According to science, listening to Taylor Swift can actually impact your mental health – for better or for worse

Taylor Swift’s music has touched millions of people around the world, including her new boyfriend Travis Kelce, who recently said in an interview that he has mastered the art of ‘not caring.’

And it looks like he’s not the only one benefiting from Taylor’s magic. Fans on Reddit describe being part of the Swiftie community as “almost cult-like, in the best way.”

Now studies are starting to suggest that her music may have a real, measurable effect on people’s mental health – and not always in a good way.

Although Taylor Swift is adored by millions of people, the effects of her music on her fans have not always been positive.

Some fans reported having memory loss after the concert after being so overwhelmed by seeing her live after dreaming about it for so long.

Alli Spotts-De Lazzer, a therapist and mental health specialist from California, attended a discussion group at the University of Kansas, which offers a course called The Sociology of Taylor Swift.

Ms. Lazzer said part of the magic behind Taylor’s music is the sense of connection fans feel.

There is a tradition of exchanging friendship bracelets at her concerts, inspired by the lyrics of her song “You’re on Your Own, Kid” from her album Midnights.

Taylor sings about how the jewelry can help foster connection: ‘Cause pages were turned and bridges were burned / All you lose is a step you take / So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it / You have no reason to be afraid are.’

Travis Kelce also reportedly played Taylor by giving her a friendship bracelet.

He admitted to his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, that his stats have been much better since the pop star started attending his games.

“When T Swift is playing, you run an average of 99 yards; if your remaining friends and family are there, you average 42.5 meters,” Jason said.

Her music has also fostered intergenerational bonding, Ms. Lazzer said.

Taylor Swift released her first album in 2006, and her latest was released on Friday, October 27.

Many women grew up listening to Taylor’s music, and now their children enjoy it too, Ms. Lazzer said.

Instead of a divide between generations, there is intergenerational bonding through a shared icon, Ms. Lazzer added.

Her music teaches coping skills, Ms. Lazzer said, such as a song titled “Breathe,” which prepares fans with coping skills for when, for example, they become overwhelmed by attending one of her concerts.

Another reason why fans seem to love her music is its abundant emotional expressiveness.

Not one to shy away from talking about her feelings, Taylor Swift is infamous for chronicling relationships with ex-lovers in her music.

Dr. Jenna DiLossi, a clinical psychologist from Philadelphia, told us Procession that, as an original Swiftie, she attributes Taylor’s “special sauce” to her “ability to be incredibly raw and heartfelt in her lyricism.”

The O2 Arena in London, UK, recently partnered with a consumer research company to send a ten-question survey to 2,000 14-25 year olds.

It found that 80 percent of young people believe that music and live events have a positive impact on mood and overall well-being.

When participants were asked which artists had the most positive effect on their mental health, Taylor Swift came out on top with 32 percent of people choosing her, closely followed by Ed Sheeran (28 percent).

Dedicated fan bases like the ‘Swiftie’ community was also cited as a positive influence, with almost two-thirds (61 percent) of young people agreeing that being part of these online and in-person collectives has a positive impact on their mood or well-being.

However, reports of people suffering from memory loss after her shows on The Eras Tour increased.

Jenna Tocatilan, 25, from New York, said she had dreamed of seeing the pop star for so long that it was hard to keep what was happening in her head.

She told Time Magazine that “post-concert memory loss is real,” adding, after seeing Swift perform a “surprise” song: “If I didn’t have the five-minute video that my friend kindly made of me jamming on it, I probably would have told everyone it didn’t happen.’

Experts say there is good evidence to explain the phenomenon, which is not unique to Swift’s superfans, who call themselves Swifties.

Neuroscientist Dr Dean Burnett, honorary research fellow at Cardiff University, UK, said: ‘When you are at a concert of someone you love, surrounded by thousands of very excited other people, listening to music that you have an emotional connection with built up, Many emotions will happen to you at the same time.

‘Not only is it tiring for the brain, but it also means that all the things you experience have a high emotional quality, so nothing “stands out”, which is important if you want to retrieve a memory later.’

Dr. Ewan McNay, an associate professor at the psychology department at the State University of New York at Albany, said people’s brains respond to extremely positive emotions in a similar way to how they respond to negative stress.

This overload can make it more difficult to form memories.