A lot of people claim to be Swifties, but may not realize that Taylor’s biggest fan is right here at WEGO.
Who?
None other than senior Clara Hasselgren.
Clara, currently a senior at WEGO, attended the Eras Tour at Soldier Field after being gifted tickets for her seventeenth birthday. She also went to the Reputation tour back in 2018, and is currently playing multiple Taylor Swift songs on the piano.
Clara has been a fan of Taylor ever since she was a little girl, ever since she went to a concert. Any little girl who is a big fan of a singer would love the opportunity to see them perform live in person, and Clara was no exception.
“I feel like every little girl likes Taylor Swift and I went to her ‘Reputation’ concert. It was my twelfth birthday or something like that, like in 2018,” she said.
Most of Clara’s friends know that the obsession runs deep.
“As long as I’ve known Clara she’s liked Taylor Swift. I remember her posting pictures on Instagram when she went to see Taylor on her Red tour in 2013. We’ve both liked Taylor Swift since we were little so she’s obviously always been a topic of conversation,” senior Carolyn Fleming said.
Obviously, Swift is a big topic starter surrounding Clara, and so Swift’s appearance at the Kansas City Chiefs game on September 24 and subsequent relationship with Travis Kelce caused lots of controversy for this fan, as it did all Swifties.
“We talk about Taylor Swift basically everyday, especially with all the new drama about her and her NFL boyfriend,” Fleming said.
Although Swift has only recently been connected with Chiefs’ tight end, Kelce, Clara has already talked about the possible match numerous times with multiple of her friends. She makes sure to keep everyone updated.
Not only is she a Swiftie, Clara is a fan who incorporates Taylor’s songs into her piano lessons and dance routines.
“I play a lot of Taylor Swift songs. I played some classical ones. Right now I’m playing ‘Forever’ and ‘Always’ by Taylor Swift, ‘Lover’ by Taylor Swift and ‘All Of The Girls You’d Love Before’ by Taylor Swift,” Clara said.
Her passion for playing the piano all started when she was just a little girl.
“She started playing piano in third grade when I had my piano moved to our house from my childhood home. She was the only child who expressed interest in playing. Her older siblings did not,” mother Lynette Hasselgren said.
Although her older siblings were not intrigued by playing the piano, that didn’t stop Clara from giving it a try. Ever since then, she continued to play and learn new songs on the way.
“I hope she’ll always want to play. From personal experience, sometimes life can get crazy and you don’t make practicing a priority – so your technique can get rusty or you can even forget how to play. But sitting down at the piano and playing can be so relaxing and rewarding,” Lynette said.
Clara is unsure what the future holds, but is certain her love for Taylor Swift and playing the piano is not going anywhere.
“I think Taylor has definitely made a positive impact on Clara. She listens in depth to the lyrics and knows the story behind each song. I think she used her music as an escape from stressful situations, and it just makes her feel happy. Taylor is such a great role model for girls of all ages!” Lynette said.
