When Taylor Swift sang about her own heartache on her debut album, the country music industry took notice. Soon she was a star in her own right, winning multiple Grammy Awards and landing roles in high-profile films and endorsement deals, including an unprecedented deal with CoverGirl. Her versatile artistry has influenced the music industry, popular culture, and politics, and her personal life is often the subject of wide media coverage.
Swift’s earliest songs were shaped by her teenage years. Her family moved frequently, which caused her to feel isolated from her peers. She decided that the best way to connect with people would be through music, and she began writing songs as a form of catharsis. She was so dedicated to her craft that she would practice playing the guitar four hours a day until her fingertips bled.
The pop-influenced tales of teen heartbreak on her subsequent albums caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a record executive who was in the process of forming Big Machine Records. Swift was one of the label’s first signings.
Over the next decade, Swift continued to dominate the charts, scoring multiple No. 1 hits and becoming one of the youngest artists to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. She diversified her musical style, incorporating elements of country, pop, and adult alternative into her albums, and made a splash in the film industry with her acting and philanthropic work.
During her Fearless era, Swift wrote two tracks for Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana series and recorded a duet with John Mayer on the movie soundtrack to Valentine’s Day. She also co-wrote several songs with other artists, including Kellie Pickler and Boys Like Girls. She also appeared in two television shows and modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch.
In 2018, Swift shifted her career to a new direction with her seventh studio album, Reputation. She debuted the record at number one on the Billboard 200, breaking a record for the most sales in a single week with over 1.21 million copies sold.
The album topped the charts in more countries than any other in history, and its lead single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” became the fastest-selling song in a 24-hour period in the US. The project was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, and Taylor won Artist of the Year at the 61st Annual American Music Awards. The following year, she signed a multi-album deal with Universal Music Group’s Republic Records, giving her ownership of her master recordings—something she did not have in her previous deal with Big Machine. This allowed her to release her 2023 album, Midnights, which was a collection of lo-fi songs recorded during sleepless nights. The album was critically acclaimed and broke several records. It was the highest-selling album in her career and gave Taylor her eighth consecutive number one on the Billboard 200. It also topped the charts in multiple European countries and earned her a second Grammy nomination.
