I am not a fan of Taylor Swift. I say this not because I don’t think she’s talented, because she undeniably is, but because I don’t listen to pop music as much as I used to when I was younger. I still admire her for all kinds of reasons, starting with the fact that she manages to be one of the most famous people in America without crumbling under unimaginable pressure. As a country that has arguably done more damage to the notion of celebrity than any other place on Earth, it can’t be easy for anyone as well-known to go about the business of living without enormous reserves of patience. To live one’s life under a microscope and come out unscathed takes more than just good luck. She appears to have pulled it off effortlessly for years, and for that I applaud her.

The bigger reason for my respect stems from what she chooses to use her fame for. This is true for many others like her in America, all big names in the arts who choose to speak up and draw attention to issues they believe need to be addressed, or injustices they try and right by uncovering them. I often wonder what it must be like to live in countries where someone famous will put their reputation on the line if it means taking a moral stand that isn’t aligned with what a rabid majority believe in. It rarely happens in India, which is why I find myself thinking of Taylor Swift often, specifically when she rallies her massive community of fans and gets them to act upon something she believes in. It must be a wonderful thing, to be able to wield fame in a manner that leaves one’s world a little better.