Taylor Swift, the international pop star born in 1989, started creating music two decades ago at age 14. Now, she represents the eleven albums she produced, in addition to her re-recordings. Over her 15-year career, Swift has continuously reinvented herself, reflecting the shifts in her personal life and broader changes in the music industry and popular culture. From her humble country beginnings to her current pop star era, she found herself through writing and performing her music.
As a teenager, Swift knew her passions and did not hide them. Songwriting and singing held major positions in her future goals and aspirations. At the age of 14, she signed with Big Machine Records to produce her debut album, “Taylor Swift.” Her album featured hits such as “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops on My Guitar” which showcased her talent through her lyricism and storytelling skills. By connecting with the listeners, she gained an audience that would follow her through the several stages of her evolution.
Two years later, in 2008, Taylor Swift released her sophomore album, “Fearless” at 18 years old. This album followed her shift into a mature artist and displayed how she could change her writing with grace. The album contained an increased number of songs compared to her last album, increasing the number of chart-topping hits. Notable songs include “Fearless,” “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me.” Her passion for music shined through in all of her songs, where listeners can hear the emotion in her voice; with that passion, her follower count grew.
One short year later, Swift released her junior album, “Speak Now” at 19 years old. This album allows the listeners to connect with Swift because she wrote the album entirely on her own. She released this album in retaliation to critics saying that she could not write music. Each song on this album gained popularity with specific hits such as “Back to December,” “Mean,” “Enchanted” and “Better Than Revenge.” “Speak Now” exhibits the true lyricism of Swift and her raw talent as a singer-songwriter.
Her senior album, “Red,” marked Swift’s slight transition from country to pop music. Released in 2012, the album contained sixteen songs and gained positive media attention. The hit songs stand as, “Red,” “22” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” While this album proved itself as a smashing success, Swift fans believe this album stands as her favorite album that she wrote. This album offered fans a view into Taylor Swift’s career and personal life through the emotional rollercoaster of her songs.
Her fifth album, “1989,” fully transformed her into a pop singer. The album contained no country music compared to her first four albums. The album, named after her birth year, showcased her rebirth as a singer and the transition into the pop genre. The album’s specific hit songs consist of “Blank Space,” “Shake It Off” and “Bad Blood.” “1989” solidified her place in pop music while also demonstrating her ability to evolve artistically while maintaining her core identity as a songwriter.
Swift entered a dark era with her album, “Reputation.” During this time, Swift faced public scrutiny and criticism for an incident at the 2009 VMA award show regarding Kanye West. She hid from the public’s view for a year and then reappeared with “Reputation” in 2017. This album revealed a darker, edgier side of her artistry, as she dove into songs that focused on betrayal and resilience. It featured hits such as “Look What You Made Me Do,” “Don’t Blame Me,” “Delicate” and “…Ready For It?” The album gained popularity and garnered fans’ attention.
“My favorite Taylor Swift era is definitely ‘Reputation’. I love ‘Reputation’ because it’s a no-skip album and it’s all perfection. I wish she would release a ‘Reputation [Taylor’s version]’, so the profits would go to her, but I don’t mind waiting however long it takes,” junior Olyvia Graham said.
Reputation marked her entrance back into the music industry and showed her character development through her mature writing. It showcased her deep-rooted transformation over her time away from the public’s eye.
“I would say ‘Reputation’ is my favorite era because she had just recently dropped that album when I started getting into her music when I was younger. I like Taylor Swift because she has the ability to create music that can cater to any mood or genre. No matter the day, I can always think of a song that matches the mood,” magnet junior Mia Diaz said.
“Lover,” Swift’s sixth studio album, featured upbeat music with the theme of acceptance. It showed a stark contrast to “Reputation,” by including happier-sounding songs. Swift re-emerged as the joyful woman she showed before. Throughout this era, she used her voice to help bring inclusivity to all humans. Her album’s hit songs consist of “Cruel Summer,” “The Man” and “You Need To Calm Down.” By using her voice to create change, Swift’s fan base grew.
In 2020, Covid-19 hit the world hard and caused a lockdown, forcing citizens to stay in their homes. However, Swift did not take this as a break and released two albums within the same year. Duo albums, “folklore” and “evermore” showcased her versatility as an artist by allowing her to delve into new genres such as folk. Both albums expressed the sorrow and pain that came with her job and relationships with her friends, boyfriends and family. Throughout the two albums, Swift tells the story of a love triangle which reflects her willingness to create music without conforming to the viewers’ initial expectations. “Folklore” features hit songs such as “cardigan,” “my tears ricochet” and “august” while “evermore”’s hit songs include “willow,” “champagne problems” and “tolerate it.” Overall, the albums allowed listeners to connect with Swift in a new way during the pandemic.
“Midnights,” her tenth album, helped Swift gain popularity when she started releasing the name of the tracks in a series called “Midnights Mayhem with Me.” She would post TikTok videos revealing the title of the tracks until the album came out October 21, 2022. Her hit songs on this album include “Anti-Hero,” “Bejeweled” and “Karma.” Shortly after she announced her world tour “The Eras Tour” which will not end until December 2024— meaning the artist will perform 149 shows across the globe within a span of two years. “Midnights” reignited her fanbase and inspired the highest-grossing tour of all time.
Swift surprised fans with the double release of her recent album, “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT.” Swift dropped a second version of the album with double the original number of tracks, totaling 31 songs. Fans became enthralled with Swift’s innate ability to write, as well as how she expressed her feelings about the unreliability of personal relationships. She recorded this album while on a world tour performing multiple shows every weekend.
Scooter Braun, an American entrepreneur, and Swift’s feud cost her the first six albums she created. He bought the record label, legally owning Swift’s music. She accused him of trying to destroy her life’s work by purchasing her resume. In retaliation, Swift re-recorded four of the six albums: “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” “Red (Taylor’s Version)” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version).” Fans expect the last two albums to release in late 2024. As Swift repurchases her stolen albums, she restores a piece of her legacy and continues to build her fan base.
As Swift grew up, her style in music evolved because of her personal growth. Throughout her life, Swift’s accomplishments established her flexibility as a musical artist. She continuously breaks barriers with each album while remaining true to her style. Her journey establishes the importance of self-expression as listeners watch her evolve as an artist and writer. As she continues to evolve, Swift inspires future generations of artists to remain true to themselves.
