Written by: Delaney Cortes, Staff Writer
STARDOM: The pop culture star has taken over the world with her music and talent, drawing the attention of billions.
Taylor Swift, the world-wide phenomenon known and loved by so many. With her 11th album coming out in April, Swift has set records and won awards for her amazing talent that is beyond imagination, And that is just the beginning of it all.
Starting her career at age 16, Taylor Swift debuted her first album Taylor Swift, a country music assortment, in 2006. With the release of Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), and Reputation (2017), her music slowly shifted from country to pop. Later, Swift continued to release more albums, such as Lover (2019), Folklore (2020), Evermore (2020), and Midnights (2022) On February 4, at the 66th Grammy Awards, she announced that The Tortured Poets Department is set to be released on April 19th.
But in between her new album releases, Swift experienced controversies over her original six. The first recording studio she signed with, Big Machine Records, sold her music to a different company, Ithaca Holdings, that benefits from the streams of that music. Starting in 2021, she released the re-recordings of those six albums adding to the title “Taylor’s Version,” to specifically indicate those songs belong to her.
Through the thick and thin of her career, Swift always came out on top, and she has created something mind blowing for the world. Following the release of Midnights, she announced the Eras Tour, a concert over three hours long with over 40 songs. The tour dates started March 17, 2023 and is set to conclude in December of 2024. Not only did she sell out on all the shows, Swift also filmed the tour and released it as a movie on Disney+. Following that, Disney revealed The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) that was to be out and streaming March 14th. This updated release included additional songs and moments from the concert. Since the announcement from the concert, there has been an uproar and increase in popularity for Taylor Swift world wide.
Taylor Swift’s notoriety have resulted in scrutiny from the public on her relationships and more private matters. Throughout her personal life relationships, Swift has received criticism and opinions from the world. Following her split with long-term boyfriend Joe Alwyn, Swift started dating the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end, Travis Kelce. The world’s reaction to the switch was equally balanced in love and hate towards the decision. Her appearances at the NFL games and panned camera moments on television have drawn the attention of Swifties to become fans of the sport and the team her boyfriend plays for. With the change in partners, and following the announcement of The Tortured Poets Department, many Swift fans have their theories that this album has specific connections to Alwyn.
Along with the many other accomplishments of Taylor Swift, in 2023, she was awarded the title of Time Person of the Year, as well as Most Streamed Female Artist on Apple Music and Spotify. Swift has been presented 14 Grammys and has the record for the most Grammys for an Album of the Year. In addition, she has also won 40 American and Billboard Music Awards, 23 MTV Video Music Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award.