Mexican Supreme Court justice defends Taylor Swift obsession: ‘A cascade of dreams of all colors and sounds’

Just four days ago, as Mexico was preparing to celebrate Father’s Day, Supreme Court Justice Arturo Zaldívar, who has become something of a star on social media, shared an image of the gift his wife had prepared for him: a picturesque cake in the shape of a record player with a vinyl placed in the center: Reputation, by Taylor Swift. “All my thanks, Marianna, for this beautiful and delicious cake. With my favorite song and the great Taylor Swift,” the message read. The magistrate’s endless expressions of affection for the singer have aroused both criticism and cheers among Swift’s fans and detractors, leading the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to respond with an open letter in which he explains why he likes her songs.

It all started with the announcement that Swift would extend her The Eras Tour to Mexico, with three dates at the end of August 2023. Even before that news Zaldívar had said he was a fan of the singer, stating he had received a copy of her album as a gift and commenting on some of Swift’s singles when they were released. But when news of Swift adding tour dates in Mexico arrived, he began to do so more exuberantly. In a video from three weeks ago, he is seen working with his team when he supposedly finds out that the artist announced the dates in Mexico. First he appears surprised, and then he is seen running up to his employees laughing.

Zaldívar’s jokes and posts unleashed a flood of reactions, the majority of them critical. Some have already nicknamed him Mexico’s most famous swiftie [as fans of the singer are called]. Others accuse him of using the singer’s image to gain followers. He has also been reproached for occupying his time with his fandom when he has more important things to do. In response to all these comments, the magistrate published an opinion piece in the newspaper Milenio to defend his position, but above all, the work of the American singer.

“Those who criticize me because I like Taylor Swift reveal a deep unawareness of what she means for millions of women and young people in Mexico and around the world,” he said Tuesday on his Twitter account. In a letter that stands as a professed act of love, entitled “This is why I like Taylor Swift,” Zaldívar added: “TS is a cry of rebellion, an example of intellectual honesty and a cascade of dreams of all colors and sounds. Her lyrics remind us that it’s OK to be vulnerable, to be different, to make mistakes, and to love oneself fully. Because of her authenticity, courage, and congruence. That’s why I listen to Taylor Swift.”

In response to those who accused him of being superficial, Zaldívar argued there is nothing trivial about Swift’s work. “They ignore what her life story means for feminisms [sic], for young people, for LGBTI+ rights and for the making of a more egalitarian, compassionate and inclusive society,” he stated.

The Mexican judge is not the only public figure to acknowledge the work of the artist, one of the biggest musical stars of her generation and whose fans are mainly teenagers: Chilean President Gabriel Boric is another self-confessed swiftie. Boric said earlier this week that he had sent her a letter asking her to include the country in her Latin American tour. Even economist Paul Krugman this week published a column in The New York Times in which he stated that the artist is “a talented songwriter and musician with a remarkable stage presence.”

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