Taylor Alison Swift born December 13, 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 explored country pop on her second and third studio albums, Fearless and Speak Now 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 Her fifth, the synth-pop album , effectively transformed her status from country songstress to pop star, supported by the Billboard Hot 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 , which delved into urban sounds.
After consistent commercial success in the s, she ventured into indie folk and alternative rock on her eighth and ninth studio albums, Folklore and Evermore Her lyricism on the two albums, inspired by escapism during the COVID 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 , Fearless Taylor's Version and Red Taylor's Version , earning acclaim for their enhanced musicality and stronger vocals. Besides music, Swift has starred in various supporting acting roles in films such as Valentine's Day and Cats Having sold over 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, and Time Person of the Year.
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. She grew up on a Christmas-tree farm, called Pine Ridge Farm. When Swift was in fourth grade, she won a national poetry contest with a three-page poem, " A Monster in My Closet! Afterward, Swift wrote her first song, " Lucky You ". Swift was a victim of bullying, and spent her time writing songs to express her emotions.
