Swift, Taylor Alison, 1989- , American singer-songwriter, b. West Reading, Pa. A precocious songwriter, Swift moved to Nashville at age 15 hoping to land a recording deal. Two years later, her first album was released, establishing her on the country charts with the single “Tim McGraw” (2006; her first top-ten country hit). Her second album release, Fearless (2008), began her transition into mainstream pop. This transformation was completed in the 2010s with a series of top-selling albums and hit singles, including “You Belong with Me” (2009; the first country single to top Billboard’s all genre radio chart), “I Knew You Were Trouble” (2012; supposedly written about singer/songwriter/actor Harry Styles), and the dance-pop song “Shake It Off” (2014). During the pandemic year of 2020, she recorded two more contemplative albums that incorporated elements of folk and alt-rock. Swift has sold over 200 million records worldwide, making her among the most successful of all female recording acts, and has won 11 Grammy Awards, including three for best album, a first for a female artist. Swift has also become an advocate for artist’s rights following a falling out with her original label, which sold her back-catalog masters. In an attempt to reclaim her music, she began rerecording her original albums in autumn 2020, beginning with a new version of Fearless that was released in 2021. Swift has cultivated an extremely loyal fan base and has fed the tabloid press through her songs that document several past relationships with other well-known pop stars.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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