Taylor

Taylor Swift may be the most rare of all pop artists: one who could successfully cross the divide between country and pop and conquer the world. Swift left country music like it was an additional layer of herself, proving that she is perhaps the smartest pop-singer/songwriter her generation. One who can harness the zeitgeist to make it personal, and perform in the opposite. These skills were evident on her earliest hits especially the neo-tribute Tim McGraw but her second album 2008's Fearless featured a singer-songwriter figuring out who she was and in the process finding a mass audience. The album was able to have significant appeal not just on the U.S. where it racked the record with six platinum singles, due to the Top Ten hits Love Story and You Belong with Me but throughout the world, with a particular success with Australia, U.K. Canada and Australia. Swift's next album, Speak Now, released almost two years after the first one, consolidated this success. It helped propel Swift to the heights of fame. The next three albums she released, Red (2012) 1989 (2004) and Reputation (2017) Reputation (2017), the popularity of Swift grew, and she was able to enter a world of pop music with a clear sense of where she belonged. She was in the forefront of pop until she reverted to her signature style in her twin albums folklore & Evermore in 2020.