This article was written by Ashna Uprety of Richard Montgomery High School.
Background
Taylor Alison Swift was born on Dec. 13, 1989. From an early age, she exhibited an inclination towards music. When she was 11 years old, she sang the “Star Spangled Banner” at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game. From then on, her interest in music sparked and she began to learn how to play the guitar as well as write songs. Swift’s parents sold their Christmas tree farm when she was 13 and moved the family from Pennsylvania to Tennessee to help her pursue country music. At 14, Swift signed with RCA Records, but left the record label a year later. RCA Records had wanted her to hold off until she was 18 to release an album and Swift had strongly disagreed. In 2005, a venue performance in Nashville received the attention of record executive Scott Borchetta. Swift signed to Big Machine Records, Borchetta’s newly emerging record label.
Early Career
In the summer of 2006, Swift released her first single “Tim McGraw”, inspired by her favorite country artist. In the following October, her debut album “Taylor Swift” was released, which went on to sell more than 5 million copies. Swift became the youngest singer of a #1 country song with her single “Our Song”. She opened on tour for several artists such as the Rascal Flatts, Tim Mcgraw, George Strait and Faith Hill. In November of 2007, Swift received the Horizon award from the Country Music Association (CMA) for best new artist.
In 2008, she released her second studio album “Fearless”. In the first week alone, more than half a million copies were sold. “Fearless” earned Swift her first Grammy awards for Album of the Year as well as Best Country Album. At the end of 2008, Taylor Swift became the highest selling artist of the year.
Notable Achievements
Swift has won a total of 11 Grammy awards throughout her whole career. She won her third Album of the Year Grammy award for “Folklore” in 2021. That made Swift the fourth singer that has ever done so, as well as the first woman. The only other singers that have ever won Album of the Year three times are Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Simon. Additionally, Swift has had the highest selling album for five different years. Swift also has had a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 seven different times.
Sexism in the Industry
It is clear that Swift is a successful artist who has created a name for herself, but she isn’t a stranger to sexist remarks and judgement. Critics often claim that Swift only gained success from her past relationships. She responded, “You're going to have people who are going to say, 'Oh, you know, like, she just writes songs about her ex-boyfriends'. And I think frankly that's a very sexist angle to take. No one says that about Ed Sheeran. No one says that about Bruno Mars. They're all writing songs about their exes, their current girlfriends, their love life, and no one raises the red flag there.”
Furthermore, in August of 2017, Swift had testified in a trial against David Mueller, a former radio DJ she had accused in 2013 of sexually assaulting her. He had sued her, denying the allegations and stating that the incident had made him lose his job. Swift then countersued him for a single dollar, and the jury had ruled in her favor. She had released a statement saying “I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this. My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard.”
Taylor Swift, an incredible country, pop and alternative sensation, is just another reminder that women belong in the music industry. Her nine studio albums have touched the hearts of millions through her amazing songwriting and singing abilities. One thing is for certain, that Taylor Alison Swift is not finished with music yet.
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