Taylor Swift is a songwriter who creates epic songs that capture the world’s imagination. Her music has been nominated for 24 GRAMMY Awards and she is one of the top-selling artists of all time with 14 albums that have topped the Billboard 200. She has won countless awards, including the prestigious Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards, and her concerts are among the highest-grossing in the history of popular music. A philanthropist and activist, Swift is an icon who continues to change the landscape of pop culture.
Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in West Reading, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Scott Swift, a stockbroker, and Andrea Swift, a homemaker. At age 9, she began singing lessons in New York City, and at the age of 12, she moved with her family to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in country music. After performing at the Bluebird Cafe, she caught the attention of industry executive Scott Borchetta, who formed Big Machine Records and signed her as a recording artist.
She exploded onto the national scene with her debut album, Fearless, in 2009 and went on to win many awards in the following years. By the release of her fourth album, Speak Now, Taylor had forged a distinct style that showcased her scathing wit and cultivated a sense of empowerment in her audiences.
Red, Swift’s fifth album, was a milestone in her career. It was a sophisticated pop record that challenged her to push herself musically. Its songs were written almost exclusively by Swift, but she also collaborated with producers like Max Martin, Liz Rose, Nathan Chapman, and Dan Wilson. It was also her first album to top both the Billboard 200 and Singles charts in the United States.
After a brief departure from the spotlight, Swift came back with a bang on her sixth album, reputation, in 2021. With guest appearances from Post Malone and Florence + the Machine, it was her most personal and polarizing album to date. Its lead single, “Look What You Made Me Do”, broke records and received the most streams in a day by any song in history.
In 2023, Taylor returned to the bed-like sonics of Midnights for her 11th album, folklore and evermore. Released during the pandemic lockdown of 2020, these albums reflected the country’s mood with pensive and reflective songs that spoke to widespread feelings of isolation.
Over the course of her career, Swift has dated several celebrities, including actors Cory Monteith and Jake Gyllenhaal, and model and actress Conor Kennedy. She has also written songs with and for such famous people as Rihanna, Calvin Harris, Zayn Malik, and Nicki Minaj. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with her cat Olivia. Her interests outside of music include fashion, philanthropy, and social activism. She has a keen eye for detail and loves to be involved in all aspects of her work, whether it’s the design of her own clothing lines or the creation of her eponymous foundation.
