Taylor Swift

**Taylor Alison Swift** (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, director, philanthropist, businesswoman, and cultural icon. Her discography spans multiple genres and her narrative songwriting, which is often inspired by her personal life, has received widespread media coverage and critical praise.

Born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, Swift relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. She signed a songwriting deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 2004 and a recording deal with Big Machine Records in 2005 and released her eponymous debut studio album in 2006. She explored country pop on her second and third studio albums, *Fearless* (2008) and *Speak Now* (2010). The success of the former's singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me" on both country and pop radio established Swift as a leading crossover artist. She experimented further with pop, rock, and electronic genres on her fourth studio album, *Red* (2012). Her fifth, the synth-pop album *1989* (2014), effectively transformed her status from country songstress to pop star, supported by the *Billboard* Hot 100 number-one singles "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", and "Bad Blood". The media scrutiny on her personal life that followed largely inspired Swift's sixth studio album, *Reputation* (2017), which delved into urban sounds.

Parting ways with Big Machine Records to sign with Republic Records in 2018, Swift released her seventh studio album, *Lover*, in 2019. After consistent commercial success in the 2010s, she ventured into indie folk and alternative rock on her eighth and ninth studio albums, *Folklore* and *Evermore* (2020). Her lyricism on the two albums, inspired by escapism during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, was commended for its nuanced storytelling. To gain ownership over the masters of her back catalog, Swift released two re-recorded albums in 2021, *Fearless (Taylor's Version)* and *Red (Taylor's Version)*, earning acclaim for their enhanced musicality and stronger vocals. In 2022, she released her tenth studio album, *Midnights* In 2023, she released *Speak Now (Taylor's Version)* and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Besides music, Swift has starred in various supporting acting roles in films such as *Valentine's Day* (2010) and *Cats* (2019). She has released the autobiographical documentary *Miss Americana* (2020), and the self-directed musical films *Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions* (2020) and *All Too Well (The Short Film)* (2021), amongst other specials.

Having sold over 200 million records globally, Swift is one of the best-selling musicians in history, the most streamed woman on Spotify and the only act to have five albums open with over one million copies sold in the US. She has also received critical acclaim, featuring in listicles such as *Rolling Stone*'s 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time, *Billboard*'s Greatest of All Time Artists, the *Tie* 100 and *Forbes* Celebrity 100. . Among her accolades are 12 Grammy Awards, including three Album of the Year wins; a Primetime Emmy Award; 40 American Music Awards; 29 *Billboard* Music Awards; three IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year awards; and 92 *Guinness World Records*. Honored with titles such as Artist of the Decade and Woman of the Decade, Swift is an advocate for artists' rights and women's empowerment, and has inspired numerous music artists.