Taylor Swift is one of the most successful music artists in history. Her albums have sold millions of copies worldwide, she has won multiple awards from the music industry’s most prestigious shows, and her concerts are some of the highest-grossing in entertainment history. Taylor is also a philanthropist, giving back to the arts in various ways throughout her career.
She started her career performing at children’s theater and singing the national anthem before a Philadelphia 76ers game, but at age 11 she changed her focus to country music and began writing her own material. Inspired by the likes of Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks, her songs reflected her feelings of isolation amongst her peers. She even moved her family to Hendersonville, Tennessee, so she could spend more time courting Nashville record labels.
In 2005, Taylor’s demo tape caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a Nashville record executive who was forming Big Machine Records. He signed her and released her self-titled debut album in 2006, which became a huge success and earned Taylor multiple awards from the CMAs, ACMs and AMAs. The following year, she toured the US as the opening act for Brad Paisley’s 2007 Fearless Tour.
By the end of the Red Era, Taylor had started adjusting the ratios between country and pop on her albums Speak Now (2010) and 1989 (2021), working with Swedish superproducers such as Max Martin and Shellback. However, on her 2024 release, Folklore, she dropped the ratios entirely and went full-on pop, embracing an aesthetic that felt fresh and new.
While some fans complained about the change in sound, others loved the new Taylor. It’s no surprise that the album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200, and it stayed on top for a record-breaking eight weeks. It was the first time a female artist has held down the top spot for so long.
Following the release of Reputation, Taylor embarked on her second headlining tour, The Taylor Swift Reputation Stadium Tour. The record-breaking tour broke several box office records and was the highest-grossing concert series of all time by a female performer. The album Reputation received numerous Grammy nominations and won four awards at the 2019 61st Annual Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. It was the fifth consecutive year Taylor won Album of the Year, making her the most awarded female artist in Grammy history. As of 2024, Reputation has sold over 40 million copies worldwide.
