Women, blacks, and perhaps other groups often point out the pay gap compared to white males, meaning the former two make less for the same work than the latter.  Unfortunately, though narrowing, these concerns are sometimes valid.  But in one major field of employment, concerts, where the general public, rather than paid personnel, determine the price, female performers have begun to dominate.  As do minorities.  And young, female minorities.  A look at this summer's hottest concerts with even hotter ticket prices is revealing.

A young white woman, Taylor Swift, 33 (yeah, that's young), reigns supreme with eager fans willingly snapping up her sky-high concert ticket prices, if they can get them.

Beyoncé, 41, a young black woman (yeah, she's still young), as strong as ever, is not far behind in ticket prices, if fans can get them.

According to StubHub, as reported by NBC:

When it comes to the most in-demand concerts of the summer, there's Taylor Swift and then there's everybody else.

The "Style" singer is the hottest act of the season according to StubHub, which on Friday released its 2023 Summer Tour Preview. ...

Swift is the undisputed No. 1 on the list, with tickets for her 24 "Eras" tour dates this summer selling for an average of $920 apiece.

The average cost of entry for the 33-year-old's concerts on the resale website dwarves the rest of the competition, with no other artist in the top 10 having a ticket price higher than $370.

In fact, the $920 average selling price is a bargain in some locations. Tickets for her concerts at MetLife Stadium outside New York City this weekend are selling for a minimum of $1,100, with some sellers asking for well over $10,000.

Beyoncé, meanwhile, comes in a strong second place, with 42 dates for her "Renaissance" world tour selling for an average of $322 each, according to StubHub data. (snip)

In fact, StubHub reports that Swift, Beyoncé and No. 7 P!NK — with her 33 tour dates selling at an average of $231 per ticket — are outselling the seven male artists in the top 10 by 50%.

Who are these Swifties, as Taylor Swift fans are called?

A breakdown of the Taylor Swift fandom 

• Nearly three-fourths (74%) of self-described avid Swift fans are white. Majorities also identified as Democrats (55%) and live in suburban areas (53%). 
• The gender profile of avid Swift fans is more evenly split: Women (52%) slightly edged out men (48%). 
• Nearly half (45%) are millennials, while Gen Xers (21%) and baby boomers (23%) each represent just under one-fourth of total avid Swift fans.
• Almost 3 in 4 (73%) avid fans cited enjoyment of Swift's music as a major driving force behind their fandom, significantly more than any other tested reason. Enjoying Swift's performances and music videos (50%) and feeling she is relatable (42%) were the next most popular reasons.
• About half of the avid Swift fandom (49%) reported a household income under $50,000.

But what about the other "seven male artists in the top 10"?  Numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively: Morgan Wallen, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, and George Strait are the men trailing the top female summer dollar ticket prices with other males, Metallica, Ed Sheeran, and The Weekend, rounding out the top 10.

Yep, The Boss, a white male, is far behind Swift and Beyoncé in ticket prices.  I was shocked also.  But maybe he is so assured — and so wealthy — that he can afford to charge lower ticket prices.  Maybe.

On the other hand, there is something for just about most fans of modern music among the top 10 ticket-sellers.  Ranging in age from 30 — Morgan Wallen — to Bruce Springsteen's 73, all top 10 artists reflect the diversity of the present popular music scene with pop, country, and R&B the most popular.  Equally diverse are the artists' ethnic and racial backgrounds and styles.

And if your favorite artist, female or male, (yep, just two genders, folks), didn't make the top 10 in ticket sales, or your music tastes slightly differ from most — e.g., opera or folk — that's fine, too.

However, warning to all concertgoers: Be careful of scam tickets.  If it sounds too good to be true it is not true.

And sing along as you enjoy the summer of 2023 concert season.  Taylor and Beyoncé won't be jealous.

Image: Denielle.