taylor swift is one of the biggest pop-culture juggernauts of her generation. Her music spans multiple genres and styles, from country to electronic and rock to synth ballads. She is also a savvy businesswoman who has built an empire around her brand, leveraging the power of social media and her own streaming service to become a billionaire.
At a young age, Taylor showed an insatiable appetite for knowledge and the ability to express her emotions through her art. She began writing songs at age 12 and was inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson and other writers such as Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. By age 15, she had won a talent competition and had begun performing at local events in her home town of Reading, Pennsylvania. She soon caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a record executive at Big Machine Records. After a showcase at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, she became one of the label’s first signings.
She continued to work with songwriter Liz Rose in two-hour sessions every Tuesday afternoon after school and worked hard on her singing. Taylor’s early music centered on a country sound and isolated her from her middle school peers. She later wrote for The Hunger Games soundtrack and collaborated with artists such as The Civil Wars on the song “Eyes Open”.
In 2008, Swift released her second studio album Fearless and won Album of the Year at the American Music Awards that same year. Her success prompted her to embark on her first headlining tour. Swift’s fourth album, RED, marked a departure from her country roots and introduced pop influences into her music. The album sparked a revolution in the industry and became her most successful to date.
The next year, Taylor surprised fans with the release of her fifth album 1989. The project pushed the boundaries of traditional pop, incorporating heavier elements such as EDM, hip hop and R&B. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and sold over a million copies in its first week, making it the fastest-selling album of the year. It would go on to be a platinum album in the United States.
With her sixth studio album, reputation, Taylor again changed up her musical style. This time it was a more emo and alternative pop-influenced album that featured collaborations with the likes of Pharrell Williams, Ed Sheeran and HAIM. The album’s lead single, Look What You Made Me Do, broke several records and set the record for the fastest-growing video on YouTube in 24 hours.
In 2022, Taylor returned to the bed-like sonics of her third album, Midnights. The album was a study of extremes and heightened emotions and included guest appearances from Post Malone and Florence + the Machine. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts and became her longest-running No. 1 album of the year.
In 2019, Taylor announced that she would be re-recording her entire back catalog in a move fueled by the desire to control her own image and story. The reimagined canon started with a new take on her 2008 LP Fearless, which landed her her first Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.
