Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Recognized for her songwriting, musical versatility, artistic reinventions, and influence on the music industry, she is a prominent cultural figure of the 21st century.
At age nine, Swift became interested in musical theater and performed in four Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions.[20] She also traveled regularly to New York City for vocal and acting lessons.[21] Swift later shifted her focus toward country music, inspired by Shania Twain's songs, which made her "want to just run around the block four times and daydream about everything."[22] She spent weekends performing at local festivals and events.[23][24] After watching a documentary about Faith Hill, Swift felt sure she needed to move to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in music.[25] She traveled there with her mother at age eleven to visit record labels and submitted demo tapes of Dolly Parton and the Dixie Chicks karaoke covers.[26] She was rejected, however, because "everyone in that town wanted to do what I wanted to do. So, I kept thinking to myself, I need to figure out a way to be different."[27]
When Swift was around 12 years old, computer repairman and local musician Ronnie Cremer taught her to play guitar. "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer was the first song Swift learned to play. Cremer helped with her first efforts as a songwriter, leading her to write "Lucky You".[28][29] In 2003, Swift and her parents started working with New York-based talent manager Dan Dymtrow. With his help, Swift modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch as part of their "Rising Stars" campaign, had an original song included on a Maybelline compilation CD, and met with major record labels.[30] After performing original songs at an RCA Records showcase, Swift, then 13 years old, was given an artist development deal and began making frequent trips to Nashville with her mother.[31][32][33] 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.[11][34] Swift initially attended Hendersonville High School[35] before transferring to Aaron Academy after two years, which better accommodated her touring schedule through homeschooling. She graduated one year early.[36]
2004–2008: Career beginnings and first album
In Nashville, Swift worked with experienced Music Row songwriters such as Troy Verges, Brett Beavers, Brett James, Mac McAnally, and the Warren Brothers[37][38] and formed a lasting working relationship with Liz Rose.[39] They began meeting for two-hour writing sessions every Tuesday afternoon after school.[40] 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." Swift became the youngest artist signed by the Sony/ATV Tree publishing house,[41] but left the Sony-owned RCA Records at the age of 14 due to the label's lack of care and them "cut[ting] other people's stuff". She was also concerned that development deals may shelve artists:[33][24] 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."[42]
Swift opening for Brad Paisley in 2007. To promote her first album, she opened tours for other country musicians in 2007 and 2008.[43]
At an industry showcase at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe in 2005, Swift caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a DreamWorks Records executive who was preparing to form an independent record label, Big Machine Records. She had first met Borchetta in 2004.[44] She was one of Big Machine's first signings,[33] and her father purchased a three-percent stake in the company for an estimated $120,000.[45][46] She began working on her eponymous debut album with producer Nathan Chapman, with whom she felt she had the right "chemistry".[24] Swift wrote three of the album's songs alone and co-wrote the remaining eight with Rose, Robert Ellis Orrall, Brian Maher, and Angelo Petraglia.[47]Taylor Swift was released on October 24, 2006.[48]Country Weekly critic Chris Neal deemed Swift better than previous aspiring teenage country singers because of her "honesty, intelligence and idealism".[49] The album peaked at number five on the U.S. Billboard 200, on which it spent 157 weeks—the longest stay on the chart by any release in the U.S. in the 2000s decade.[50] Swift became the first female country music artist to write or co-write every track on a U.S. platinum-certified debut album.[51]
Big Machine Records was still in its infancy during the June 2006 release of the lead single, "Tim McGraw", which Swift and her mother helped promote by packaging and sending copies of the CD single to country radio stations.[52] As there was not enough furniture at the label yet, they would sit on the floor to do so.[52] She spent much of 2006 promoting Taylor Swift with a radio tour, television appearances; she opened for Rascal Flatts on select dates during their 2006 tour,[53] as a replacement for Eric Church.[54] 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.[52][11] Following "Tim McGraw", four more singles were released throughout 2007 and 2008: "Teardrops on My Guitar", "Our Song", "Picture to Burn" and "Should've Said No". All appeared on Billboard's Hot Country Songs, with "Our Song" and "Should've Said No" reaching number one. With "Our Song", Swift became the youngest person to single-handedly write and sing a number-one song on the chart.[55] "Teardrops on My Guitar" reached number thirteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[56] Swift also released two EPs, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection in October 2007 and Beautiful Eyes in July 2008.[57][58] She promoted her debut album extensively as the opening act for other country musicians' tours in 2006 and 2007, including those by George Strait,[59]Brad Paisley,[60] and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.[61]
Swift's second studio album, Fearless, was released on November 11, 2008, in North America,[72] and in March 2009, in other markets.[73] Critics lauded Swift's honest and vulnerable songwriting in contrast to other teenage singers.[74] Five singles were released in 2008–2009: "Love Story", "White Horse", "You Belong with Me", "Fifteen", and "Fearless". The first single peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one in Australia.[56][75] It was the first country song to top Billboard's Pop Songs chart.[76] "You Belong with Me" was the album's highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number two,[77] and was the first country song to top Billboard's all-genre Radio Songs chart.[78] All five singles were Hot Country Songs top-10 entries, with "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me" topping the chart.[79]Fearless became her first number-one album on the Billboard 200 and 2009's top-selling album in the U.S.[80] The Fearless Tour, Swift's first headlining concert tour, grossed over $63 million.[81]Journey to Fearless, a documentary miniseries, aired on television and was later released on DVD and Blu-ray.[82] Swift also performed as a supporting act for Keith Urban's Escape Together World Tour in 2009.[83]
In August 2010, Swift released "Mine", the lead single from her third studio album, Speak Now. It entered the Hot 100 at number three.[102] Swift wrote the album alone and co-produced every track.[103] It was released on October 25, 2010,[104] opening atop the Billboard 200 with over one million copies sold.[105] It became the fastest-selling digital album by a female artist, with 278,000 downloads in a week.[106] Critics appreciated Swift's grown-up perspectives;[107]Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone wrote, "in a mere four years, the 20-year-old Nashville firecracker has put her name on three dozen or so of the smartest songs released by anyone in pop, rock or country."[108] "Back to December", "Mean", "The Story of Us", "Sparks Fly", and "Ours" became subsequent singles, with the latter two reaching number one on the Hot Country Songs[79] and the first two peaking in the top ten in Canada.[97] She dated actor Jake Gyllenhaal in 2010.[109]
At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012, Swift won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for "Mean", which she performed during the ceremony.[110] Swift won other awards for Speak Now, including Songwriter/Artist of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association (2010 and 2011),[111][112] Woman of the Year by Billboard (2011),[113] and Entertainer of the Year by the Academy of Country Music (2011 and 2012)[114] and the Country Music Association in 2011.[115] At the American Music Awards of 2011, Swift won Artist of the Year and Favorite Country Album.[116]Rolling Stone named Speak Now amongst its "50 Best Female Albums of All Time" (2012), writing: "She might get played on the country station, but she's one of the few genuine rock stars we've got these days, with a flawless ear for what makes a song click."[117]
In August 2012, Swift released "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", the lead single from her fourth studio album, Red. It became her first number one in the U.S. and New Zealand,[124][125] and became the fastest-selling single in digital history.[126] Other singles from the album were "Begin Again", "I Knew You Were Trouble", "22", "Everything Has Changed", "The Last Time", and "Red". "I Knew You Were Trouble" reached the top five on charts in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S.[127] "Begin Again", "22", and "Red" reached the top 20 in the U.S.[56] On Red, released on October 22, 2012,[128] Swift worked with Chapman and Rose, as well as the new producers Max Martin and Shellback.[129] It incorporated many pop and rock styles such as heartland rock, dubstep and dance-pop.[130] Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times said Swift "strives for something much more grand and accomplished" with Red.[131] It opened at number one on the Billboard 200 with 1.21 million sales, making Swift the first female to have two million-selling first-weeks.[132][133]Red was Swift's first number-one album in the U.K.[134] It earned several accolades, including four nominations at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards (2014).[135] Swift received American Music Awards for Best Female Country Artist in 2012, Artist of the Year in 2013,[136][137] and the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter/Artist Award for the fifth and sixth consecutive years.[138]The Red Tour ran from March 2013 to June 2014 and grossed over $150 million, becoming the highest-grossing country tour ever.[139] Swift was honored with the Pinnacle Award, making her the second recipient of the accolade after Garth Brooks.[140] During this time, she briefly dated English singer Harry Styles.[141]
Prior to 1989's release, Swift stressed the importance of albums to artists and fans.[158] In November 2014, she removed her entire catalog from Spotify, arguing that the streaming company's ad-supported, free service undermined the premium service, which provides higher royalties for songwriters.[159] In a June 2015 open letter, Swift criticized Apple Music for not offering royalties to artists during the streaming service's free three-month trial period and stated that she would pull 1989 from the catalog.[160] The following day, Apple Inc. announced that it would pay artists during the free trial period,[161] and Swift agreed to let 1989 on the streaming service.[162] She then returned her entire catalog plus 1989 to Spotify, Amazon Music and Google Play and other digital streaming platforms in June 2017.[163] Swift was named Billboard's Woman of the Year in 2014, becoming the first artist to win the award twice.[164] At the 2014 American Music Awards, Swift received the inaugural Dick Clark Award for Excellence.[165] 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, and broke museum attendance records.[166][167] In 2015, Swift won the Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist.[168] The video for "Bad Blood" won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.[169] At the 58th Grammy Awards (2016), 1989 won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, making Swift the first woman and fifth act overall to win Album of the Year twice.[170]
Swift on her Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), the highest-grossing North American tour of all time
After a one-year hiatus from public spotlight, Swift cleared her social media accounts and released "Look What You Made Me Do" as the lead single from her sixth album, Reputation.[180][181] The single was Swift's first U.K. number-one single.[182] It topped charts in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the U.S.[183]Reputation, released on November 10, 2017,[184] incorporated heavy electropop, along with hip hop, R&B, and EDM sounds.[185] Reviews praised Swift's mature artistry, but some denounced the themes of fame and gossip.[186] The album opened atop the Billboard 200 with 1.21 million sales, making Swift the first act to have four albums sell one million copies in a week in the U.S.[187] The album topped the charts in the UK, Australia, and Canada,[188] and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide as of 2018.[189] It spawned three more singles: "...Ready for It?",[190] "End Game" (featuring Ed Sheeran and rapper Future) and "Delicate".[156]Reputation was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.[191] At the American Music Awards of 2018, Swift won four awards, including Artist of the Year and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. Swift had garnered collected 23 AMAs in her career, becoming the most awarded female musician in the show, surpassing Whitney Houston.[192] In April 2018, Swift featured on country duo Sugarland's "Babe".[note 4] She embarked on her Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018.[194] It broke many records, such as the highest-grossing North American concert tour in history with $345.7 million revenue worldwide.[195] It was followed up with an accompanying concert film on Netflix.[196]
Reputation was Swift's last album under Big Machine. In November 2018, she signed a new deal with the Universal Music Group; her subsequent releases were promoted by Republic Records. Swift said the contract included a provision for her 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.[197]Vox called it a huge commitment from Universal, which was "far from assured" until Swift intervened.[198]
Swift released her seventh studio album, Lover, on August 23, 2019.[199] Besides Jack Antonoff, Swift worked with new producers Louis Bell, Frank Dukes, and Joel Little.[200]Lover made Swift the first female artist to have a sixth consecutive album sell more than 500,000 copies in one week in the U.S.[201] Critics commended the album's free-spirited mood and emotional intimacy.[202][203] The lead single, "Me!", peaked at number two on the Hot 100.[204] Other singles from Lover were the U.S. top 10 singles "You Need to Calm Down" and "Lover", top 40 single "The Man",[56] and "Cruel Summer", which became a resurgent success in 2023 and charted in the top 10.[205]Lover was the world's best-selling album by a solo artist of 2019, selling 3.2 million copies,[206] and along with its singles earned nominations at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020.[207] At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, "Me!" won Best Visual Effects, and "You Need to Calm Down" won Video of the Year and Video for Good. Swift was the first female and second artist overall to win Video of the Year for a video that they directed.[208]
While promoting Lover, Swift became embroiled in a public dispute with talent manager Scooter Braun and Big Machine over the purchase of the masters of her back catalog.[209] Swift said she had been trying to buy the masters, but Big Machine would only allow her to do so if she exchanged one new album for each older one under new contract, which she refused to sign.[209][210] Swift began re-recording her back catalog in November 2020.[211] Besides music, she played Bombalurina in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats (2019), for which she co-wrote and recorded the Golden Globe-nominated original song "Beautiful Ghosts".[212][213] Critics panned the film but praised Swift's performance.[214] The documentary Miss Americana, which chronicled parts of Swift's life and career, premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was released on Netflix that January.[215][216] Swift signed a global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group in February 2020 after her 16-year-old contract with Sony/ATV expired.[217]
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift released two surprise albums: Folklore on July 24, and Evermore on December 11, 2020.[218][219] Both explore indie folk and alternative rock with a more muted production compared to her previous upbeat pop songs.[220][221] Swift wrote and recorded the albums with producers Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner from the National.[222] Alwyn co-wrote and co-produced select songs under the pseudonym William Bowery.[223] The albums garnered widespread critical acclaim. The Guardian and Vox opined that Folklore and Evermore emphasized Swift's work ethic and increased her artistic credibility.[224][225] Three singles supported each of the albums, catering the U.S. mainstream radio, country radio, and triple A radio. The singles, in that order, were "Cardigan", "Betty", and "Exile" from Folklore, and "Willow", "No Body, No Crime", and "Coney Island" from Evermore.[226] Swift became the first artist to debut a U.S. number-one album and a number-one song at the same time with Folklore's "Cardigan" and Evermore's "Willow".[227]Folklore was 2020's best-selling album in the U.S. with 1.2 million copies.[228] It won Album of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, making Swift the first woman to win the award thrice.[229] At the 2020 American Music Awards, she won three awards, including Artist of the Year for a record third consecutive time.[230] She was 2020's highest-paid musician in the U.S., and the world's highest-paid solo musician.[231]
2021–present: Re-recordings, Midnights, and the Eras Tour
Amidst the re-recording projects, Swift's tenth studio album, Midnights, was released on October 21, 2022.[241] It experiments with chill-out music[242] and received critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone critics dubbing it an instant classic.[243][244] It was Swift's fifth album to open atop the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of over one million copies and broke various sales and streaming records,[245] including the most U.S. first-week vinyl sales and the most single-day streams and most single-week streams on Spotify.[246] Its tracks, led by the single "Anti-Hero", monopolized the entire top 10 of the Hot 100, making Swift the first artist to do so.[247] Two other singles, "Lavender Haze" and "Karma", both peaked at number two on the Hot 100.[248] To support Midnights and all of her albums to date, Swift embarked on the Eras Tour in March 2023. Media outlets extensively covered the tour's cultural and economic impact,[249] and its U.S. leg broke the record for the most tickets sold in a day.[247]Ticketmaster received public and political criticisms for mishandling ticket sales and alleged monopoly in the concert industry.[250] A concert film of the tour is set for release to North American theaters on October 13, 2023.[251] Swift won nine awards at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year ("Anti-Hero") for the fourth time, an all-time record.[252]
One of Swift's earliest memories of music is listening to her grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, sing in church.[4] As a child, she enjoyed Disney film soundtracks: "My parents noticed that, once I had run out of words, I would just make up my own."[263] Swift said she owes her confidence and "fascination with writing and storytelling" to her mother, who helped her prepare for class presentations as a child.[264][265]
Swift was drawn to the storytelling aspect of country music,[266] introduced to the genre by "the great female country artists" of the 1990s—Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and the Dixie Chicks.[267][268] Twain, both as a songwriter and performer, was her biggest musical influence.[269] Hill was Swift's childhood role model, as she would often imitate her.[270] She admired the Chicks' defiant attitude and ability to play their own instruments.[271] Swift also explored the music of older country stars such as Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Dolly Parton,[23] the last of whom she believes is exemplary to female songwriters,[113] and alt-country artists like Patty Griffin[272] and Lori McKenna.[11] As a songwriter, Swift was influenced by Joni Mitchell's autobiographical lyrics that convey the deepest emotions: "I think [Blue] is my favorite because it explores somebody's soul so deeply."[273]
"If there's one thing that Swift has proven throughout her career, it's that she refuses to be put in a box. Her ever-evolving sound took her from country darling to pop phenom to folk's newest raconteur."
Swift is known for venturing into various music genres and undergoing artistic reinventions,[284][262] having been described as a "music chameleon".[285][286] She self-identified as a country musician until 2012, when she released her fourth studio album, Red.[287] Her albums were promoted to country radio, but music critics noted wide-ranging styles of pop and rock.[288][289] After 2010, they observed that Swift's melodies are rooted in pop music, and the country music elements are limited to instruments such as banjo, mandolin, and fiddle, and her slight twang;[290][291] some commented that her country music identity was an indicator of her narrative songwriting rather than musical style.[292][293] Although the Nashville music industry was receptive of Swift's status as a country musician, critics accused her of abandoning her roots in favor of crossover success in the mainstream pop market.[294][295]Red's eclectic pop, rock, and electronic styles intensified the critical debate, to which Swift responded, "I leave the genre labeling to other people."[296]
Music journalist Jody Rosen commented that by originating her musical career in Nashville, Swift made a "bait-and-switch maneuver... planting roots in loamy country soil, then pivoting to pop".[297] She abandoned her country music identity in 2014 with the release of her synth-pop fifth studio album, 1989. Swift described it as her first "documented, official pop album".[298] Her subsequent albums Reputation (2017) and Lover (2019) have an upbeat pop production; the former incorporates hip hop, trap, and EDM elements.[299][300][301]Midnights (2022), on the other hand, is distinguished by a more experimental, "subdued and amorphous pop sound".[302][303] Although reviews of Swift's pop albums were generally positive, some critics lamented that the pop music production indicated Swift's pursuit of mainstream success, eroding her authenticity as a songwriter nurtured by her country music background—a criticism that has been retrospectively described as rockist.[304][305]Musicologist Nate Sloan remarked that Swift's pop music transition was rather motivated by her need to expand her artistry.[306] Swift eschewed mainstream pop in favor of alternative styles like indie rock with her 2020 studio albums Folklore and Evermore.[307][308]Clash said her career "has always been one of transcendence and covert boundary-pushing", reaching a point at which "Taylor Swift is just Taylor Swift", not defined by any genre.[309]
Voice
Swift possesses a mezzo-sopranovocal range,[310] and a generally soft but versatile timbre.[311][312] As a country singer, her vocals were criticized by some as weak and strained compared to those of her contemporaries.[313] Swift admitted her vocal ability often concerned her in her early career and has worked hard to improve.[314] Reviews of her vocals remained mixed after she transitioned to pop music with 1989; critics complained that she lacked proper technique but appreciated her usage of her voice to communicate her feelings to the audience, prioritizing "intimacy over power and nuance".[315] They also praised her for refraining from correcting her pitch with Auto-Tune.[316]
Los Angeles Times remarked, Swift's defining vocal feature is her attention to detail to convey an exact feeling—"the line that slides down like a contented sigh or up like a raised eyebrow".[317] With Reputation, critics noted she was "learning how to use her voice as a percussion instrument of its own",[318] swapping her "signature" expressive vocals for "cool, conversational, detached" cadences and rhythms similar to hip hop and R&B styles.[319][320][321]Alternative Press stated that her "evocative" vocal stylings are more reminiscent of pop-punk and emo genres.[322]
Reviews of Swift's later albums and performances were more appreciative of her vocals, finding them less nasal, richer, more resonant, and more powerful.[291][323][324] With Folklore and Evermore, Swift received praise for her sharp and agile yet translucent and controlled voice.[325][326][327]Pitchfork described her vocals on the albums as "versatile and expressive".[328]Music theory professor Alyssa Barna called Swift's timbre "breathy and bright" in the upper register and "full and dark" in the lower.[221] With her 2021 re-recorded albums, critics began to praise the mature, deeper and "fuller" tone of her voice.[329][330][331] An i review said Swift's voice is "leagues better now" with her newfound vocal furniture.[332]The Guardian highlighted "yo-yoing vocal yelps" and passionate climaxes as the trademarks of Swift's voice,[333] and that her country twang faded away.[334]Midnights received acclaim for Swift's nuanced vocal delivery.[335] She ranked 102nd on the 2023 Rolling Stone list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[312] In a review of the Eras Tour, The New Yorker critic Amanda Petrusich praised Swift's "stronger" vocals, clarity and tone.[336]
Swift has been referred to as one of the greatest songwriters of all time by several publications.[337][338][339] English-language scholars like Jonathan Bate and Stephanie Burt have noted that her literary sensibility, sense of melody and verbal writing style are rare amongst her peers.[340][341] Swift's bridges are often underscored as one of the best aspects of her songs,[342][343] earning her the title "Queen of Bridges" from Time.[344]
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".[11] Her personal experiences were a common inspiration for her early songs, which helped her navigate life.[345][346] Her "diaristic" technique began with identifying an emotion, followed by a corresponding melody.[347][348] On her first three studio albums, love, heartbreak, and insecurities, from an adolescent perspective, were dominant themes.[349][350] She delved into the tumult of toxic relationships on Red,[351] and embraced nostalgia and post-romance positivity on 1989.[278]Reputation was inspired by the downsides of Swift's fame,[352] and Lover detailed her realization of the "full spectrum of love".[353] Other themes in Swift's music include family dynamics, friendship,[354][355] alienation, self-awareness, and tackling vitriol, especially sexism.[265][356]
Her confessional lyrics received positive reviews from critics,[357][11][358] who highlighted their vivid details and emotional engagement, which they found uncommon in pop music.[359][360][361] Critics also praised her melodic compositions; Rolling Stone described Swift as "a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift for verse-chorus-bridge architecture".[362][363]NPR dubbed Swift "a master of the vernacular in her lyrics",[320] remarking that her songs offer emotional engagement because "the wit and clarity of her arrangements turn them from standard fare to heartfelt disclosures".[363] Despite the positive reception, The New Yorker stated she was generally portrayed "more as a skilled technician than as a Dylanesque visionary".[11]Tabloid media often speculated and linked the subjects of her songs with her ex-lovers, a practice reviewers and Swift herself criticized as sexist.[364][365][366] Aside from clues in album liner notes, Swift avoided talking about the subjects of her songs.[367]
On her 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore, Swift was inspired by escapism and romanticism to explore fictional narratives.[368] Without referencing her personal life, she imposed emotions onto imagined characters and story arcs, which liberated her from tabloid attention and suggested new paths for her artistry.[347] Swift explained that she welcomed the new songwriting direction after she stopped worrying about commercial success.[368] According to Spin, she explored complex emotions with "precision and devastation" on Evermore.[369]Consequence stated her 2020 albums provided a chance to convince skeptics of Swift had "songwriting power", noting her transformation from "teenage wunderkind to a confident and careful adult".[370]
Swift divides her writing into three types: "quill lyrics", referring to songs rooted in antiquated poeticism; "fountain pen lyrics", based on modern and vivid storylines; and "glitter gel pen lyrics", which are lively and frivolous.[371] Critics note the fifth track of every Swift album as the most "emotionally vulnerable" song of the album.[372] 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" than Swift.[373]The Week deemed her the foremost female songwriter of modern times,[374] and the Nashville Songwriters Association International named her Songwriter-Artist of the Decade in 2022.[247] Swift has also published two original poems: "Why She Disappeared" and "If You're Anything Like Me".[375]
Journalists have described Swift as one of the best performers and entertainers in mainstream music. Often praised for her showmanship and stage presence,[376][377][378] Swift is known for her ability to command large audiences, such as in a stadium,[379][380][381] without having to rely fully on dance like her contemporaries do.[382] According to 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".[383]
Swift performing on the Reputation Stadium Tour in Seattle, May 2018
In a 2008 review of Swift's early performances, Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker called her a "preternaturally skilled" entertainer with a vibrant stage presence: "[Swift] returned the crowd's energy with the professionalism she has shown since the age of fourteen."[384] Reviewing the 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour, Stereogum's Chris DeVille wrote that Swift's onstage persona emulates those of "classic rock deities".[385] In 2023, Adrian Horton of The Guardian noted her "seemingly endless stamina" on the Eras Tour,[386] and i critic Ilana Kaplan called her showmanship "unparalleled".[387]
Critics have highlighted Swift's versatility as an entertainer, praising her ability to switch onstage personas and performance styles depending on the varying themes and aesthetics of her albums.[388][389] Her concert productions have been characterized by elaborate Broadway theatricality and high technology,[390] and her performances frequently incorporate a live band, with whom she has played and toured since 2007.[391] Swift also often accompanies herself with musical instruments such as electric guitar,[392] acoustic guitar, piano,[393] and sometimes a banjo or ukulele.[394][395] Interacting frequently with the audience, her solo acoustic performances are considered intimate and emotionally resonant, complementing her story-based lyrics and fan connection.[336][396] Lydia Burgham of The Spinoff opined that this intimacy remains "integral to her singer-songwriter origins".[397][393] Chris Willman of Variety called Swift "pop's most approachable superstar",[398] and the 21st century's most popular performer.[399]
Swift emphasizes visuals as a key creative component of her music making process.[400] 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 treatment for "Mean" in 2011[401] and co-directed the music video for "Mine" with Roman White the year before.[402] 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."[403]
From 2014 to 2018, Swift collaborated with director Joseph Kahn on eight music videos—four each from her albums 1989 and Reputation. Kahn has praised Swift's involvement in the craft.[404] 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.[405] Swift produced the music video for "Bad Blood" and won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 2016.[406]
Her production company, Taylor Swift Productions, Inc., is credited with producing all of her visual media starting with the 2018 concert documentary Reputation Stadium Tour.[407] She continued to co-direct music videos for the Lover singles "Me!" with Dave Meyers, and "You Need to Calm Down" (also serving as a co-executive producer) and "Lover" with Drew Kirsch,[408] but first ventured into sole direction with the video for "The Man" (which won her the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction).[409] After Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, Swift debuted as a filmmaker with All Too Well: The Short Film,[247] which made her the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Music Video as a sole director.[410] Swift has cited Chloé Zhao, Greta Gerwig, Nora Ephron, Guillermo del Toro, John Cassavetes, and Noah Baumbach as her filmmaking influences.[400]
In the US, Swift has sold over 37.3 million albums as of 2019,[424] when Billboard placed her eighth on its Greatest of All Time Artists Chart.[442] Nine of her songs have topped the Billboard Hot 100. She is the longest-reigning act of the Billboard Artist 100 (78 weeks),[443] the soloist with the most cumulative weeks (62) atop the Billboard 200,[444] the woman with the most Billboard 200 number-ones (12),[445] Hot 100 entries (212),[446] top-ten songs (42),[447] and weeks atop the Top Country Albums (99),[448] and the act with the most Digital Songs number-ones (26).[449] Swift is the first woman to simultaneously chart four albums in the top 10 and 11 albums on the entire Billboard 200.[450][451] She is the second highest-certified female digital singles artist (and fifth overall) in the U.S., with 137.5 million total units certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[452] and the first woman to have both an album (Fearless) and a song ("Shake It Off") certified Diamond.[453]
Swift has appeared in various power listings. Time included her on its annual list of the 100 most influential people in 2010, 2015, and 2019.[454] She was one of the "Silence Breakers" honored as Time Person of the Year in 2017 for speaking up about sexual assault.[455] In 2014, she was named to Forbes'30 Under 30 list in the music category[456] and again in 2017 in its "All-Star Alumni" category.[457] Swift became the youngest woman to be included on Forbes' list of the 100 most powerful women in 2015, ranked at number 64.[458] Swift received an honoraryDoctor of Fine Arts degree from New York University and served as its commencement speaker on May 18, 2022.[247]
Swift has made a profound impact on the music industry and popular culture.[459][460] Publications describe Swift as a cultural "vitality" or zeitgeist,[461][462] with Billboard noting only few artists have had her chart success, critical acclaim, and fan support, resulting in a wide impact.[463] Publications consider Swift's million-selling albums an anomaly in the streaming-dominated industry following the end of the album era in the 2010s.[464][465] She is the only artist in Luminate Data history to have five albums sell over a million copies in a week,[466] leading New York magazine to call her "the one bending the music industry to her will".[465] Swift is also regarded as a champion of independent record shops,[467][468] contributing to the 21st-century vinyl revival.[469][470]Variety dubbed Swift the "Queen of Stream" after she achieved multiple streaming feats.[471] Economist Alan Krueger devised his concept "rockonomics"—a microeconomic analysis of the music industry—using Swift, whom he considers an "economic genius".[472]
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: "[Swift] falls between genres, eras, demographics, paradigms, trends", leaving all the other artists such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber "all vying for second place".[297] According to CNN, Swift began the 2010s decade as a country star and ended it as an "all-time musical titan".[473] She was the most googled woman in 2019 and musician in 2022.[474][475]
Legacy
"You have different artists dominating different sectors of the industry: Some are huge at streaming, some are big draws on the road. But we're at this moment where there's no one better than Taylor Swift, whether that's on the radio, with streaming, ticket sales or just cultural impact."
Swift helped shape the modern country music scene,[476] having extended her success and fame beyond the U.S.,[297][476] pioneered the use of internet (Myspace) as a marketing tool,[33][52] and introduced the genre to a younger generation.[477][297] Country labels have since become interested in signing young singers who write their own music;[478] her guitar performances contributed to the "Taylor Swift factor", a phenomenon to which upsurge in guitar sales to women, a previously ignored demographic, is attributed.[479][480]
According to publications, Swift changed the contemporary music landscape "forever" with the genre transitions across her career, a discography that accommodates cultural shifts,[481] and her power "to pull any sound she wants into mainstream orbit".[482] Furthermore, in being personal and vulnerable in her lyrics, music journalist Nick Catucci opined Swift helped make space for later singers like Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, and Halsey to do the same.[483] Scholars have also highlighted the literary sensibility and poptimist implications of Swift and her music in the 21st century.[484][485] She has been credited with legitimizing and popularizing the concept of album "eras".[486][487]
Swift has influenced numerous music artists, and her albums have inspired an entire generation of singer-songwriters.[477][307][488] Journalists praise her ability to change industry practices, noting how her actions reformed policies of streaming platforms, prompted awareness of intellectual property among upcoming musicians,[489][490] and reshaped the concert ticketing model.[491] Various sources deem Swift's music a paradigm representing the millennial generation;[492]Vox called her the "millennial Bruce Springsteen",[493] and The Times named her "the Bob Dylan of our age".[494] In recognition of her cultural impact, Swift earned the title Woman of the Decade (2010s) from Billboard,[495]Artist of the Decade (2010s) at the American Music Awards,[496] and Global Icon at the Brit Awards.[426]
Swift's music, life and image are points of attention in global celebrity culture.[284] Initially a teen idol,[510] she has become a dominant figure in popular culture,[511] often referred to as a pop icon.[299][512] Publications note her immense popularity and longevity as the kind of fame unwitnessed since the 20th century.[513][514] Music critics Sam Sanders and Ann Powers regard Swift as a "surprisingly successful composite of megawatt pop star and bedroom singer-songwriter."[515]
Journalists have written about Swift's polite and "open" personality,[36][45] calling her a "media darling" and "a reporter's dream".[357] Awarding her for her humanitarian endeavors in 2012, former First Lady Michelle Obama described Swift as an artist who "has rocketed to the top of the music industry but still keeps her feet on the ground, someone who has shattered every expectation of what a 22-year-old can accomplish".[516] Swift, labeled by the media in her early career as "America's Sweetheart" for her likability and girl-next-door image,[517][518] has earned a reputation for her enthusiasm at award shows.[519][520]YouGov surveys ranked her as the world's most admired female musician from 2019 to 2021.[521]
Though Swift is reluctant to publicly discuss her personal life, believing it to be "a career weakness",[522] it is a topic of widespread media attention and tabloid speculation,[523] with all her moves "closely monitored and analyzed."[462]Clash described Swift as a lightning rod for both praise and criticism.[524]The New York Times asserted in 2013 that her "dating history has begun to stir what feels like the beginning of a backlash" and questioned whether she was in the midst of a "quarter-life crisis".[525] Critics have highlighted that Swift's life and career have been subject to intense misogyny and slut-shaming.[526][527]Glamour opined Swift is an easy target for male derision, triggering "fragile male egos".[528]The Daily Telegraph said her antennae for sexism are crucial for the industry.[529] Swift has also been a victim of numerous house break-ins and stalkers, some of whom were armed.[530][531]
Swift owns three cats—Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button—which have featured or referenced variously in her videos and other works.[532] Benson is the third richest pet animal in the world, with an estimated net worth of $97 million.[533]
Entrepreneurship
Media outlets describe Swift as a savvy businesswoman.[534][535] She is also known for her traditional album rollouts, consisting of a variety of promotional activities that Rolling Stone termed as an inescapable "multimedia bonanza".[536][537]Easter eggs and cryptic teasers became a common practice in contemporary pop music because of Swift.[538] Publications describe her discography as a music "universe" subject to analyses by fans, critics and journalists.[539][540][511] Swift maintains an active presence on social media and a close relationship with fans, to which many journalists attribute her success.[541][460][542]
Swift's net worth is $740 million, per an estimate by Forbes in June 2023, making her the richest female musician in U.S. history with music as the only main source of income.[572] Additionally, her publication rights over her first six albums were valued at $200 million in 2022.[573]Forbes named her the annual top-earning female musician four times (2016, 2019, 2021, and 2022).[574] She was the highest-paid celebrity of 2016 with $170 million—a feat recognized by the Guinness World Records as the highest annual earnings ever for a female musician,[575] which she herself surpassed with $185 million in 2019.[576] Overall, Swift was the highest paid female artist of the 2010s, earning $825 million.[577] She has also developed a real estate portfolio worth $150 million as of 2023, with houses in Nashville, New York City, Los Angeles, and Rhode Island.[578]
Philanthropy
Swift is well known for her philanthropic efforts.[579] She was ranked at number one on DoSomething's "Gone Good" list,[580] and has received the "Star of Compassion" accolade from the Tennessee Disaster Services,[581] The Big Help Award from the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for her "dedication to helping others" as well as "inspiring others through action".[582] In 2008, she donated $100,000 to the Red Cross to help the victims of the Iowa flood.[583] In 2009, she sang at BBC's Children in Need concert and raised £13,000 for the cause.[584] Swift has performed at charity relief events, including Sydney's Sound Relief concert.[585] In response to the May 2010 Tennessee floods, Swift donated $500,000 during a telethon hosted by WSMV.[586] In 2011, Swift used a dress rehearsal of her Speak Now tour as a benefit concert for victims of recent tornadoes in the U.S., raising more than $750,000.[587] In 2016, she donated $1 million to Louisiana flood relief efforts and $100,000 to the Dolly Parton Fire Fund.[588][589] Swift donated to food banks after Hurricane Harvey struck Houston in 2017 and at every stop of the Eras Tour in 2023;[590][591] she also directly employed local businesses throughout the tour and gave $55 million in bonus payments to her entire crew.[592][593] In 2020, Swift donated $1 million for Tennessee tornado relief.[594]
^"Paul McCartney & Taylor Swift". Rolling Stone. November 13, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2021. McCartney: So how does that go? Does your partner sympathize with that and understand? Swift: Oh, absolutely.