taylor swift is time's person of the year

her interviewer didn't, but i have questions

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I spend a lot of time these days taking deep, calming breaths. Yesterday, when the TIME Person of the Year was revealed to be one Taylor Allison Swift, I took more than usual. 

This is actually a lot more layers than I would’ve expected. Like, a lot more. (Photo: Inez and Vinoodh for TIME)

Let it be said and let it be known that I have long been a fan of Swift's. At times a begrudging one, sure, but a fan nevertheless. I genuinely believe she is one of the most talented songwriters of our time. Not for nothing, she has consistently been in my Spotify Top 5, including last week's. Unfortunately for Swift and unfortunately for this TIME profile, crafting a famously parasocial fandom does not absolve someone from criticism. To engage with pop culture is also to think about it critically. 

I've written before about how tricky it is to provide any criticism of Swift — the idolatry is almost too entrenched into the fanbase. But she is one of the most powerful people on earth, as exemplified by her net worth, her fanbase, her influence, and the very honor we're discussing today, and criticism is warranted. Like any person with a giant platform, it is worthwhile to ask ourselves what they are doing with it.

To be fair, I can understand the choice from TIME. If it were another year, a milder one, I would not give it a second thought. The Eras tour will probably end up becoming the highest-grossing tour in history, and many articles have been written about the significant economic impact of the tour. With the release of the concert movie, she broke the box office record for the highest grossing domestic sales in concert film history. Through the release of the re-recorded albums, she has become the voice of (mostly white) feminism, reclaiming her reputation and her money. I get it.   

But this has not been a normal year, has it?