taylor swift has a devoted fan base who feel intensely connected to her music. Why is that?
Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur. Her bestselling books and blockbuster albums have sold millions of copies, and she has won dozens of accolades, including multiple Grammy Awards, Billboard’s Woman of the Year, and more. She has also been a spokesperson for countless organizations and businesses, including American Greetings, Jakks Pacific dolls, and the National Hockey League’s Nashville Predators. She has also launched a line of beauty products, a clothing line, and a few films.
She is one of the most influential artists in the world, with a social media following that dwarfs most celebrities. She has an eponymous streaming service, a fashion label, and two television shows. In 2022, she took on her biggest tour yet, spanning the globe and showcasing both new and classic material in over 100 locales.
Swift’s early career was marked by country music, and she cited Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks, and LeAnn Rimes as her inspirations. She began performing publicly at age 11, and by 13 she had won a local talent contest. The prize was a chance to perform at an amphitheater in Strausstown, Pennsylvania, opening for Charlie Daniels.
In 2005, she caught the attention of Scott Borchetta at a showcase at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe. He was preparing to launch his own independent record label, Big Machine Records, and Taylor was among the first signings. Her father purchased a three percent share of the company and served as her manager.
After releasing the 2008 album Fearless, her popularity skyrocketed. By the time of RED, released in 2012, she was an international superstar and had established herself as one of the most versatile musicians in modern pop. The album incorporated new genres, including heartland rock and dubstep influences, and featured a team of producers and songwriters, such as Max Martin and Shellback and Liz Rose. It was the most successful album of her career and her highest-grossing country release to date.
In 2018 she left Big Machine after a dispute over the ownership of her master tapes, and signed with Republic Records and Universal Music Group. That same year she rereleased the 2010 album Red (Taylor’s Version), which featured nine never-before-released songs written during the same era. Musically and lyrically, she stated that the record “resembled me — happy, free, confused, lonely, devastated, euphoric, wild, tortured.” She also released a song with Kanye West, titled Everytime You Go Away. Afterward, she re-recorded her 2012 blockbuster with new producers and songwriters, and in 2022 she released folklore and evermore, two ruminative, low-fi albums that were recorded in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. These projects signaled a departure from her earlier work and the beginning of a new chapter in her storied career.
