Unless you’ve been living under a rock, Taylor Swift’s name has been everywhere over the last 10 years. But do you know why she’s famous?
Taylor Swift is a famous singer-songwriter. She’s most known for her hits ‘Love Story’, ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’, and ‘Shake It Off’. With 7 award-winning albums and the highest-grossing tour in U.S history under her belt, Taylor is estimated to be worth a whopping $360 million.
But how did the curly-haired, country singing teenager we first met in 2006 transform into the international pop sensation we know and love today? Stay tuned, because in this article we’ll be delving deep into Taylors discography to analyse how the songstress became so popular.
Taylor Swift (2006)
Born on 13thDecember 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania, Taylor always had a penchant for music. At the age of around 8, she was given her first guitar for Christmas, and by the age of 12, she was fully infatuated.
Noting her dedication to country music, the Swift family moved to Nashville to help Taylor pursue her dream. The move culminated in Taylor signing a record deal with Big Machine Records at the age of 16.
Swift released her first single ‘Tim McGraw’ the following summer. The song peaked at number 40 on Billboard’s Top 100, and number 6 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs.
Tim McGrawwas followed by the release of Taylor’s self-titled debut album in October 2006. It is primarily a country album, with some pop and rock undertones. The album was received positively and went on to be certified 7x platinum by the RIAA.
Fearless (2008)
Taylors big break came with the release of her second album,Fearless, in 2008. It was preceded by the lead single ‘Love Story’, which became a number 1 hit across the globe.
Love Story is about a teenage relationship that Taylor’s parents didn’t approve of. The song won 8 industry awards, including BMI Country Awards for Song of the Year.
In light of Love Story’s international success, Fearless was highly anticipated. It debuted at number 1 in the U.S, and eventually became the best-selling album of 2009.
The third single from the album ‘You Belong with Me’ eventually won the MTV VMA for Best Female Video. This resulted in an infamous incident with Kanye West, in which he interrupted Taylor’s speech to declare that Beyonce deserved the award more.
Speak Now (2010)
Released on 25thOctober 2010, Taylor’s third album Speak Now was another huge success. With well-known singles such as ‘Back to December’ and ‘Sparks Fly’, Taylor had developed a reputation for writing lyrics around past or present love interests. At the 54thGrammys, the album’s third single ‘Mine’ won awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.
Red (2012)
Red saw Taylor shift towards a more mainstream pop sound with singles such as ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’, ‘22’, and ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’. It went on to become Taylors most successful album to date and is certified 7x platinum by the RIAA. Red was nominated for two Grammys at the56thGrammy Awards and won the Billboard Music Award for Top Billboard 200 Album.
1989 (2014)
In line with the title, Taylors fifth album 1989took an 80s synth-pop approach, with lead singles such as ‘Shake It Off’, ‘Blank Space’,and ‘Bad Blood’. It won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 58thGrammy Awards and was the second best-selling album of 2014 as a whole.
Reputation (2017)
Inspired by Taylors public disputes, Reputationmaintained the synth-pop tones of 1989 but put a much darker twist on them. Lead singles such as ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ and ‘End Game’ resulted in the album becoming the best selling album of 2017.
The album was followed by the Reputation Stadium Tour, which went on to become the highest-grossing tour in U.S history.
Lover (2019)
Taking a sharp turn from the dark themes of Reputation, Lover is Swift’s most recent album. Released in August 2019, it was preceded by singles ‘Me!’ and ‘You Need to Calm Down’. Upon its release, the album broke records as all 18 tracks charted simultaneously on Billboard’s Hot 100.