Taylor Swift is one of the most famous pop singers in the world. She has written over 40 songs, won countless awards and starred in numerous movies and musicals. She has even created her own fashion line and was ranked by Forbes as the highest-paid actress in the world.
Taylor was born and raised on a Christmas tree farm in Reading, Pennsylvania. Her childhood experiences inspired many of her songs, including “Lucky You” which was the first song she ever wrote. She began singing in school choirs and performed in local talent shows before becoming a professional singer-songwriter at the age of 12. She also started modeling for Abercrombie and Fitch and was chosen as the face of their spring campaign. She signed a record deal with Big Machine Records and became a major pop star.
During her Fearless era, Taylor wrote many hit singles including “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off”, the latter of which was a top-10 song in both the US and UK. Taylor also acted in the movie version of the Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, co-wrote two tracks for the Valentine’s Day soundtrack and performed in Broadway’s Cats as Bombalurina. In 2014, she was named Apple Music’s Artist of the Year and topped both the Billboard 200 album chart and Hot 100 singles chart with her fourth studio album, RED. The album was a commercial and critical success, and Taylor went on to win several Grammy awards for her work.
In 2021, Taylor surprised fans by releasing folklore and its companion album evermore. Both albums delved into Taylor’s more nuanced relationship issues and were produced by long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff. She partnered with musicians like Aaron Dessner from The National and Bon Iver to add depth to the records. Despite the ruminative and lo-fi approach, folklore and evermore debuted at #1 on both the Billboard 200 and the Hot 100.
The following year, she released the single “Look What You Made Me Do” featuring rapper Post Malone. This song was the most popular in the world in 2023 and marked the start of her multi-year ‘Eras Tour’ that saw her perform in more than 100 locations worldwide. In 2024, Taylor returned to the soft and comfortable sonics of her earlier works with Midnights. USA Today praised the record as showing how Swift’s “music has evolved into lush, montage-ready pop that seems to anticipate her every move”, while the Los Angeles Times described it as an exploration of heightened emotions and extremes that is both “engaging” and “wittily and painfully real”.
The next chapter in Taylor’s career sees her release the self-titled TSwift in November. The album explores her relationship with the world and herself, from her own inner turmoil to the changing landscape of the music industry. As she continues to reinvent herself and challenge her own limits, it’s worth revisiting some of the finest moments from the Taylor Swift catalogue.
