taylor swift biography essay

Taylor Swift

Fourteen-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift made a splash in the country music world in 2006 and is now one of the biggest pop music stars.

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1989-present

Taylor Swift News: Pop Superstar Releases The Tortured Poets Department Double Album

As if Taylor Swift fans weren’t already excited about her new album’s release, the pop star dropped one last shocking surprise early Friday morning: It’s actually a double album.

The new songs include “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross,” and “The Black Dog,” which are also featured on different vinyl releases.

Swift shared an initial track list for the album in February, a day after she announced the project at the 2024 Grammy Awards . She revealed the first single, “Fortnight,” a collaboration with Post Malone, on Thursday night.

The album release continues an already monumental year for the 34-year-old Swift. She became the first artist to win Album of the Year four times at the Grammys, setting a new record. Swift accomplished the historic feat with her album Midnights (2022).

Listen to The Tortured Poets Department on Amazon Music and Apple Music

Quick Facts

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Musician Taylor Swift began earning renown as a country singer by the age of 16. Early hits like “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” appealed to country and pop fans alike and helped fuel the multiplatinum success of her albums, including the award-winning Fearless . Now a pop megastar with 14 Grammys, she is the first artist to win Album of the Year four times. Named Time ’s 2023 Person of the Year, Swift is currently performing on her record-breaking Eras Tour and is dating professional football player Travis Kelce . The “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero” singer released her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department , on April 19, 2024.

FULL NAME: Taylor Alison Swift BORN: December 13, 1989 BIRTHPLACE: Reading, Pennsylvania ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Sagittarius

Taylor Alison Swift was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, on December 13, 1989. Swift spent her early years with her parents, Scott and Andrea, and brother, Austin, on the family’s Christmas tree farm in nearby Wyomissing. “I had the most magical childhood, running free and going anywhere I wanted to in my head,” she told Rolling Stone . She learned to ride horses and competed, but a greater passion soon took root.

Swift followed in the musical footsteps of her grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, a professional opera singer. By age 10, Swift sang at various local events, including fairs and contests. She sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game at age 11 and began writing her own songs and learning guitar at 12. Her early music idols included Shania Twain and The Chicks.

To pursue her music career, Swift often visited Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital. There, she co-wrote songs and tried to land a recording contract. Noting her dedication, her family moved to nearby Hendersonville when she was 13 in an attempt to further young Swift’s career. She attended Hendersonville High School before finishing her education through the homeschooling program of Aaron Academy, a private Christian school, once her musical career took off.

One of today’s biggest pop stars, Swift has worked her way from performing at local venues in Tennessee to commanding stadiums full of Swifties—her adoring fans—on international tours. A stellar performance at The Bluebird Café in Nashville helped her get a contract with Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records at age 14.

She spent her early career as a country musician, and her first single, “ Tim McGraw ,” was named after one of the genre’s biggest stars. The 2006 song, which she wrote in her first-year math class, became a Top 10 hit on Billboard’s country chart, quickly launching Swift into the spotlight. McGraw and fellow country music singer Faith Hill even brought Swift on their Soul2Soul tour the next year as an opening act. Reminiscing on the tour years later, McGraw told ET Canada , “Faith and I both knew that there was no stopping her. She’s a special talent.”

It wasn’t long before Swift began receiving critical praise for her work. The teenager won the Horizon Award from the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Award for Top New Female Vocalist in 2007. The following year, she was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys. She became the youngest artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year for Fearless in 2010.

The country music darling eventually began experimenting with genre. With her fifth album, 1989 , she decisively reintroduced herself as a pop musician. Her new sound excited fans, and the 2014 release is one of her most successful to date, spending 11 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and selling more than 1.2 million copies in its first week.

Not everything about her music changed, though. Personal experiences, including her romantic relationships, continue to fuel Swift’s songwriting. “I’m enthralled by relationships, and I love the drama in them, but that’s usually where it lives,” Swift told Rolling Stone in 2009, maintaining “I’m not a dramatic person.” Hardly the first musician to utilize this practice, the pop star usually doesn’t reveal who her song subjects are unless they are family or friends. Instead, her loyal fans obsess over easter eggs in her lyrics and music videos to pinpoint a likely person.

Since March 2023, Swift has been performing on her headline-grabbing Eras Tour. It marks her sixth international tour, having first headlined her own concert series after releasing her award-winning sophomore album, Fearless . When presale tickets for the Eras Tour went live in November 2022, so many fans attempted to snag their seats that Ticketmaster canceled the general sale, leading to a congressional hearing about the debacle. Already one of the highest-grossing touring musicians as of July 2022, Swift has earned more than $1 billion on the Eras Tour , surpassing Elton John ’s record-setting farewell tour that spanned five years. The Eras Tour wraps in December 2024 after dozens more concerts, mostly abroad.

Swift’s successes in 2023 also include the release of the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album. And the record-setting concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour , two more No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, tying with Drake as the artist with the most Billboard Music Awards in history, dethroning Bad Bunny as Spotify’s most streamed artist of the year, and achieving billionaire status. All that culminated in Time naming her its 2023 Person of the Year. Swift is the fifth woman to receive the honor.

Early in 2024, Swift became the first artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year four times, further cementing her place in the history books.

Swift has won 14 Grammy Awards out of 52 nominations.

She was first nominated in 2008 for Best New Artist. Although Amy Winehouse claimed the honor, 20-year-old Swift lived up to her promising career start by collecting four Grammys the following year. Fearless won Album of the Year and Best Country Album, and “White Horse” was named Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2009.

Swift has now won Album of the Year four times: for Fearless , 1989 , folklore , and Midnights. She is the only artist to have accomplished this feat, setting the record in 2024. Midnights also won the award for Best Pop Vocal Album this year.

Even so, Swift has never won the top song honor of Song of the Year, though she has received a record seven nominations in the category. As for Best Country Song, the artist has won twice in five nominations; “Mean” earned the trophy the year after “White Horse” did.

The singer-songwriter has won many other accolades, including nine CMA Awards and eight ACM Awards. Both country music organizations have twice named her Entertainer of the Year. Since her first in 2009, Swift has taken home 23 Video Music Awards, second only to Beyoncé . Billboard called her Woman of the Year in 2012, one of Swift’s 29 awards from the publication.

In December 2023, Swift notched another first when she received her first Golden Globe Award nomination for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour . Her concert film competed in but didn’t win Cinematic and Box Office Achievement at the January 2024 ceremony.

Since her first single, “Tim McGraw,” in 2006, Swift’s music has found a home on the Billboard charts. As of February 5, 2024, she has had 232 songs grace the mainstream Hot 100. That includes 11 No. 1 hits and a record-setting 49 songs in the top 10; no woman has had more top 10 hits, and Swift only trails Drake among all artists. She also holds nine No. 1 Hot Country Songs, including “Our Song” and “Should’ve Said No.”

“Fearless” debuted at No. 9 on the mainstream chart in November 2008, marking Swift’s first top 10 song. Her first chart-topper was roughly four years away. That came in September 2012 with Grammy-nominated “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Her other No 1. songs include:

• “Shake It Off”
• “Blank Space”
• “Bad Blood”
• “Look What You Made Me Do”
• “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)”
• “Anti-Hero”
• “Cruel Summer”
• “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]”

At 10 minutes and 13 seconds, “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” is the longest No. 1 hit in history. “Shake It Off” is Swift’s only diamond-certified song, having sold the equivalent of 10 million copies.

To date, Swift has released 18 albums, including 10 original studio albums, four rereleases, and four live albums. Excluding those live recordings, every album since her sophomore effort, Fearless , has nabbed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for at least one week. In December 2023, she became the first living artist to have five albums simultaneously rank among the chart’s top 10.

Her first album came in 2006 with Taylor Swift , and her most recent all-new music is on 2022’s Midnights . Her latest rerecorded album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) , debuted in October 2023.

Swift released a new album, The Tortured Poets Department, on April 19, 2024. On the morning of the release, she surprised fans by revealing 15 additional songs included in the full collection, titled The Anthology.

Her albums, in order, are:

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The young musician’s self-titled debut album was released in October 2006 when she was 16. Spurred on by the success of songs like “Tim McGraw,” “Teardrops on My Guitar,” and “Our Song,” it became a No. 1 country album in August 2007 and held the top spot for a total of 24 weeks. Indicating her future crossover success, the album also reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Taylor Swift has sold more than 7 million copies to date.

In November 2008, Swift released her next album, Fearless , which quickly hit the top of both the country and pop charts, marking her first No. 1 mainstream album. It maintained its apex ranking on the charts for weeks on end. By the end of the year, Swift had become 2008’s highest-selling country artist.

Now a Diamond-certified album, Fearless earned Swift her first Grammy Awards in January 2010. In addition to Best Country Album, it took home one of the night’s top honors with Album of the Year. The track “White Horse” won Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance, while “You Belong With Me” was nominated for three Grammys. Also named Album of the Year at the CMA and ACM Awards, Fearless featured the top 10 hits “Love Story,” “Fearless,” and “Change.” 

After skeptics doubted her involvement in her songwriting, Swift chose to write her next album alone. Speak Now came out in October 2010 and immediately found success. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 1 million copies in its first week. Popular tracks included “Mine,” “Back To December,” “Speak Now,” and the Grammy-winning “Mean.” Swift was once again nominated for Best Country Album at the Grammys but didn’t win. 

Edging her way into pop music, Swift followed with Red , which featured her first No. 1 single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and also topped 1 million in its first week of sales. The October 2012 release collected Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Best Country Album. “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “Red,” and “Begin Again” were among its most popular songs.

With her next effort, Swift stepped outside her country music roots squarely into mainstream pop. She released 1989 in October 2014. It tied her record (set by Fearless ) for most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, produced three chart-topping singles, and moved more than 1.2 million copies in its first week. That made Swift the first artist to pass the 1 million mark in opening-week sales for three albums. She won her second Album of the Year award at the Grammys in February 2016 as well as Best Pop Vocal Album for her work.

In late August 2017, using an image of a snake, Swift revealed that she would release her sixth studio album, reputation , that November. Swift debuted the first single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” on August 24. In the music video, Swift played characters of all her misrepresentations. The video had more than 19 million views on YouTube within the first day.

Days before reputation ’s scheduled November 10 release, its secret tracklist was leaked to social media. Swift responded by posting the complete list to her Instagram page: 15 songs, including a collaborative effort with Ed Sheeran and rapper Future titled “End Game.” The two later appeared in the video for the track, which debuted in January 2018.

Reputation sold 1.05 million copies in the United States over its first four days. Along with giving the artist her fourth consecutive album to surpass 1 million in sales for its opening week, that total made reputation the top-selling album of 2017. Its success continued into 2018, surpassing 2 million in sales while generating the release of seven singles. By the end of the year, Grammy-nominated reputation had been honored with Favorite Pop/Rock Album at the American Music Awards and Top Selling Album at the Billboard Music Awards.

On April 26, 2019, Swift debuted “ME!” with Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, along with a video of the duo singing and dancing amid a panoply of elaborate sets and swirling colors. It became the first single from her seventh studio album, Lover , with “You Need to Calm Down” and the title track also hitting the airwaves as singles over the next few months. The album was released in August.

In November, Swift claimed a whopping six wins at the American Music Awards, including Artist of the Year and Artist of the Decade honors. Swift also received her third consecutive Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album. A few weeks later, it was reported that Lover was the only album to sell 1 million copies in the U.S. in 2019.

Nearly four years later, Lover ’s “Cruel Summer” was promoted as her latest single amid her highly successful Eras tour. The song enjoyed renewed success, becoming Swift’s 10 th song to top the Billboard Hot 100.

On July 23, 2020, Swift announced on Instagram that she planned to release her eighth studio album, folklore . The 16-track album—made with Aaron Dessner of The National, Jack Antonoff of Bleachers, and Justin Vernon, better known as Bon Iver—debuted the next day at midnight. The alternative influence of her collaborators was apparent throughout.

Folklore produced the top 10 hits “The 1” and “Exile” featuring Bon Iver, plus went on to win Album of the Year at the 2021 Grammys. Swift also made history that year, becoming the only female solo artist to win that award three times.

Less than six months later, Swift dropped another surprise album to accompany folklore . She announced on December 10, 2020, that evermore would release at midnight the next day. “To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs,” Swift wrote in a social media post . “In the past I’ve always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one after an album was released. There was something different with folklore. In making it, I felt less like I was departing and more like I was returning.” Evermore earned a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, though unlike its sister album, it didn’t win.

Swift released her 10 th studio album, Midnights , at midnight on October 21, 2022. Three hours later, she released seven extra tracks in a deluxe version titled Midnights (3 am Edition) . The album broke new ground for the already prolific Swift, making her the first artist to have a song on all of the top 10 slots on the Billboard Hot 100. That included “Anti-Hero” at No. 1, “Snow On The Beach” featuring Lana Del Rey , “Lavender Haze,” and “Karma.” Actor Zoë Kravitz earned writing credits on the latter two songs, and Jack Antonoff played a heavy hand in the album’s creation, cowriting 11 of Midnights ’ 13 songs.

Taylor’s Version albums

After the master recordings to her first six studio albums were sold in 2019, Swift decided to rerecord her old music to regain artistic and financial control of her catalog. So far, she has released four of six: Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in April 2021, Red (Taylor’s Version) in November 2021,  Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in July 2023, and  1989 (Taylor’s Version) in October 2023 . Each included previously unreleased songs labeled as “From The Vault,” some of which she recorded with fellow musicians Keith Urban , Ed Sheeran , Chris Stapleton , and Phoebe Bridgers, among others. 

Swift hasn’t shared when she will rerelease Taylor Swift and reputation .

When she was 26, Swift was the highest-paid musician—and celebrity of any industry—of 2016 per Forbes , earning $170 million. It was one successful year among many, allowing the pop star to amass a substantial net worth.

As of February 5, 2024, Swift has a net worth of $1.1 billion, according to Forbes . Bloomberg first reported that Swift had become a billionaire in late October 2023.

Her wealth has skyrocketed in the past year, fueled by the pop star’s highly successful Eras Tour. Pollstar reported in December 2023 that the ongoing tour has earned $1,039,263,762 , making Swift the first musician to gross over $1 billion on a single tour. The trade publication previously estimated the tour brings in $14 million in ticket sales each night.

Swift ranks No. 17 on Pollstar ’s list of highest-grossing touring artists since 1980, selling nearly $925 million in tickets from her first five tours and other appearances as of July 2022. The only women higher on the list are Madonna , Celine Dion , and Beyoncé .

Contributing to her overall net worth are her real estate holdings. According to Business Insider , her properties total $84 million. She also has lucrative endorsement deals with Capitol One, Stella McCartney, Diet Coke, Apple, and more.

Over the years, the musician has shared some of her fortune to help others. For example, in 2013, she funded the $4 million Taylor Swift Education Center at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The facility opened with three classrooms, a learning lab, and a space dedicated to exhibits for children. In an interview with CMT Hot 20 Countdown , she explained that “music education is really such an important part of my life. My life changed so completely when I discovered writing my own songs and playing guitar, and that can’t necessarily all be taught to you in school because there aren’t enough hours in the day.”

The megastar has been involved in a few legal disputes, which all have gone in her favor. In August 2017, she testified in a trial against David Mueller, a former radio DJ she accused of groping her four years earlier. Mueller denied Swift’s allegations and said the incident cost him his job, which led him to sue Swift, her mother, and a radio station employee in 2015. Swift countersued him for alleged assault and battery, and a jury ruled in her favor in 2017, awarding her $1 in damages as a symbolic gesture.

Swift responded to the verdict: “I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society, and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this. My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard. Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.”

Also in 2017, Swift was on the receiving end of a lawsuit when two songwriters claimed that she stole the chorus of their song “Playas Gon’ Play” for her hit “Shake It Off.” Although a judge dismissed the case in early 2018 on the grounds that the “allegedly infringed lyrics are short phrases that lack the modicum of originality and creativity required for copyright protection,” an appeals court revived the suit in October 2019. Shortly before the trial was scheduled to begin, a judge dismissed the case in December 2022 at the request of both parties. A few media outlets reported a settlement, but if so, the terms weren’t publicly released.

The musician was trapped in another copyright lawsuit when a Mississippi woman claimed “a number of creative elements” from her self-published poetry book appeared in Swift’s companion book for her Lover (2019) album. The author sued in August 2022 but voluntarily dropped her case the next July.

In November 2018, Swift signed with Universal Music Group’s Republic Records. The deal granted the musician ownership of her master recordings, something she didn’t have in her agreement with her first label, Big Machine Records.

The next June, Swift revealed her dismay that Big Machine sold her catalog of music from her first six albums, up to reputation , to a company owned by Scooter Braun , manager of artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande and a person she accused of bullying tactics. “Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy,” she wrote on Tumblr . “Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.” Just before the August 2019 release of Lover , Swift confirmed she would rerecord her old music to regain artistic and financial control of her catalog.

Swift’s catalog was sold again, in October 2020, to Shamrock Holdings for around $300 million. In a lengthy post on Twitter (now called X), Swift gave her fans an update:

“As you know, for the past year, I’ve been actively trying to regain ownership of my master recordings. With that goal in mind, my team attempted to enter into negotiations with Scooter Braun.

“Scooter’s team wanted me to sign an ironclad NDA stating I would never say another word about Scooter Braun unless it was positive, before we could even look at the financial records of BMLG... I would have to sign a document that would silence me forever before I could even have a chance to bid on my own work. My legal team said that this is absolutely NOT normal, and they’ve never seen an NDA like this presented unless it was to silence an assault accuser by paying them off. He would never even quote my team a price. These master recordings were not for sale to me.”

Swift added the deal still allows Braun to profit from her music and that she was in the process of re-recording her old music.

Her first rerecorded release, “Love Story (Taylor’s Version),” came at midnight on February 12, 2021. So far, she has reissued four of six albums from her early catalog.

Currently, Swift is dating NFL football player Travis Kelce . On a July 2023 episode of his New Heights podcast , Kelce explained how he tried to give Swift his number on a friendship bracelet after attending the Eras Tour in Kansas City. Soon after, Swift reached out, and they went public with their romance in the fall. “Obviously, I’ve never dated anyone with that kind of aura about them... I’ve never dealt with it,” Kelce told The Wall Street Journal . “But at the same time, I’m not running away from any of it.”

Swift has attended 12 of his NFL games in the 2023 season and postseason. “By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple,” she told Time .“ I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”

Kelce returned the support in mid-November 2023, traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to attend one of her concerts on the Eras Tour. During the show, Swift changed one of her lyrics in the song “Karma” to reference Kelce, and the couple were caught kissing on camera for the first time .

Over the years, Swift has dated several celebrities. During much of 2008, reports circulated that she was dating musician Joe Jonas of The Jonas Brothers. The song “Forever & Always” is reportedly about Jonas. The following year, Swift briefly dated actor Taylor Lautner , whom she met while they filmed the 2010 movie Valentine’s Day . Swift then dated fellow singer-songwriter John Mayer for a brief period beginning in late 2009; he’s thought to be the inspiration for her song “Dear John.”

From there, Swift was romantically linked to actors Cory Monteith and Jake Gyllenhaal in 2010, then Conor Kennedy—son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. —in 2012. She celebrated the new year with One Direction’s Harry Styles in 2013, but the relationship ended later that year. In 2015, Swift dated DJ and music producer Calvin Harris, though the couple reportedly broke up in June 2016. Shortly after that, the pop star began dating actor Tom Hiddleston , but the couple split three months later.

Swift’s longest relationship to date was with actor Joe Alwyn. The pair met at the 2016 Met Gala and were together from 2017 until spring 2023. Beyond being another boyfriend to spark her songwriting, Alwyn also helped write songs on her folklore , evermore , and Midnights albums under the pseudonym William Bowery.

Just before the rumors about her and Kelce, Swift was said to be dating musician Matty Healy of The 1975 band.

Beyond her romantic relationships, Swift has had many high-profile friendships—with singer and actor Selena Gomez , model Karlie Kloss , and actor Blake Lively , to name a few—as well as headline-making feuds. Chief among those is her beef with rapper Kanye West .

In 2009, when Swift won the MTV Video Music Award’s Best Female Video for “You Belong With Me,” West led to the stage as the young singer gave her acceptance speech. He took the mic and famously declared, “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!”

The stunned Swift could not finish her acceptance speech, and West was removed from the show. When Beyoncé accepted her award for Best Video of the Year later in the night, she called Swift to the stage to finish her speech. West later apologized to Swift privately and publicly on The Jay Leno Show .

In early 2016, West released his song “Famous,” which includes a lyric taking credit for her fame and calling her a derogatory word. The rapper said Swift had approved the line in a phone call, though her team initially denied the conversation. Days later, Swift said in a Grammys acceptance speech:

“I wanna say to all the young women out there, there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame. But if you just focus on the work, and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you’re going, you’ll look around and you will know that it was you and the people who loved you who put you there. And that will be the greatest feeling in the world.”

Kim Kardashian , who was married to West then, defended her husband in a GQ interview that summer and released clips of the phone call between the musicians. Although edited, the recordings proved Swift’s PR team had been lying in their initial statement. Kardashian also implied Swift was a snake in a July 2016 social media post . The pop star alluded to the fight in the songs “Look What You Made Me Do” and “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” from her reputation (2017) album. She has also used snakes in music videos and onstage in concerts. The feud briefly reignited in March 2020 when a 25-minute video of the phone conversation leaked online.

Previously having released several concert movies, Swift made a bigger splash with her Netflix documentary Miss Americana . The January 2020 release covered the makings of her recent studio albums as well as other high-profile events like her sexual assault trial. Miss Americana earned a limited run in theaters simultaneously to its streaming release.

Swift’s new concert movie, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour , capitalizes on her massive star power. The film opened exclusively in theaters—3,850 locations in North America alone—in October 2023. According to Comscore, no other concert movie has enjoyed as wide of a release . It also has showtimes in some 90 other countries and has grossed more than $261 million worldwide as of February 5, 2024, making it the highest-grossing concert film of all time . An extended version, with three additional songs, is now available to rent on streaming services.

Swift has also dabbled in acting. She appeared in the 2010 blockbuster Valentine’s Day alongside Julia Roberts , Jamie Foxx , Jessica Biel , Bradley Cooper , and other Hollywood heavyweights. A voice role in The Lorax (2012) and another role in The Giver (2014) followed. In December 2019, Swift was featured in a live-action adaptation of the famed Broadway musical Cats , along with Jennifer Hudson , James Corden , and Rebel Wilson . She also teamed with Cats creator Andrew Lloyd Webber to write a song, “Beautiful Ghosts,” for the movie. Swift also had a cameo in 2022’s Amsterdam .

• I have this really high priority on happiness and finding something to be happy about.
• Just be yourself. There is no one better.
• I’m not fast at running. I’m not fast at any kind of force. I’m fast at trivia games.
• The words you regret most are often the ones unsaid.
• I have to believe in fairytales, and I have to believe in love.
• Never believe anyone who says you don’t deserve what you want.
• Life isn’t about how to survive the storm. It’s about how to dance in the rain.
• You’re lucky enough to be different. Never change.
• I’ve learned when to get out. I’ve never wasted too much time with the wrong person, and that’s one thing I’m proud of.
• People haven’t always been there for me, but music has.
• To me, feminism is probably the most important movement that you could embrace, because it’s just basically another word for equality.

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The Linguistic Evolution of Taylor Swift

If Taylor Swift shifts her accent in her transition from country to pop, does she lose the personal authenticity important to country music?

With the surprise midsummer release of Folklore , it seems that Taylor Swift has finally put out an indie record much cooler than her others , one that even a Pitchfork editor could love . The critically acclaimed, aptly named Folklore feels like a cozy, autumnal, cardigan-wearing kind of album, homing in on the telling and retelling of stories of heartbreak and longing through the lyricism of language at the heart of Swift’s songwriting.

It appears to be a tentative new step toward a more subdued, contemplative form of music, in the decade-long, genre-bending career of one of the most successful—yet also much criticized—artists of this era. Despite the awards and fan adoration, Taylor Swift is also an artist who has been beset with a mess of contradictory criticisms , at once derided for revealing too much about her personal life in her music, and at the same time dismissed as nothing more than a manufactured, blank space of an inauthentic pop star.

Until recently, in fact, even her supporters sometimes drew attention not to her creative skill in songwriting but to her work ethic or marketing savvy, as if to damn with faint praise. If the new sounds of  Folklore are part of a struggle for musical legitimacy, the album’s success might shine a light on why it has taken so long for critics to take Swift seriously. Why is it that some of them can never accept that Taylor Swift might have something worthy to say?

Perhaps the answer lies in how the disparate threads of language, accent, and the public image of authenticity and identity all get tangled up in that particularly confessional genre that gave Taylor Swift her start at the tender age of fifteen: country music.

Although it seems obvious that musicians, like the rest of us, likely enjoy a variety of genres , it still comes as a surprise when they successfully cross over to a different kind of music. Switching styles, whether in music or the way you speak, can be viewed with suspicion, and stepping outside the norm can be stigmatized.

The accent on singing

Taylor Swift, by some accounts a music nerd herself, famously made the move from country to pop, and took many of country’s songwriting and stylistic traditions with her. This naturally has played a part in how she and her music have been received by a wider audience, but it hasn’t always been positive. She first established a strong public persona as a real, relatable girl with a growing and evolving sense of self who just happened to be a country star. But country’s complex relationship with the ideas of realness, authenticity, and identity through personal storytelling was perhaps hard to translate to modern pop, a seemingly artificial genre. What’s more, the lived experience that’s grist for Swift’s songwriting now includes success, wealth, and privilege. Though her personal storytelling can seem far removed from what many of us may experience, there’s clearly something at the heart of those stories that we can still relate to.

Linguistically, this contradiction is evident in Swift’s code switching from one musical genre to another. Code switching occurs when a speaker straddling different speech communities changes from standard or expected languages, dialects, or even accents in some contexts to more marked ones in the same language in other contexts. Since many regional or class-based accents can be stigmatized for such unknowable things as education level and intelligence (or even the potential to be a supervillain ), it might seem strange that people switch from standard to nonstandard ways of speaking, even unconsciously. But it’s exceptionally common, and most curiously so when it comes to music.

The reasons for doing this, and the choices of code switching that speakers make, are almost always socially motivated, according to linguist Carol Myers-Scotton. Code switching is “a creative act, part of the negotiation of a public face.” It’s a way to signal which cultural group you identify with—where you want to belong. It can also signal a disruption of what’s seen as acceptable and normal—which, for instance, is what some musical genres, like rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop, are all about.

Many linguists, such as Peter Trudgill, have long noted how the accent of modern pop music is generally American , no matter where a music artist hails from. So Adele’s natural Cockney accent when speaking melts into fluid, American tones when singing, which is largely regarded by most people as unremarkable and normal. In “Prestige Dialect and the Pop Singer,” linguist S. J. Sackett notes that a kind of pseudo-southern American accent has become the standard “prestige” pop music accent, perhaps because of, rather than in spite of, its anti-establishment, working-class associations.

Meanwhile, indie rock groups like the Arctic Monkeys, singing in their own native Sheffield accents , might seem more marked. Yet choosing to sing against the musical tide, in a nonstandard accent, can signal independence and authenticity.

The genre of country music, in differentiating itself from pop, abounds in the stronger regional accents of the American South, not just from natives such as Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn but even a Canadian like Shania Twain or  the Swedish Americana group First Aid Kit .

Swift follows in a long line of singing like you belong. The southern accent is clearly evident in her early singles, such as “ Our Song ,” written when she was fourteen , where you can hear marked phonetic features of Southern American English from the very first word. The diphthong in the pronoun “I” [aɪ], in “I was riding shotgun,” sounds more like the monophthong “ah” [a:]. There’s also the lack of rhotic “r” in words like “car” and “heart,” and grammatical variation such as the lack of verb agreement in “your mama don’t know.” In the penultimate line, “I grabbed a pen and an old napkin,” the famous southern “pin-pen” merger reveals itself, as “pen” and “napkin” are rhymed.

In Swift’s crossover single “22,” the genre is pure pop, but the southern accent is still a force to be reckoned with: The “e” of “twenty” sounds more like “twinny” and the “two” sounds more like “tew.” However, whether Swift code-switches because of the musical genre in which she’s singing, or because she may have only  acquired her accent after moving to the South as a young teen , she largely loses the more marked linguistic elements in transitioning into a pop artist, with an appropriately general American accent.

In fact, Swift ironically refers to the oddity of the accent change in the bewildering lineup of her personas in the music video “Look What You Made Me Do.” Her upbeat country music persona exclaims only a brief “y’all!” “Oh, stop acting like you’re so nice, you are so fake,” answers yet another version of herself.

Fake it to make it?

Taylor Swift isn’t alone in being accused of faking an accent. American pop-punk bands like Green Day have been accused of faking British accents in imitation of the Sex Pistols, just as non-American groups (such as the French band Phoenix) put on their best-dressed American accents during performances. Code switching in genres is not uncommon and generally passes unnoticed, especially if listeners never get a chance to hear an artist’s normal speaking voice—unless that voice sings in a new genre where a different accent might be the norm.

An accent is seen as such an integral part of a speaker’s identity that when it changes, it can open up accusations of being fake and inauthentic, even though artists need to evolve and create in new ways. Although this might be a desirable trait in an actor, who conveys other people’s stories through their own body, for an artist who purports to tell their own lived experience through narrative songwriting, it can call into question their integrity or intentions in terms of the grubby necessities of making a living.

This is a complicating factor particularly when it comes to country music.

Aaron A. Fox opens up his essay on the discourse of country music by asking: “Is country music for real?” […] A unique, if elusive core of ‘authenticity’ tantalises country’s supporters and infuriates its critics”; yet to quote Simon Frith, “music can not be true or false, it can only refer to conventions of truth or falsity.” The only way we can talk about the time we spend in our lives is really through narrative, and these stories about our lives are constructed and shaped by our culture and language—never the absolute truth, but a continually evolving retelling of our past, present, and futures.

In lay terms, country music is obsessed with the idea of authenticity, perhaps more so than other genres, not only because of its musicality (the skill involved in playing acoustic instruments, for example) but also because of its storytelling: Artists are supposed to write and perform songs about their own life experiences. Country songs are ideally biographical, “the real lives of real people.” The kind of language they use is therefore crucial.

As Fox notes, the thematic concerns of country music, of loss and desire, of heartbreak and heartache, are intensely private experiences, but they are laid starkly bare and made public in song, ready to be consumed by the public. The language of these songs takes the plain, everyday, down-home ways of speaking that ordinary, often working-class people use, and intensifies them into an unnatural, poetic, metaphorical state, with a “dense, pervasive use of puns, clichés and word-play.”

Dolly Parton’s “Bargain Store,” for example, uses her own dialect both lyrically and in performance to recast her life of poverty and her broken heart, things that people often keep private.

My life is likened to a bargain store And I may have just what you’re lookin’ for If you don’t mind the fact that all the merchandise is used But with a little mending, it could be as good as new

Pamela Fox also considers how the autobiographical country song is different for women . Far from a masculine or chauvinistic perspective of a hard-drinking, hard-worn life of labor and lost loves, successful women in country such as Lynn, Parton, and Tammy Wynette have public identities positioned as overcoming an earlier life of hardship and poverty, particularly family origins in coal mining, sharecropping, or cotton picking. This source of authenticity is hard to fake or debate, compared to the assumed emptiness of a comfortable middle-class life.

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And yet, writes Fox, “one cannot remain country for long if one lacks roots (and slowly exchanges ordinary life for an unreal world of excess and continual displacement).” In a way, “success stories rank as distinctly gendered ‘failures’ of country authenticity: as working female celebrities, they forfeit not only their traditional pasts,” but the public respect that comes with the humble domestic or maternal world they sing about, thanks to their new lives of comfort and success. As Dolly Parton put it, “Although I look like a drag queen’s Christmas tree on the outside, I am at heart a simple country woman.”

In a way, Swift’s struggle with the perception of authenticity is just as real and problematic as the one faced by the women in country who came before her, though Swift came from upper-middle-class origins rather than poverty.

The worth of words

In “The Last Great American Dynasty,” Swift pens the story of someone she never knew: the eccentric, wealthy Rebekah Harkness of Rhode Island. As Swift inserts herself into the narrative’s end, it transpires that Harkness owned the house that Swift later bought.

“Fifty years is a long time/Holiday House sat quietly on that beach,” she adds. “Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits/And then it was bought by me.”

Swift’s personal experience is slightly less relatable because it reminds most of us that we can’t simply buy holiday houses on a beach in Rhode Island. And yet, the feelings of being outside of the norm, of not belonging and feeling out of place, of being criticized as mad, are certainly emotional states we all can understand.

In Swift’s evolving songwriting, about other people or herself, the events may be outside our experience, but they can be just as heartfelt through the deft use of language. And in this, we may come to understand just what Taylor Swift’s words are worth.

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Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society Essay

Introduction, reference list.

Taylor Swift is one of today’s most well-known and influential people. As a singer-songwriter, fashion icon, and philanthropist, she has amassed millions of fans worldwide. This essay examines Taylor Swift’s depiction in the media and society and how her image has influenced how people see her. Taylor Swift is depicted in the media and everyday life as a personable, down-to-earth individual who connects with a diverse range of individuals (Aguirre, 2019). Her prominence bolsters this portrayal as a fashion icon and socially concerned advocate, which positions her as an inspiration to her fans.

Taylor Swift is typically regarded as a personable and genuine person who connects with many admirers, both young and elderly. She is well-known for her narrative songs, many of which are inspired by her own experiences and relationships (Jensen, 2019). Hence, she has earned a reputation as a musician who can connect and engage with her audience on a human level. For example, Taylor Swift’s image in the media includes her standing as a fashion star. Swift is well-known for her particular style, which combines old and new elements. She has worked with several fashion firms, including Louis Vuitton and Stella McCartney, and has appeared in several fashion magazines (BillboardStyle, 2022). This fashion icon portrayal has helped to cement her status as a likable personality who is not afraid to experiment with her appearance.

Taylor Swift’s advocacy and kindness are other examples of how she is regarded in society. Swift has been vocal about various social and political issues, including LGBTQ rights and education. She has also been involved in several charitable activities, such as attempts to alleviate hunger and assist disaster victims (Rice, 2020). This portrayal of her as a socially conscious and committed celebrity has contributed to her standing as an inspiration and role model for her fans.

In conclusion, in the media and society, Taylor Swift is portrayed as an approachable, genuine person who connects with various people. Her status as a fashion icon and socially conscious activist solidifies this portrayal and positions her as an inspiration to her followers. Taylor Swift has received recognition not only for her status as a socially conscious campaigner and fashion icon but also for her philanthropic activities and support of numerous non-profit organizations. Her dedication to using her position to improve the world has bolstered her reputation as a role model and an inspiration to her supporters.

Aguirre, A. (2019) ‘ Taylor Swift on sexism, scrutiny, and standing up for herself ‘, Vogue , Web.

BillboardStyle, B. (2022) ‘ Taylor Swift’s style evolution, from 2006 to now ‘, Billboard, Web.

Jensen, E. (2019) ‘ Dwayne Johnson, Taylor Swift, Gayle King, more cover time’s 100 most influential people issue ‘, USA Today: Time magazine. Gannett Satellite Information Network. Web.

Larocca, C. (2019) ‘ Taylor Swift is the artist of the Decade ‘ , Insider, Web.

Rice, N. (2020) ‘ Taylor Swift promises to ‘always advocate’ for rights of the LGBTQ community: I’m ‘grateful for this ‘, People, Web.

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IvyPanda. (2024, February 6). Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society. https://ivypanda.com/essays/taylor-swifts-depiction-in-genre-culture-and-society/

"Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society." IvyPanda , 6 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/taylor-swifts-depiction-in-genre-culture-and-society/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society'. 6 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society." February 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/taylor-swifts-depiction-in-genre-culture-and-society/.

1. IvyPanda . "Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society." February 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/taylor-swifts-depiction-in-genre-culture-and-society/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society." February 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/taylor-swifts-depiction-in-genre-culture-and-society/.

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Critic’s Notebook

Taylor Swift and the Wisdom of Youth

“Folklore,” the album that earned five of Swift’s six Grammy nominations, is stocked with references to the specific, oft-denigrated insight of teenagers.

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By Lindsay Zoladz

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When she was 18, Taylor Swift wrote a song called “Fifteen.” “Back then I swore I was going to marry him someday, but I realized some bigger dreams of mine,” she sang, sounding more like a wizened great-grandmother than a rising senior.

“Fifteen” is evocative, if a little sanitized: Nimble mandolin strums mimic the nervous-excited butterflies of the first day of high school, as Swift sings of wide-eyed hope that “one of those senior boys will wink at you and say, ‘You know I haven’t seen you around before.’”

There was a certain emotional truth to the lyrics — do several years’ age difference ever seem more consequential than when you’re a teenager? — but some older listeners were skeptical. “You applaud her skill,” wrote a critic for the Guardian in a mixed review of Swift’s second album, “Fearless,” “while feeling slightly unsettled by the thought of a teenager pontificating away like Yoda.”

Swift , now 31, sings, “When you are young they assume you know nothing,” on “Folklore,” an LP that is both compositionally mature and braided throughout with references to the specific, oft-denigrated wisdom of teenagers. (It earned five of Swift’s six nominations at the Grammys , which take place Sunday in Los Angeles .) By the end of that song, “Cardigan,” the narrator has excavated such a heap of florid but emotionally lucid memories that she must conclude, with the force of a sudden revelation, “I knew everything when I was young.”

Though it’s not as flashy a topic as exes, fame or A-list celebrity feuds, age has long been a recurring theme in Swift’s work. A numerology enthusiast with a particular attachment to 13, Swift has also released a handful of songs whose titles refer to specific ages: “Seven,” “ Fifteen ,” and, of course, “22,” the chatty “Red” hit on which she summed up that particular junction of emerging adulthood as feeling “happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time.” Like her contemporary Adele, Swift seems to enjoy time-stamping her music, sometimes presenting it like a public-facing scrapbook that will always remind her what it felt like to be a certain age — even if, with their millions of fans and armfuls of Grammys , neither of these women is exactly typical.

Swift’s critics have often seemed even more hyper attuned to her age. Perhaps because precocity played such a role in her story from the beginning — at 14, she became the youngest artist to sign a publishing deal with Sony/ATV; at 20, she became the youngest to win the album of the year Grammy — many listeners have been fascinated with how her evolution into adulthood has, or hasn’t, played out in her songs. People comb Swift’s lyrics for allusions to sex, alcohol and profanity as meticulously as MPAA representatives do a borderline-PG movie. Particular attention was paid to her 2017 album “Reputation” and its several mentions of drunkenness and dive bars — even though Swift was 27 when it came out.

The relative puritanism of Swift’s music up until “Reputation” did feel like an intentional decision: Unlike the female pop stars who broadcast their “loss of innocence” as a sudden and irrevocable transformation, Swift seemed acutely conscious that she did not want to repel younger listeners — or lose the approval of their parents. At best, it felt like an acceptance of her status as a role model; at worst, it had the whiff of a marketing strategy.

But the mounting obsession with whether Swift was “acting her age” also reflected a larger societal double standard. Famous or not, women face much more intense scrutiny around age, whether it’s those constant cultural reminders of the biological clock’s supposed ticking or the imperative that women of all ages stay “fresh-faced” or risk their own obsolescence. (“People say I’m controversial,” Madonna said in 2016 . “But I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is to stick around.”) And while girlish youth and ingenuity are rewarded in some contexts, they’re also easily dismissed as silly and frivolous as soon as that girl strays too close to the sun — as Swift has experienced time and again.

Despite having once been a teenage girl myself (unlike a lot of music critics), I confess that I am not completely free of these internalized biases. I was initially dismissive of “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince,” a song that appeared on Swift’s 2019 album “Lover.” The first few times I heard it, I wondered what a grown woman on the cusp of 30 was doing still writing about homecoming queens and teenage gossip.

But over time, I’ve come to appreciate the song and its dark vision, which acknowledges cruelty, depression and the threat of sexual violence (“Boys will be boys then, where are the wise men?”) more directly than any of the songs Swift wrote when she was an actual teenager. The senior boys in this song are not the sort who wink and say to freshman girls wholesome things like, “Haven’t seen you around before” — which, unfortunately, makes them feel more authentic. Even the title “Miss Americana” alludes to a larger world outside the high school walls, and the greater systemic forces that keep such patterns repeating well into adulthood.

“Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” now feels like a precursor to some of the richest songs on “Folklore,” which finds Swift returning once again to her school days with the keen, selectively observant eye of an adult. Consider “Seven,” an impressionistic recreation of her perspective at that age. The second verse, charmingly, plays like a first-grader’s breathless sequence of unguarded observations:

“And I’ve been meaning to tell you, I think your house is haunted, your dad is always mad and that must be why/And I think you should come live with me and we can be pirates, then you won’t have to cry.”

But “Seven” is not cutesy so much as poignant, because of the tensions that result when Swift’s adult perspective interjects. “Please, picture me in the trees, before I learned civility,” she sings in a yearning soprano, prompting the listener to wonder what sorts of feral pleasure she — and all of us — has exchanged for the supposed “civility” of adulthood.

Quite a few songs on “Evermore,” Swift’s second release of 2020, also toggle between past and present, conscious of what is lost and gained by the passage of time. The playful “Long Story Short” passes a note to Swift’s younger self (“Past me, I wanna tell you not to get lost in these petty things”), while “Dorothea,” like “Seven,” revisits a fevered childhood friendship from the cool perspective of adulthood.

Most striking is the bonus track “Right Where You Left Me,” a twangy tale of a “girl who got frozen” (“Time went on for everybody else, she won’t know it/She’s still 23, inside her fantasy”). That language echoes something Swift admits in the 2020 Netflix documentary “Miss Americana” : “There’s this thing people say about celebrities, that they’re frozen at the age they got famous. And that’s kind of what happened to me. I had a lot of growing up to do just trying to catch up to 29.”

But Swift’s recent songs, at their best, understand that “growing up” isn’t always a linear progression in the direction of something more valuable. Take the “Folklore” songs “Cardigan” and “Betty,” which use an interconnected set of characters to chronicle teenage drama and celebrate the heightened emotional knowledge of youth. “I’m only 17, I don’t know anything, but I know I miss you,” Swift sings in the voice of James, a high schooler who broke Betty’s heart and has shown up on her doorstep to ask forgiveness. Maybe that is a melodramatic thing to do; maybe it is the sort of thing adults could stand to do more often. Swift’s music helps us to remember that growing up doesn’t automatically mean growing wiser — it can just as easily mean compromise, self-denial and growing numb to emotions we once felt with bracing intensity.

In a gesture to regain control of her songs, Swift is currently rerecording her first six albums (her master recordings were recently sold by Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings to the investment firm Shamrock Capital). Last month she released a note-for-note update of her early hit “Love Story,” and has promised to release an entire new-old version of “ Fearless ( Taylor ’s Version)” later this year. It has been amusing to think of Swift going back and inhabiting the voice of her teenage self: On the face of it, “Fifteen” is particularly surreal to imagine her singing as an adult.

In another way, though, “Fifteen” — with its distant reflections on the youthful folly of expectations — makes more sense and carries more emotional weight being sung by a 30-something than it does an 18-year-old. Perhaps Swift was preparing for such an exercise when she made “Folklore,” an album that shakes off years of scrutiny and finds her reveling in the creative freedom to be as young or as old as she wants to be.

Inside the World of Taylor Swift

A Triumph at the Grammys: Taylor Swift made history  by winning her fourth album of the year at the 2024 edition of the awards, an event that saw women take many of the top awards .

‘The T ortured Poets Department’: Poets reacted to Swift’s new album name , weighing in on the pertinent question: What do the tortured poets think ?  

In the Public Eye: The budding romance between Swift and the football player Travis Kelce created a monocultural vortex that reached its apex  at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Ahead of kickoff, we revisited some key moments in their relationship .

Politics (Taylor’s Version): After months of anticipation, Swift made her first foray into the 2024 election for Super Tuesday with a bipartisan message on Instagram . The singer, who some believe has enough influence  to affect the result of the election , has yet to endorse a presidential candidate.

Conspiracy Theories: In recent months, conspiracy theories about Swift and her relationship with Kelce have proliferated , largely driven by supporters of former President Donald Trump . The pop star's fans are shaking them off .

Taylor Swift’s Roots: Born and Raised in the Heart of Pennsylvania

This essay about Taylor Swift focuses on her early life and the profound influence of her upbringing in Pennsylvania. Born in Reading and raised in Wyomissing, Swift’s small-town background is portrayed as foundational to her musical style and lyrical themes. The essay details how the Americana landscapes, the community spirit of Wyomissing, and her activities during school years nurtured her creativity and storytelling ability. These elements from her childhood and teenage years are credited with shaping her into the relatable and internationally acclaimed artist she is today. The essay asserts that Swift’s Pennsylvania roots are integral to understanding her as an artist, blending small-town authenticity with universal appeal.

How it works

Taylor Swift, a name synonymous with genre-defining music and storytelling prowess, started her journey in the quiet corners of Pennsylvania. This post delves into the formative years of an artist whose influence now spans the globe, beginning in the place she called home during her early years—Reading, Pennsylvania.

Born on December 13, 1989, in the historic town of Reading, Swift’s early environment was as quintessentially Americana as it gets. The landscapes of Pennsylvania, with its sprawling farms and close-knit communities, played a significant role in shaping her musical style and lyrical themes.

The area is known for its rich history and traditional values, elements that can often be traced in Swift’s music, especially in her earlier country tracks.

Taylor Swift’s family moved to a Christmas tree farm in Wyomissing, PA, when she was still young. Growing up on a farm might seem quaint to some, but it was here that Swift’s imagination and creativity were nurtured. Wyomissing served as a backdrop for her childhood adventures and later, her teenage reflections, which she beautifully narrates in her songs. It’s not just the physical environment of Wyomissing that influenced her, but also the community spirit and the down-to-earth values she was surrounded by. These aspects of her upbringing are evident in the authenticity and emotional depth of her lyrics.

Swift’s education in Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School also played a crucial part in her development as an artist. It was during these formative school years that she started to hone her craft. Swift was involved in a variety of extracurricular activities, from drama club to choir, and it was during these years that her passion for storytelling truly blossomed. Her ability to connect with her audience through relatable themes of love, friendship, and self-discovery can be traced back to her introspective nature during her school years.

The small-town vibe of Wyomissing, where everyone knows your name and community events are a staple, provided Taylor with a stable and supportive environment. This tight-knit community atmosphere is often mirrored in her loyal and close connection with her fans. Moreover, the contrast between her small-town upbringing and the glamorous world of international pop music adds a layer of relatability that fans find endearing. Swift’s lyrics often weave tales that bring out the universal emotions hidden in personal anecdotes, making her music resonate with a broad audience.

Taylor Swift’s move to Nashville at the age of 14 marked the end of her upbringing in Pennsylvania but the influence of her early years continued to echo through her music. The values instilled in her, the landscapes that inspired her, and the people who supported her, all contributed to the artist she is today. As Swift herself has said, her songs are a reflection of her feelings and experiences—a musical journal of her life.

In conclusion, Taylor Swift’s Pennsylvania roots are more than just a geographical fact; they are integral to understanding the artist she has become. From the idyllic settings of her childhood to the values she carries in her music and public life, her early years in Reading and Wyomissing have left an indelible mark on her music and her persona. As she continues to evolve as an artist, the blend of small-town authenticity with universal appeal remains a testament to her background, making Taylor Swift not only a global icon but a hometown hero as well.

Her story is a reminder that no matter how far one goes, the foundations laid in the early years continue to influence and guide. Taylor Swift, with her roots firmly planted in the Pennsylvanian soil, exemplifies this beautifully, turning her heritage into a cornerstone of her global appeal.

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So what exactly makes taylor swift so great.

Taylor Swift performs during the “Eras” tour.

AP Photo/George Walker IV

Christina Pazzanese

Harvard Staff Writer

Experts weigh in on her fanbase loyalty, skills as songwriter, businesswoman as her albums, tours break financial, popularity records

Whether you’re a fan of Taylor Swift or not, it’s hard to deny the cultural and financial juggernaut the pop superstar has become this year. Her album “Midnights,” released in late 2022, was the year’s top-seller at 1.8 million copies, twice that of the second-biggest by Harry Styles. Her latest, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” debuted in July at No. 1, giving Swift her 12th in the top spot, surpassing Barbra Streisand for the most No. 1 albums by a woman artist.

Swift’s 131-date “Eras” world tour, currently packing stadiums across the U.S., is on track to be the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, at $1.4 billion, when it ends next year. Analysts estimate the tour will also have a total economic impact from tour-related spending of $5 billion on host cities. Even the Federal Reserve noted the effect her tour is having on regional economies.

To better understand the Swift phenomenon, the Gazette asked some Harvard and Berklee College of Music faculty to assess her artistry, fan base, the tour’s economic impact, and her place in the industry. Interviews have been edited for clarity and length.

‘Very few people have her songwriting talent’ Stephanie Burt, poet and Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Professor of English

Gazette: How good is Swift as a songwriter?

Burt: She has a terrific ear in terms of how words fit together. She has a sense both of writing songs that convey a feeling that can make you imagine this is the songwriter’s own feelings, like in “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and a way of telling stories and creating characters. She can write songs that take place at one moment, and she can write songs where the successive verses give you a series of events, like in “Betty” or “Fifteen.”

She has a lot of different gifts as a songwriter, both at the macro level, how the song tells a story or presents an attitude, and at the micro level, how the vowels and consonants fit together, and she’s able to exercise that range, along with quite a lot of melodic gifts, and in a way that does not make her seem highbrow or alienate potential audience members. I would not be surprised to discover that her body of songwriting altogether had a larger number of words than any body of comparable hit songs by a comparable songwriter, except for someone like Bob Dylan.

One of the things that’s really remarkable for me about her is that harmonically, she’s not usually that interesting. It’s pretty normal pop chord progressions and pretty standard varieties of pop arrangement. Her great genius and her innovations and her brilliance as a songwriter is melodic and verbal. And, of course, she’s also very good at singing, which is not to be sneezed at. But she’s able to do that within the fairly tight constraints of existing, easily recognizable chord progressions and rhythmic setups.

She’s able to create verbal hooks, “I’m only 17. I don’t know anything, but I know I miss you.” They stick in your mind, and you spin stories out from them. That’s just being a good writer. She’s a celebrity with a complicated personal life that has been lived in the public eye for quite some time, and so, people speculate about the meanings of her songs, both because they are complex and meaningful works of art, and because some of them do speak to public facts about her life outside the songs.

“Fifteen,” which is a terrific song, gains resonance if you know that it’s about a real person and they’re still friends. But no one would care if it weren’t a brilliantly constructed song. Take something from “Speak Now”: It’s nice to know that “Dear John” is about John Mayer, who really had no business dating a 19-year-old, but it’s also a song about a pattern [of behavior], and it works in itself.

There’s all kinds of celebrity gossip about pop stars who maybe have her level of vocal talent and performing talent but happen not to have her level of songwriting talent. Very few people have her songwriting talent.

Gazette: Which songs would you count among your very favorites?

Burt: There’s so many good songs. I find the ones that speak to me the most are the ones whose topics are closest to my own life. I’m a queer lady. She writes wonderful songs about falling in love or falling out of love with various guys. Those are not, by and large, my favorites even though they’re some of her biggest hits. “Fifteen,” “Betty,” “seven,” “It’s Nice to Have a Friend.”

I actually really like “The Last Great American Dynasty.” The two indie folk albums [“Folklore” and “Evermore”], almost everything on them is amazing. It’s so hard to sustain that level of success artistically while changing that much. Few can do it. “Nothing New” is amazing. “Anti-Hero,” which is the big hit from “Midnights,” is an absolutely fantastic and extraordinarily self-conscious song about being the kind of celebrity that she’s become.

4 albums in Billboard top 10

Taylor Swift is the only living artist to have four albums in the Billboard top 10 at the same time since Herb Alpert in 1966. Following his death in 2016, Prince had five albums in the top 10. (Swift is the only woman with four albums in the top 10 at the same time since the Billboard 200 was combined from its previously separate mono and stereo album charts into one all-encompassing list in August of 1963.)

Source: Billboard

‘Strong social and emotional bond that people feel with her’ Alexandra Gold , clinical fellow in psychology at MGH and Harvard Medical School

Gazette: Swift appears to have a devoted fan base who feel intensely connected to her and her music. Why is that?

GOLD: There is a strong social and emotional bond that people feel with her. And in general, when people become super fans or part of the fandom, it’s often because there’s something about the object of that fandom, the public figure or celebrity, that does connect back to their identity in some way. That’s often the link.

In the case of Taylor, there’s a couple of things going on. The first piece is relatability. Even though there’s aspects of her that maybe don’t feel very relatable — she’s a celebrity and lives a very different life from her fans — what she is singing about — the lyrical content as well as the emotions that underlie the lyrical content — are very relatable to a lot of people. There’s something that is very common to the human experience.

Another piece is a lot of Millennials, as well as Gen Z now, are fans of Taylor Swift. With the Millennials, a lot of people grew up alongside her. When they were having some of these first experiences, maybe with relationships or entering adulthood, she was doing that at the same time and singing about that. Her life story mapped onto their life story, in some way.

For Gen Z, during the pandemic, there was a lot of TikTok content about her, she was putting out many albums, so a new generation discovered her, and they’re also having similar experiences. Overall, she’s been really important for identity development and growth for a lot of people.

@taylorswift That’s my whole world 💕 #tstheerastour #swifttok ♬ So it goes x Miss Americana – 🪩

A third piece is aspirational. She is a role model. She is a great example of someone who sticks to their values and shows their fan base that they can reach their goals, whatever those might be. For instance, she’s claiming ownership of her work and has been successful in putting out re-recordings [of her older albums] and doing that despite barriers or obstacles that might be in the way. Seeing someone do something like that could be inspiring for a lot of young people.

And then, lastly, the fan community is a big part of this. People often form their identity around relationships not just with a celebrity, but also with other fans. The fan community that Taylor has around her, people meet their friends through it and people become part of something bigger than themselves. That is really important for them as they grow up and as they go through life.

Gazette: Swift has had to tell some fans to stop harassing people she once dated. Where’s the line between fan and fanatic?

GOLD: I think fandoms are, overall, very positive. That is an important message, that being a fan is a very positive thing. It’s important to be aware of when it’s interfering in other aspects of one’s life — not engaging in other areas that might be important, other relationships, whether time spent online is causing anxiety or stress or negative feelings for people. Trying to defend Taylor against other celebrities, for instance, that’s when it maybe goes into a category of “OK, let’s take a step back and think about what we can do to bring this back to a place where it feels more positive.” Recognize while this is a relationship that’s important to you, it’s not a friendship. And so, if someone starts to feel like there’s a two-way relationship when there’s no evidence that’s happening, that’s also something to be aware of.

‘The kinds of gains you see in an event like a Super Bowl’ Matthew Andrews , Edward S. Mason Senior Lecturer in International Development at Harvard Kennedy School

GAZETTE: You and some colleagues examined the effects on cities and regions hosting mega events. The total economic impact to host cities of Swift concerts on her current tour is expected to hit $5 billion. Does that sound plausible?

ANDREWS: Those numbers, I think, are completely accurate. I would be in agreement with those numbers because those are the kinds of gains you see in an event like a Super Bowl. The thing that is so amazing about the Taylor Swift concert, in particular, is that it goes from city to city, and you see the same kind of impact in city after city. You do see it with some other musicians, as well. But this is something that’s on a scale and a consistency that we haven’t really seen before.

Swift’s 131-date “Eras” world tour, currently packing stadiums across the U.S., is on track to be the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Pictured is a June show at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

Benjamin B. Braun/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP

Gazette: Which industries typically benefit when a major concert tour or sporting event takes place?

ANDREWS: The main beneficiaries in the private sector are people involved in tourism and the support network around the entertainment industry, so it is going to be hotels, restaurants, tourism agencies. It’s going to be anything to do with transportation hubs. They are going to be the primary beneficiaries.

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The costs to the public sector can be quite significant. And the cost for people in these areas who are not directly benefiting can be quite significant in terms of congestion, use of roads, just wear and tear, in terms of policing. This is a really important one — the cost of public order. Unless the government really thinks this through and charges for this as part of its permitting process, the government can end up on the short end after these kinds of events.

The other thing about these events that is increasingly attracting attention, from a public policy perspective, are climate change concerns. You have many, many people transporting themselves to a small area and a lot [are] coming through the air and through vehicles. This is something we worry about a lot more with prolonged mega events like a World Cup than with something like a Taylor Swift concert, but you do need to think about what those costs are.

‘Standing up for … rights and doing good business’ Ralph Jaccodine , assistant professor of music business/management, Berklee College of Music

GAZETTE: What are the factors that make Swift a successful performer from an industry perspective?

Jaccodine: First of all, if you’re going to talk about Taylor Swift, you’ve got to talk about the power of great songs. It all starts with the power of great songs. That’s why we’re still listening to The Beatles, and Bob Dylan, and Frank Sinatra. And like Bowie and Gaga and Dylan, she’s not afraid to stretch. She’s not afraid to bring her audience for a ride. We’ve seen her grow up in real life, from a young girl to a woman with power, and she’s owning it.

Number two, and this is really important: You’ve got to be great live. My students come to me and say, “We have 53 likes on this video, and we’re not selling tickets.” They don’t understand the power of going in front of people and blowing them away. In my business, as a manager, 80 percent of the income comes from live performances, so I want them to change lives live. I’m a massive Springsteen fan. I’m going to be seeing Springsteen at Gillette. I’ve seen him 12 times. I don’t need to see Bruce anymore. I’m an old guy, but I’m still going to rock concerts for artists to change my life. Taylor Swift’s songs, combined with how great she is live, is a powerful combination.

She’s always had a good team around her, smart people around her, good publicists, and good management. When you’re that good, you have the best in the industry. Her team is great: They build anticipation; they create a buzz about things. She’s imprinted her fans in such a way that they want everything about her. The day before a big stadium show, the T-shirt stand is open and there’s thousands of people in line. They hang on to every word of her social media posting, look at all the pictures. They share it; they talk about it; they have groups. That’s really hard to pull off.

GAZETTE: Has her advocacy for better artist compensation from streaming platforms and record labels and her fight to reclaim control of her back catalog made a difference?

Jaccodine:   Absolutely. First, in the awareness of these topics. The general music fan isn’t aware of streaming revenues or master rights or re-recording rights. They don’t know or really care, but she shines a light on all these things. She shines a light on management contracts and what labels are or what labels aren’t. The whole master recordings topic has been spotlighted by Taylor. She had the budget and the resources and the talent to re-record things. The whole exercise was done in public; the whole exercise was reported on. So now, students are studying that, and they’re questioning that for the first time.

I do know she’s empowered and imprinted serious numbers of people that are fans of music or musicians themselves because of her influence. I look at Rihanna; I look at Beyoncé; I look at Taylor Swift. These are the biggest artists on the planet. They’re all women that are empowering girls and standing up for their rights and doing good business. I love it; I love it.

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Taylor Swift’s Dramatic Music Evolution Through The Years

Taylor Swift is a natural born star. She has been in the spotlight for numerous years and will more than likely remain there for years to come. Swift is, arguably, America’s sweetheart.

She has a natural ability to tell her listeners riveting stories through honest, relatable and cunning lyrics that makes one believe every word that leaves her lips. Swift’s lyrics allow women all over the world to experience these overwhelming feelings that we never knew how to put into words.

Between 2006 and 2018, Swift went from a cowboy boot wearing, curly-haired country girl to a badass pop-star. She portrayed herself to be a girl who thrives on taking career risks. These changes are directly reflected in her multiple music videos that have been published throughout the years, which are a great archive of the stark evolution of Taylor Swift’s musical style , appearance and identity.

In 2006, Swift released her first single, “Tim McGraw,” which would later land a spot on her self-titled album.

Swift, with her bleach-blonde tight ringlet curls, sings a song to a classmate, Drew, that she had undeniable feelings for. Her sense of confession in the song ultimately caused many teenage girls to despise men with the first name Drew.

The song is soft and tender, accompanied by an acoustic guitar and faint but harmonious backup vocals. The video reflected Swift’s simple and unembellished style at this time, mostly taking place in a bedroom and a high school classroom which showed off her simple life of printed sundresses and cowboy boots.

Songs in this album reached the top spot on the Billboard country chart. This song, and others in this album, began to carve her path and solidified her spot in the realm of country music.

Taylor Swift’s “Mean” is in her “Speak Now” album, which seemed to have an abundance more folk songs than previous. The song is upbeat, catchy and captivating to the listener.

The music video has a chorus in the background who use a variety of instruments to pull off the tracks unique sounds. During this time, her videos still encompassed a sense of simplicity but were beginning to become more intricate, as Swift pulled off the same recognized style and appearance.

The album dives into adulthood and Swift tells stories that appear to be more mature. The album begins to stray away from the complete feel of country and captures more upbeat tempos.

Swift ditches her cowboy boots in “We are Never Getting Back Together,” a song in her album “Red.” This album, both dramatic and exhilarating captured the transition Swift faced when she began to change her genre from country to pop music.

The music video portrays Swift’s annoyance of an ex-lover who is attempting to crawl back in hopes to rekindle their relationship. It ultimately represents Swift’s newly obtained care-free and confident attitude as she begins to make her mark on adulthood.

She emerges as a force to be reckoned with, a character trait that had previously been absent in her other albums. The song, with a booming drum beat and conversation like tone, was monumental; it became Swift’s first number one hit on Billboard’s Top 100.

“We are Never Getting Back Together,” and other songs in the album “Red,” completely began to change the way fans and critics perceived Swift.

Taylor Swift’s album “1989,” which acclaims her birth year, is a full-blown pop album. Swift, one of the most prominent figures in the music industry during this time, had a spot secured in limelight, where ridicule and hate were inescapable.

She began to address the way she was portrayed in the media in this album, but most notably her three-time nominated Grammy hit, “Shake it Off.”

The music video is upbeat, busy and energetic where Swift models her new short, edgy hairstyle and notorious shiny red lipstick. Her charismatic lyrics are accompanied by a delicate saxophone line and drums that give the underlying beat.

Swift’s video serves as a message that she can handle the criticism that comes with being in the spotlight. More importantly, she serves as an advocate for the youth across the world who may be struggling with the very concepts that she addresses.

Taylor Swift’s most recent album “Reputation” is flooded with dramatic beat drops and a dub-step feel, which leaves behind the captivating love stories told in her first two albums. The release of her aggressive and dark song “Look What You Made Me Do” quickly jumped to number one on the Billboard charts and harnessed Swift as powerful and full of revenge.

The music video is dominated by symbolism as Swift emerges as a good girl gone bad. Swift’s lyrics celebrate the loss of her old identity and reflect that “I got smarter, I got harder in the knick of time.”

“Reputation” is an album that is savage and brutally honest. The album portrays her extreme evolution from her deeps roots in country music to a pop machine.

Swift’s appearance, sound and overall image may have completely evolved but one thing that has continued to remain consistent is her inclusion of genuine lyrics . She ultimately pours herself into her songs expressing a strong sense of vulnerability and revealing her raw feelings to where she is completely exposed.

She incorporates her struggles, strides and confessions into her lyrics which allows her fans to relate to her experiences. Her fans are taken on an emotional roller coaster ride with her powerful and heartfelt lyrics where feelings of love, joy, guilt and regret are assured.

Taylor has continued to make girls and women feel better about themselves, offering a sense of comfort, and I have no doubt that she will continue that trend for years to come.

To this day, fans scream her lyrics at the top of their lungs with windows down and their hair flying in the wind. It is without a question that Swift has certainly evolved throughout the year and fans can’t help but anticipate where she will go next.

• country genre
• music evolution
• Taylor Swift
• Taylor Swift new music

Sarah Hoenig, Texas A&M University

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Home / Essay Samples / Music / Taylor Swift / Exploring the Life Story: Taylor Swift and Her Rise to Fame

Exploring the Life Story: Taylor Swift and Her Rise to Fame

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