At a young age, Taylor Swift was already a performer. She won a national poetry contest in fourth grade and was part of the local children’s theater group, Berks Youth Theatre Academy Productions. At the time, her musical interests were mainly focused on singing. She told Great American Country that she grew up loving the songs of country singers like Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline. She took her first role as Sandy in a production of Grease and soon realized that her own voice sounded very country, which she took as a sign that that was the direction she wanted to pursue with her music career.
In 2005, at an industry showcase at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, Swift caught the attention of record executive Scott Borchetta. Borchetta had recently formed his own independent label, Big Machine Records, and Swift was one of the label’s first signings. Taylor’s father bought a three percent share of the company and became her manager.
With the release of her second album, Fearless (2008), she received widespread critical acclaim and won multiple awards at major award shows including the CMAs, ACMs, and AMAs. Her success continued with her third studio album, Red (2012), which topped the Billboard 200 for an unprecedented nine weeks and sold over 5 million copies. It also earned her a record-tying six Grammys, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, making it one of the most successful albums by a female artist in history.
In addition to a successful recording career, Taylor has established herself as a cultural figure with numerous acting roles and endorsement deals. She has been a spokesperson for companies such as Apple, Kohl’s, and the American Red Cross and has worked with several charity organizations. She has received recognition for her fashion sense and style, with Vogue Australia calling her a “Style Icon”.
Since the release of Red, Taylor has released a number of singles and a string of successful world tours. In addition to releasing her own projects, she has collaborated with other popular artists such as Calvin Harris and Zayn Malik. She has written songs for a number of films, including Fifty Shades Darker and has been nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
On December 10, 2020, Swift surprised fans with the release of her ninth studio album and folklore’s sister album, evermore. The albums debuted atop the Billboard 200 and both singles, Cardigan and Willow, ascended to #1 on the Hot 100, breaking records for the most consecutive weeks at the top of both charts in a calendar year. The album also saw collaborations with artists like Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff from The National, and Bon Iver, whom Taylor had never worked with before.
In 2021, she released her older albums in remastered form after her former record label sold the rights to them. These rereleases included several previously unreleased tracks as well as rare remixes and B-sides.
