There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift
Kevin Evers
Harvard Business Review Press (April 2025)

Here’s a “chronological romp” through Taylor Swift’s incomparable career thus far

To what does “this” refer in the title of Kevin Evers’s book? In the Preface he points out that “the Eras Tour shifted the conversation around Swift, transforming her from pop superstar to cultural phenomenon. A phenomenon that is now the grist for countless think pieces on the industry of Swift, college courses on her lyrics, a Little Golden children’s book, even profiles of her in Architectural Digest.”

He goes on to point out, “By taking a chronological romp through Swift’s career and using fascinating research and fresh perspectives to guide our path, I hope to enhance your understanding and appreciation for how Swift has managed to find success, sustain it, and scale it multiple times to the absurd heights it’s reached today. To give more shape to that feeling so many fans and admirers have about her — that there really is nothing like this.”

The last time I checked, Swift’s net worth is at least $1.6 billion. That was achieved one decision at a time, one song at a time, one performance at a time (on stage or in a recording studio), one fan interaction at a time…you get the idea. For Swift, there are no insignificant details…and no insignificant people.

From the beginning (in 2003 at age 13 when she was co-writing songs and looking for a record deal), she knew who she was…and wasn’t; what was appropriate for her…and wasn’t; and the only songs she would sing: those she had composed. She had a cohesive vision. She understood her audience. And she knew it. “Anytime someone tells me that I can’t do something,” she later recalled with characteristic defiance, “I want to do it more.”

In or near the central business district in most major cities, there is a farmer’s market at which merchants offer slices of fresh fruit as samples of their wares (at least prior to COVID). In that same spirit, I now offer a representative selection of brief excerpts from There’s Nothing Like This. They suggest the thrust and flavor of Evers’s examination of Swift’s strategic genius:

o On Swift’s selection of Scott Borchetta and his Big Machine Label Group: “Their success was improbable but not impossible. With Swift trusting her instincts and Borchetta relying on his experience, they were both attempting to reach a teen audience. By doing so, they aimed to tap into an uncontested market space — what Kim and Mauborgne called a ‘blue ocean’ [i.e. one in which there is little — if any — competition]. Meanwhile, other artists and executives would be duking it out for a greater share of the existing market — called a ‘red ocean,’ known for its cutthroat competition.” (Page 17)

o Swift’s “Love Story” became the first country song to reach the top spot on the pop charts. “And it proved Billboard’s and Borchetta’s predictions to be prophetic. ‘Fearless’ sold just over 592,000 copies in its first week — fifteen times what her debut had sold in its first week.  Overall, “Fearless” spent thirty-five weeks atop the Top Country Albums chart. It also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and spent eleven nonconsecutive weeks in the top position, marking the longest reign of the decade.” (47)

o “I didn’t know the intricasies of her thoughts or the nuances of her feelings [about ‘Never Grow Up’]. Even if she’d attempted to share those with me, words might not have fully captured her experience.

“Yet the way she breathed slowly and held the vinyl close, like a cherished doll. revealed that Swift had reached into a quiet and profound place inside her. This mystery, this unspoken connection, only added to its allure.” (78)

o “Since Swift’s fans had formed parasocial relationships with her, and Swift’s persona was largely based on her down-to-earth, hardworking, girl-boss traits, some fans were sure to think that the single [‘Never’] disrupted what researchers call her ‘doxas’ — the unwritten norms and behaviors that draw fans to an artist, and govern the fandom. When these disruptions occur, some fans are reluctant to accept the change to the artist’s image, music, or both. There can be a nearly possessive impulse from fans who feel ownership of what she should be providing them. That’s not my Taylor Swift.” (111)

o “Swift has consistently demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and an uncanny ability to turn adversity into opportunity. From her early days as a teenage country singer breaking into a male-dominated industry to her recent strategy of re-recording old albums to reclaim ownership of her music, she has shown an exceptional capacity to evolve and stay relevant.” (244)

One of Swift’s most attractive strengths is her ability to sustain the always precarious balance between continually reinventing herself and maintaining the core elements that her fans love. I agree with Kevin Evers: “Diversifying her artistic output and exploring new genres could help sustain her career longevity and keep her audience engaged.”

For me, someone who previously knew very little about Taylor Swift’s strategic prowess, There’s Nothing Like This is as informative as she is intertaining.  Her accomplishments in years to come will be limited only to the extent her strategic thinking allows.