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Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and cultural impact, Swift is one of the
world's best-selling music artists The following list of best-selling music artists includes musical artists from the 20th century to the present with claims of 75 million or more record sales worldwide. The sales figures are calculated based on the formula detailed below. The ...
, the highest-grossing music performer, and the richest female musician—the first billionaire with music as their main income. Swift signed to
Big Machine Records Big Machine Records is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group. Big Machine is based on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta and ...
in 2005, debuting as a
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
singer with the albums ''
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
'' (2006) and '' Fearless'' (2008). The singles "
Teardrops on My Guitar "Teardrops on My Guitar" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, originally released as part of her debut studio album, Taylor Swift (album), ''Taylor Swift'' (2006). Big Machine Records released the song to country radio on Fe ...
", "
Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...
", and "
You Belong with Me "You Belong with Me" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the third single from her second studio album '' Fearless'' (2008). Big Machine Records released the song to radio on April 20, 2009. Swift was inspired to wri ...
" found
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...
success on
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
and
pop radio Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
formats. She incorporated
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
on ''
Speak Now ''Speak Now'' is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 25, 2010, by Big Machine Records. Swift wrote the album entirely herself while touring in 2009–2010 to reflect on her transitio ...
'' (2010) and
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...
on ''
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
'' (2012), later re-calibrating her image from country to
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
with the
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
set ''
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
'' (2014); the ensuing media scrutiny inspired the
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
-imbued ''
Reputation The reputation or prestige of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity – typically developed as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance. ...
'' (2017). The albums contained the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles "
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fourth studio album, '' Red'' (2012). It was released as the album's lead single on August 13, 2012, by Big Machine Records. Written and ...
", "
Shake It Off "Shake It Off" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her fifth studio album, '' 1989'' (2014). She wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin and Shellback. Inspired by the media scrutiny on Swif ...
", "
Blank Space "Blank Space" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the second single from her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). Swift wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin and Shellback. Inspired by the media scrutiny on Sw ...
", " Bad Blood", and "
Look What You Made Me Do "Look What You Made Me Do" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her sixth studio album, ''Reputation'' (2017). Big Machine Records released the song on August 24, 2017, following an approximately yea ...
". Shifting to
Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...
in 2018, Swift released the
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
album '' Lover'' (2019) and contested with Big Machine for masters, re-recording four albums as '' Taylor's Version''. She explored
indie folk Indie folk (also called alternative folk) is an alternative genre of music that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Characteristics The staff of '' Paste Magazine'' said in 2020: "No music genre ...
styles in the 2020 surprise albums ''
Folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
'' and ''
Evermore ''Evermore'' (stylized in all lowercase) is the ninth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was surprise-released on December 11, 2020, by Republic Records. Swift conceived ''Evermore'' as a "sister record" to its p ...
,'' and experimented with pop subgenres on ''
Midnights ''Midnights'' is the tenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 21, 2022, by Republic Records. She conceived ''Midnights'' as a concept album about nocturnal ruminations inspired by her sleepl ...
'' (2022) and the double album ''
The Tortured Poets Department ''The Tortured Poets Department'' is the eleventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on April 19, 2024, by Republic Records. Swift developed the album amidst the Eras Tour in 2023, with the resultant, ...
'' (2024). In the U.S., a record seven Swift albums have sold one million copies first-week each. Throughout the 2020s, Swift garnered the number-one songs " Cardigan", "
Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...
", "
All Too Well "All Too Well" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Written by Swift and Liz Rose, the song was first produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman for her fourth studio album, '' Red'' (2012). After a 2019 dispute regarding the o ...
", "
Anti-Hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...
", " Cruel Summer", " Is It Over Now?", and "
Fortnight A fortnight is a unit of time equal to 14 days (two weeks). The word derives from the Old English term , meaning "" (or "fourteen days", since the Anglo-Saxons counted by nights). Astronomy and tides In astronomy, a ''lunar fortnight'' is hal ...
". She has undertaken six concert tours, including
the Eras Tour The Eras Tour was the sixth concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It began in Glendale, Arizona, United States, on March 17, 2023, and concluded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on December 8, 2024. Spanning 149 sh ...
(2023–2024), the highest-grossing tour of all time. Her films include ''
Miss Americana ''Miss Americana'' (also known as ''Taylor Swift: Miss Americana'') is a 2020 American documentary film that follows the singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her life over the course of several years of her career. It was directed by Lana Wilson, ...
'' (2020), '' All Too Well: The Short Film'' (2021), and ''
The Eras Tour The Eras Tour was the sixth concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It began in Glendale, Arizona, United States, on March 17, 2023, and concluded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on December 8, 2024. Spanning 149 sh ...
'' (2023)—the highest-grossing concert film. Swift is a subject of extensive media coverage and has a global fanbase of
Swifties Swifties are the fandom of the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Regarded by journalists as one of the largest, and most devoted fanbases, Swifties are known for their high levels of participation, community, and cultural impact on the mus ...
. Publications such as ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' and ''Billboard'' have listed her amongst history's greatest artists; she is the only individual from
the arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive range of m ...
to have been named the ''Time'' Person of the Year (2023). Among other accolades, Swift has received 14
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
(including a record four Album of the Year wins), a record five
IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year The Global Recording Artist of the Year is an award presented by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) to honor the year's commercially best-performing musician, based on global album-equivalent units earned, which inclu ...
awards, a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
, and a string of ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...
''. She is the most-awarded artist of the
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
(40), the ''Billboard'' Music Awards (49), and the
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...
(30).


Life and career


Early life

Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in
West Reading, Pennsylvania West Reading is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, located next to the city of Reading. The population was 4,553 at the 2020 census. It contains a vibrant main street (Penn Avenue) and the large Reading Hospital and Med ...
. She is named after the singer-songwriter
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...
and was purposefully given a unisex first name. Her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, was a
stockbroker A stockbroker is an individual or company that buys and sells stocks and other investments for a financial market participant in return for a commission, markup, or fee. In most countries they are regulated as a broker or broker-dealer and ...
for
Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, doing business as Merrill, and previously branded Merrill Lynch, is an American investment management and wealth management division of Bank of America. Along with BofA Securities, the investm ...
, and her mother, Andrea Gardner Swift (), worked as a
mutual fund A mutual fund is an investment fund that pools money from many investors to purchase Security (finance), securities. The term is typically used in the United States, Canada, and India, while similar structures across the globe include the SICAV in ...
marketing executive. Swift's younger brother,
Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
, is an actor. The siblings are of Scottish, English, and German descent, with distant Italian and Irish ancestry. Their maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay (), was an opera singer, whose singing in church became one of Swift's earliest memories of music that shaped her career. Swift spent her early years on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania that her father had purchased from one of his clients, and she spent her summers at her family's vacation home in
Stone Harbor, New Jersey Stone Harbor is a borough in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough, and all of Cape May County, is part of the South Jersey region of the state and of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, which is part of the ...
, where she occasionally performed acoustic songs at a local coffee shop. She is Christian and attended preschool and kindergarten at a
Montessori The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing ...
school run by the
Bernardine Sisters of St. Francis The Bernardine Sisters of St. Francis are a Catholic apostolic congregation of pontifical right based in Reading, Pennsylvania. The order was founded in 1894 by Mother Veronica Grzedowska, a Polish nun from Zakliczyn, for the instruction of poor ...
before transferring to the Wyndcroft School. When her family moved to
Wyomissing Wyomissing is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to Reading. The borough was incorporated on July 2, 1906. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,114, compared to 10,461 at the 2010 census. The growth was s ...
, she attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School. As a child, she performed in Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions and traveled regularly to New York City for vocal and acting lessons. Her early love for
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
was influenced by
Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( ; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time and the best-sel ...
,
Patsy Cline Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American singer. One of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, she was known as one of the first country music artists to successfully Cross ...
,
LeAnn Rimes Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at the age of 13 and has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Christian, and o ...
, and
the Dixie Chicks The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. The band consists of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Emily Stra ...
, and she spent weekends performing at local festivals and events.''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' Interview: The Unabridged Taylor Swift, December 2, 2008
After watching a documentary about
Faith Hill Audrey Faith McGraw (; born September 21, 1967), known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American Country music, country singer. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold almost 50 million albums worldwide ...
, she became determined to pursue a country music career in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
. At 11, Swift traveled to Nashville with her mother to visit record labels and submit demo tapes of
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
and Dixie Chicks karaoke covers. She was rejected by all the labels, which led her to focus on songwriting. She started learning the guitar at 12 with the help of Ronnie Cremer, a computer repairman and local musician who also assisted Swift with writing an original song. In 2003, Swift and her parents started working with the talent manager Dan Dymtrow. With his help, Swift modeled for
Abercrombie & Fitch Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F) is an American lifestyle store, lifestyle retailer, founded in 1892 which focuses on contemporary clothing targeting customers in their early 20's to mid 40's. Headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, the company operate ...
and had an original song included on a
Maybelline Maybelline New York (formerly The Maybelline Company and Mabelline and Co.), trading as and commonly known as simply Maybelline ( ), is an American multinational cosmetics, skin care, perfume, and personal care company, based in New York City. ...
compilation CD. After performing original songs at an
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
showcase, 13-year-old Swift was given an artist development deal and began to travel regularly to Nashville with her mother. To help Swift break into the country music scene, her father transferred to Merrill Lynch's Nashville office when she was 14 years old, and the family relocated to
Hendersonville, Tennessee Hendersonville is the most populous city in Sumner County, Tennessee, on Old Hickory Lake. As of the 2020 census the city's population was 61,753. Hendersonville is the fourth-most populous city in the Nashville metropolitan area after Nas ...
. Swift attended Hendersonville High School before transferring to Aaron Academy after two years, which better accommodated her touring schedule through homeschooling. She graduated one year early.


2004–2008: Career beginnings and first album

In Nashville, Swift worked with experienced
Music Row Music Row is a historic district located southwest of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Widely considered the heart of Nashville's entertainment industry, Music Row has also become a metonymous nickname for the music industry as ...
songwriters such as
Troy Verges Troy Verges is an American songwriter of country and pop music from Louisiana. Career His first cut as a songwriter was a track on Faith Hill's '' Breathe''. His credits include the singles " Wanted", recorded by Hunter Hayes; "Beer Money", r ...
,
Brett Beavers Brett Beavers (born in Waco, Texas) is an American country music songwriter and producer and a co-author of a book, ''Something Worth Leaving Behind''. Education and early career Beavers attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he earne ...
,
Brett James Brett James Cornelius (born June 5, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer based in Nashville. James' compositions have been credited on 494 recordings by a wide variety of artists. Signed to Career Records (a ...
,
Mac McAnally Lyman Corbitt McAnally Jr. (; born July 15, 1957), known professionally as Mac McAnally, is an American singer-songwriter, session musician, and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. Two of his sing ...
, and
the Warren Brothers The Warren Brothers are an American country music duo composed of brothers Brett Warren (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, mandolin, piano) and Brad Warren (background vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar). The duo has released three ...
and formed a lasting working relationship with
Liz Rose Elisabeth Wagner (born September 6, 1957), known professionally as Liz Rose, is an American country music songwriter, best known for her work with Taylor Swift. She has co-written 17 of Swift's officially released songs, including " You Belong wi ...
. They began meeting for two-hour writing sessions every Tuesday afternoon after school. Rose called the sessions "some of the easiest I've ever done. Basically, I was just her editor. She'd write about what happened in school that day. She had such a clear vision of what she was trying to say. And she'd come in with the most incredible hooks." At 14, Swift became the youngest artist signed by Sony/ATV Tree Music Publishing. She left RCA Records due to the label's lack of care and their "cut
ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...
other people's stuff". She was also concerned that development deals can shelve artists and recalled: "I genuinely felt that I was running out of time. I wanted to capture these years of my life on an album while they still represented what I was going through." At an industry showcase at Nashville's
Bluebird Cafe The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous passerine birds in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. Bluebirds lay an ...
in 2005, Swift caught the attention of
Scott Borchetta Scott Borchetta (born July 3, 1962) is an American record executive and founder of the Big Machine Records#Imprints, Big Machine Label Group. He started the label in 2005 with Taylor Swift as its first signed artist and 13 employees, he served ...
, a
DreamWorks Records DreamWorks Records (often referred in copyright notices as SKG Music, LLC) was an American record label founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Mo Ostin, his son Michael Ostin and Lenny Waronker as a subsidiary of DreamWorks Pictures. The label opera ...
executive who was preparing to form an independent record label,
Big Machine Records Big Machine Records is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group. Big Machine is based on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta and ...
. She had first met Borchetta in 2004. Swift was one of Big Machine's first signings, and her father purchased a three-percent stake in the company for an estimated $120,000. She began working on her eponymous debut album with Nathan Chapman. Swift wrote or co-wrote all album tracks, and co-writers included Rose,
Robert Ellis Orrall Robert Ellis Orrall (born May 4, 1955) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Signed to RCA Records in 1980, Orrall debuted that year with the album "Fixation". His first Top 40 single was "I Couldn't Say No", a duet with Carlene ...
, Brian Maher, and
Angelo Petraglia Angelo Petraglia (born May 5, 1954) is an American record producer and songwriter. He was a member of the new wave band Face to Face and is best known for his work with Kings of Leon. Early life He was born in the Bronx and grew up in Pelham, N ...
. Released in October 2006, ''
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
'' peaked at number five on the US ''Billboard'' 200, on which it spent 157 weeks—the longest stay on the chart by any release in the US in the 2000s decade. Swift became the first female country music artist to write or co-write every track on a
platinum-certified In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) operates an awards program based on the certified number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets.lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
, "
Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on ...
", which Swift and her mother helped promote by packaging and sending copies of the CD single to country radio stations. She spent much of 2006 promoting ''Taylor Swift'' with a radio tour and television appearances. This included opening for
Rascal Flatts Rascal Flatts is an American Country music, country music band formed in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background voc ...
on select dates during their 2006 tour, as a replacement for
Eric Church Kenneth Eric Church (born May 3, 1977) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released seven studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's '' Sinners Like Me'', produced three singles on the ''Billb ...
. Borchetta said that although record industry peers initially disapproved of his signing a 15-year-old singer-songwriter, Swift tapped into a previously unknown market—teenage girls who listen to country music. Following "
Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on ...
", four more singles were released throughout 2007 and 2008: "
Teardrops on My Guitar "Teardrops on My Guitar" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, originally released as part of her debut studio album, Taylor Swift (album), ''Taylor Swift'' (2006). Big Machine Records released the song to country radio on Fe ...
", " Our Song", "
Picture to Burn "Picture to Burn" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her debut studio album, ''Taylor Swift'' (2006). Big Machine Records released the song to US country radio on February 4, 2008, as the album's fourth single. Wri ...
", and " Should've Said No". All appeared on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
, with "Our Song" and "Should've Said No" reaching number one. "Our Song" made Swift the youngest person to single-handedly write and sing a Hot Country Songs number-one single, and "Teardrops on My Guitar" was Swift's breakthrough single on mainstream radio and charts. Swift released two EPs, '' The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection'' in October 2007 and ''
Beautiful Eyes ''Beautiful Eyes'' is the second extended play (EP) by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released as a Walmart exclusive on July 15, 2008, by Big Machine Records. In later years, after the MP3 service got closed down, Walmart ...
'' in July 2008. She promoted her debut album extensively as the opening act for other country musicians' tours in 2006 and 2007, including those by
George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait has sold over 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He holds ...
,
Brad Paisley Brad Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His first success came in 1997 as the writer of David Kersh's "Another You (David Kersh song), Another You". After this, he signed with ...
, and
Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on ...
and Faith Hill. Swift won multiple accolades for ''Taylor Swift''. She was one of the recipients of the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter/Artist of the Year in 2007, becoming the youngest person given the title. She also won the
Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...
's Horizon Award for Best New Artist, the
Academy of Country Music Awards The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academy ...
' Top New Female Vocalist, and the
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
' Favorite Country Female Artist honor. She was also nominated for
Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1960 (except in 1967) "for a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that ar ...
at the
50th Annual Grammy Awards The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 10, 2008. It honored musical achievement of 2007 in which albums were released between October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007. The primary ceremonie ...
. In 2008, she opened for
Rascal Flatts Rascal Flatts is an American Country music, country music band formed in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background voc ...
again and briefly dated the singer
Joe Jonas Joseph Adam Jonas (born August 15, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He rose to fame as a member of the pop rock band the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin Jonas, Kevin and Nick Jonas, Nick. The group released their ...
.


2008–2010: ''Fearless''

Swift's second studio album, '' Fearless'', was released in November 2008 in North America, and in March 2009 in other markets. On the ''Billboard'' 200, ''Fearless'' spent 11 weeks at number one, becoming Swift's first chart topper and the longest-running number-one female country album. It was the bestselling album of 2009 in the US. Its lead single, "
Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...
", was her first number one in Australia and the first country song to top ''Billboard''
Pop Songs Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
chart, and its third single, "
You Belong with Me "You Belong with Me" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the third single from her second studio album '' Fearless'' (2008). Big Machine Records released the song to radio on April 20, 2009. Swift was inspired to wri ...
", was the first country song to top ''Billboard'' all-genre Radio Songs chart. Three other singles were released in 2008–2010: "
White Horse A white horse is born predominantly white and stays white throughout its life. A white horse has mostly pink skin under its hair coat, and may have brown, blue, or hazel eyes. "True white" horses, especially those that carry one of the dominant w ...
", " Fifteen", and " Fearless". All five singles were Hot Country Songs top 10 entries, with "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me" topping the chart. In 2009, Swift toured as an opening act for
Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban ( né Urbahn; 26 October 1967) is an Australian and American country singer, songwriter and guitarist. Recognised with four Grammy Awards, he has also received 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Jim Reeves Int ...
and embarked on her first headlining tour, the
Fearless Tour The Fearless Tour was the debut concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her second studio album, '' Fearless'' (2008). It began in Evansville, Indiana, United States, on April 23, 2009, and concluded in Caven ...
. "You Belong with Me" won
Best Female Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the ...
at the
2009 MTV Video Music Awards The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year between June 2008 to June 2009, were presented on September 13, 2009, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and televised by MTV. The ceremony was ...
. Her acceptance speech was interrupted by the rapper
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
, an incident that became the subject of controversy and widespread media coverage. That year, Swift won five American Music Awards, including
Artist of the Year ''Artist of the Year'' is a television competition shown on the Sky Arts channel (formerly known as Artsworld and Sky Arts 1) which aims to find the best portrait and landscape artist every year. Overview Through several rounds of regional comp ...
and Favorite Country Album. ''Billboard'' named her the 2009
Artist of the Year ''Artist of the Year'' is a television competition shown on the Sky Arts channel (formerly known as Artsworld and Sky Arts 1) which aims to find the best portrait and landscape artist every year. Overview Through several rounds of regional comp ...
. She won Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year for "Love Story" at the 2009
CMT Music Awards The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The ceremony launched in 1967 as Music City News Awards; it is the oldest award show currently airing under Paramount Global. The ceremony ...
, where she made a parody video of the song with rapper
T-Pain Faheem Rashad Najm (born September 30, 1984), known professionally as T-Pain, is an American singer and rapper. He is known for popularizing creative use of Auto-Tune pitch correction, often used with extreme parameter settings to create electro ...
called "Thug Story". At the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares P ...
, ''Fearless'' was named Album of the Year and
Best Country Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Country Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the country music ge ...
, and "White Horse" won
Best Country Song The Grammy Award for Best Country Song (sometimes known as the Country Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1965. The award is given to the songwriter(s) of the song, not to the artist, unless the artist is also the songwriter. There have ...
and
Best Female Country Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance was first awarded in 1965, to Dottie West Dottie West (born Dorothy Marie Marsh; October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country singer and songwriter. She also had s ...
. At the
2009 Country Music Association Awards The 2009 Country Music Association Awards, 43rd Annual Ceremony, was held on November 11, 2009, at the Sommet Center (later the Bridgestone Arena) in Nashville, Tennessee and was hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood for the second time. Tay ...
, Swift won Album of the Year for ''Fearless'' and was named Entertainer of the Year, the youngest person to win the honor. Throughout 2009, Swift featured on and wrote other musicians' releases. She featured on " Half of My Heart" by
John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...
, whom she was romantically linked with in late 2009. She wrote "
Best Days of Your Life "Best Days of Your Life" is a song by American country music artist Kellie Pickler. It was written by Pickler and American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift who also provides background vocals on the song. It was released on December 1, 2008, as the s ...
" for
Kellie Pickler Kellie Dawn Pickler (born June 28, 1986) is an American country music singer, actress and television personality. Pickler gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of ''American Idol'' and finished in sixth place. In 2006, she signed to ...
, co-wrote and featured on
Boys Like Girls Boys Like Girls (stylized in all caps since 2023) is an American rock band formed in Andover, Massachusetts, in 2005. The group gained mainstream recognition with their self-titled debut album (2006), which went on to sell over 700,000 albu ...
' "
Two Is Better Than One "Two Is Better Than One" is a song by the American rock band Boys Like Girls from their second studio album '' Love Drunk'' (2009). The song features American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was written by Martin Johnson and Swift. It was re ...
, and wrote two songs—" You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" and "
Crazier "Crazier" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from the soundtrack to the 2009 film '' Hannah Montana: The Movie''. Swift wrote the song with Robert Ellis Orrall and produced it with Nathan Chapman (record producer), ...
"—for the
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
of '' Hannah Montana: The Movie'', in which she had a cameo appearance. She wrote and recorded "
Today Was a Fairytale "Today Was a Fairytale" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, it was released digitally on January 19, 2010, by Big Machine Records as a single from the soundtrack ...
" for the
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
of ''
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
'' (2010), in which she had her acting debut. "Today Was a Fairytale" was her first number-one single on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...
. While shooting ''Valentine's Day'' in October 2009, Swift dated co-star
Taylor Lautner Taylor Daniel Lautner ( ; born February 11, 1992) is an American actor. He is best known for playing werewolf Jacob Black in ''The Twilight Saga (film series), The Twilight Saga'' film series (2008–2012). His accolades include a Scream Awar ...
. On television, she made her debut as a rebellious teenager in an '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' episode and hosted and performed as the musical guest on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''; she was the first host ever to write their own opening monologue.


2010–2014: ''Speak Now'' and ''Red''

Swift's third studio album, ''
Speak Now ''Speak Now'' is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 25, 2010, by Big Machine Records. Swift wrote the album entirely herself while touring in 2009–2010 to reflect on her transitio ...
'', was released in October 2010. Written solely by Swift, the album debuted the ''Billboard'' 200 with over one million US copies sold first week and became the fastest-selling digital album by a female artist. ''Speak Now'' was supported by six singles: "
Mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging *Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun M ...
", "
Back to December "Back to December" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, '' Speak Now'' (2010). Big Machine Records released it as the album's second single on November 15, 2010. Produced by ...
", "
Mean A mean is a quantity representing the "center" of a collection of numbers and is intermediate to the extreme values of the set of numbers. There are several kinds of means (or "measures of central tendency") in mathematics, especially in statist ...
", " The Story of Us", " Sparks Fly", and "
Ours Ours may refer to: People * Ours (singer), a French singer and songwriter. * Wes Ours (born 1977), an American football player Music * Ours (band), an American rock group Songs * "Ours" (song), by Taylor Swift, 2011 * "Ours", a song by Ed Sh ...
". "Mine" peaked at number three and was the highest-charting single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the first three singles reached the top 10 in Canada, and the last two reached number one on Hot Country Songs. Swift promoted ''Speak Now'' with the
Speak Now World Tour The Speak Now World Tour was the second concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her third studio album, '' Speak Now'' (2010). It began in Singapore, on February 9, 2011, and concluded in Auckland, New Zealand ...
from February 2011 to March 2012 and the live album ''
Speak Now World Tour – Live ''Speak Now World Tour – Live'' is the first live album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on November 21, 2011, by Big Machine Records. The physical copy consists of an audio CD and a visual accompaniment on DVD ...
''. At the
54th Annual Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted ...
in 2012, Swift performed "Mean", which won Best Country Song and
Best Country Solo Performance The Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is desig ...
. She was named Songwriter/Artist of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association (2010 and 2011), Woman of the Year by ''Billboard'' (2011), and Entertainer of the Year by the
Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller (songwriter), Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris ...
(2011 and 2012) and the Country Music Association in 2011. At the
American Music Awards of 2011 The 39th Annual American Music Awards was held on November 20, 2011, at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from the year 2011. Nominees were announced on October 11, 2011. The aw ...
, Swift won Artist of the Year and Favorite Country Album. ''Rolling Stone'' named ''Speak Now'' on its list of "50 Best Female Albums of All Time" (2012). ''
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
'', Swift's fourth studio album, was released in October 2012. On ''Red'', Swift worked with Chapman and new producers including
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
AllMusic
known professional ...
, Shellback, Dan Wilson,
Jeff Bhasker Jeffrey Nath Bhasker (born March 4, 1974) is an American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2016 and was nominated for the award in 2013. Bhasker cam ...
,
Dann Huff Dann Lee Huff (born November 15, 1960) is an American record producer, studio guitarist, and songwriter. For his work as a producer in the country music genre, he has won several awards, including the ''Musician of the Year'' award in 2001, 2004 ...
, and
Butch Walker Bradley Glenn "Butch" Walker (born November 14, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was lead guitarist for the glam metal band, SouthGang from the late 1980s to early 1990s. From 1997 to 2001, he became th ...
, resulting in a genre-spanning record that incorporated eclectic styles of pop and rock such as Britrock,
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...
, and
dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
. The album opened at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 1.21 million sales and was Swift's first number-one album in the UK. Its lead single, "
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fourth studio album, '' Red'' (2012). It was released as the album's lead single on August 13, 2012, by Big Machine Records. Written and ...
", was her first number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and its third single, "
I Knew You Were Trouble "I Knew You Were Trouble" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fourth studio album, '' Red'' (2012). She wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin and Shellback. Instrumented by electric guitars and synthesiz ...
", reached the top five on charts worldwide.Chart positions:


Other singles from ''Red'' were " Begin Again", " 22", " Everything Has Changed", " The Last Time", and "
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
". ''Red'' and its single "Begin Again" received three nominations at the
56th Annual Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid co ...
(2014). Swift received American Music Awards for Best Female Country Artist in
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, Artist of the Year in
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, and the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter/Artist Award for the fifth and sixth consecutive years. At the 2014 Country Music Association Awards, Swift was honored with the Pinnacle Award, making her the second recipient in history after
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States, ...
.
The Red Tour The Red Tour was the third concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fourth studio album, '' Red'' (2012). It began in Omaha, Nebraska, on March 13, 2013, and concluded in Singapore, on June 12, 2014. The tou ...
ran from March 2013 to June 2014 and became the highest-grossing country tour upon completion. Swift continued writing songs for films and featuring on other artists' releases. On the
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...
to ''The Hunger Games'' (2012), Swift wrote and recorded "Eyes Open" and " Safe & Sound"; the latter of which was co-written with
the Civil Wars The Civil Wars were an American musical duo composed of Joy Williams and John Paul White. Formed in 2008, their style blended folk, country, and Americana, characterized by haunting harmonies and poignant lyrics. The duo gained recognition ...
and
T-Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. Burnett has won several Grammy Awards for his work on film sou ...
. "Safe & Sound" won the
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media (including its previous names) is the Grammy Awards awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media. Alan Menken has won five awards (out of nine nominati ...
. She wrote and produced " Sweeter than Fiction" with
Jack Antonoff Jack Michael Antonoff (born March 31, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Bleachers, and previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop band Fun and the lead vocalist of t ...
for the soundtrack to '' One Chance'' (2013). Swift featured on
B.o.B Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons signed with record producer Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainm ...
's " Both of Us" (2012) and provided vocals for Tim McGraw's "
Highway Don't Care "Highway Don't Care" is a song by the American country music singers Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift, featuring Keith Urban on guitar. It was released to US country radio on March 25, 2013, as the third single from McGraw's first album for Big Machin ...
" (2013), also featuring Keith Urban. She was a voice actress in ''
The Lorax ''The Lorax'' is a children's literature, children's book written by Dr. Seuss and published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the Biophysical environment, environment and the Lorax, the main character, who "speaks for the trees" and confront ...
'' (2012), made a cameo in the sitcom ''
New Girl ''New Girl'' is an American television sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and produced by 20th Century Fox Television for Fox that aired from September 20, 2011, to May 15, 2018. The series revolves around quirky teacher, Jessica Day ( Zo ...
'' (2013), and had a supporting role in the
dystopia A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmen ...
n film ''The Giver'' (2014). From 2010 to 2013, Swift was romantically involved with the actor
Jake Gyllenhaal Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal ( , ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor who has worked on screen and stage for over thirty years. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi ...
, the political heir Conor Kennedy, and the singer
Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His showmanship, artistry, and flamboyant fashion have had a Cultural impact of Harry Styles, significant impact on popular culture. Styles's musical ca ...
.


2014–2018: ''1989'' and ''Reputation''

In March 2014, Swift began living in New York City, which she credited as a creative influence on her fifth studio album, ''
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
''. She described ''1989'' as her first "official pop album" and produced it with Jack Antonoff, Max Martin, Shellback,
Imogen Heap Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap ( ; born 9 December 1977) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur. She is considered a pioneer in pop music, particularly electropop, and in music technology. While attending the ...
,
Ryan Tedder Ryan Benjamin Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, frontman, and lead vocalist for the pop rock band OneRepublic, while also serving as a prolific cont ...
, and
Ali Payami Ali Payami is a Swedish record producer, songwriter, and DJ. Payami's first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was The Weeknd's single "Can't Feel My Face". In 2016, he won a Grammy for Album of the Year for his contributions on Taylor S ...
. Released in October 2014, the album opened atop the ''Billboard'' 200 with 1.28 million copies sold. Its singles "
Shake It Off "Shake It Off" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her fifth studio album, '' 1989'' (2014). She wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin and Shellback. Inspired by the media scrutiny on Swif ...
", "
Blank Space "Blank Space" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the second single from her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). Swift wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin and Shellback. Inspired by the media scrutiny on Sw ...
", and " Bad Blood" reached number one in Australia, Canada, and the US, with the first two making Swift the first woman to replace herself at the Hot 100 top spot. Other singles include "
Style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...
", "
Wildest Dreams "Wildest Dreams" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is the fifth single from her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). Swift wrote the song with its producers Max Martin and Shellback. "Wildest Dreams" has an atmosphe ...
", " Out of the Woods", and "
New Romantics New Romantic was an underground subculture movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in London and Birmingham at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz. The New Romantic mo ...
".
The 1989 World Tour The 1989 World Tour was the fourth concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). It began in Tokyo, Japan, on May 5, 2015, and concluded in Melbourne, Australia, on December ...
(2015) was the highest-grossing tour of the year with $250 million in total revenue. After publishing an
op-ed An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page," is a type of written prose commonly found in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. They usually represent a writer's strong and focused opinion on an issue of relevance to a targeted a ...
in ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' stressing the importance of albums as a creative medium for artists, in November 2014, Swift removed her catalog from ad-supported, free music streaming platforms such as
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
. In a June 2015 open letter, Swift criticized
Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...
for not offering royalties to artists during its free three-month trial period and threatened to withdraw her music from the platform, which prompted
Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It is best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Comput ...
to announce that it would pay artists during the free trial period. Swift then agreed to keep ''1989'' and her catalog on Apple Music.
Big Machine Records Big Machine Records is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group. Big Machine is based on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta and ...
returned Swift's catalog to Spotify among other free streaming platforms in June 2017. Swift was named ''Billboard''s Woman of the Year in 2014, becoming the first artist to win the award twice. At the 2014 American Music Awards, Swift received the inaugural
Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid (game show), ...
Award for Excellence. On her 25th birthday in 2014, the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live opened an exhibit in her honor in Los Angeles that ran until October 4, 2015. In 2015, Swift won the
Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist The Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist is an award given by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), an organisation which represents record companies and artists in the United Kingdom. The accolade is presented at the Brit Awards, ...
. "Bad Blood" won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration at the
2015 MTV Video Music Awards The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 30, 2015. The 32nd installment of the event was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, and hosted by Miley Cyrus. Taylor Swift led the nominations with a total of ten, followe ...
. At the
58th Grammy Awards The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 201 ...
(2016), ''1989'' won Album of the Year and
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
, making Swift the first woman to win Album of the Year twice. Swift dated the DJ
Calvin Harris Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris (and sometimes under the stage name Love Regenerator), is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter. His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'' (2007 ...
from March 2015 to June 2016. They co-wrote the song "
This Is What You Came For "This Is What You Came For" is a song by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris and Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on 29 April 2016, through Columbia Records and Westbury Road and included on Harris' first compilation album, '' 96 Months'' (2024). ...
", featuring vocals from
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
; Swift was initially credited under the pseudonym Nils Sjöberg. She recorded "
I Don't Wanna Live Forever "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" (also subtitled "Fifty Shades Darker") is a song by the English singer Zayn and the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from the 2017 soundtrack '' Fifty Shades Darker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''. It ...
" with
Zayn Malik Zain Javadd "Zayn" Malik ( ; born 12 January 1993) is an English singer-songwriter. He auditioned as a solo contestant for the British music competition television series ''The X Factor'' in 2010, where he ended up being a part of five-piece b ...
for
the soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured ...
to '' Fifty Shades Darker'' (2017) and won a
Country Music Association Award The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...
for Song of the Year with " Better Man", which she wrote for the band
Little Big Town Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group from Homewood, Alabama. Founded in 1998, the group has had the same four members since its founding: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman (née Roads), Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook. Fa ...
. In April 2016, Kanye West released the single "
Famous Famous may refer to: Companies * Famous Brands, a South African restaurant franchisor * Famous Footwear, an American retail store chain * Famous Music, the music publishing division of Paramount Pictures * Famous Studios, the animation division ...
", in which he references Swift in the line, "I made that bitch famous." Swift criticized West and said she never consented to the lyric, but West claimed that he had received her approval and his then-wife
Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...
released video clips of Swift and West discussing the song amicably over the phone. The controversy made Swift a subject of an online " cancel" movement. In late 2016, after briefly dating
Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is a British actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), beginning with ''Thor (film), Thor'' in 2011 and incl ...
, Swift began a six-year relationship with
Joe Alwyn Joseph Matthew Alwyn (born 21 February 1991) is an English actor. Alwyn made his feature film debut as the titular character in Ang Lee's 2016 war drama '' Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk'' and has since played roles in films such as '' The F ...
and retreated herself from the public spotlight. In August 2017, Swift successfully countersued David Mueller, a former
radio jockey A radio personality is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host (North American English), radio presenter (British English) or radio jockey. Radio personal ...
for
KYGO-FM KYGO-FM (98.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Denver, Colorado, United States. The Bonneville International country music station has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts. Its studios are located in Greenwood Village, and ...
, who sued her for damages from loss of employment. Four years earlier, she informed Mueller's bosses that he had sexually assaulted her by groping her at an event. The public controversies influenced Swift's sixth studio album, ''
Reputation The reputation or prestige of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity – typically developed as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance. ...
'', which explored the impact of her fame and musically incorporated electropop with
urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...
styles of
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
and R&B. Released in November 2017, ''Reputation'' opened atop the ''Billboard'' 200 with 1.21 million US sales and topped the charts in the UK, Australia, and Canada. The album's lead single, "
Look What You Made Me Do "Look What You Made Me Do" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her sixth studio album, ''Reputation'' (2017). Big Machine Records released the song on August 24, 2017, following an approximately yea ...
", was Swift's first UK number-one single and topped charts in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the US. Its singles " ...Ready for It?", " End Game", and " Delicate" were released to pop radio. ''Reputation'' was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. Swift featured on the country duo
Sugarland Sugarland is an American country music duo founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The duo consists of singer-songwriters Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals) and Kristian Bush (vocals, guitar, mandolin). They were founded in 2002, when Kristen Hall (vocals, gu ...
's "
Babe Babe may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People * Babe (nickname), a list of people * Jerome Babe (1837–1893), American inventor and miner * Thomas Babe (1941–2000), Ame ...
" (2018). At the
2018 American Music Awards The 46th Annual American Music Awards were held on October 9, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. It aired live on ABC and was hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross. Cardi B and Drake were the most-nominated artists with eight nomina ...
, Swift won four awards, which made her accumulate 23 trophies in total and become the AMAs' most awarded female musician, surpassing
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
. The same year, she embarked on her
Reputation Stadium Tour The Reputation Stadium Tour was the fifth concert tour and the first stadium tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her sixth studio album, ''Reputation'' (2017). It began in Glendale, Arizona, United States, on May ...
, which became the highest-grossing North American concert tour in history and grossed $345.7 million worldwide.


2018–2021: ''Lover'', ''Folklore'', and ''Evermore''

In November 2018, Swift signed a new deal with
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
, which promoted her subsequent albums under
Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...
' imprint. The contract included a provision for Swift to maintain ownership of her masters. In addition, in the event that Universal sold any part of its stake in Spotify, it agreed to distribute a non-recoupable portion of the proceeds among its artists. Swift's first album with Republic Records, '' Lover'', was released in August 2019. She produced the album with Antonoff,
Louis Bell Louis Russell Bell (born May 27, 1982) is an American record producer, vocal producer, songwriter, and mixing engineer. Bell's work includes production for Post Malone, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, 5 Seconds of Summer, ...
,
Frank Dukes Adam King Feeney (born September 12, 1983), better known as Ging and by his former stage name Frank Dukes, is a Canadian musician, record producer, and songwriter. A prolific producer, he has worked with artists including Lorde for ''Melodrama'' ...
, and
Joel Little Joel Little (born 13 February 1983) is a New Zealand record producer, musician and Grammy Award-winning songwriter.
. ''Lover'' peaked atop the charts of such countries as Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the US. The album spawned five singles: " Me!", "
You Need to Calm Down "You Need to Calm Down" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the second single from her seventh studio album, ''Lover'' (2019). Republic Records released it for download and streaming on June 14, 2019. Written and produc ...
", " Lover", "
The Man "The Man" is a slang phrase, mainly used in the United States, to refer to figures of authority, including members of the government. Though typically used as a derogatory connotation, the phrase may also be used as a term of respect or praise. ...
", and " Cruel Summer"; the first two singles peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and the lattermost single became a resurgent success in 2023, reaching number one. ''Lover'' was 2019's best selling album in the US and best selling album by a solo artist worldwide. The album and its singles earned three nominations at the
62nd Annual Grammy Awards The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Ali ...
in 2020. At the
2019 MTV Video Music Awards The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 26, 2019, at the Prudential Center in Newark, being the first VMA ceremony to be held in New Jersey. Sebastian Maniscalco hosted the 36th annual ceremony. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Bil ...
, Swift won three awards including Video of the Year for "You Need to Calm Down", becoming the first female and second artist overall to win the category for a self-directed video. While promoting ''Lover'' in 2019, Swift became embroiled in a public dispute with the talent manager
Scooter Braun Scott Samuel "Scooter" Braun ( ; born June 18, 1981) is an American businessman, investor, and record executive. Since 2023 he has served as chief executive officer (CEO) of Hybe America, the North American subsidiary of South Korean entertain ...
after he purchased Big Machine Records, including the masters of her albums that the label had released. Swift said she had been trying to buy the masters, but Big Machine would allow her to do so only if she exchanged one new album for each older one under a new contract, which she refused to sign. In November 2020, Swift began re-recording her back catalog, which enabled her to own the new masters and the licensing of her songs for
commercial use Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...
, substituting for the Big Machine-owned masters. In February 2020, Swift signed a global publishing deal with
Universal Music Publishing Group Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a global music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. Universal Music Publishing has been ranked the #1 music publisher in market share by Billboard for multiple consecutive quart ...
after her 16-year contract with Sony/ATV expired. Amidst the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
during 2020, Swift surprise-released two "sister albums" that she recorded and produced with Antonoff and
Aaron Dessner Aaron Brooking Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American musician. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band The National (band), the National, with whom he has recorded nine studio albums; a co-founder of the indie rock duo Big ...
: ''
Folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
'' in July and ''
Evermore ''Evermore'' (stylized in all lowercase) is the ninth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was surprise-released on December 11, 2020, by Republic Records. Swift conceived ''Evermore'' as a "sister record" to its p ...
'' in December. Joe Alwyn co-wrote and co-produced a few songs under the pseudonym William Bowery. Both albums incorporated a muted
indie folk Indie folk (also called alternative folk) is an alternative genre of music that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Characteristics The staff of '' Paste Magazine'' said in 2020: "No music genre ...
production; each was supported by three singles catering to US pop, country, and triple A radio formats. The singles were " Cardigan", "
Betty Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beatric ...
", and "
Exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
" from ''Folklore'', and "
Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...
", " No Body, No Crime", and "
Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...
" from ''Evermore''. ''Folklore'' was the bestselling album of 2020 in the US and, together with "Cardigan", made Swift the first artist to debut a US number-one album and a number-one song in the same week; she achieved the feat again with ''Evermore'' and "Willow". According to ''Billboard'', Swift was the highest-paid musician in the US and highest-paid solo musician worldwide of 2020.'' Folklore'' made Swift the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year three times, winning the category at the
63rd Annual Grammy Awards The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 201 ...
(2021). At the American Music Awards, Swift won three awards including Artist of the Year for a third record time (
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
) and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Album (
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
). Swift played
Bombalurina Bombalurina is a principal character in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical ''Cats''. The musical is an adaptation of T. S. Eliot's 1939 poetry book ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'', and the character's name is given in the poem "The Naming of ...
in the
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...
's musical ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
'' (2019), for which she co-wrote and recorded the Golden Globe-nominated original song "
Beautiful Ghosts "Beautiful Ghosts" (also subtitled "(From the Motion Picture ''Cats'')") is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber from the 2019 ''Cats'' film adaptation, in which Swift played Bombalu ...
". The documentary ''
Miss Americana ''Miss Americana'' (also known as ''Taylor Swift: Miss Americana'') is a 2020 American documentary film that follows the singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her life over the course of several years of her career. It was directed by Lana Wilson, ...
'', which chronicled parts of Swift's life and career, premiered at the
2020 Sundance Film Festival The 2020 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 23 to February 2, 2020. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 4, 2019. The opening night film was '' Miss Americana'' directed by Lana Wilson and produced by Morg ...
.


2021–2023: Re-recordings and ''Midnights''

Swift's re-recordings of her first six studio albums began with ''
Fearless (Taylor's Version) ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' is the first re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on April 9, 2021, by Republic Records, as part of Swift's re-recording project following the 2019 dispute over t ...
'' and ''
Red (Taylor's Version) ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' is the second re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on November 12, 2021, by Republic Records, as part of Swift's re-recording project following the Taylor Swift masters d ...
'', which were released in April and November 2021. Both peaked atop the ''Billboard'' 200, and the former was the first re-recorded album to do so. ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' was preceded by " Love Story (Taylor's Version)", which made Swift the second artist after
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
to have both the original and re-recorded versions of a song reach number one on Hot Country Songs. ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' was supported by "
All Too Well (10 Minute Version) "All Too Well" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Written by Swift and Liz Rose, the song was first produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman for her fourth studio album, ''Red'' (2012). After a 2019 dispute regarding the ow ...
", which became the longest song in history to top the Hot 100. Swift's tenth studio album, ''
Midnights ''Midnights'' is the tenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 21, 2022, by Republic Records. She conceived ''Midnights'' as a concept album about nocturnal ruminations inspired by her sleepl ...
'', was released in October 2022. The album incorporates a restrained electropop and synth-pop sound with elements of hip hop, R&B, and
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
. In the US, ''Midnights'' was her fifth to open atop the ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of over one million copies, and its tracks, led by the single "
Anti-Hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...
", made Swift the first artist to monopolize the top 10 of the Hot 100. Globally, the album broke the record for the most single-day streams and most single-week streams on Spotify and peaked atop the charts of at least 14 countries. The album's two further singles, "
Lavender Haze "Lavender Haze" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, ''Midnights'' (2022). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, Jahaan Sweet, and Sounwave. Zoë Kravitz and Sam Dew co-wrote the ...
" and "
Karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
", both peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. According to ''Billboard'', Swift was the top-earning solo artist in the US and the top-earning musician worldwide of 2021. She won six American Music Awards including Artist of the Year in
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
. At the MTV Video Music Awards, Swift won her third and fourth trophies for Video of the Year with '' All Too Well: The Short Film'', her self-directed short film that accompanies "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)", in
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
and "Anti-Hero" in
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
. During this period, Swift won three Grammy Awards:
Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. ...
for ''All Too Well: The Short Film'' and Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for ''Midnights''. Swift became the first artist to win Album of the Year four times in Grammy history. Swift's next two re-recorded albums, ''
Speak Now (Taylor's Version) ''Speak Now (Taylor's Version)'' is the third re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on July 7, 2023, by Republic Records, as part of Swift's re-recording project following the 2019 dispute over the ...
'' and ''
1989 (Taylor's Version) ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'' is the fourth re-recorded album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 27, 2023, by Republic Records, as part of Swift's re-recording project following the Taylor Swift masters disput ...
'', were released in July and October2023. The former made Swift the woman with the most number-one albums (12) in ''Billboard'' 200 history, surpassing
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
, and the latter was her sixth album to sell one million copies in a single week in the US, claiming her career's largest album sales week. ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'' single " Is It Over Now?" peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Swift featured on
Big Red Machine The Big Red Machine is a nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that dominated the National League from 1970 to 1979 and is widely recognized as being among the best in baseball history. The team won six National League West Division t ...
's "
Renegade Renegade or The Renegade may refer to: Aircraft *Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design *Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design *Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design Games *''Command ...
" and "Birch" (2021),
Haim Haim can be a first name or surname originating in Hebrew or derived from the Old German name Haimo. Etymology Hebrew Chayyim ( ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Haim, Hayim, Chayim'', or ''Chaim'' (English pronunciat ...
's "
Gasoline Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...
" (2021),
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
's " The Joker and the Queen" (2022), and the National's " The Alcott" (2023). For the
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
of the film '' Where the Crawdads Sing'' (2022), she wrote and recorded " Carolina", which received nominations for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes and Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards. Besides music, Swift had a supporting role in the period comedy film ''
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
'' (2022). In 2023, Swift was the most streamed artist on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music; and the first act to place number one on the year-end ''Billboard'' top artists list in three different decades (2009, 2015 and 2023). She had five out of the 10 best-selling albums of 2023 in the US, a record since Luminate began tracking US music sales in 1991.


2023–present: The Eras Tour and ''The Tortured Poets Department''

In March 2023, Swift embarked on
the Eras Tour The Eras Tour was the sixth concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It began in Glendale, Arizona, United States, on March 17, 2023, and concluded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on December 8, 2024. Spanning 149 sh ...
, a retrospective tour covering all her studio albums. Media outlets extensively covered the tour's global cultural and economic impact, and its US leg broke the record for the most tickets sold in a day.
Ticketmaster Ticketmaster Entertainment, LLC is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010, it merged with Live Nation under the name Live Nation Ente ...
received public and political criticisms for mishandling the tour's ticket sales. The Eras Tour became the highest-grossing tour in history. Its concert film, released to theaters worldwide on October 13, 2023, grossed over $250 million to become the highest-grossing concert film and was nominated for the
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. A
photobook A photo book or photobook is a book in which photographs make a significant contribution to the overall content. A photo book is related to and also often used as a coffee table book. Early Early photo books are characterized by their use of ...
, ''
The Eras Tour Book ''The Eras Tour Book'' (officially titled ''The Official Taylor Swift The Eras Tour Book'') is a limited-edition photobook published by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Serving as a visual and narrative reflection of her sixth concer ...
'', was released on November 29, 2024, and sold over a million copies in its first week in the US alone. Swift's eleventh studio album, ''
The Tortured Poets Department ''The Tortured Poets Department'' is the eleventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on April 19, 2024, by Republic Records. Swift developed the album amidst the Eras Tour in 2023, with the resultant, ...
'', was released on April 19, 2024. Topping charts globally, the album broke a string of records: it marked the first album ever to amass 1billion Spotify streams in a week; sold 2.6million units in its first week in the US; made Swift the first artist to monopolize the top 14 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the top 10 of Australia's
ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
; and went on to spend 17 weeks atop the ''Billboard'' 200—Swift's longest-running number-one album on the chart. The lead single, "
Fortnight A fortnight is a unit of time equal to 14 days (two weeks). The word derives from the Old English term , meaning "" (or "fourteen days", since the Anglo-Saxons counted by nights). Astronomy and tides In astronomy, a ''lunar fortnight'' is hal ...
", featuring
Post Malone Austin Richard Post (born July 4, 1995), known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His music blends various genres including hip-hop, Pop music, pop, Contemporary R&B, R&B, Tra ...
, became Swift's 12th number-one song on the Hot 100. After the pandemic, Swift's music releases, touring, and related activities culminated in an unprecedented height of popularity. From 2023 onward, Swift found ubiquitous success, albeit more dominant than before, with the successes of the re-recordings, the Eras Tour, its concert film, ''Midnights,'' and ''The Tortured Poets Department'', significantly increasing her net worth.
Music Business Worldwide Music Business Worldwide (MBW) is a global music industry news and analysis website launched in 2015 by former ''Music Week'' editor Tim Ingham. As of December 2020, it ranked 22,845 in the list of most visited global websites according to Alexa ...
remarked this as a "new stratosphere of global career success" for Swift. Swift was Spotify's most streamed artist once again in 2024. In May 2025, Swift purchased the masters of her first six original studio albums from
Shamrock Holdings Shamrock Holdings, Inc., or Shamrock, is a private equity firm founded as the Roy E. Disney family's investment firm; the Disney family remains its sole investor. Shamrock is a private corporation, and is fully owned by the estate of Roy E. Disn ...
. Swift began dating the American football player
Travis Kelce Travis Michael Kelce ( ; born October 5, 1989) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NF ...
in 2023. In January 2024, AI-generated pornographic images portraying Swift in a football context were posted to
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
and spread to other social media platforms, spurring criticism and demands for legal reform. In July 2024, Swift and Kelce received death threats from a
stalker Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance or contact by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring t ...
in
Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen (, , ; ) is the List of cities in Germany by population, 25th-most populous city of Germany and the 11th-most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher, Emscher River (a tribu ...
, Germany, and three children were killed in a stabbing attack at a Swift-themed workshop in
Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...
, England, leading to civil unrest in the UK. In August, all three of the Eras Tour concerts in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
were canceled following the arrest of suspects who planned an
Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
-inspired terrorist attack in the city. The plan was uncovered by US intelligence and was thwarted by Austrian police forces.


Artistry


Musical styles

Swift has ventured into diverse genres throughout her career, with critics mostly labelling her songs as
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
,
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
,
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
, or
alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (Kamen Rider), Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * Alternative comics, or independent comics are an altern ...
. Her early musical influences were 1990s female country musicians such as Shania Twain, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, and the Dixie Chicks, and Keith Urban's country crossover sounds incorporating rock, pop, and blues. She self-identified as a country musician and achieved prominence as a
country pop Country pop (also known as urban cowboy or even urban country) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends g ...
singer with her first four studio albums, from ''Taylor Swift'' to ''Red''. The albums feature country signifiers such as banjo, six-string banjo,
mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
,
fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...
, and a slight vocal
twang Twang is an onomatopoeia originally used to describe the sound of a vibrating bow string after the arrow is released.Hensleigh Wedgwood, ''A Dictionary of English Etymology: Q - Z'' (1865), p. 433. By extension, it applies to the similar vibrat ...
, in addition to pop melodies and rock influences; ''Speak Now'' draws on rock styles such as
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
,
pop-punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
, and 1980s
arena rock Arena rock (also known as stadium rock, pomp rock or corporate rock) is a style of rock music that became mainstream in the 1970s. It typically involves radio-friendly rock music that was designed to be played for large audiences. As hard rock ...
. Some critics argued that country was an indicator of Swift's narrative songwriting rather than musical direction and accused her of causing mainstream country music to stray away from its traditional sound. After the critical debate around ''Red'' eclectic pop, rock, and
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...
styles, Swift chose 1980s synth-pop as a defining sound of her recalibrated pop artistry and image, inspired by the music of
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
,
Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart w ...
,
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
, and
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
. ''1989'', the first album in this direction, incorporates electronic arrangements consisting of dense
synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s and
drum machines A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
. Swift expanded on the electronic production on her next albums; ''Reputation'' consists of hip hop, R&B, and EDM influences; and ''Lover'' features eclectic elements from country, pop-punk, and
folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
. When Swift embraced a pop identity,
rockist Rockism and poptimism are ideological arguments about popular music prevalent in mainstream music journalism. Rockism is the belief that rock music depends on values such as authenticity and artfulness, which elevate it over other forms of ...
critics regarded her move as an erosion of her country music songwriting authenticity, but others regarded it as necessary for Swift's artistic evolution and defended her as a pioneer of
poptimism Rockism and poptimism are ideological arguments about popular music prevalent in mainstream music journalism. Rockism is the belief that rock music depends on values such as authenticity and artfulness, which elevate it over other forms of ...
. Her 2020 alternative albums ''Folklore'' and ''Evermore'' explored
indie folk Indie folk (also called alternative folk) is an alternative genre of music that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Characteristics The staff of '' Paste Magazine'' said in 2020: "No music genre ...
and
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
styles, incorporating a subtle, stripped-back soundscape with
orchestration Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...
, muted synthesizers, and drum pads. The latter experiments with varied song structures, asymmetric
time signature A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates th ...
s, and diverse instruments. Critics deemed the indie styles a mature representation of Swift's artistry as a singer-songwriter. ''Midnights'' and ''The Tortured Poets Department'' both incorporate a
minimalist In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...
, restrained synth-pop sound, making use of
analog synthesizers An analog synthesizer () is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog signals to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s, such as the Trautonium, were built with a variety of vacuum-tub ...
, sustained
bass note In music theory, the bass note of a chord or sonority is the lowest note played or notated. If there are multiple voices it is the note played or notated in the lowest voice (the note furthest in the bass.) Three situations are possible: # ...
s, and simple drum machine patterns. With continuous musical reinventions, Swift was described by ''Time'' and the BBC as a musical "chameleon".
Jody Rosen Jody Rosen (born June 21, 1969 in New York City) is an American journalist and author. He is a contributing writer for ''The New York Times Magazine''. Career Journalism Rosen served as critic-at-large for '' T: The New York Times Style Magaz ...
commented that by originating her career in Nashville, Swift made a "bait-and-switch maneuver, planting roots in loamy country soil, then pivoting to pop". '' Clash'' wrote that she has the versatility to "no longer ..be defined by any genre or sound label". According to
Ann Powers Ann K. Powers (born February 4, 1964) is an American writer and popular music critic. She is a music critic for NPR and a contributor at the ''Los Angeles Times'', where she was previously chief pop critic. She has also written for other publicat ...
, Swift's sound is genre-agnostic, blending and "reconfiguring" elements of country, R&B,
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...
, and hip hop.


Voice

Swift possesses a
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...
vocal range Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of stud ...
and a generally soft and breathy timbre that ''Rolling Stone'' deemed versatile. Reviews of Swift's early country albums criticized her vocals as weak and strained compared to those of other female country singers. Despite the criticism, most reviewers appreciated that Swift refrained from correcting her pitch (music), pitch with Auto-Tune and how she prioritized "intimacy over power and nuance" to communicate the messages of her songs with her audience—a style that has been described as conversational. According to Powers, Swift's defining vocal feature was her attention to detail to convey an exact feeling—"the line that slides down like a contented sigh or up like a raised eyebrow". On ''Red'' and ''1989'', Swift's vocals are electronically processed to accompany the pop production. Her voice on ''Reputation'' and ''Midnights'' incorporates hip-hop and R&B influences that result in a near-rap delivery which emphasizes rhythm and cadence over melody. She uses her lower register (music), register vocals extensively in ''Folklore'' and both her lower and upper registers in ''Evermore''; the musicologist Alyssa Barca described her timbre in the upper register as "breathy and bright" and the lower register as "full and dark". Reviews in ''The New York Times'', ''Variety'' and ''The Atlantic'' were more appreciative of Swift's vocals in her later albums. She ranked 102nd on ''Rolling Stone'' 2023 list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time: "A decade ago, including her on this list would have been a controversial move, but recent releases like ''Folklore'', ''Evermore'', and ''Midnights'' officially settled the argument." Laura Snapes of ''The Guardian'' said that Swift's "vocal trademarks" include a "yo-yoing vocal yelp" and "climactic, processed ''cri de coeur''". Amanda Petrusich praised how the clarity and tone of Swift's live vocals accentuate her lyrics.


Songwriting

Swift's fascination with songwriting began in her childhood. She credited her mother with igniting confidence and early songwriting interests by helping her prepare for class presentations. She enjoyed Disney film soundtracks and would make up lyrics once she had run out of words singing them. Her lyrical influences include
Patsy Cline Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American singer. One of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, she was known as one of the first country music artists to successfully Cross ...
, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette,
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
, Melissa Etheridge, Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette, Joni Mitchell, and Fall Out Boy. She listed Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, and Kris Kristofferson as career role models for their evolving and consistent songwriting outputs. Her literary influences include the authors William Shakespeare, Nathaniel Hawthorne, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the poets William Wordsworth, Robert Frost, and Emily Dickinson; the last of whom was a distant cousin of Swift. In ''The New Yorker'' in 2011, Swift said she identifies as a songwriter first: "I write songs, and my voice is just a way to get those lyrics across". Her personal experiences were a common inspiration for her early songs, which helped her navigate life. Her "diaristic" technique began with identifying an emotion, followed by a corresponding melody. On her first three studio albums, love, heartbreak, and insecurities, from an adolescent perspective, were dominant themes. She delved into the tumult of toxic relationships on ''Red'', and embraced nostalgia and post-romance positivity on ''1989''. ''Reputation'' was inspired by the downsides of Swift's fame, and ''Lover'' detailed her realization of the "full spectrum of love". Other themes in Swift's music include family dynamics, friendship, alienation, self-awareness, and tackling vitriol, especially sexism. She often references or draws inspiration from historical events and figures. Neil McCormick, the chief music critic of ''The Daily Telegraph'', opined that Swift is a "significant vehicle for expressing the inner lives and day-to-day concerns of women of her generation [and younger]". Swift's confessional lyrics received positive reviews from critics, who highlighted their vivid details and emotional engagement, which they found uncommon in pop music, although some perceived her as a fragile, juvenile artist, a label she has consistently challenged. Critics also praised her melodic compositions; ''Rolling Stone'' described Swift as "a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift for song structure, verse-chorus-bridge architecture". NPR dubbed Swift "a master of the vernacular in her lyrics", remarking that her songs offer emotional engagement because "the wit and clarity of her arrangements turn them from standard fare to heartfelt disclosures". Despite the positive reception, ''The New Yorker'' stated she was generally portrayed "more as a skilled technician than as a Bob Dylan, Dylanesque visionary". Tabloid media often speculated and linked the subjects of her songs with her ex-lovers, a practice reviewers and Swift herself criticized as sexist. Aside from clues in album liner notes, Swift avoided talking about the subjects of her songs. On her 2020 albums ''Folklore'' and ''Evermore'', Swift was inspired by escapism and romanticism to explore fictional narratives. She imposed emotions onto imagined characters and story arcs, which liberated her from tabloid attention and suggested new paths for her artistry. Swift explained that she welcomed the new songwriting direction after she stopped worrying about commercial success. According to ''Spin (magazine), Spin'', she explored complex emotions with "precision and devastation" on ''Evermore''. ''Consequence (publication), Consequence'' stated her 2020 albums convinced skeptics of her songwriting prowess, noting her transformation from "teenage wunderkind to a confident and careful adult". Swift divides her writing into three types: "quill lyrics", songs rooted in antiquated poeticism; "fountain pen lyrics", based on modern and vivid storylines; and "glitter gel pen lyrics", which are lively and frivolous. Fans noticed that the fifth track of every Swift album was the most emotionally vulnerable of the album. Awarding her with the Songwriter Icon Award in 2021, the National Music Publishers' Association remarked that "no one is more influential when it comes to writing music today". ''The Week'' deemed her the foremost female songwriter of modern times, and the Nashville Songwriters Association International named her Songwriter-Artist of the Decade in 2022. Swift has also published two original poems: "Why She Disappeared" and "If You're Anything Like Me". Critics have analyzed the distinctive qualities and thematic depth in Swift's songwriting. Critic Kitty Empire opined in 2024 that Swift is "a profoundly old-fashioned artist", whose songs "tell a story, in succinct, emotive ways that often scan meticulously" unlike most pop music of the time; Empire attributed it to Swift's country beginnings. Swift's Bridge (music), bridges are often noted as one of the best aspects of her songs, earning her the title Honorific nicknames in popular music#S, "Queen of Bridges" from ''Time''. ''Mojo (magazine), Mojo'' dubbed her "a sharp narrator with a gift for the extended metaphor". Academics have variably described her as a poet laureate, philosopher, and bard.


Performances

Swift commands large audiences on stage, captivating them through emotional storytelling and vocal delivery rather than relying on elaborate dance choreography. According to V (American magazine), ''V'' magazine's Greg Krelenstein, she possesses "a rare gift of turning a stadium spectacle into an intimate setting", irrespective of whether she is "plucking a guitar or leading an army of dancers". In a 2008 review of Swift's early performances, Sasha Frere-Jones of ''The New Yorker'' called Swift a "preternaturally skilled" entertainer with a vibrant stage presence, adding "she returned the crowd's energy with the professionalism she has shown since the age of fourteen." In 2023, Adrian Horton of ''The Guardian'' noted her "seemingly endless stamina" on the Eras Tour, and ''i'' critic Ilana Kaplan called her showmanship "unparalleled". Swift's concert productions have been characterized by elaborate Broadway theatre, Broadway theatricality and high technology, and her performances frequently incorporate a live band, with whom she has played and toured since 2007. Swift also often accompanies herself with musical instruments such as electric guitar; acoustic guitar; piano; and sometimes twelve-string guitar, Banjo guitar, six-string banjo, or ukulele. Interacting frequently with the audience, her solo acoustic performances are considered intimate and emotionally resonant, complementing her story-based lyrics and fan connection. Lydia Burgham of ''The Spinoff'' opined that this intimacy remains "integral to her singer-songwriter origins". Chris Willman of ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' called Swift "pop's most approachable superstar", and the 21st century's most popular performer.


Video and film

Swift emphasizes visuals as a key creative component of her music-making process. She has collaborated with different directors to produce her music videos, and over time, she has become more involved with writing and directing. She developed the concept and Film treatment, treatment for "Mean" in 2011 and co-directed the music video for "Mine" with Roman White the year before. In an interview, White said that Swift "was keenly involved in writing the treatment, casting and wardrobe. And she stayed for both the 15-hour shooting days, even when she wasn't in the scenes." From 2014 to 2018, Swift collaborated with director Joseph Kahn (director), Joseph Kahn on eight music videos—four each from her albums ''1989'' and ''Reputation''. Kahn has praised Swift's involvement. She worked with American Express for the "Blank Space" music video (which Kahn directed) and served as an executive producer for the interactive app ''AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program in 2015. Swift produced the music video for "Bad Blood" and won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 2016. Her production company, Taylor Swift Productions, is credited with producing all of her visual media, starting with the 2018 concert documentary ''Reputation Stadium Tour''. She continued to co-direct music videos for the ''Lover'' singles "Me!" with Dave Meyers (director), Dave Meyers, and "You Need to Calm Down" (also serving as a co-executive producer) and "Lover" with Drew Kirsch, but first ventured into solo direction with the video for "The Man" (which won her the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction). After ''Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions'', Swift debuted as a filmmaker with ''All Too Well: The Short Film'', which made her the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Music Video as a solo director. Swift has cited Chloé Zhao, Greta Gerwig, Nora Ephron, Guillermo del Toro, John Cassavetes, and Noah Baumbach as filmmaking influences.


Achievements

Swift's discography is a "critically hailed songbook", as per ''Time'' Sam Lansky. She has won 14 Grammy Awards (including four for Album of the Year—the Grammy Award records#Most Album of the Year wins, most won by an artist), an Emmy Award, 40 American Music Awards (the most won by an artist), 49 Billboard Music Award, ''Billboard'' Music Awards (the most won by an artist), 118 ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...
'', 30
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...
(including five Video of the Year wins—the most by an act), 12 Country Music Association Awards (including the Pinnacle Award), eight Academy of Country Music Awards, and two Brit Awards. As a songwriter, she has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the National Music Publishers' Association and was the youngest person on ''Rolling Stone'' list of the Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time, 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time in 2015. At the 64th BMI Awards in 2016, Swift was the first woman to be honored with an award named after its recipient. From available data, Swift has amassed over 50 million album sales and 150 million single sales as of 2019, and 114 million units globally, including 78 billion streams as of 2021. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ranked her as the Global Recording Artist of the Year for a record five times (2014, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024). Swift has the most number-one albums in the UK and Ireland for a female artist in the 21st century, earned the highest income for an artist on Chinese digital music platforms ( as of 2021), and is the first artist to occupy the entire top five of the ARIA Charts, Australian albums chart and the top ten of the country's singles chart. Swift remains the world's List of highest-grossing live music artists#All-time ranking, highest-grossing touring act ever, with cumulative ticket sales at $3.12 billion as of December 2024, per ''Pollstar''. The Eras Tour is the List of highest-grossing concert tours, highest-grossing tour of all time and the first to surpass $1 billion in revenue. Beginning with ''Fearless'', each of her studio albums have opened with over one million global units. Swift is the most-streamed act on Spotify, and the most-streamed female artist on Apple Music. On Spotify, she is the only female act to amass 100 billion streams, the only artist to have received more than 250 million and 350 million streams in one day (260 million on October 27, 2023, and 380 million on April 19, 2024), and was the first female act to reach 100 million monthly listeners. Billboard Global 200#Most total entries, The most entries and the most simultaneous entries (175 and 34 songs), and most number-ones (5) for a soloist on the Billboard Global 200, ''Billboard'' Global 200, are among her feats. Swift is the first and only artist to occupy the top nine spots on the Global 200. She has the most entries (154) and top-ten songs (20) on the Global 200 Excl. US. chart. ''Billboard'' ranked Swift at number two on its 2024 "Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century" list and number one on its 2025 lists for "Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century" as well as "Top Artists of the 21st Century". She has sold over 37.3 million albums as of 2019, when the magazine placed her eighth on its Greatest of All Time Artists Chart. Twelve of her songs have topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She is the longest-reigning and the first act to spend at least 100 weeks atop the Billboard Artist 100, ''Billboard'' Artist 100 (124 weeks); the soloist with the most cumulative weeks atop and in the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200 (84 and 425); the woman with the most ''Billboard'' 200 number-ones (14), Hot 100 entries (total and single-week: 264 and 32), number-one debuts (7), top-ten songs (59), top-five songs (36), Streaming Songs chart-toppers (9), and weeks atop the Top Country Albums chart (101); and the act with the most number-one songs on Pop Airplay (13) and Digital Songs (29). Swift is the first woman to simultaneously chart five albums in the top 10 and eleven albums on the entire ''Billboard'' 200; and the first act to occupy the top four spots and chart seven albums in the top 10 on the Top Album Sales chart. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has certified 137.5 million total units to Swift's name; she is the first woman to have both an album (''Fearless'') and a song ("Shake It Off") certified Diamond. Swift is the only artist in Luminate history to have Lists of fastest-selling albums#United States, seven albums sell over a million copies in a week. Swift has appeared in various power listings. ''Time'' included her on its annual list of the Time 100, 100 most influential people in 2010, 2015, and 2019. She was one of the "Silence Breakers" that the magazine spotlighted as Time Person of the Year, Person of the Year in 2017 for speaking up about sexual assault, and she received the honor again in 2023 for her cultural domination that year. ''Time'' described Swift as the first Person of the Year to be recognized for "achievement in
the arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive range of m ...
", as well as the first woman to be recognized and appear on a Person of the Year cover more than once. She received an Honorary degree, honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from New York University and served as its commencement speaker on May 18, 2022.


Cultural status

Swift has been credited with making a profound impact on the music industry, popular culture, and the economy. She dominates cultural conversations, leading some publications to describe her as a cultural "vitality" or zeitgeist. Her music, life, and public image are points of attention in global celebrity culture. Initially a teen idol, she has been referred to as a pop icon; publications describe her enormous popularity and longevity as unwitnessed since the 20th century. In 2013, ''New York'' magazine's Jody Rosen dubbed Swift the "world's biggest pop star" and opined that the trajectory of her stardom has defied established patterns. Rosen added that Swift "falls between genres, eras, demographics, paradigms, trends", leaving her contemporaries "vying for second place". Critics regard Swift as a rare yet successful combination of the pop star and singer-songwriter archetypes. Swift's fans are known as
Swifties Swifties are the fandom of the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Regarded by journalists as one of the largest, and most devoted fanbases, Swifties are known for their high levels of participation, community, and cultural impact on the mus ...
. ''Billboard'' noted that only a few artists have achieved her level of chart success, critical acclaim, and fan support. Swift's million-selling albums are considered an anomaly in the Music streaming service, streaming-dominated industry following the end of the album era in the 2010s. Economist Alan Krueger described Swift as an "economic genius". Although labeled by the media in her early career as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, America's Sweetheart" for her girl next door persona, Swift has been called by detractors "calculated" and manipulative of her image, a narrative bolstered by her 2016 dispute with West. Critics have also noted that her personal life and career have been subject to intense misogyny and "slut-shaming", as well as rampant media scrutiny and tabloid speculation. Swift has also been a victim of numerous Burglary, house break-ins and stalkers, some of whom were Gun violence, armed. Swift's private jet use has drawn scrutiny for its carbon emissions. In 2023, a spokesperson for Swift stated that she had purchased more than double the required carbon credits to offset all tour travel and personal flights. In December 2023, Swift's lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to American programmer Jack Sweeney over tracking her private jet, alleging stalking and safety risks. Media outlets have reported that the information posted by Sweeney is a synthesis of publicly available data. In February 2024, it was reported that Swift had sold one of her two private jets.


Legacy

Swift helped shape the modern country music scene, having extended her success beyond the Anglosphere, pioneered the use of the internet (Myspace) as a marketing tool, and introduced the genre to a younger generation. Country labels have since become interested in signing young singers who write their own music; her guitar performances contributed to the "Taylor Swift factor": a phenomenon to which an upsurge in guitar sales to women, a previously ignored demographic, is attributed. According to ''Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork'', Swift changed the music landscape with her genre transitions, a discography that accommodates cultural shifts, and ''Billboard'' notes her ability to popularize any sound in mainstream music. Lyrically, in being personal and vulnerable in her songs, music journalist Nick Catucci opined Swift helped make space for later singers like Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, and Halsey (singer), Halsey to do the same. Scholars have highlighted the literary sensibility and poptimist implications of Swift. She has been credited with legitimizing and popularizing the concept of album "eras". Swift is a subject of academic study and scholarly media research. Various educational institutions offer courses on Swift in literary, cultural, and sociopolitical contexts. Swift has Cultural impact of Taylor Swift#Creative inspiration, influenced numerous music artists, and her albums have inspired a generation of singer-songwriters. Journalists praise her ability to reform industry practices, noting how her actions changed streaming policies, prompted awareness of intellectual property in new musicians, and reshaped ticketing models. Various sources deem Swift's music a paradigm representing the millennial generation; ''Vox'' and ''The Daily Telegraph'' likened her to Bruce Springsteen, and ''The Times'' named her "the Bob Dylan of our age". Swift earned the title Billboard Women in Music#Woman of the Decade Award, Woman of the Decade (2010s) from ''Billboard'', American Music Awards#Artist of the Decade, Artist of the Decade (2010s) at the American Music Awards, and Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, Global Icon at the Brit Awards for her impact. Senior artists such as
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
, Stevie Nicks, Jon Bon Jovi, Dolly Parton, and Elton John have praised her musicianship. Carole King regards Swift as her "professional granddaughter" and thanked Swift for "carrying the torch forward". Springsteen called her a "tremendous" writer, while Elvis Costello compared Swift's songwriting to that of Bob Dylan, and Billy Joel considered Swift the Beatles' successor.


Entrepreneurship

Media outlets describe Swift as a savvy businesswoman; in 2024, she topped ''Billboard'''s annual Power 100 ranking of the top music industry executives. Swift is known for her traditional album rollouts, consisting of a variety of promotional activities that ''Rolling Stone'' termed as an inescapable "multimedia bonanza". Easter egg (media), Easter eggs and cryptic teasers became a common practice in contemporary pop music because of Swift. Publications describe her discography as a music "Shared universe, universe" subject to analysis by fans, critics, and journalists. Swift maintains an active presence on social media and a close relationship with fans, to which many journalists attribute her success. Her in-house management team is called 13 Management. Swift has endorsed many brands and businesses, having launched clothing lines with L.E.I. and Stella McCartney, designed American Greetings cards and Jakks Pacific dolls, released a number of fragrances with Elizabeth Arden, and signed multi-year deals with AT&T and Capital One. She was a spokesperson for the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators and Sony Cyber-shot digital cameras, and became the global ambassador for New York City in 2014 and Record Store Day in 2022.


Social activism

Swift identifies as a pro-choice feminist, and is a founding signatory of the Time's Up (organization), Time's Up movement against sexual harassment. Specifically, she criticized the US Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, decision to end federal abortion rights in 2022. Swift also advocates for LGBT rights, and has called for the passing of the Equality Act (United States), Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. She performed during WorldPride NYC 2019 at the Stonewall Inn, a gay rights monument, and has donated to the LGBT organizations Tennessee Equality Project and GLAAD. A supporter of the March for Our Lives movement and Gun politics in the United States, gun control reform in the US, Swift is a vocal critic of white supremacy, racism, and police brutality. Following the George Floyd protests, she donated to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Black Lives Matter movement, called for the Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials, removal of Confederate States of America, Confederate monuments in Tennessee, and advocated for Juneteenth to become a national holiday. She has openly criticized president Donald Trump. In 2020, Swift urged her fans to check their voter registration ahead of elections, which resulted in 65,000 people registering to vote within one day of her post, and endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 US presidential election. For the 2024 US presidential election, 2024 election, she endorsed Harris and Tim Walz.


Wealth and philanthropy

Swift became a billionaire in October 2023, becoming the world's first musician to achieve the status "solely based on her songs and performances". As of June 2025, ''Forbes'' estimates her net worth at $1.6 billion, making her the List of music artists by net worth, richest female musician in the world, and one of the List of celebrities by net worth, wealthiest celebrities. ''Forbes'' had previously named her the annual Forbes list of highest-earning musicians#Female, top-earning female musician in 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2022. She was the Forbes Celebrity 100, highest-paid celebrity of 2016 with $170 million—a feat recognized by ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...
'' as the highest annual earnings ever for a female musician, which she herself surpassed with $185 million in 2019. Overall, Swift was listed as the ''Forbes'' Forbes list of highest-earning musicians#2010s, highest-paid female artist of the 2010s, earning $825 million. She has also developed a real estate portfolio worth $150 million as of 2023, with residential properties in Nashville, New York City, Los Angeles (Samuel Goldwyn Estate), and Rhode Island (High Watch). Swift ranked first on DoSomething's 2015 "Gone Good" list, having received the Star of Compassion from the Tennessee Disaster Services and the Big Help Award from the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for her "dedication to helping others" and "inspiring others through action". Especially early in her career, Swift donated to various relief funds following natural disasters. In 2009, she donated $100,000 to the Red Cross to help the victims of the Iowa flood of 2008. The same year, she performed at Sydney's Sound Relief concert, which raised money for those impacted by bushfires and flooding. In 2011, Swift used a dress rehearsal of her Speak Now tour as a benefit concert for victims of 2011 Super Outbreak, recent tornadoes in the US, raising more than $750,000. In response to the May 2010 Tennessee floods, she donated $500,000. In 2009, Swift sang at BBC's Children in Need concert and raised £13,000 for the cause. In 2016, she donated $1 million to 2016 Louisiana floods, Louisiana flood relief efforts and $100,000 to the
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
Fire Fund. Swift donated to food banks after Hurricane Harvey struck Houston in 2017. Swift donated $1 million for 2020 Nashville tornado outbreak, Tennessee tornado relief in 2020 and December 2023 Tennessee tornado outbreak, again in 2023, as well as $5 million toward the reliefs efforts after Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton in 2024. Swift has also donated to cancer research. As recipient of the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year in 2011, Swift donated $25,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Tennessee. In 2012, she participated in the Stand Up to Cancer telethon, performing the charity single "Ronan (song), Ronan", which she wrote in memory of a four-year-old boy who died of neuroblastoma. She has also donated $100,000 to the V Foundation for Cancer Research and $50,000 to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She has made donations to her fans several times for their medical or academic expenses. During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 pandemic, Swift donated to the World Health Organization and Feeding America and supported independent record stores. Swift performed "Soon You'll Get Better" on the ''Together at Home#Television special, One World: Together At Home'' television special, a benefit concert curated by Lady Gaga for Global Poverty Project#Global Citizen, Global Citizen to raise funds for the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. She is a supporter of the arts. A benefactor of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Swift has donated $75,000 to Nashville's Hendersonville High School to help refurbish the school auditorium, $4 million to build a new education center at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, and $100,000 to the Nashville Symphony. In 2012, Swift partnered with Chegg for Good to donate $10,000 to the music departments of six US colleges. She has also provided one-off donations. In 2007, she partnered with the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police to launch a campaign to protect children from online predators. She has donated items to several charities for auction, including the UNICEF Tap Project and MusiCares. Swift has also encouraged young people to volunteer in their local communities as part of Global Youth Service Day. Also a promoter of children's literacy, she has donated money and books to schools around the country. In 2018 and 2021, Swift donated to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Swift donated to fellow singer-songwriter Kesha to help with her legal battles against Dr. Luke and to actress Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation. During the Eras Tour, Swift donated to food banks in Florida, Arizona, and Las Vegas; she also employed local businesses throughout the tour and gave $197 million in bonus payments to her entire crew. In February 2024, she donated $100,000 to the family of a woman who died in a 2024 Kansas City parade shooting, shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade. In December 2024, a week before Christmas, Swift donated $250,000 to Operation Breakthrough. The funds were directed to workforce development, childcare, and early learning programs.


Discography

Studio albums * ''
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
'' (2006) * '' Fearless'' (2008) * ''
Speak Now ''Speak Now'' is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 25, 2010, by Big Machine Records. Swift wrote the album entirely herself while touring in 2009–2010 to reflect on her transitio ...
'' (2010) * ''
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
'' (2012) * ''
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
'' (2014) * ''
Reputation The reputation or prestige of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity – typically developed as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance. ...
'' (2017) * '' Lover'' (2019) * ''
Folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
'' (2020) * ''
Evermore ''Evermore'' (stylized in all lowercase) is the ninth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was surprise-released on December 11, 2020, by Republic Records. Swift conceived ''Evermore'' as a "sister record" to its p ...
'' (2020) * ''
Midnights ''Midnights'' is the tenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 21, 2022, by Republic Records. She conceived ''Midnights'' as a concept album about nocturnal ruminations inspired by her sleepl ...
'' (2022) * ''
The Tortured Poets Department ''The Tortured Poets Department'' is the eleventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on April 19, 2024, by Republic Records. Swift developed the album amidst the Eras Tour in 2023, with the resultant, ...
'' (2024) Re-recorded albums * ''
Fearless (Taylor's Version) ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' is the first re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on April 9, 2021, by Republic Records, as part of Swift's re-recording project following the 2019 dispute over t ...
'' (2021) * ''
Red (Taylor's Version) ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' is the second re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on November 12, 2021, by Republic Records, as part of Swift's re-recording project following the Taylor Swift masters d ...
'' (2021) * ''
Speak Now (Taylor's Version) ''Speak Now (Taylor's Version)'' is the third re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on July 7, 2023, by Republic Records, as part of Swift's re-recording project following the 2019 dispute over the ...
'' (2023) * ''
1989 (Taylor's Version) ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'' is the fourth re-recorded album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 27, 2023, by Republic Records, as part of Swift's re-recording project following the Taylor Swift masters disput ...
'' (2023)


Filmography

Films * ''
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
'' (2010) * ''
The Lorax ''The Lorax'' is a children's literature, children's book written by Dr. Seuss and published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the Biophysical environment, environment and the Lorax, the main character, who "speaks for the trees" and confront ...
'' (2012) * ''The Giver (film), The Giver'' (2014) * ''Cats (2019 film), Cats'' (2019) * '' All Too Well: The Short Film'' (2021) * ''
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
'' (2022) Documentaries * ''
Miss Americana ''Miss Americana'' (also known as ''Taylor Swift: Miss Americana'') is a 2020 American documentary film that follows the singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her life over the course of several years of her career. It was directed by Lana Wilson, ...
'' (2020) * ''Taylor Swift: City of Lover'' (2020) * ''Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions'' (2020) * ''Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour'' (2023)


Tours

*
Fearless Tour The Fearless Tour was the debut concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her second studio album, '' Fearless'' (2008). It began in Evansville, Indiana, United States, on April 23, 2009, and concluded in Caven ...
(2009–2010) *
Speak Now World Tour The Speak Now World Tour was the second concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her third studio album, '' Speak Now'' (2010). It began in Singapore, on February 9, 2011, and concluded in Auckland, New Zealand ...
(2011–2012) *
The Red Tour The Red Tour was the third concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fourth studio album, '' Red'' (2012). It began in Omaha, Nebraska, on March 13, 2013, and concluded in Singapore, on June 12, 2014. The tou ...
(2013–2014) *
The 1989 World Tour The 1989 World Tour was the fourth concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). It began in Tokyo, Japan, on May 5, 2015, and concluded in Melbourne, Australia, on December ...
(2015) *
Reputation Stadium Tour The Reputation Stadium Tour was the fifth concert tour and the first stadium tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her sixth studio album, ''Reputation'' (2017). It began in Glendale, Arizona, United States, on May ...
(2018) * The Eras Tour (2023–2024)


See also

* List of American Grammy Award winners and nominees * List of highest-certified music artists in the United States


Footnotes


References


Cited literature

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External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Taylor Taylor Swift, 1989 births Living people 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American philanthropists 21st-century American songwriters 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American women pianists 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American women philanthropists Actresses from Nashville, Tennessee Actresses from Pennsylvania American acoustic guitarists American billionaires American country banjoists American country guitarists American country pianists American country record producers American country singer-songwriters American film actresses American folk guitarists American folk musicians American folk singers American mezzo-sopranos 21st-century American multi-instrumentalists American music video directors American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Italian descent American people of Scottish descent American pop guitarists American pop pianists American synth-pop singers American television actresses American voice actresses American women company founders American women country singers American women pop singers American women record producers American women rock singers American women singer-songwriters American women songwriters Baldi family Big Machine Records artists Brit Award winners Christians from Tennessee Country musicians from Pennsylvania Country musicians from Tennessee Country pop musicians Featured articles Female billionaires Female music video directors American feminist musicians Film directors from Pennsylvania Film directors from Tennessee Grammy Award winners Guitarists from Pennsylvania Guitarists from Tennessee MTV Europe Music Award winners MTV Video Music Award winners NME Awards winners Musicians from Bucks County, Pennsylvania Philanthropists from Pennsylvania Philanthropists from Tennessee Primetime Emmy Award winners RCA Records artists Record producers from Pennsylvania Record producers from Tennessee Republic Records artists Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania Singer-songwriters from Tennessee Singers from Nashville, Tennessee Sony Music Publishing artists Time Person of the Year Universal Music Group artists