A bridesmaid told her best friend live on radio she was skipping parts of her wedding to attend a Taylor Swift concert. It didn’t go well.

The 5 best and 5 worst Taylor Swift moments of the year©Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift was easily the most dominant cultural force of 2023.

With a record-breaking tour, a box-office smash, and a steady flow of new music — not to mention the ever-bright spotlight on her personal life — news about Swift has become virtually inescapable, even for the uninitiated. She was recently named Person of the Year by Time and hailed as “the last bastion of monoculture” by Vogue.

However, not all of Swift’s headlines have been flattering. Given her influence, talent, and alarmingly devoted following, it can be easy to forget (or willfully ignore) that Swift is a real person with flaws and blind spots.

Even as a self-proclaimed Swiftie, I try to resist the trap of celebrity worship. In every fandom, there should be room for both praise and critique. The unrivaled reach and power that Swift has accrued, especially this year, makes it even more important to hold her accountable.

In this spirit, I rounded up the biggest highlights and letdowns that came with being a Swiftie in 2023.

An Australian bridesmaid dropped a bombshell on her best friend, who’s getting married in a little over three weeks, telling her she planned to skip part of the wedding to attend Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour.

The revelation unfolded live on the radio, on The Fox’s show “Fifi, Fev & Nick,” this week. It didn’t go over well.

Olivia, who didn’t disclose her last name, fessed up during a segment about Swift’s “Eras” tour disrupting plans.

She said she’d managed to secure coveted tickets to the Melbourne show on February 17 — the same night as her best friend’s wedding.

“I know how annoyed she’s going to be,” Olivia told the hosts.

The hosts then brought the bride, Jessie, on air so Olivia could own up to her double booking.

“I haven’t told you that I got tickets for the Saturday, and this was done before Christmas,” Olivia told her friend.

She said she hoped to find a compromise. Olivia proposed attending the wedding during the day, leaving early for the concert, and “hopefully” returning later in the night for the reception.

An unimpressed Jessie responded: “Is this a prank? Are you joking?”

Olivia said that she was serious and that she felt “really bad.” She defended herself by saying she’d been a Swiftie “for so long” and pointed out how hard it was to get the tickets.

Tickets for Swift’s concerts sell out almost immediately, and resale tickets can go for astronomically high prices. In one instance, a Swift fan told Business Insider she paid $5,500 for resale tickets.

The bride-to-be seemed unconvinced by Olivia’s explanation. “You’ve known this since before December, and it’s three weeks until my wedding,” she said, “and you’re telling me now.”

Jessie also poked holes in Olivia’s plan, given the wedding’s location in Yarra Valley, outside Melbourne.

“How are you going to come to my wedding and then go to Taylor Swift and come back?” she said. “How is that even possible?”

Exasperated, Jessie said Olivia knew how annoyed she’d been with others who’d chosen to go to the Swift concert rather than her wedding.

Jessie added, “So you want to miss a part of my wedding to go to a Taylor Swift concert?”

Olivia later responded, “I know, I sound like such a bad friend.”

The host Fifi Box interrupted, saying it seemed to be getting personal.

Olivia began to cry, describing how angry her best friend appeared and how anxious she’d been about telling her.

“I’ve been there through every step of the way, and when we were trying on the bridesmaid dresses, I was going to tell you,” Olivia told Jessie.

Jessie responded: “I don’t even understand though. Like, you’ve gone and bought tickets on my wedding date. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be mean right now, but I think I’m just, like, angry before I’m even upset right now.”

She added, “I want you there next to me on my day, and you’re not going to be there.”

The hosts ended the segment, suggesting they might look into ordering a helicopter to make the plan work.