From small-town country star to worldwide popstar, Taylor Swift has expanded her fame to ten albums, six tours, multiple films, and now, Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023. Breaking multiple records, she has won endless awards and had albums hit number one, more than any other female musician. Taylor Swift has never hit a dull moment in her career, she is always trending on social media, releasing albums every year, and reaching out to support other artists.
As of September 2023, the latest buzz has been Swift’s relationship with NFL star and Kansas City Chiefs player, Travis Kelce. After attending The Eras Tour, the football player reached out to Taylor, inviting her to come to his game against the Philadelphia Eagles. After the game, pictures of the singer cheering Kelce on went viral. NFL Ticket sales jumped as Taylor Swift fans leaped at the opportunity to possibly spot the star.
Seventh grader, Ela D. shared her excitement for the new couple.
“Since she’s dating Travis Kelce, I think she should make some songs about him, that would be really interesting. I think Travis Kelce is really good for her and I really like them together,” said Ela.
Besides being a strong songwriter and singer, Swift advises her fans to make a change in the world. She has spoken out about gun violence, LGBTQ+ rights, violence against women, and racism, over time in her career.
“She’s a very great business woman and she’s very relatable to a lot of people and she just stands out for feminism a lot and I think she’s just a great role model,” eighth grader Charlotte W. explained.
Taylor uses her music to also spread a message. The song The Man speaks up against gender equality and abuse. Another song, You Need to Calm Down references LGBTQ+ rights, and the moving Soon You’ll Get Better calls attention to the plight of cancer patients and those who love them. Swift’s lyrics use small but personal details to powerfully show her emotions.
Using her platform to educate others, Swift advocates for change.
“I think not only is her music good, but she’s also a good person in general and I think that really helps make her a popular person,” Nayla A. commented.
At her newest tour, The Eras Tour, fans of every age attended. The scramble to get tickets was otherworldly. As explained by CNN, the website Ticketmaster crashed when the tickets were released. Responding to the outrage, fans of the singer, known as “Swifties”, sued the company. Since then, Ticketmaster has vowed to do better. The Eras Tour is a recap of every album Taylor has released, with special performances from each one. The tour had 131 dates throughout the world. becoming the highest-grossing concert tour of all time.
Longfellow student Charlotte was one of the lucky people who were able to get tickets to the show.
“One of my surprise songs was You’re Not Sorry which is my favorite song, so I was super excited. Meeting a lot of other fans of Taylor Swift and just so many in the same room was just very thrilling,” Charlotte shared.
With so many people unable to get tickets, Swift decided to release a concert film in theaters. CNBC shared that the singer earned $150 million in the United States and $230 globally from The Eras Tour Movie, helping her reach the billionaire title.
“I think it reaches different categories of audiences,” said Nayla, “Obviously teenage girls love Taylor Swift, but also my mom likes Taylor Swift, and I feel like Taylor Swift is for everyone and makes music for everyone.”
Taking off with a country album in 2006, the sixteen-year-old started to gain a following. By 2008, she had multiple hits, including Our Song, Love Story, and, You Belong With Me. She won Album of the Year at the Grammys with her next country album, Fearless.
“Since I was really young, my dad used to play her first album in the car when I was like five, and I have many videos of me singing along,” Charlotte reminisced.
Writing hits at such a young age offered fans connections similar to their own lives.
“I think that because she wrote some of her songs when she was younger, it relates more to my life,” shared eighth grader Lindsey K.
“It connects to my friendships and it’s very upbeat, and I really like that about her songs,” shared seventh grader Ela D.
Continuing with country, Swift released Speak Now in 2010, and Red in 2012. By 2015, she switched genres to pop. Record after record, the singer became more and more appreciated and noticed for her works.
Releasing the pop album 1989, Swift proudly accomplished an award-winning album that also touched the hearts of many fans. The album won Album of the Year, Favorite Pop Album, and Best Pop Vocal Album.
When Taylor Swift’s contract at Big Machine Records expired, Swift maintained ownership of the songs only because she was the songwriter on those albums, however, she did not own the recordings. According to Time Magazine, the two could not come to an agreement, meaning she could not buy them back. In an unprecedented move, Taylor decided to re-record each album on her own, attempting to match the feel of the original, but adding songs “from the vault” that had been omitted from the original.
So far, she has re-recorded albums Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, and 1989. Fans and radio stations embraced the project and started using the (Taylor’s Versions), sparking renewed interest in her catalog of work. Some fans found that the more recent versions sounded more mature and had better sound quality.
“I think that it was very clever of her,” said Ela.
The singer continued to release new albums as well. Since 2019, she has released Lover, Folklore, Evermore, and her newest album, Midnights. These albums showcase her songwriting skills, highlighting her sense of storytelling.
From releasing powerfully written songs, performing in front of millions, and continuously staying in the spotlight, Taylor Swift is the most famous singer of this generation. She has a strong fan base of all ages throughout the world, including students and teachers at Longfellow. Looking at the extensive list of songs, the singer has a promising future ahead of her.
