to The Piano Lesson, here are other noteworthy plays included in August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle:
- Jitney
- Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
- Fences
- Joe Turner's Come and Gone
- Two Trains Running
- Seven Guitars
- King Hedley
- Gem of the Ocean
- Radio Golf
It’s safe to say I’ll be delving further into Wilson’s works and eagerly awaiting both the film adaptation of The Piano Lesson and the next of his plays to make it to Broadway!
The Piano Lesson is only playing at the Barrymore Theatre for 17 weeks. Get your tickets before it’s too late – you don’t want to miss this cast or this show!
Sul Sul! The Sims 4 Is Calling
Sul Sul!
If you don’t know, that’s how Sims greet one another in Simlish, the language spoken in each iteration of The Sims franchise, including my personal favorite and the one currently loaded on my iMac: The Sims 4.
“Is this really an article about The Sims?”
YES!
And no, Sims is not just virtual Barbies. Absolutely not.
The Sims is a popular long-running life simulation game. In fact, it's one of the most successful video games in terms of sales and has sold over 175 million copies worldwide.
Playing The Sims, is an EXPERIENCE and with33 million players worldwide, it’s clear I’m not the only one who feels this way. Plus, it’s so accessible, players can find The Sims 4 on PC or Mac, and gaming consoles like Xbox and Playstation.
Sims not only allows me - and so many others - to step away from everyday reality, but I also get to explore endless possibilities and opportunities. One day I can be a father of four working on becoming a Silver Screen legend, the next I can be a femme-fatale vampire who owns a 5-star restaurant. The list goes on.
No, like it actually goes on. Once when I played as a bachelor, my sim was abducted, impregnated, and then the next day his house caught on fire. Talk about drama with a capital D.
I even got the chance to speak with a few other simmers to uncover what the game has meant to them:
“Playing the sims eases my stress, and is one of my biggest hobbies. Sharing my sims stories online has become an amazing creative outlet for me.” - @WhimsyAlien
“Some aspects of the game are like therapy for me. During the pandemic, playing The Sims was a great way to ease my anixety and stress.” - @NardVillian
“I’ve been playing the sims since around 2003 and I can’t begin to describe how it’s helped me, not to mention the amazing community and all the simmers around the world I get to connect with.” - @TheBlackPlumbob
“I'd like to thank my older sister for getting me into the sims, one day, she got up from her computer, and there it was The Sims 2! Now when the world isn't being nice, turning on Sims and hopping into my own universe helps every time.” - @CheyLaVie
“The Sims 4 is for anyone who enjoys the art of storytelling, or has a visual eye for design, this game is for you! Plus, I enjoy being a part of such a welcoming and supportive community.” - @NardVillian
The game gets your creativity going, pushes you to think outside of the box, and allows you to fully express yourself, which is something many of us can’t do IRL.
What I love most about the game is that there is no right or wrong way to play. There’s only you, your sim, and endless possibilities. Sims truly creates a gaming experience like no other.
The billions of player-made challenges also level up the experience. The 100 Baby Challenge allows your sim to pop out hundreds of babies, while the Off The Grid Challenge puts your sim on a lot with no electricity, money, or modern amenities.
There’s something for everyone in this world. Whether you want to try your hand at the nuclear family, become a leader of a werewolf pack, or dabble in the supernatural, Sims 4 has you covered. Just don’t expect any cars.
If you’re ready to express yourself and see your imagination fly, it’s time you check out TheSims. Trust me, once you start playing, you won’t want to stop – especially once you uncover all the money cheats!
P.S. - Steer clear of the Cowplants ;-)
Beam Me Up, Scotty - The Extraordinary Legacy Of Nichelle Nichols
At a time when most Hollywood stars had pin-straight, blonde hair and crystal-clear, blue eyes, Nichelle Nichols' presence electrified many Black Americans who’d never seen someone who looked like them shimmering on the silver screen.
Sadly, Star Trek’s beloved Lieutenant Uhura has passed – she died of natural causes at age 89 on Sunday. Although she’ll no longer stand as a living example of why representation matters, we’ll not forget her legacy as an actor and what inclusion meant to her.
Just think of all of the doors she kicked down for the actors of color who followed in her thigh-high leather boots.
If you aren't familiar, no worries neither was I – I blame my parents for having me in ‘94 – but it’s time to get into just what made Nichelle’s star shine so brightly.
Best remembered for her work on Star Trek – the cult-inspiring series that aired from 1966 to 1969 – Nichols wasn't just another sixties babe – there solely as eye-candy for a masculine protagonist.
Nichols was the first Black woman to have a continuing, leading role on television and later worked with NASA to recruit minorities for the space program.
Subsequent Star Trek series and films featured Nichols on equal footing with characters of a variety of races set the bar for inclusion and multiculturalism.
Her list of firsts continues. Nichols and co-star William Shatner shared the first onscreen kiss between a black female and white male on American television, setting the stage for countless showmances and romantic couplings to come.
"While fans will miss and honor the famous actress who opened so many paths with her presence on the screen … Nichelle Nichols, you were one-in-a-million in so many, many ways." -George Takei, of Star Trek
What’s the best way to honor such an iconic, one-in-a-million actress?
INCLUSION… REPRESENTATION!
Excuse my caps lock, but It’s 2022, and it feels like women and minorities are still not heard.
The best way to honor Nichols and her legacy is to push for diversity and show the major movie-makers and production companies that we watch stories that feature actresses like Nichelle Nichols. They need to produce more films and series featuring diverse female artists like Killing Eve, A Black Lady Sketch Show, and Everything Everywhere All At Once.
We may have lost a megastar, but Nichelle’s mission will live on through her fans!
Rest In Power, Nichelle Nichols.