Taylor

Taylor Swift was a rarity in pop culture: she was the only celebrity to have transitioned from the traditional to the mainstream, and to become a global pop culture icon. Swift removed her roots in the country as if they were just a second skin to reveal that she was arguably the smartest populist singer/songwriter of her generation someone who was able to harness the current zeitgeist and make it personal and just as impressively perform the reverse. The skills she displayed were apparent in some of the first songs she released, most notably the neodue Tim McGraw. But on the second album Fearless released in 2008 Swift discovered the person she was and reach audiences across the globe. The album ended up with a lot of legs not only within the U.S. where it racked up six platinum singles due to the Top Ten hits Love Story and Belong with Me Belong with Me but throughout the world, with a particular success within Australia, U.K. Canada and Australia. Speak Now delivered almost two years later consolidated that achievement and propelled Swift towards the top of fame. With her subsequent three albums, Red (2012) 1989 (2004) and Reputation (2017), the popularity of Swift grew, and she became part of the world of pop music in which it became clear she deserved to be. Although she slowed down her production with folklore, and Evermore albums in the year 2020, she was still at the forefront of pop music.