Adam Blum, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist and co-author of Here I’m Alive: The Spirit of Music in Psychoanalysis. He has written and presented on psychoanalysis and the music of Björk, Kendrick Lamar, Stephen Sondheim, Frank Ocean, Michael Jackson, and of course, Taylor Swift. He teaches and supervises at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis, where he serves on the committee for Dialogues in Contemporary Psychoanalysis, as well as the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California. He is in private practice in San Francisco.

In this episode, Adam discusses his article The Eros Tour, which analyzes the Eras Tour Experience as a communal mourning process, as well as the essential musicality of the psyche and the psychoanalytic endeavor.

Show notes:

* Adam’s Book, Here I’m Alive, co-authored with Dr. Peter Goldberg and Dr. Michael Levin

* Adam’s website

* Adam’s Eros Tour Article:

Episode chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Adam Blum and His Work

02:49 Taylor Swift: A Cultural Phenomenon

05:13 The Connection Between Music and Adolescence

07:21 The Weave: Music as a Shared Experience

09:43 The Role of Music in Healing and Mourning

12:11 The Impact of the Eras Tour on Fans

14:44 Music as a Mirror of Emotions

17:21 The Paradox of Music: Remembering and Forgetting

19:23 Adolescence and the Power of Music

21:35 Conclusion: The Lasting Impact of Music on Identity

23:48 The Emotional Resonance of Taylor Swift’s Music

26:21 Time, Memory, and the Power of Music

28:20 The Evolution of Taylor Swift’s Artistry

30:41 The Impact of Taylor’s Personal Life on Fans

32:51 The Role of Therapy in Celebrity Culture

35:11 The Enchantment of Taylor Swift’s Music

38:04 Taylor Swift as a Cultural Touchstone

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theraswiftspod.substack.com