When Taylor Swift was just a kid, she started writing songs and performing in local talent shows. After catching the attention of Nashville talent manager Scott Borchetta at an industry showcase, she was signed to his Big Machine Records in 2005 and began recording her debut album, Fearless. The album was a country and pop crossover hit, scoring her several top 10 singles and a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
In the years that followed, Swift has written and recorded seven more albums, earned multiple RIAA certifications, and became known for her global tours and social media presence. Her music reflects the ups and downs of modern life and her popularity has transcended the country genre, influencing popular culture around the world.
As a result of her popularity and high-profile relationships, many young girls look up to Taylor as role model. She has also been a vocal advocate for women’s rights and has donated millions to charitable causes. In 2023, Time named her its Person of the Year, praising her for her “beautiful music, empowering activism, and unprecedented success.”
Following the release of Reputation in 2019, Taylor surprised fans with a release of her ninth album, folklore, in 2020. A departure from her previous pop-inspired work, the album received critical acclaim for its introspection and restraint, and was a huge commercial success, becoming the longest-running #1 on both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts. Its sister record, evermore, released later that year, continued the trend with similar success and was praised for its collaborations with artists like Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner of The National, and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.
Swift has also written and performed on a number of film soundtracks, including the blockbusters Twilight (2008) and Fifty Shades Darker (2017). She co-wrote the song, “This Is What You Came For”, with Calvin Harris, which peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2016. In 2017, she wrote and performed on Little Big Town’s seventh album, The Breaker, which was nominated for a Grammy for Country Album of the Year. She also sang the lead for her first official duet with a male artist, Zayn Malik, on the Fifty Shades track “Better Man”.
On 1989, Taylor pushed her sound further into pop territory, working with Swedish superproducers Max Martin and Shellback. She continued to adjust the ratio of country to pop on her 2010 and 2012 albums, Speak Now and Red. But on 1989, she went all the way—and the results were magical. Swift’s lush, montage-ready productions made the record sound more expansive and awe-inspiring than any she had released before it. The album is a triumph of storytelling, from Proustian flashbacks (“cardigan”) to outcast widows (“the last great american dynasty”) to weekend getaways (“wildest dreams”). It’s an exhilarating and ambitious testament to the power of art.
