TAYLOR SWIFT , AMERICAN SINGER,SONG WRITER BORN 1989 DECEMBER 13

TAYLOR SWIFT ,

AMERICAN  SINGER,SONG WRITER

BORN 1989 DECEMBER 13

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. One of the leading contemporary recording artists, she is known for narrative songs about her personal life, which have received widespread media coverage.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. She signed with the label Big Machine Records and became the youngest artist ever signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. Her self-titled debut album in 2006 peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and spent the most weeks on the chart in the 2000s. The album's third single, "Our Song", made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the Hot Country Songs chart. Swift's second album, Fearless, was released in 2008. Buoyed by the success of pop crossover singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", Fearless became the best-selling album of 2009 in the United States. The album won four Grammy Awards, with Swift becoming the youngest Album of the Year winner.

Swift was the sole writer of her 2010 album, Speak Now. It debuted at number one in the United States and the single "Mean" won two Grammy Awards. Her fourth album, Red (2012), yielded the successful singles "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble". With her fifth album, the pop-focused 1989 (2014), she became the first act to have three albums sell a million copies within one week in the United States. Its singles "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", and "Bad Blood" reached number one in the US, Australia, and Canada. The album received three Grammy Awards, and Swift became the first woman and fifth act overall to win Album of the Year twice. The 2015 concert tour for 1989 became one of the highest-grossing of the decade. Swift's sixth album, Reputation (2017) and its lead single "Look What You Made Me Do" topped the UK and US charts.

As a songwriter, Swift has received awards from the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was included in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time in 2015. She is also the recipient of 10 Grammy Awards, five Guinness World Records, one Emmy Award, 21 Billboard Music Awards, 12 Country Music Association Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards, and one Brit Award. Swift is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums—including 27.8 million in the US—and 130 million single downloads. She has appeared in Time's 100 most influential people in the world (2010 and 2015), Forbes' top-earning women in music (2011–2015), Forbes' 100 most powerful women (2015), and Forbes Celebrity 100 (2016). She was the youngest woman to be included in the third of these, ranked first in Celebrity 100 and was named Time Person of the Year in 2017 as part of the "Silence Breakers".

Musical style[edit source]

Swift's "Les Paul" guitar and cordless microphone on exhibit in the Artist Gallery of the Musical Instrument Museum of Phoenix in Arizona

Swift's music contains elements of pop, pop rock and country.[216] She described herself as a country artist until the 2014 release of 1989, which she described as a "sonically cohesive pop album".[217] Rolling Stone wrote: "[Swift] might get played on the country station, but she's one of the few genuine rock stars we've got these days."[218] According to The New York Times, "There isn't much in Ms. Swift's music to indicate country—a few banjo strums, a pair of cowboy boots worn onstage, a bedazzled guitar—but there's something in her winsome, vulnerable delivery that's unique to Nashville".[219] The Guardian wrote that Swift "cranks melodies out with the pitiless efficiency of a Scandinavian pop factory".[220]

Swift's vocals were described by Sophie Schillaci of The Hollywood Reporter as "sweet, but soft".[221] The Los Angeles Times identified Swift's "defining" vocal gesture in studio recordings as "the line that slides down like a contented sigh or up like a raised eyebrow, giving her beloved girl-time hits their air of easy intimacy".[222] Rolling Stone, in a Speak Now review, wrote: "Swift's voice is unaffected enough to mask how masterful she has become as a singer; she lowers her voice for the payoff lines in the classic mode of a shy girl trying to talk tough."[223] In another review of Speak Now, The Village Voice wrote that her phrasing was previously "bland and muddled, but that's changed. She can still sound strained and thin, and often strays into a pitch that drives some people crazy; but she's learned how to make words sound like what they mean."[224] The Hollywood Reporter wrote that her live vocals are "fine", but they do not match those of her peers.[221] In 2009, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly described Swift's vocals as "flat, thin, and sometimes as wobbly as a newborn colt".[225] However, Swift has received praise for refusing to correct her pitch with Auto-Tune.[226]

In an interview with The New Yorker, Swift characterized herself primarily as a songwriter: "I write songs, and my voice is just a way to get those lyrics across."[22] A writer for The Tennessean conceded in 2010 that Swift is "not the best technical singer", but described her as the "best communicator that we've got".[227] Swift's vocal presence is something that concerns her and she has "put a lot of work" into improving it.[228] It was reported in 2010 that she continues to take vocal lessons.[229] She has said that she only feels nervous performing "if I'm not sure what the audience thinks of me, like at award shows".[230]

Songwriting[edit source]

Swift uses her life experiences as an inspiration in her work.[231] In her songs, Swift often addresses the "anonymous crushes of her high school years" and celebrities.[232] Swift frequently criticizes ex-boyfriends,[233] an aspect of her songwriting downplayed by The Village Voice: "Being told What Songs Mean is like having a really pushy professor. And it imperils a true appreciation of Swift's talent, which is not confessional, but dramatic."[234] However, New York believes the media scrutiny over her decision to "mine her personal life for music … is sexist, inasmuch as it's not asked of her male peers".[235] The singer herself has said that not all her songs are factual and that they are sometimes based on observations.[236] Aside from her liner note clues, Swift tries not to talk about song subjects specifically "because these are real people. You try to give insight as to where you were coming from as a writer without completely throwing somebody under the bus".[237]

A photograph of Taylor Swift performing at Heinz Field

Swift during her Speak Now World Tour in Pittsburgh, 2011.

For a female to write about her feelings, and then be portrayed as some clingy, insane, desperate girlfriend in need of making you marry her and have kids with her, I think that's taking something that potentially should be celebrated—a woman writing about her feelings in a confessional way—that's taking it and turning it and twisting it into something that is frankly a little sexist.

— Swift in response to criticism of her songwriting[238]

The Guardian has praised Swift for writing about teenage years "with a kind of wistful, sepia-toned nostalgia" over the course of her first two albums.[220] New York has remarked that many singer-songwriters have made great records as teens, but "none made great records so explicitly about their teens". The magazine has also compared her work to Brian Wilson.[239] In Fearless, Swift featured fairy tale imagery and explored the disconnect "between fairy tales and the reality of love".[240] Her later albums address more adult relationships.[200] In addition to romance and love, Swift's songs have discussed parent-child relationships, friendships,[241][242] alienation, fame, and career ambitions.[189] Swift frequently includes "a tossed-off phrase to suggest large and serious things that won't fit in the song, things that enhance or subvert the surface narrative".[243]

Rolling Stone describes Swift as "a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift for verse-chorus-bridge architecture".[244] According to The Village Voice, she uses third-verse point of view reversals frequently.[243] In terms of imagery, repetition is evident in Swift's songwriting. In The Guardian's words, "she spends so much time kissin' in the rain that it seems a miracle she hasn't developed trenchfoot".[220] Slant Magazine adds, "to Swift's credit, she explores new lyrical motifs over the course of [her fourth] album".[245] Although reviews of Swift's work are "almost uniformly positive", The New Yorker has said she is generally portrayed "more as a skilled technician than as a Dylanesque visionary".[22]

Public image[edit source]

Swift's personal life is the subject of constant media attention.[246] In 2013, Abercrombie & Fitch marketed a slogan T-shirt with a "slut-shaming" remark directed toward her.[247] The New York Times asserted that her "dating history has begun to stir what feels like the beginning of a backlash" and questioned whether Swift was in the midst of a "quarter-life crisis".[248] Swift has said that she is unwilling to discuss her personal life in public,[246] as she believes that talking about it can be "a career weakness".[249]

Taylor Swift stands in a Time press area, wearing a black, strapless dress and curled hair

Swift at the 2010 Time 100 Gala, where she was honored

Rolling Stone remarks upon her polite manner: "If this is Swift's game face, it must be tattooed on because it never drops."[250] The magazine also takes note of her "ease with glad-handing",[33] and The Hollywood Reporter credits her as "the Best People Person since Bill Clinton".[251] While presenting Swift an award for her humanitarian endeavors in 2012, Michelle Obama described her as a singer who "has rocketed to the top of the music industry but still keeps her feet on the ground, someone who has shattered every expectation of what a 22-year-old can accomplish".[252] Swift considers Michelle Obama to be a role model.[253] Swift is one of the most followed people on social media, and is known for her friendly interactions with her fans.[254][255] She has delivered holiday gifts to fans by mail and in person, dubbed "Swiftmas".[256] She considers it her "responsibility" to be conscious of her influence on young fans,[257] and has said that her fans are "the longest and best relationship I have ever had".[258]

Often described by the media as "America's Sweetheart",[259] Swift insists that "I don't live by all these rigid, weird rules that make me feel all fenced in. I just like the way that I feel like, and that makes me feel very free". She refuses to take part in overly sexualized photo-shoots,[260] although Bloomberg L.P. views her as a sex symbol.[261] Swift was named an Icon of American Style by Vogue in 2011.[262] In 2014 she topped People's annual best dressed list.[263] In 2015, she was named Woman of the Year at the Elle Style Awards,[264] and ranked first in Maxim's Hot 100 list.[265]

Swift has also appeared in various power listings. Due to her success and earnings, she was included in Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in 2010 and 2015.[266] From 2011–15, she appeared in the top three of Forbes' Top-Earning Women in Music with earnings of $45 million, $57 million, $55 million, $64 million and $80 million respectively.[267] In 2015, she became the youngest woman ever to be included on Forbes' 100 most powerful women list, ranked at number 64.[268] In 2016, Swift topped Forbes' annual list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities with $170 million—a feat that entered the Guinness World Records[269]—and also ranked among the top ten in 2011, 2013 and 2015.[270] She was one of the finalists for Time Person of the Year in 2014, and was named so in 2017 as part of the "Silence Breakers" who spoke up about sexual assault.[271][272] In June 2017, Forbes estimated Swift's net worth to be $280 million.[273]

Other ventures[edit source]

Philanthropy[edit source]

Swift's philanthropic efforts have been recognized by the Do Something Awards and the Tennessee Disaster Services.[274][275] She has also received The Big Help Award for her "dedication to helping others" and "inspiring others through action",[276] and the Ripple of Hope Award because of her "dedication to advocacy at such a young age […] Taylor is just the kind of woman we want our daughters to be".[277] In 2008, she donated $100,000 to the Red Cross to help the victims of the Iowa flood of 2008.[278] The singer has performed in charity reliefs like Sydney's Sound Relief concert.[279] She also recorded a song for the Hope for Haiti Now album.[280] In response to the May 2010 Tennessee floods, Swift donated $500,000 during a telethon hosted by WSMV.[281] In 2011, Swift used a dress rehearsal of her Speak Now tour as a benefit concert for victims of recent tornadoes in the United States, raising more than $750,000.[282] In 2012, Swift supported Architecture for Humanity's Restore the Shore MTV telethon in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.[283] In 2016, she made donations to the Louisiana flood relief and Dolly Parton Fire Fund.[284][285]

Swift is a supporter of the arts and donated $75,000 to Nashville's Hendersonville High School in 2010 to help refurbish the school auditorium.[286] In 2012, she pledged $4 million to fund the building of a new education center at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.[287] Also in 2012, Swift partnered with textbook rental company Chegg to donate $60,000 to the music departments of six US colleges.[288] Swift also promotes children's literacy. In 2009, she donated $250,000 to various schools around the country for improvement of education.[289] Her other endeavors to promote literacy include donating 6,000 Scholastic books to Reading Public Library, Pennsylvania;[290] 14,000 books to Nashville Public Library, Tennessee;[291] 2,000 Scholastic books to the Reading Hospital Child Health Center's early literacy program;[292] and 25,000 books to New York City schools in 2015.[293]

In 2007, she launched a campaign to protect children from online predators, in partnership with the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police.[294] In 2009, Swift recorded a Sound Matters public service announcement (PSA) to make listeners aware of the importance of listening "responsibly" to prevent hearing impairment.[295] Swift has donated items for auction to several charities, including: the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the UNICEF Tap Project, MusiCares, and Feeding America.[296] As a recipient of the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year in 2011, Swift donated $25,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Tennessee.[297] In 2012, Swift participated in the Stand Up to Cancer telethon, performing "Ronan", a song she wrote in memory of a four-year-old boy who died of neuroblastoma. The song was made available for digital download with all proceeds donated to cancer-related charities.[298] In 2014, she donated $100,000 to the V Foundation for Cancer Research,[299] and $50,000 to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.[300] The singer made private visits to hospitals to meet with sick patients and to support them.[301] Swift has encouraged young people to volunteer in their local communities as part of Global Youth Service Day.[302]

Politics[edit source]

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Swift promoted the Every Woman Counts campaign, aimed at engaging women in the political process, and was one of many country stars to record a PSA for the Vote (For Your) Country campaign.[303] She stated: "I don't think it's my job to try and influence people which way they should vote."[12] Following Barack Obama's inauguration, she told Rolling Stone that she supported the president: "I've never seen this country so happy about a political decision in my entire time of being alive. I'm so glad this was my first election."[304]

In a 2012 interview, Swift remarked that in spite of keeping herself "as educated and informed as possible", she does not discuss politics, fearing that it might influence other people.[305] Writing about media pressure on Swift to publicly take political stances, Politico called Swift "studiously apolitical".[306] Swift has spent time with the Kennedy family[307] and has spoken of her admiration for Ethel Kennedy.[204] Swift is also a feminist.[308] She has spoken out against LGBT discrimination. Following the 2008 murder of Larry King, she recorded a GLSEN PSA to combat hate crimes.[309] On the first anniversary of King's death, Swift told Seventeen that her parents taught her "never to judge others based on whom they love, what color their skin is, or their religion".[310] The music video for Swift's anti-bullying song "Mean" deals in part with homophobia in high schools; the video was nominated for an MTV VMA social activism award in 2011.[311][312] The New York Times believes she is part of "a new wave of young (and mostly straight) women who are providing the soundtrack for a generation of gay fans coming to terms with their identity in a time of turbulent and confusing cultural messages".[311]

Product endorsements[edit source]

While promoting her debut album, Swift appeared as the face of Verizon Wireless' Mobile Music campaign.[313] In the Fearless era, she launched a l.e.i. sundress range at Wal-Mart,[314] and designed American Greetings cards and Jakks Pacific dolls.[315][316] She became a spokesperson for the National Hockey League's (NHL) Nashville Predators and Sony Cyber-shot digital cameras.[317][318] In the Speak Now era, she released a special edition of her album through Target.[319] Swift became a CoverGirl spokesmodel,[320] launched two Elizabeth Arden fragrances—Wonderstruck and Wonderstruck Enchanted.[321]

While promoting her fourth album, Red, Swift offered exclusive album promotions through Target,[322] Papa John's Pizza,[323] and Walgreens.[324] She became a spokesmodel for Diet Coke and Keds sneakers,[325] released her third Elizabeth Arden fragrance named Taylor by Taylor Swift,[326] and continued her partnerships with Sony Electronics and American Greetings.[327][328] Swift also partnered with the companies AirAsia[329] and Qantas[330] during the Red Tour. These acted as the official airlines for the Australian and Asian legs, and Cornetto sponsored the Asian leg of the tour.[331] While promoting 1989, Swift had tie-ins with Subway, Keds, Target and Diet Coke.[332] In 2014, Swift released her fourth fragrance, Incredible Things.[333]

Awards and achievements[edit source]

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Taylor Swift

Swift has received many awards and honors, including 10 Grammy Awards,[334] 19 American Music Awards,[335] 21 Billboard Music Awards (the most wins by an act),[336] 12 Country Music Association Awards, 8 Academy of Country Music Awards,[337] one Brit Award,[150] and one Emmy Award.[338] As a songwriter, she has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association[48][339] and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has been listed in Rolling Stone's 2015 list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.[340][341]

By the beginning of 2016, Swift had sold more than 40 million albums, 130 million single downloads and was one of the top five music artists with the highest worldwide digital sales.[140] Swift's studio albums Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, and 1989 have all sold over 4 million copies in the US.[342]