Recording the incredible journey of Taylor Swift, one of the most influential artistes in contemporary music ever.
By Nichola Marie
Last year, in an attempt to better understand the astounding Taylor Swift phenomenon, the ‘Harvard Gazette’ asked some Harvard and Berklee College of Music faculty to assess her artistry, fan base, and her place in the industry, among other things. Here are some of the evaluations that came in…
“Very few people have her songwriting talent” – Stephanie Burt, poet and Donald P and Katherine B Loker Professor of English.
“Strong social and emotional bond that people feel with her” – Alexandra Gold, clinical fellow in psychology at MGH and Harvard Medical School. “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.
“Standing up for… rights and doing good business” – Ralph Jaccodine, assistant professor of music business/ management, Berklee College of Music.
The Swifties — dedicated Swift fans who are estimated to be some 100 million worldwide — must have rolled their eyes in boredom… They know all of that and then some.
This is, after all, Taylor Swift, “the multitalented singer-songwriter and global superstar who has captivated audiences with her heartfelt lyrics and catchy melodies, solidifying herself as one of the most influential artistes in contemporary music.” And she continues to swiftly make history… In 2024, when she won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for ‘Midnights’ (2022), she became the first artiste to win in that category four times. The same year, she broke the record for the highest-grossing concert tour when her global Eras Tour wrapped up in December, earning a humongous US$2 billion. Topped by her biographical songwriting, artistic reinventions and cultural impact, Swift is the leading figure in popular music today and the focus of widespread media coverage.
Early Brilliance
Born 13 December 1989, West Reading, Pennsylvania, US, to former marketing manager Andrea and stock brokerturned-Merrill Lynch VP Scott Swift, she grew up on a 15acre Christmas tree farm.
Her interest in music became apparent at a young age. As her father recalls, “She was always singing music when she was 3, 5, 6, 7 years old. It’s Taylor doing what she likes to do.”
Quickly progressing from roles in children’s theatre to singing before thousands, she was just 11 when she rendered ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game. At age 12, she picked up the guitar and began writing songs. Her experiences of tween alienation were reflected in the songs she created, inspired by country music artistes like Shania Twain and the erstwhile Dixie Chicks. She was 13 when her parents, in order to approach country labels in Nashville, sold their farm and moved the family to Hendersonville, Pennsylvania. Taylor was just 14 when she signed with Sony/ ATV as a songwriter. While performing the songs she had crafted at venues in Nashville, she caught the attention of record executive Scott Borchetta, who would sign her for his Big Machine label. Her first single ‘Tim McGraw’ was released in 2006 to instant success, and there was no looking back. It spent eight months on the Billboard country singles chart.
At 16, she released a self-titled debut album which went on to sell more than one million copies in the US and was certified platinum. The year saw her emerging as country music’s most-visible young star. With her second album ‘Fearless’ (2008), she “demonstrated a refined pop sensibility,” as ‘Encyclopaedia Britannica’ puts it, “managing to court the mainstream pop audience without losing sight of her country roots.” Selling more than half a million copies in its first week itself, the album opened at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It would stay longer on the chart than any other album released that year, also becoming popular in the digital market where it marked more than four million paid downloads.
After having opened for several artistes in her early years, in 2009 Swift headlined her first tour. Her shows across North America were sold out. Recognition came with ‘Fearless’ winning recognition as Album of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in April, followed by her topping the Best Female Video category for ‘You Belong With Me’ at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in September.
At the CMA Awards that year, she won all four categories in which she was nominated. Her recognition as CMA Entertainer of the Year made her the youngest-ever winner of that award, as well as the first female solo artiste to win since 1999. She began 2010 with an impressive showing at the Grammy Awards, where she collected four honours, including Best Country Song, Best Country Album, and the top prize of Album of the Year.
Avoiding discussing her personal life in interviews, she displayed surprising frankness in her music. Her third album, ‘Speak Now’ (2010), reportedly peppered with allusions to her romantic relationships, saw her reclaim the CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 2011, while the following year saw her win the Grammys for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for the single ‘Mean’.
Ruling Country & Pop
Even as her album ‘Red’ (2012) saw her remain focused on the inconsistency of young love, her songwriting displayed a deepened perspective, embracing a bold pop-rock sound. In its first week on sale in the United States, ‘Red’ sold 1.2 million copies — the highest oneweek total in 10 years. Its lead single, ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’, gave Swift her first number-one hit on the Billboard pop singles chart.
In 2014, she released the album ‘1989’, which she called her first official pop album. It sold more than five million copies in the United States and also earned Swift her second Grammy for Album of the Year.
In 2019, she released her seventh album, ‘Lover’, which she described as “a love letter to love itself.” The following year, she released ‘Folklore’, which earned praise for its introspective and restrained tone. A departure from her previous pop-inspired work, it won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Her 2022 album ‘Midnights’, which saw her adopting a synth-pop sound, earned six Grammy nominations, winning for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.
In December 2023, she was honoured as Time magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’, beating finalists that included Barbie, Vladimir Putin and Sam Altman. The same year, she was also declared to be music streaming platform Spotify’s mostplayed artiste.
This year, she released her album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’. At the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), she went on to collect seven awards, bringing her total count to 30. She also tied with Beyoncé for solo artiste with the most VMAs won during their career. Incidentally, she also left the awards with the most VMAs for best director (for ‘Fortnight’).
On December 8, Swift closed the year with her final date of the 21-month Eras Tour. The highest-grossing tour in history, it earned double the gross ticket sales for any other concert tour; namely, an astounding US$2 billion.
Wealth
While her studio albums have earned her “tens of millions of dollars” worldwide, in October 2024, Taylor Swift became the world’s richest female musician, following the success of her Eras tour. ‘Forbes’ estimates she is now worth US$1.6 billion. She also has a history of working with brands, namely Keds, Diet Coke, Capital One, and Apple. Swift also has a considerable real estate portfolio, that includes her apartment in NYC as well as the homes next door to it reportedly costing US$50 million, a Nashville home worth US$2 million, and a vacation home on Rhode Island worth several million. ‘Business Insider’ estimates that, in total, her property is worth $81 million, while ‘Bloomberg’ says it’s closer to $110 million.
Squad & Sweethearts
Swift is known for her many famous friendships who have been referred to as members of her ‘squad’. Some of the original members of her friend circle include Selena Gomez, Martha Hunt, Abigail Anderson Lucier and Gigi Hadid, while she has more recently befriended actresses Blake Lively, Hailee Steinfeld, Emma Stone and Lena Dunham. Hadid has called the squad a source of female empowerment, and dubbed Swift a “blessing and an inspiration to me and so many”.
On the dating front, Swift is reportedly in a relationship with American professional footballer Travis Kelce. Kelce had confirmed their budding romance in September 2023, when the singer showed up to cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs tight end at a home game at Missouri’s Arrowhead Stadium. The move came months after Kelce first publicly expressed interest in Swift, after attending one of her concerts. In fact, the Swifties are convinced that Kelce has popped the question and Swift is engaged. Did he borrow her ‘Love Story’ lyrics to say, “It’s a love story, baby, just say yes.” And did she respond with “I’d marry you with paper rings.” (‘Paper Rings’)? The Swifties are delirious!
