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| Taylor Swift |
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter.Raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. She signed with the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. The release of Swift's self-titled debut album in 2006 marked the start of her career as a country music singer. Her third single, "Our Song", made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Swift's second album, Fearless, was released in 2008. Buoyed by the pop crossover success of the singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", Fearless became the best-selling album of 2009 in the United States. The album won four Grammy Awards, making Swift the youngest ever Album of the Year winner. Swift's third and fourth albums, 2010's Speak Now and 2012's Red, both sold more than one million copies within the first week of their U.S release. Speak Now's "Mean" won two Grammy Awards, while Red's singles "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble" were successful worldwide. Swift's fifth album, the pop-focused 1989, was released in 2014 and sold more copies in its opening week than any album in the previous 12 years, making Swift the first and only act to have three albums sell more than one million copies in the opening release week. Its singles "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", and "Bad Blood" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Swift is known for narrative songs about her personal experiences. As a songwriter, she has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Swift's other achievements include seven Grammy Awards, one Emmy Award, 22 Billboard Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards, and one Brit Award. She is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums—including 27.1 million in the U.S.—and 130 million single downloads. Swift has also had supporting roles in feature films including Valentine's Day (2010) and The Giver (2014). In 2015, she became the youngest woman ever to be included on Forbes' "100 Most Powerful Women" list, ranking at number 64.
Early life
Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania.She was named after singer James Taylor.Her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, is a Merrill Lynch financial advisor.He was raised in Pennsylvania, and is the descendant of three generations of bank presidents.Her mother, Andrea Gardner (Finlay) Swift,is a homemaker who previously worked as a mutual fund marketing executive.Swift's mother, though American, spent the first 10 years of her life in Singapore, before returning to the U.S. and settling in Texas; her own father was an engineer who worked throughout southeast Asia.Swift has a younger brother named Austin.
Swift spent the early years of her life on a Christmas tree farm in Cumru Township, Pennsylvania.She attended preschool and kindergarten at the Alvernia Montessori School, run by Franciscan nuns,before moving to the Wyndcroft School.The family then moved to a rented house in the suburban town of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania,where she attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School.Swift summered at her parents' oceanfront vacation home in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, and described it as the place "where most of my childhood memories were formed".
At the age of nine, Swift became interested in musical theatre and performed in four Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions.She also traveled regularly to Broadway for vocal and acting lessons.Swift later turned her attention to country music—Shania Twain's songs made her "want to just run around the block four times and daydream about everything".She spent her weekends performing at local festivals, coffeehouses, fairs, karaoke contests, garden clubs, Boy Scout meetings and sporting events.At the age of eleven, after many failed attempts,Swift won a local talent competition and was given the opportunity to appear as the opening act for Charlie Daniels at a Strausstown amphitheater.At the age of 14, she wrote a novel entitled A Girl Named Girl which was never released. The novel talks about a mother who wants a son but instead has a girl.
After watching a documentary about Faith Hill, Swift felt sure that she needed to go to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a music career.At the age of eleven, she traveled with her mother to Nashville to submit a demo, of Dolly Parton and Dixie Chicks karaoke covers, with record labels along Music Row.She received label rejections and realized that "everyone in that town wanted to do what I wanted to do. So, I kept thinking to myself, I need to figure out a way to be different".
When Swift was about 12 years old, a computer repairman taught Swift how to play three chords on a guitar, inspiring her to write her first song, "Lucky You".She had previously won a national poetry contest with a poem titled "Monster in My Closet", but now began to focus on songwriting.In 2003, Swift and her parents started working with New York-based music manager Dan Dymtrow. With Dymtrow's help, Swift modelled for Abercrombie & Fitch as part of their "Rising Stars" campaign, had an original song included on a Maybelline compilation CD, and attended meetings with major record labels.After performing original songs at an RCA Records showcase, Swift was given an artist development deal and began making frequent trips to Nashville with her mother.To help Swift break into country music, her father transferred to the Nashville office of Merrill Lynch when she was 14, and the family relocated to a lakefront house in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
My parents took all the pressure off by saying, "We're just moving because we love the area, so don't worry." They knew nothing about the industry and had no involvement in entertainment, but I was obsessed with it and so they did their research and read up about it to help me in every way they could. They're amazing people.
In Tennessee, Swift attended Hendersonville High School for her freshman and sophomore years.Later, to accommodate her touring schedule, Swift transferred to the Aaron Academy, a private Christian school that offered homeschooling services. She maintained a 4.0 grade average, having completed her final two years of course work in twelve months.
Career
Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee when she was 14 years old,having signed an artist development deal with RCA Records.Swift proceeded to work with experienced Music Row songwriters such as Troy Verges, Brett Beavers, Brett James, Mac McAnally and The Warren Brothers.She eventually formed a lasting working relationship with Liz Rose. Swift saw Rose performing at an RCA songwriter event and suggested that they write together.They began meeting for two-hour writing sessions every Tuesday afternoon after school.Rose said that the sessions were "some of the easiest I've ever done. Basically, I was just her editor. She'd write about what happened in school that day. She had such a clear vision of what she was trying to say. And she'd come in with the most incredible hooks."Swift also began recording demos with producer Nathan Chapman.
After performing at a BMI Songwriter's Circle showcase at The Bitter End, New York,Swift became the youngest songwriter ever signed by the Sony/ATV Tree publishing house.Swift left RCA Records when she was 14—she was afraid that the company would want her to record the work of other songwriters and wait until she was 18 to release an album, but she felt ready to launch her career with her own material.Swift later recalled: "I genuinely felt that I was running out of time. I wanted to capture these years of my life on an album while they still represented what I was going through."She also parted ways with manager Dan Dymtrow, who later took legal action against Swift and her parents. In 2010, a judge nullified six of Dymtrow's legal claims. The remaining unjust enrichment claim was settled out of court.
At an industry showcase at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe in 2005, Swift caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a DreamWorks Records executive who was preparing to form his own independent record label, Big Machine Records. She became one of the label's first signings, with her father purchasing a three per cent stake in the fledgling company at an estimated cost of $120,000.She was introduced to the country music business as an artist escort at the CMA Music Festival.
Artistry
Influences
One of Swift's earliest musical memories is listening to her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, sing at church.In her youth, Finlay was a television host in Puerto Rico, and performed in operas in Thailand and Singapore.As a very young child, Swift enjoyed Disney movie soundtracks: "My parents noticed that, once I had run out of words, I would just make up my own."Later, her parents exposed her to artists such as James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel and Def Leppard.Swift has said she owes her confidence to her mother, who helped her prepare for class presentations as a child.She also attributes her "fascination with writing and storytelling" to her mother.
Shania Twain (left), Stevie Nicks (center) and Carly Simon (right) have influenced Swift
Swift was introduced to country music by "the great female country artists of the '90s ... Shania, Faith, the Dixie Chicks".She was drawn to the storytelling of country music.Twain, both as a songwriter and performer, was her biggest musical influence.Hill was Swift's childhood role model: "Everything she said, did, wore, I tried to copy it."Swift admired the Dixie Chicks's defiant attitude and their ability to play their own instruments.The band's "Cowboy Take Me Away" was the first song Swift learned to play on the guitar.
Swift then began to explore the music of older country stars, including Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn,Dolly Parton, and Tammy Wynette.She believes Parton is "an amazing example to every female songwriter out there".Other mainstream country influences include Miranda Lambert,Dwight Yoakam,Strait,Garth Brooks,Kenny Chesney,Reba McEntire,Jackson,Martina McBride,LeAnn Rimes,McGraw and Brad Paisley.Swift also admires alt-country artists such as Ryan Adams,Patty Griffin,and Lori McKenna.
Swift lists Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson and Carly Simon as her career role models: "They've taken chances, but they've also been the same artist for their entire careers."McCartney, both as a Beatle and a solo artist, makes Swift feel "as if I've been let into his heart and his mind": "Any musician could only dream of a legacy like that."She admires Springsteen because he is "so musically relevant after such a long period of time".She aspires to be like Harris as she grows older: "It's not about fame for her, it's about music."Swift says of Kristofferson: "He shines in songwriting ... He's just one of those people who has been in this business for years but you can tell it hasn't chewed him up and spat him out."She admires Simon's "songwriting and honesty": "She's known as an emotional person but a strong person."
Lyrical themes and style
Thematically, The Guardian noted that Swift was "fantastically good at regarding teenage life with a kind of wistful, sepia-toned nostalgia" over the course of her first two albums.New York Magazine remarked that many singer-songwriters have made great records as teens, but "none made great records so explicitly about their teens... Her nearest antecedent might be sixties-era Brian Wilson, the one true adolescent auteur before she came along."Comparisons have also been drawn with Janis Ian.Fairytale imagery featured on Swift's second album, Fearless. She explored the disconnect "between fairy tales and the reality of love".Her later albums address more adult relationships.In addition to romance and love, Swift's songs have discussed parent-child relationships ("The Best Day", "Never Grow Up", "Ronan"), friendships ("Fifteen", "Breathe", "22", "Bad Blood"),alienation ("The Outside", "A Place in This World", "Tied Together with a Smile", "Mean", "Shake It Off"), fame ("The Lucky One", "I Know Places"), and career ambitions ("Change", "Long Live").
"For a female to write about her feelings, and then be portrayed as some clingy, insane, desperate girlfriend in need of making you marry her and have kids with her, I think that's taking something that potentially should be celebrated – a woman writing about her feelings in a confessional way – that's taking it and turning it and twisting it into something that is frankly a little sexist."
Swift in response to criticism of her songwriting
Swift uses her real-life experiences as an inspiration in her work.Listening to music as a child, she felt confused "when I knew something was going on in someone's personal life and they didn't address it in their music".The New York Times believes that "righting wrongs is Ms. Swift's raison d'être".In her songs, Swift often addresses the "anonymous crushes of her high school years" and celebrities.Mayer, the presumed subject of "Dear John", has said the song "humiliated" him: "I think it's kind of cheap songwriting. I know she's the biggest thing in the world, and I'm not trying to sink anybody's ship, but I think it's abusing your talent to rub your hands together and go, 'Wait till he gets a load of this!'"The Village Voice has downplayed this aspect of Swift's songwriting: "Being told What Songs Mean is like having a really pushy professor. And it imperils a true appreciation of Swift's talent, which is not confessional, but dramatic."New York Magazine believes the media scrutiny over her decision to "mine her personal life for music... is sexist, inasmuch as it's not asked of her male peers": "It's a relief to see Swift, the ur-nice-girl, refuse to give the mea culpa that many journalists she's talked to have sought".The singer herself has said that not all her songs are factual and are sometimes based on observations.Aside from her liner note clues, Swift tries not to talk specifically about song subjects "because these are real people. You try to give insight as to where you were coming from as a writer without completely throwing somebody under the bus".
Musical style
Swift's music contains elements of pop, pop rock and country.She self-identified as a country artist until the 2014 release of 1989, which she has described as a "sonically cohesive pop album".Despite the pop direction of 1989,Swift has said that she will probably record further country music albums in the future.
Rolling Stone asserted that, "she might get played on the country station, but she's one of the few genuine rock stars we've got these days".The New York Times noted that, "There isn't much in Ms. Swift's music to indicate country—a few banjo strums, a pair of cowboy boots worn onstage, a bedazzled guitar—but there's something in her winsome, vulnerable delivery that's unique to Nashville."The New Yorker believes she is "considered part of Nashville's country-pop tradition only because she writes narrative songs with melodic clarity and dramatic shape—Nashville's stock-in-trade".The Guardian has said that Swift "cranks melodies out with the pitiless efficiency of a Scandinavian pop factory."
Vocals
Swift possesses a light-lyric soprano vocal range of two octaves from E3 to F5.Her voice has been described as "sweet, but soft".In studio recordings, the Los Angeles Times identifies Swift's "defining" vocal gesture as "the line that slides down like a contented sigh or up like a raised eyebrow, giving her beloved girl-time hits their air of easy intimacy".Rolling Stone, in a Speak Now review, remarked: "Swift's voice is unaffected enough to mask how masterful she has become as a singer; she lowers her voice for the payoff lines in the classic mode of a shy girl trying to talk tough."In another review of Speak Now, The Village Voice noted that her phrasing was previously "bland and muddled, but that's changed. She can still sound strained and thin, and often strays into a pitch that drives some people crazy; but she's learned how to make words sound like what they mean."In a live setting, Swift, according to The Hollywood Reporter, "does her best, but certainly doesn't have the pipes to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Christina Aguilera or Carrie Underwood".Her live vocals were described in 2009 as "flat", "thin, and sometimes as wobbly as a newborn colt".However, Swift has received praise for refusing to correct her pitch with Auto-Tune.
Public image
Taylor Swift stands in a Time press area, wearing a black, strapless dress and curled hair
Swift at the 2010 Time 100 Gala, where she was honored
Swift has high Q Score and Davie-Brown Index ratings, reflecting a high level of public awareness (90 percent) and popularity (80 percent) in the U.S.The singer considers it her "responsibility" to be conscious of her influence on young fans.A Rolling Stone journalist who profiled Swift in 2009 remarked upon her polite manners: "If this is Swift's game face, it must be tattooed on because it never drops."
In 2012, Rolling Stone remarked upon Swift's "ease with glad-handing"while The Hollywood Reporter described her as "the Best People Person since Bill Clinton".It has been said that she is "the kind of driven, intensely ambitious person who'd thrive regardless of her profession".A 2012 Vogue cover story described Swift as "clever and funny and occasionally downright bawdy" in person.Grantland describes Swift as "dorky" and "openly neurotic in a way you'd never see from a blonde country princess like Faith Hill or Carrie Underwood. She is more like Diane Keaton in Annie Hall: overly gracious and eager to please but full of a nonstop, nervous, fluttering energy."
While promoting 1989, Swift began to use social media to respond directly to her fans,and invited 100 fans to appear in the "Shake It Off" music video.Swift has sent holiday gifts to fans by post and in person, dubbed "Swiftmas",and has invited groups of fans to her home for album playback sessions.She has said that her fans are "the longest and best relationship I have ever had".Swift interacts with her fans heavily on social media, including Instagram and Tumblr.
In the early years of her career, Swift's signature look consisted of sundresses and cowboy boots.This fashion style is still copied by many of the young fans who attend her concerts.At formal events, Swift became known for "sparkly, beaded dresses".She was asked by Vogue to cut bangs for a cover shoot in late 2011, and now often straightens her hair.Swift was named an Icon of American Style by Vogue in 2011.In 2014 she topped People's annual best dressed list.In February 2015, Swift won Woman of the Year award at the Elle Style Awards.In May 2015, Maxim ranked Swift first in their Hot 100 of the year.
Product endorsements
While promoting her debut album, Swift appeared as a spokesmodel for l.e.i. jeans and as the face of Verizon Wireless' Mobile Music campaign.In the Fearless era, she launched a l.e.i. sundress range at Wal-Mart,and designed American Greetings cards and Jakks Pacific dolls.She became a spokesperson for the NHL's Nashville Predators and Sony Cyber-shot digital cameras.She performed in a commercial for the Band Hero video game, with Rivers Cuomo, Pete Wentz and Travis Barker appearing as her backing band.In the Speak Now era, she released a special edition of her album through Target.Swift became a CoverGirl spokesmodel,launched two Elizabeth Arden fragrances, Wonderstruck and Wonderstruck Enchanted.
While promoting her fourth album Red, Swift offered exclusive album promotions through Target,Papa John's Pizza and Walgreens.She became a spokesmodel for Diet Coke and Keds sneakers,released her third Elizabeth Arden fragrance titled Taylor by Taylor Swift,and continued her partnerships with Sony Electronics and American Greetings.Swift also partnered with a number of companies during the Red Tour; AirAsia and Qantas acted as the official airlines for the Australian and Asian legs, while Cornetto sponsored the Asian leg of the tour.While promoting 1989, Swift had tie-ins with Subway, Keds, Target and Diet Coke.In 2014, Swift released her fourth fragrance Incredible Things.
Acting
Swift at the premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie in 2009
Swift made her acting debut in a 2009 episode of CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, playing a rebellious teenager.The New York Times noted that the character allowed Swift to be "a little bit naughty, and credibly so".Rolling Stone felt she "held her own" and "does a good job with the script"while the Chicago Tribune said she "acquits herself well".Later that year, Swift both hosted and performed as the musical guest for an episode of Saturday Night Live.Entertainment Weekly described her as "this season's best Saturday Night Live host so far", noting that she "was always up for the challenge, seemed to be having fun, and helped the rest of the cast nail the punchlines". Proving "admirably resilient in a wide variety of sketch roles", she "inspired more of a female, girly-in-the-best-sense sensibility in SNL than it's shown since the Tina Fey-Amy Poehler days".
Swift made her feature film acting debut in the 2010 romantic comedy Valentine's Day, playing the ditzy girlfriend of a high school jock.The Los Angeles Times felt the performance suggested "serious comedic potential"while the San Francisco Chronicle found her "very funny".Time remarked that Swift portrayed her character "rather charmingly".However, Variety found her "entirely undirected... she needs to find a skilled director to tamp her down and channel her obviously abundant energy".The Daily News described her performance as "painfully clunky" while Slant Magazine found her "unwatchable".In 2012, Swift voiced Audrey, a tree lover, in the animated film The Lorax. In 2013, she made a brief cameo on the sitcom New Girl. In 2014, she had a supporting role in the film adaptation of The Giver.
Personal life
Swift purchased a four-bedroom mansion in Belle Meade, Tennessee, for her parents.Swift's younger brother, Austin, is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and has acted in college productions.Swift's mother was diagnosed with cancer in December 2014.Swift is the godmother to actress Jaime King's son Leo.
Relationships
Swift dated musician Joe Jonas from July to October 2008,and actor Taylor Lautner from October to December 2009.She was romantically linked to musician John Mayer from late 2009 until early 2010.She dated actor Jake Gyllenhaal from October to December 2010.Following their break-up, they were seen together in January and February 2011.Swift dated political heir Conor Kennedy from July to September 2012.She dated singer Harry Styles from October 2012 to January 2013.Swift did not date in 2013 after January, or in 2014, citing an unwillingness to deal with additional media attention."I have this feeling like if I were to open myself up to love, that would be a career weakness."
In March 2015, Swift started dating Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris.By June 2015, the duo were ranked as the highest-paid celebrity couple over the past year by Forbes with combined earnings of over $146 million.
Politics
During the 2008 presidential campaign, she supported the Every Woman Counts campaign, aimed at engaging women in the political process, and was one of many country stars to record a public service announcement for the Vote (For Your) Country campaign.She stated: "I don't think it's my job to try and influence people which way they should vote."Following President Obama's inauguration, she told Rolling Stone that she supported the president: "I've never seen this country so happy about a political decision in my entire time of being alive. I'm so glad this was my first election."
In 2012, Swift was presented with a Kids' Choice Award in recognition of her charitable work by Michelle Obama, who praised her as someone who "has rocketed to the top of the music industry but still keeps her feet on the ground, someone who has shattered every expectation of what a 22-year-old can accomplish".Swift later described the First Lady as "a role model".In a 2012 interview, Swift remarked that, although she tries to keep herself "as educated and informed as possible", she doesn't "talk about politics because it might influence other people".Swift has spent time with the Kennedy family and has spoken of her admiration for Ethel Kennedy.Swift is also a feminist.
Awards and achievements
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Taylor Swift
Swift has received many awards and honors, including seven Grammy Awards,19 American Music Awards,eleven Country Music Association Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards,22 Billboard Music Awards, one Brit Award and one Emmy.Swift is also the most awarded artist at the Teen Choice Awards, with 25 awards. As a songwriter, she has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
By the end of 2015, Swift had sold more than 40 million albums, 130 million single downloads and was one of the top five music artists with the highest worldwide digital sales.Each of Swift's studio albums had sold at least four million units in the U.S.: Taylor Swift (5.5 million), Fearless (7.0 million),Speak Now (4.5 million), Red (4.1 million) and 1989 (5.4 million).
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