Taylor

Taylor Swift was a rarity in the world of pop music: she was the sole celebrity who moved from the country to 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 possibly the most savvy popular singer/songwriter in her generation one that could tap into the zeitgeist make it personal and just as impressively perform in the opposite direction. Swift's early songs, including the neo song in tribute to Tim McGraw, showed off her skills. The album from 2008 Fearless revealed a songwriter who was beginning to discover herself, and was able to draw a wide audience. Fearless ended up being an enormous success not just in the US with its Top Ten singles Love Story and Belong with Me helped it to break six platinum records as well as around the globe. The album was particularly successful in Canada, Australia as well as the U.K. Swift was able to consolidate her success by releasing Speak Now almost two year after. Swift's popularity grew through her subsequent three albums: Red (2012), 1989 (2014) and Reputation (2017). Swift was now firmly established within an industry she felt was hers to be. As she cut her style with the stripped-down releases of 2020, Folklore, and Evermore, she still remained in the top spot. It was a position that was confirmed by re-recordings from her past catalog, as well as Midnights which was her chart-topping synth heavy 2022 album.