Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer and songwriter. Her musical career began when she won a local talent competition in her hometown of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, at age 10. Then at 12, she sang the National Anthem at a Philadelphia 76ers game and caught the attention of record executive Scott Borchetta. He signed her to his Big Machine Records label.
In 2008, Taylor’s second album Fearless set her apart from the rest of country music with a fresh and unique sound. The album was a breakout success and helped to launch her as one of the most popular artists in music.
Her third album, Speak Now, took her a step further into the pop arena with catchy hits such as “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off.” Her next release, 1989, made an even bolder departure from country with its pop-inspired sound. It was a massive hit, topping the charts and spawning two chart-topping singles. The record also became the first album to sell over a million copies in its debut week.
In 2021, Taylor continued to explore her musical horizons by releasing Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version), a re-recording of her 2015 song that exploded on the social media app TikTok. She followed it with a re-release of her 2012 blockbuster Red (Taylor’s Version), which included nine never-before-heard songs from the same era as the original album. The re-release featured production from Christopher Rowe and Jack Antonoff, while American rock bands Fall Out Boy and Hayley Williams of Paramore provided guest vocals.
After a brief hiatus from public life in 2016, Taylor returned with a bang, releasing her sixth album Reputation to critical and commercial acclaim. Its lead single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” broke multiple streaming records in its first 24 hours and quickly became the most-viewed video in YouTube history. It also won the award for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
Following the successful worldwide tour for Reputation, she re-entered the studio to craft 2020’s folklore and its companion album, evermore—albums that are ruminative and relatively lo-fi in nature. The albums were made in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and reflected on her personal experiences.
In 2022, Swift delved into the Broadway world with her adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats and released Midnights, an album that paired old and new material. In 2023, she embarked on a multi-year Eras Tour that brought her and her band to dozens of cities around the globe. Throughout it all, she continues to win awards and break records—including being the youngest-ever artist to win Album of the Year at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. In addition, she has racked up 23 awards from the American Music Awards and has become the most-awarded female musician in history. Taylor’s success has led to many collaborations and a host of fashion lines, fragrances, and beauty products. She has also starred in several movies and written two books.
