While scrolling through social media in bed one evening, I came across a post of a somber-looking Taylor Swift from the 1989 era. All cat eyes and red lips; signature blonde bob dusting her chin. In the background, a stripped-down version of the song "Maroon" from Swift's Midnights album played, as she stared in the mirror and began to take off her makeup.
Except, it was not Taylor. It was Ashley. One of the many Taylor Swift impersonators and lookalikes on SwiftTok-the portion of the app devoted to unpacking the singer's lyrics, debating music video Easter eggs, and posting lookalike content.
Of course, there's Ashley (@noitisashley13-did you catch the Swiftie inside joke?), who is arguably the most popular. The 29-year-old married mother of two has more than one million followers on TikTok-and adorable cats that look just like Swift's. The resemblance to the superstar is so uncanny, Swift's own mother has commented on their similarities. There's also Julie (@juliiieanne), a 24-year-old who lip-syncs Swift's songs to her 305k followers while wearing ornate, sparkling, incredibly accurate costumes to the ones Swift has worn on tour. There's the tattoo artist who designs Swift-related body art and the up-and-coming singer-songwriter who covers Swift's music, and so many more. And it's not just that they look like a celebrity-it's that they're able to earn money, certain levels of fame, and opportunities through leaning into that likeness.
The online impersonator economy is not unique to Swift superfans, either. There are Ariana Grandes and Dove Camerons and Adam Drivers. Kim Kardashians (et al.), Kate Middletons, and Christina Aguileras.
As I continued to watch Ashley's video, it wasn't just her wow resemblance to Taylor that caught my eye, though, but a block of text that appeared on the screen: "How do you not lose yourself when everyone is constantly comparing you to a celebrity?"
This story is from the The Identity Issue 2023 edition of Marie Claire - US.
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This story is from the The Identity Issue 2023 edition of Marie Claire - US.
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