Taylor

Taylor Swift was a rarity in pop culture: she was the only superstar to have moved from the country to mainstream and then to be a pop icon worldwide. Swift has thrown off her country roots as if they were second skins showing herself to be the smartest pop singer/songwriter of her time. She is able to tap into the current trend and create her own. It was apparent in her early songs, particularly in her neo pay homage to Tim McGraw. On her second release Fearless (2008) Swift showcased a writer getting to understand herself. The album ended up with a lot of reach not just within the U.S. where it racked seven platinum singles thanks to Top Ten hits Love Story and the hit single You Belong with Me but throughout the globe, performing especially well in Canada, the U.K. Canada and Australia. Swift's next album, Speak Now, released just two years after the previous one, built on this success. It helped propel Swift into the spotlight. Swift's popularity continued to grow through her subsequent three albums -- Red (2012) 1989 (2014) as well as Reputation (2017) Reputation (2017) and saw her move confidently into a pop realm in which she was already a part. Even though she had slowed her work with folklore and Evermore released in 2020, she was in the forefront of pop music.