PsyberSpace: Understand Your World

Swifties vs. K-Dot Nation: The Psychology of Concert Crowds

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don't know. Welcome back to PsyberSpace. I'm your host, Leslie Poston and today we're diving into the pulsating world of music concerts; not just for the beats and melodies, but for a deep look at the psychology of crowds. We'll explore how collective behavior shapes experiences at concerts and examine how these events serve as modern arenas for the fascinating, sometimes frenzied, phenomena of crowd psychology.

To illustrate these concepts I'll focus on two recent culturally significant events: taylor Swift's Eras tour, and Kendrick Lamar's pop out concert. These performances offer contrasting examples of how artists engage with their audiences and create unique crowd experiences.

Let's start by looking at the foundations of crowd psychology. [00:01:00] In the late 19th century Gustave Le Bon laid the groundwork for this field. He described how an individual in a crowd undergoes a psychological transformation. At music concerts, this transformation is evident. Concert goers often describe feeling part of something greater than themselves, swept up in a wave of communal emotion.

Le Bon identified three key processes that occur when individuals become part of a crowd. Anonimity, contagion, and suggestibility. Anonimity refers to the sense of losing an individual identity within a larger group. Contagion describes how emotions and behaviors spread rapidly through a crowd. Suggestibility relates to how individuals become more open to influence from others in the crowd setting. If you're interested in learning more about these concepts, I'd recommend checking out Steven Rikers 2001 paper on the psychology of crowd dynamics and Reicher and Drury's 2021 [00:02:00] paper on crowd behavior in high stakes situations.

Taylor Swift's Eras tour exemplifies this transformation. Fans known as Swifties prepare extensively for the concerts, creating a shared identity through era specific outfits, handmade friendship bracelets, and choreographed responses to specific songs. Chloe gall wrote an interesting piece about this in 2024 discussing the cultural impact of the Eras tour.

The concept of deindividuation developed by social psychologists like Phillip Zimbardo helps explain the behavior of Swift's fans. Deindividuation occurs when people lose their sense of individual identity and become subsumed into the group identity. Zimbardo first introduced this concept in 1969, and it's fascinating to see how it applies to modern concert settings.

In contrast. Kendrick Lamar's pop-out concert tapped into [00:03:00] existing cultural connections within the west coast hip hop community. Katelyn McNabb, writing for Teen Vogue in 2024, described the event as an "homage to the evolution of top dog entertainment, california's imprint on music and culture, and an unapologetic display of Compton pride." This approach created a different kind of shared identity, rooted in cultural heritage and local pride. In contrast to Swift's crowds, where community is commercialized, Lamar's crowd brought an existing culture and identity with them and built on it via the music and the performance.

Kendrick Lamar's concert demonstrates what social identity theorists call salient group membership. Henri Tajfel and John Turner introduced this concept and it occurs when individuals strongly identify with a particular group. In this case, the west coast hip hop community and perhaps the west coast in general. The concert [00:04:00] becomes a space where this group identity is celebrated and reinforced, leading to strong emotional responses and a sense of unity among attendees.

Now let's talk about emotional contagion in crowds. This is where emotions spread among members of a crowd, and it's key to understanding concert dynamics. This phenomenon is particularly visible during powerful performances that elicit unified reactions from a crowd.

Psychologists Elaine Hatfield, john Cacioppo, and Richard Rapson defined emotional contagion in their 1993 paper as the tendency to automatically mimic and synchronize expressions, vocalizations, postures, and movements with those of another person, and, consequently, to converge emotionally. This process is intensified in concert settings, due to the close proximity of individuals and the shared focus on the performer.

At Swift's Eras tour specific moments are designed [00:05:00] to create powerful, emotional responses. For example, the 10 minute performance of "all too well" often results in a unified emotional reaction from the audience. In her article in 'no laying up' Jordan Perez confirmed that fans all around her at the concert seemed to feel the same as Taylor swift when she said that she was pouring her heart out from an important time in her life.

Goldenberg, Garcia, Halperin, and gross studied this phenomenon of emotional spread and groups, specifically in concert settings, in 2020. The shared emotional experience aligns with the concept of collective effervescence, introduced by the sociologist Durkheim in 1912. Collective effervescence refers to the sense of energy and communion that can arise when groups of people share a common experience. In the case of Swift's concerts the shared knowledge of lyrics, choreographed responses, and emotional investment in the songs create a [00:06:00] perfect environment for this phenomena.

Kendrick Lamar's pop-out concert created a different kind of emotional contagion. His performance of "Not Like Us" , a track central to his recent musical beef with Drake, sparked intense reactions from the crowd. Paul A. Thompson, writing for Pitchfork, noted "I've never heard a room get quite as loud as the forum did in the silence following "Euphoria", Kendrick's scorched earth opener."

The intensity of the crowd's reaction to Kendrick Lamar's performance can be understood through the lens of emotional amplification in crowds. Sociologists Ralph Turner and Louis Killian proposed this concept suggesting the crowds can amplify emotions, making them more intense and contagious. This is particularly evident in Kendrick Lamar's concert where the cultural significance of his lyrics and the shared identity of the audience contribute to heightened emotional responses and more depth of feeling.

[00:07:00] Let's talk about identity and belonging. Concerts are not just gatherings. They are breeding grounds for shared identities. John Drury and Steve Reicher published some fascinating research on this, discussing how being part of a crowd can lead to the emergence of a new social identity. Reysen and Branscombe hit upon this in regard to fan behavior as well in music in their article in 2010.

Swift's Eras tour has become a cultural phenomenon, partly because it offers fans multiple ways to express their identity and community. From dressing up in Era-specific outfits to trading handmade friendship bracelets, swifties, as they're called, have developed elaborate rituals of belonging. Jordan Perez, in that same 2023 article for 'no laying up', quoted a fan who said "there's a Taylor swift for everyone, and that's respected". This really captured the inclusive nature of Swift's [00:08:00] fandom.

This sense of belonging can be explained by the concept of communitas, introduced by anthropologist Victor Turner. Communitas refers to an intense community spirit, the feeling of great social equality, solidarity, and togetherness. It often emerges during liminal experiences, which concerts can certainly be considered. The shared rituals and experiences of Swifties at the Eras tour creates a strong sense of communitas among attendees.

Kendrick Lamar's pop-out concert united different elements of west coast culture. Katelyn McNabb in her 20 14 Vogue article observed, "he made the choice to bring out LA gang members of various affiliations. Basketball players. Fellow entertainers and family members on stage with him for his five blowout, crescendo renditions of not like us." This approach created a sense of belonging rooted in shared cultural experiences and local pride. The unity [00:09:00] fostered at Kendrick Lamar's concert aligns with the concept of collective identity and social movement theory. Francesca Paletta and James Jasper wrote about this collective identity refers to an individual's cognitive, moral and emotional connection with the broader community. By bringing together diverse elements of west coast culture lamar's concert strengthened the collective identity of his audience, transcending individual differences to create a unified group experience.

But what about the role of the setting?

The physical environment of a concert plays a significant role in shaping crowd behavior. Whether it's a tightly packed indoor venue or an expansive outdoor festival, the environment influences how crowds form, move, and behave.

Environmental psychology offers insights into how physical spaces affect human behavior.

Roger Barker introduced the concept of behavior settings, suggesting [00:10:00] that certain environments are associated with specific patterns of behavior. In the context of concerts, the setting creates expectations and norms that guide audience behavior. Novelli, Drury, Reicher, and Scott Dug into the impact of setting on crowd behavior in their 2013 research on the impact of crowdedness on positive emotions and crowds.

Taylor Swift's Eras tour takes place in massive stadiums, transformed into immersive era specific environments. Pallabi Bose, writing for a prestige online, described it as "the entire stage feels like a fortress, with vivid, colorful explosions, timed to every melody. Tapestries, dancers, and appropriate backgrounds from cityscapes to forest surrounds swift." This elaborate, set up, contributes to the overall crowd experience, helping fans feel transported through Swift's musical journey.

The immersive environment of Swift's concerts can be understood [00:11:00] through the concept of environmental affordances introduced by James Gibson. Affordances are the possibilities for action that an environment offers. In this case, the elaborate stage design and lighting afford opportunities for specific fan behaviors, such as synchronized dancing or coordinated light displays with their phones.

In contrast Kendrick Lamar's pop-out concert at the Kia forum in Inglewood, California. Rely less on elaborate stage design and more on the cultural significance of the venue and the assembled crowd participation. Paul A. Thompson described it as "a west coast reunion and an unforgettable haters ball." The setting itself in the heart of Lamar's home territory, added to the concert's emotional impact.

Lamar's use of a culturally significant venue aligns with the concept of place identity in environmental psychology. Harold and his colleagues [00:12:00] introduced this concept, discussing how place identity refers to the way physical environments contribute to an individual sense of self. By performing in a venue closely tied to west coast hip hop culture, lamar reinforced the audience's sense of cultural identity and belonging.

Different music genres can influence the type of crowd behavior at concerts. This phenomenon can be understood through the lens of musical entrainment, a concept from music psychology. Martin Clayton and his colleagues wrote about this, describing how musical rhythms can synchronize physiological processes and motor behaviors among listeners. Nave at all explored the relationship between music preferences and personality and its impact on crowd behavior at genre specific concerts.

Swift's pop anthems encouraged, synchronized choreographed responses from fans. Bose noted in her article that during' cruel [00:13:00] summer' fans know to shout specific lyrics. And during 'fearless', they make heart shapes with their hands. These overly rehearsed behaviors do create a sense of unity and shared experience among the crowd. The synchronized behaviors at Swift's concerts demonstrate what psychologists call behavioral synchrony. Jaques Launay and his colleagues wrote about this in 2016, referring to the tendency for people to unconsciously mimic the behaviors of others around them. In the context of a swift concert, this synchrony is intentionally cultivated, enhancing the sense of connection among attendees.

Kendrick Lamar's hip-hop show on the other hand created more fluid, reactive crowd dynamics. The energy of the crowd shifted with each guest appearance in each reference to west coast hip hop culture. Thompson observed in his Pitchfork article: "if there's any non Drake controversy to mind tonight, it's the city politics of who is and who is not invited to this [00:14:00] stage." This approach created a more spontaneous and culturally charged atmosphere.

The fluid dynamics of Lamar's concert can be understood through the concept of collective creativity in improvised music performances. R Keith Sawyer wrote about this in 2006. While hip hop concerts often have a set structure, there's more room for spontaneity and audience participation, creating dynamic interplay between performer and audience.

Let's look at the commercial aspects of fan culture at these concerts. This intersection of commerce and fandom is fascinating and it's been examined through the lens of consumer culture theory. Eric Arnold and Craig Thompson wrote about this in 2005, and Duffet in 2013, all exploring how consumers actively rework and transform symbolic meanings encoded in advertisements, brands, retail settings, or material goods to [00:15:00] manifest their particular personal and social circumstances and further their identity and their lifestyle goals.

Swift's Eras tour has become a merchandising phenomenon. Fans spend considerable amounts on tickets, travel, outfits, and official merchandise. Chloe gall and her 2024 article reported that swift has generated 200 billion in merchandise sales during her Eras tour This extensive merchandising contributes to fan identity and the overall concert experience.

The phenomenon of Swifties investing heavily in merchandise and experiences aligns with the concept of brand communities in marketing and psychology research. Albert Muniz and Thomas O'Guinn introduced this concept way back in 2001. Brand communities are specialized non geographically bound communities based on a structured set of social relationships among admirers of a brand. Swift has effectively created a strong brand community, [00:16:00] where purchasing and displaying merchandise becomes a way of signaling membership and devotion.

Lamar's approach seems less focused on merchandise and more on cultural capital. His pop-out concert was notable for its roster of guest appearances and its cultural significance rather than merchandising opportunity. This difference reflects two distinct approaches, to fan engagement and concert experiences.

Lamar's approach can be understood through PR Bordeaux's concept of cultural capital. Introduced in 1986. Cultural capital refers to nonfinancial social assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means. By emphasizing cultural authenticity and connection over merchandise. Lamar's concert allows fans to accumulate cultural capital within the hip hop community, through their participation in, and enjoyment of, his show.

In today's digital age the concert experience extends far beyond [00:17:00] the physical venue as well. This expansion of the concert experience into digital spaces can be understood through the concept of "networked publics", which danah boyd wrote about in 2010. She described how digital technologies have transformed how people gather, interact, and engage with each other. Zhang et al researched how online engagement translates to real-world pan behaviors as well.

Swift's fans use social media extensively to share experiences, create content, and build community around the Eras tour. In a 2024 article, Gall wrote "since the first date of the Eras tour, Swifties have flooded Tik TOK with 1.9 million videos and flocked, to view them; swift's content has averaged 380 million views per day." That's certainly an astounding level of engagement.

This online engagement demonstrates what media scholar Henry Jenkins calls "participatory culture". In participatory culture fans are not merely consumers of media content, but active [00:18:00] producers and circulators of meaning. Swifties create and share content, building a rich online ecosystem around Swift's music and performances.

Kendrick Lamar's fans are engaged online differently, particularly around his Drake diss tracks and the cultural significance of the pop-out concert. His online discourse focused more on the music itself and it's implications for hip hop culture rather than solely on the spectacle of the pop-out concert. This form of engagement aligns with what media psychologists and communications researchers call critical fandom. Jonathan Gray wrote about this in 2003. Critical fans engage deeply with the content and context of media products, often discussing and debating their cultural and social implications, their semiotics, and their deeper meeting. In the case of Lamar's fans, this manifests in online discussions about the meaning and impact of his lyrics, his performances, and his place in the hip [00:19:00] hop world.

Let's move on to talk about the semiotics of fandom- the hidden meanings and Easter eggs that notable artists use to engage their audiences on a deeper level. This practice aligns with the field of semiotics, the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.

Taylor swift is known for her use of Easter eggs. This includes her messages and her music, her videos, and even her public appearances. Abigail Stevens, writing for screen rant in 2024, noted: "swift's enthusiasm for celebrating her musical journey is eminent through details, like her manicure and set pieces. For instance at every Eras tour concert, Swift's nails are each painted a different color, one for each of her 10 albums, including herself titled debut album. Pulabi both mentioned this in her 2024 article as well. Booth studied this aspect of fan behavior in 2017, focusing specifically on the hunt for hidden meaning and [00:20:00] Easter eggs.

This use of hidden meanings taps into what semiotician and author Umberto eco called unlimited semiosis. It's the idea that signs can be interpreted endlessly, creating layers upon layers of meaning. Swift's fans engage in what media scholar, Jason Mittell terms forensic fandom, which he wrote about in 2015. Fans pore over details to uncover hidden meanings and to more importantly, predict future developments. For instance in the lead up to her album, midnights swift released a series of Tik TOK videos called midnights mayhem with me, where she revealed track title is using a bingo cage. Rolling stone reported in 2022 that fans quickly noticed the order of revelations corresponded to significant numbers in swift life and her career. Adding another layer of meaning to seemingly random selection processes.

This practice creates what sociologists Pierre Bourdieu would call cultural [00:21:00] capital within the fandom. Fans who successfully decode these messages gain status within the fan community, reinforcing their sense of belonging and their identity as Swifties.

On the other hand. Kendrick Lamar's approach to hidden meaning is more deeply rooted in the rich tradition of wordplay and layered references in hip hop culture. Lamar's Pulitzer prize winning album DAMN was praised by the Pulitzer prize board in 2018 for its "vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers effecting vignettes, capturing the complexity of modern African-American life."

In the case of not like us, Lamar's diss track against Drake, the layers of meaning extend beyond just the lyrics. Richie Assaly, riding for the Toronto star, reports that even after the songs release listeners and concert goers are still dissecting the hidden meaning behind the lyrics, the clothing choices, the dance moves, et cetera. This multilayered [00:22:00] communication aligns with what linguists Michael Silverstein called indexicality in 2003. The way language can point to social and cultural context beyond its literal meaning.

The crowd's engagement with these hidden meanings demonstrates what cultural theorists Stuart Hall called decoding in 1973. According to hall, audiences aren't passive recipients of media messages, but active interpreters. The variety of interpretations of Lamar's lyrics and performance choices shows this decoding process in action.

Interestingly, both swift and Lamar use these hidden meanings to create what anthropologist Victor Turner called communitas. By engaging in this collective act of decoding these messages, fans create a shared experience and reinforce their group identity.

There is however, a key difference in how these artists use hidden meanings. Swift's Easter eggs often create a playful treasure hunt, [00:23:00] encouraging fans to look forward to future releases.In d Stephen's article in 2024 she wrote, "swift has effectively created a strong brand community. Where purchasing and displaying merchandise becomes a way of signaling membership and devotion." Kendrick Lamar's layered meanings, on the other hand, often invite fans to look deeper into current social and cultural issues, as evidenced by his Juneteenth concert where he United different elements of west coast culture.

This difference reflects what literary theorist Roland Barthes described as the distinction between readerly and writerly texts. Swifts Easter eggs create a more readerly experience where fans try to uncover a preexisting meaning. Kendrick Lamar's work with his complex references and social commentary offers a more writerly experience inviting fans to actively participate in creating meaning with his music and videos.

In both cases [00:24:00] these hidden meanings serve to deepen the connection between artist and fan. Creating a rich interactive experience that extends far beyond the concert venue or the initial listen of the track. They transformed passive listenerinto active participants in the creation and interpretation of meaning, fostering a deeper sense of connection and engagement within the fandom.

As we continue to study the psychology of crowds and music fandom, the role of these hidden meanings and the semiotic processes they trigger will undoubtedly be a fertile area for further research and understanding.

As we've discussed throughout this episode, Taylor Swift's Eras tour and Kendrick Lamar's pop-out concert represent two vastly different approaches to fan engagement and concert experiences. Swift's meticulously planned multi era spectacle creates a purchasable shared experience that transcends generation. Lucy Buller, writing for the Bethel collegian in 2023 [00:25:00] quoted a fan who said her music creates a commoditized community. This really encapsulates the essence of Swift's approach.

On the other hand, Kendrick Lamar's more seemingly spontaneous and deeply culturally rooted performance taps into existing community ties and cultural pride. Both approaches demonstrate the power of music to create a powerful crowd experiences and shape fan identity.

Both approaches demonstrate the ability of music to create powerful crowd experiences and shape fan identity these contrasting examples, show us how modern artists are adapting. The principles of crowd psychology to create unique, memorable experiences for their fans. They remind us of the profound impact our surroundings and fellow concert goers can have on our individual experiences. The psychology of crowds, especially at concerts, is a rich and complex field [00:26:00] intersecting with various areas of social psychology, environmental psychology and media studies. We've journeyed from Le Bon's early theories in the late 19th century to modern concepts of participatory culture and networked publics. Our understanding of crowd behavior continues to evolve. And these concerts provide fascinating case studies.

As we move forward. It will be interesting to see how artists continue to innovate in their approaches to live performances and fan engagement. Will we see more elaborate technologically enhanced spectacles, like the Eras tour? Or will there be a move towards more culturally rooted community focused events like Lamar's pop out.

Whatever the future holds. One thing is clear. The power of music to bring people together, to create shared experiences and identities, remains as strong as ever. Whether it's through carefully choreographed, pop, anthems, or hard hitting hip hop versus. Music continues to be a powerful force for [00:27:00] shaping collective behavior and individual identity.

The concepts we've discussed today, from emotional contagion and deindividuation to place identity and cultural capital all play a role in how we experience and interact with music and crowd settings. As fans, understanding the psychological processes can enrich our concert experience. As researchers, these phenomenon offer a wealth of future avenues for study.

I hope this episode has given you a new perspective on concert crowds and the psychology behind them. The next time you're at a show, whether it's a massive stadium spectacle or an intimate club gig, take a moment to observe the crowd dynamics. You might just see some of the principles we've discussed today.

Before we wrap up, I want to thank all of the researchers and journalists whose work we've referenced in this episode. Their insights and observations have been invaluable in helping us understand complex phenomenon. If you're [00:28:00] interested in diving deeper into any of the topics we've covered check out our show blog on MindMedia.Tech later this week for a full list of references and additional bonus links to the TikTokers and you tubers who are breaking down the symbolism and Kendrick Lamar's lyrics and pop out as well.

Thank you for joining me on this psychological journey, through the world of music and minds. I'm your host, Leslie Poston, and this has been PsyberSpace. Keep exploring the depths of human interaction in our crowded world. And until next time. Stay curious.