On October 24th, 2006, Taylor Swift released her self-titled debut album, and since then, the music scene has felt her presence. In her 10 year career, Taylor has released five albums that have 93 original songs total with 30 music videos. She’s headlined 370 concerts during her four massive world tours. Taylor has been nominated for an impressive 571 awards, and has won many of them, including 23 Billboard Awards, 10 Grammys, 19 American Music Awards, and an Emmy. Taylor’s songwriting skills cannot be denied regardless of how the media pays attention to her personal life, and she’s been honored by both the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Taylor has written or co-written every song she has put on her albums.
Aside from being a singer, Taylor has played roles in the movies like Valentine’s Day and The Giver, and had small roles in TV shows like New Girl and CSI. She also lended her voice to Audrey in the animated movie The Lorax. This year, Taylor topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid celebrities, and her net worth is estimated to be $250 million. As a person, Taylor is consistently recognized as one of the most charitable celebrities, and often donates large amounts of money to cancer research, disaster relief, and children’s hospitals. Aside from statistics, let’s take a walk down memory lane over the 10 years of Taylor Swift’s career.
Taylor Swift, October 24th, 2006
Taylor was only 16 when her first record went on sale. This album included Taylor’s early hits like “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops on My Guitar” that made her a young stand-out in country music. During this era, Taylor opened for artists like Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts.
Fearless, November 11th, 2006
Taylor was 18 when this album released, and she became the youngest artist in history to have the year’s best-selling album. The debut single from this album, “Love Story,” was a crossover country-pop hit. The Fearless Tour was Taylor’s first headlining tour, and many of the concerts sold out in under a minute. Fearless won a Grammy for Album of the Year.
Speak Now, October 25th, 2008
The most impressive part of Taylor’s third studio album is that every song on Speak Now was written solely by Taylor herself. Speak Now was included on Rolling Stone’s “50 Best Female Albums of All Time” in 2012. Notable songs on this album include “Mean,” “Back to December,” and “Sparks Fly.” Taylor’s Speak Now World Tour grossed over $123 million.
Red, October 22, 2012
This album features duets with Ed Sheeran and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, whereas her previous albums did not have collaborations. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble” were two of the pure-pop singles off of Red. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 56th Grammy Awards.
1989, October 27th, 2016
This album was Taylor’s first album officially categorized as “pop,” with singles like “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” The album was inspired by Taylor’s favorite 1980s singers, and was named after her year of birth. 1989 won Album of the Year at the 58th Grammy Awards, which makes Taylor the only female to win the award twice.
Whether you love her or hate her, Taylor’s skills as a businesswoman and strength as a songwriter cannot be denied. The world is ready for “TS 6” whenever you are, Taylor, because some nights we all just feel like Jess Day.