A career in pop and country music would seem to be tailor-made for the petite 5’11” brunette. But taylor swift, who was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, isn’t your average country singer. Swift writes or co-writes every one of her albums and a few EPs, and has become a master at manipulating public opinion. She’s the linchpin of a generation of girls raised to believe that they can do anything, including rewriting history to fit their own narrative.
She’s a natural-born storyteller who can turn any topic into an epic love song, and she has a knack for capturing both the thrill of young adulthood and the angst that comes with it. But despite her preternatural poise and seemingly endless supply of confidence, she also has three distinct gears: giggly and dorky; worrying about boys and pouring that emotion into song; and insanely driven and hyper-controlled perfectionism. Her third personality is on full display in this slinky, soulful track about the perils of putting too much pressure on yourself.
Often, Swift’s songs where she romanticizes childhood come off better than those where she romances old age (maybe because she’s been a child before). But on this poignant ballad for her parents, she does both with a clarity and an empathy that makes the sentiment feel fresh and uncanny.
After scoring a deal with Scott Borchetta at an industry showcase, Taylor moved to Nashville and began writing for other artists. This tender ballad, which landed on the Hunger Games soundtrack, is the result of one such collaboration. It’s a portrait of the grief experienced by Maya Thompson, whose 3-year-old son died of cancer, and features an emotional performance from Swift that’s sure to pull at your heartstrings.
In the wake of her ill-advised feud with talent manager Scooter Braun, Taylor began re-recording her back catalog. This song, a re-imagined version of her breakthrough album Fearless, is the result. The result is a powerful album-closing track that shows how far she’s grown since then.
taylor swift is currently in the middle of a re-recording project for her fourth album, RED. In November 2021, she released a 30-track re-release of her 2012 hit album, RED (Taylor’s Version). It debuted at number one on the US charts and marked her first time topping the chart since 2012. Featuring re-recordings of some of her biggest hits, this new issue is the second in her RED series. In addition, Taylor recently released a new documentary, Miss Americana, which offers an inside look at her everyday life. The film is available now on Netflix.
