Taylor

Taylor Swift was a rarity in the world of pop music: she was the sole celebrity who transitioned from the traditional to the mainstream, and to become a global pop culture icon. Swift removed herself from country music as if she was a second skin, and revealed that she had the best pop sensibility of the time. Swift was the only singer/songwriter who knew how to take the popular zeitgeist out on the road. Swift's early songs, including her neo tribute to Tim McGraw, showed off her skills. But her 2008 album Fearless showed a singer-songwriter who was discovering herself and gaining a huge following. Fearless went on to become a global hit and not just in North America (where it received six times platinum for the Top Ten Hits Love Story as well as "You Belong with Me") but in Canada, Australia as well as the U.K. and other countries. Swift's second album, Speak Now, released almost two years after the debut, further consolidated the success of this album. The album propelled Swift to the heights of fame. The next three years, her popularity grew through the years -- Red (2012), Reputation (2014) as well as 1989 (2014-2015) during which time she entered a new world of pop music with her skills already established. While she reduced the production of her folklore album, and Evermore released in 2020, she was still at the forefront of pop music.