She has had 12 No. 1 albums in the UK alone and has been repeatedly named the most successful artist in the world. Now, academics are suggesting that some of Taylor Swift’s biggest hits could be used to save lives.
Dozens of her songs can indeed be a salvation for people whose hearts suddenly stop beating.
This is according to new research by cardiologists at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. It shows that at least 50 songs by the American star have the perfect tempo for resuscitation.
But if you’re not a Swiftie, there are dozens of other songs with the right beat that will work, from Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit to certain songs by Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Dizzee Rascal, Billie Eilish, Aretha Franklin, and The Beatles.
CPR is the emergency procedure performed when someone collapses in cardiac arrest, where the heart suddenly stops beating. It involves immediate chest compressions to temporarily do the work of the heart and keep blood pumping through the body until the heart can be restarted with a defibrillator.
Scientists suggest some of Taylor Swift’s biggest hits could be used to save lives
According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), more than 30,000 people die each year in the UK from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but rapid CPR and defibrillation can more than double a person’s chances of survival. However, to be effective, chest compressions need to be performed at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute, mimicking the heart’s normal rhythm.
Accurate counting in a crisis can be difficult and research shows that many people, including doctors, often do it too slowly.
Major research in 2008 found that the Bee Gees’ 1970s hit Stayin’ Alive had the perfect tempo for CPR: about 103 beats per minute.
The song was subsequently used in a high-profile TV campaign by the BHF, starring footballer and actor Vinnie Jones.
And in 2013, a Birmingham woman saved the life of a 67-year-old man who collapsed on a crowded bus when his heart stopped beating by following this advice. Mother-of-three Sharon Thorneywork recalled seeing the TV advert for the Bee Gees hit and singing the song out loud as she pumped the man’s chest.
However, the Monash team wanted to know whether Taylor Swift’s music also fit the profile and could be used to bring CPR to younger people who are more familiar with her work.
An analysis of her songs found that at least 50 had the right beat, including her hits Love Story and I Don’t Wanna Live Forever.
CPR is the emergency procedure performed when someone collapses in cardiac arrest, where the heart suddenly stops beating
Study leader Professor Stephen Nicholls, director of the Victorian Heart Hospital in Melbourne, told the recent Swiftposium — an academic conference in Australia exploring the star’s cultural impact: ‘Taylor Swift’s music is among the most popular and influential of this generation. As iconic songs lose their relevance, it is crucial to identify new songs with optimal beats per minute for training.’
Research shows that most pop songs average around 116 beats per minute. The BHF has created a Spotify playlist — called Lifesaving Beats — with over 90 tracks, including rock, hip-hop and R&B, that music fans can use to time their CPR compressions.
Dr Adrian Boyle, chairman of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, told the Mail: ‘Using music to set the right pace is well established and we encourage everyone to undergo training in how to perform CPR.’
Lizzie Moscardini, who leads the BHF’s community resuscitation programme, added: ‘It’s not just the pace that matters. It’s also important that they do compressions at the right depth to keep the blood flowing.’
For advice on CPR and first aid courses, visit sja.org.uk