Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Swift is a 10-time Grammy winner with a total of 41 nominations (Nov 2020). As of August 2020, Swift has sold over 100 million album units and 150 million singles worldwide.

Taylor Swift is that rarest of pop phenomena: a superstar who managed to completely cross over from country to the mainstream. Other singers performed similar moves -- notably, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson both became enduring mainstream icons based on their '70s work -- but Swift shed her country roots like they were a second skin; it was a necessary molting to reveal she was perhaps the sharpest, savviest populist singer/songwriter of her generation, one who could harness the Zeitgeist and turn it personal and, just as impressively, perform the reverse. These skills were evident on her earliest hits, especially the neo-tribute "Tim McGraw," but her second album, 2008's Fearless, showcased a songwriter discovering who she was and, in the process, finding a mass audience. Fearless wound up having considerable legs not only in the U.S., where it racked up six platinum singles on the strength of the Top Ten hits "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me," but throughout the world, performing particularly well in the U.K., Canada, and Australia. Speak Now, delivered almost two years later in the autumn of 2010, consolidated that success and Swift moved into the stratosphere of superstardom, with her popularity only increasing on 2012's Red and 2014's 1989, a pair of records that found her moving assuredly from country into a pop realm where she already belonged.

This sense of confidence had been apparent in Taylor Swift since the beginning. The daughter of two bankers -- her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, worked at Merrill Lynch; her mother Andrea spent time as a mutual fund marketing executive -- Swift was born in Reading, Pennsylvania and raised in suburban Wyomissing. She began to show interest in music at the age of nine, and Shania Twain wound up as her biggest formative influence. Swift started to work regularly at local talent contests, eventually winning a chance to open for Charlie Daniels. Soon, she learned how to play guitar and began writing songs, signing a music management deal with Dan Dymtrow; her family relocated to Nashville with the intent of furthering her music career. She was just 14 years old but on the radar of the music industry, signing a development deal with RCA Records in 2004. Swift sharpened her skills with a variety of professional songwriters, forming the strongest connections with Liz Rose. Taylor's original songs earned her a deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, but not long after that 2004 deal she parted ways with Dymtrow and RCA, all with the intent of launching her recording career now, not later.

Things started moving swiftly once Swift came to the attention of Scott Borchetta, a former DreamWorks Records exec about to launch Big Machine Records. Borchetta saw Swift perform at a songwriters showcase at the Bluebird Cafe and he signed her to Big Machine in 2005; shortly afterward, she started work on her debut with producer Nathan Chapman, who'd previously helmed demos for Taylor. Boasting original song credits on every one of the record's 11 songs (she penned three on her own), Taylor Swift appeared in October 2006 to strong reviews and Swift made sure to work the album hard, appearing at every radio or television event offered and marshaling a burgeoning fan base through use of MySpace. "Tim McGraw," the first song from the album, did well but "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "Our Song" did better on both the pop and country charts, where she racked up five consecutive Top Ten singles. Other successes followed in the wake of the debut -- a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (she lost to Amy Winehouse), stopgap EPs of Christmas songs -- but Swift concentrated on delivering her sophomore set, Fearless.

Taylor Swift (2006)
Taylor Swift is the self-titled debut studio album by Taylor Swift. It was released on October 24, 2006, through Big Machine Records.

The lyrics are about Swift's perspectives on life as a teenager, dealing with romantic relationships, friendships, and insecurity. Musically, Taylor Swift is a country album with elements of pop and pop rock, accompanied by acoustic instruments such as guitars, banjos, and fiddles. Five singles supported Taylor Swift, all of which reached the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100. Two singles, "Our Song" and "Should've Said No", reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Swift promoted the album by communicating with her audiences through Myspace, embarking on a six-month radio tour in 2006, and opening tours for other country artists throughout 2006 and 2007.

The album received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Swift's songwriting talent at a young age. It was nominated for Album of the Year at the 43rd Academy of Country Music Awards in 2008. In the United States, Taylor Swift topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for 24 weeks, and was the longest-charting album on the Billboard 200 of the 2000s decade. It made Swift the first solo female country artist to write or co-write every song on a platinum-certified debut album. The album was certified seven times platinum in the United States, and received gold or platinum certifications in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (or Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection) (2007)
The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection is a Christmas EP by Taylor Swift. The EP was first released on October 14, 2007 by Big Machine Records exclusively to Target stores in the United States and online. The release was originally a limited release for the 2007 holiday season, but was re-released to iTunes and Amazon.com on December 2, 2008. The EP features cover versions of Christmas songs and two original tracks written by Swift, “Christmases When You Were Mine” and “Christmas Must Be Something More”, all of which have a country pop sound.

Music critics received the album with favorable responses, where some would have preferred a full album. The EP was a commercial success in the United States, peaking at number twenty on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top Holiday Albums chart. Songs from The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection have been performed at several venues.

Beautiful Eyes (2008)
Beautiful Eyes is the second (EP) by Taylor Swift. The limited release EP has a primarily country pop sound and features alternate versions of tracks from Taylor Swift and two original tracks, “ Beautiful Eyes” and “ I Heart ?”, which Swift had composed as early as 2003.

While Swift working or her second album Fearless, she received a number of e-mails from fans requesting for new material to be released, which drove Swift into releasing Beautiful Eyes: "I thought this might tide them over till the new album comes out in the fall."

Fearless (2008)
Described by Swift as an expansion on the country sound of her debut album, Fearless is a country pop record with elements of crossover pop that critics found appealing to a broad audience. Its production incorporates acoustic instruments such as banjo, fiddle, and guitar. Inspired by Swift's feelings ensued from personal romantic relationships as a teenager, the lyrics explore facets of love, from infatuation to heartbreak. The title refers to what Swift described as the mutual theme of all songs, as they altogether depict her courage to embrace the complexities of love.

The album received generally positive reviews from critics, who commended Swift's storytelling craftsmanship through her songwriting. While some critics praised Swift's abilities in creating radio-friendly melodies, others dismissed the production as generic. The most awarded album in the history of country music, Fearless won Album of the Year at the Grammys, the Country Music Association Awards, and the Academy of Country Music Awards. The 2010 Grammy for Album of the Year made Swift (then 20 years old) the youngest artist to win the award at the time, a record that lasted until 2020.

Appearing in November 2008, Fearless was certified gold by the RIAA in its first week of release, and the record gained momentum throughout 2009, earning several platinum certifications as "Love Story," "White Horse," "You Belong with Me," "Fifteen," and "Fearless" all scaled the upper reaches of the country charts while "You Belong with Me" nearly topped Billboard's Top 100.

Speak Now (2010)
Her flirtation with the silver screen proved brief, as she then poured herself into her third album, Speak Now. Released in October 2010, Speak Now was another massive first-week smash that refused to lose momentum. Hit singles like "Mine" and "Mean," which won two Grammys, played a big factor in its success not just on the country charts but on pop radio as well.

Swift wrote the album entirely by herself, and co-produced all tracks with longtime collaborator Nathan Chapman. She described the album as a loose concept album about confessions, inspired by her personal life. The lyrics revolve around Swift's recurring romantic themes of love, heartbreak and forgiveness. It transcends the fairy tale-inspired theme of its predecessor, Fearless, to explore Swift's growing maturity in perspectives.

Contemporary critics received Speak Now with generally positive reviews, with praise centered on Swift's songwriting craftsmanship. At the 54th Grammy Awards, Speak Now was nominated for Best Country Album, and the single "Mean" won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. Rolling Stone featured Speak Now in their 2012 list of the "50 Best Female Albums of All Time".

Speak Now World Tour Live (2011)
Speak Now World Tour Live is the first live album by Taylor Swift. The album consists of songs and performances recorded from various tour dates around the world from Swift's Speak Now World Tour.

Red (2012)
Swift turned toward following a pop path on her fourth album, hiring such mainstream musicians as Dan Wilson, Butch Walker, and Britney Spears' producer Max Martin. This mainstream pulse was evident on "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," the first single from Red. Upon its October 2012 release, Red shattered expectations by selling over a million copies in its first week, a notable achievement that was doubly impressive in an era of declining sales. Once again, Swift's album had legs: it was certified platinum four times in the U.S. and its international sales outstripped those of Speak Now. She supported Red with an international tour in 2013 and more hits came, including "I Knew You Were Trouble." and "22".

Red was positively received for Swift's songwriting craftsmanship, but divided critics on its genre-spanning sound: praise directed at Swift's versatility, and criticism targeted the inconsistency. It received nominations for Album of the Year at the 2013 Country Music Association Awards, and Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards. Retrospectively, critics lauded Red for showcasing Swift's prowess and artistry, and described it as a transitional record that had her drifting from country into mainstream pop, which laid the groundwork to the electropop sound of her consequent albums.

1989 (2014)
As Swift geared up for the release of her fifth album in 2014, she made it clear that 1989 was designed as her first "documented, official" pop album and that there would be no country marketing push for the record. "Shake It Off," an ebullient dance-pop throwback, hit number one upon its August 2014 release. When 1989 appeared in late October 2014, it once again shot to number one and became her third straight album to sell one million copies in its first week (a new record for any artist).

Swift gathered many awards during the subsequent year, including Billboard's Woman of the Year, the Award for Excellence at the American Music Awards, and a special 50th Anniversary Milestone Award from the CMAs. Her 1989 World Tour crossed Asia, North America, and Europe during the last half of 2015, and she won three Grammy Awards at the 2016 ceremonies, including Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Music Video for "Bad Blood". At the end of 2016, she released "I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)," a duet with ZAYN from the soundtrack for Fifty Shades Darker. The single reached the Top Five across the world.

reputation (2017)
Swift returned with her sixth album, reputation, in November 2017, preceded by the August single "Look What You Made Me Do" and its September successor, "...Ready for It?"

Drawing from her highly-publicized life, Swift wrote reputation under two major themes: one influenced by the excessive media gossip, and the other about finding love amidst the tumultuous events. Some critics found the album an intimate record in which Swift expresses her innermost vulnerability to an ideal lover and discovers her true self. The album's sound is built around dark electropop and R&B;, with a heavy electronic production consisting of surging synthesizers, pulsing drum machines, and manipulated vocals. It also takes influences from EDM, and urban genres like hip hop and trap. Unlike her previous albums, Swift did not promote reputation through press interviews.

Swift described reputation as her "most cathartic album". She further described the album's aesthetic as "evening-night", "all cityscape, darkness, full swamp witch". In 2019, Swift revealed the reason why the album's title is in all lowercase, stating that Reputation "felt like it wasn't unapologetically commercial". Swift also highlighted out that she played an alter ego in reputation, explaining "it was just so fun to play with on tour — the darkness and the bombast and the bitterness and the love and the ups and the downs of an emotional-turmoil record".

Lover (2019)
In April 2019, Swift released "ME!", featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco as the lead single from her seventh studio album, Lover. The song debuted at number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100 three days after its release, and jumped to number two the following week—the biggest single-week jump in the chart's history. The music video for "ME! (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco)" broke a Vevo record by amassing 65.2 million views within its first day of release. However, the song received mixed reviews and Swift removed a "much-maligned" lyric of the song from the album. In June, she released the second single "You Need to Calm Down", which debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her 15th top 10 debut, the most among women. In July, she released a promotional single from the album, "The Archer". The title track "Lover" was released as the third single in August, which became the third consecutive Hot 100 top-10 single from the album. Lover was released on August 23 to positive reviews, and debuted atop the Billboard 200 with a first-week tally of 867,000 units including 679,000 copies sold, making Swift the first female artist in history to have six albums sell more than 500,000 copies in a single week. It also sold more copies than all the other 199 albums on the chart combined that week. All of the album's 18 songs entered the Billboard Hot 100, setting the record for the most simultaneous chart entries for a female artist.

In 2019, Taylor Swift became the first-ever recipient of Billboard's Woman of the Decade Award, and she was on hand to accept the prize at the 2019 Women in Music Event on Thursday night (Dec. 12) at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

folklore (2020)
In July 2020, Swift unveiled a surprise new album titled folklore, announced less than 24 hours before release. The album marked another major genre shift, opting out of pop synths to offer a more mellow, intimate, folk inspired approach to songwriting and featuring collaborations with Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National. The album was an instant critical success, becoming one of the most highly rated albums of the year on Metacritic and topping numerous year end lists, as well as going on to receive 5 GRAMMY nominations, including Album of the Year.

evermore (2020)
Just months later in December 2020, Swift released another surprise album and the sister album to folklore, titled evermore. The album followed a similar sonic palette to folklore, while also experimenting even further thanks to production from frequent Sufjan Stevens collaborator James McAlister and experimental producer PJ Burton. The album received similar critical success to its predecessor.

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (2021)
In August 2019, Swift announced her intention to re-record her first six studio albums following the sale of her master recordings to American businessman Scooter Braun. On February 11, 2021, the singer announced the re-recordings of Fearless , titled Fearless (Taylor's Version), and stated that "Love Story (Taylor’s Version)" would be released as a single on February 12.

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is scheduled to be released on April 9, 2021, through Republic Records. Recorded with the singer's newer vocals, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) consists of all of the 19 tracks from Fearless (Platinum Edition), her soundtrack single "Today Was a Fairytale", and six additional songs that were scrapped from the Fearless album.
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