In the short space of two years, Taylor Swift has gone from small-town girl to global megastar. With a repertoire of songs that tap into the anxieties and experiences of her target audience, she’s embraced fame as an artist and businesswoman who writes, records and tours on her terms. A small town girl with incredible talent — and the strength to realise it — Taylor’s story is nothing short of inspiring.
At a showcase at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe when she was 14, Swift caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a record executive who was preparing to form his independent label Big Machine Records. He took the 18-year-old on as one of its first signings, bringing her to prominence in a genre where Stetson-wearing male singers were dominating.
Swift’s debut album, Fearless, was released in 2008 and topped the US charts, with five singles charting across 2008 and 2009. The record became her first to win multiple awards at the CMAs and the AMAs, including Female Artist of the Year and Album of the Year. Its success led to the Fearless Tour, which grossed more than $63 million.
The follow up album, Red, saw Swift experimenting with a more pop sound, working with producers like Max Martin and Shellback. The result was a more polished, slick sound, and the record went on to sell over a million copies in its first week of release, setting a record for fastest-selling album by a female artist. It also won multiple awards, including a record-setting three Grammys and a record-breaking four American Music Awards.
With her eighth studio album, 1989, Swift pushed her musical boundaries further, exploring more nuanced relationship issues than ever before. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200, a new career high for the young artist. Its success set the stage for her biggest-selling album to date, 2024’s Lover, which broke a number of other records.
In the same year, Swift signed with Universal Music Group’s Republic Records, a deal that gave her ownership of her master recordings — something that she hadn’t had with her contract with Big Machine. The next year, she surprised fans with the announcement of folklore’s sister record, evermore, featuring collaborations with artists like Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. Both albums and their lead singles, Willow and willow, charted atop the US Billboard Hot 100 and US Billboard 200 respectively.
Throughout her career, Swift has written and co-written every song in her nine-album discography, with the exception of two duets with Colbie Caillat and guest appearances by Drake, Florence + the Machine and Post Malone. The release of her 11th album, Midnights, in 2023 marked a return to the soft, comfortable, bed-like sonics of her earlier releases. The album was her most emotionally revealing and specific work to date, prompting critics to call it her most naked and unapologetic work yet.
