The widespread success of Taylor Swift’s music career is undeniable, with over 500 award nominations and 354 wins, but how did she manage to become the international popstar she is today?
Taylor Swift grew up on a farm in West Reading, Pennsylvania. However, she didn’t’ stay there long as her parents supported Taylor’s dreams of breaking into the music industry and sold their property, moving to Hendersonville, Tennessee to be closer to the hometown of country music: Nashville. While in Nashville, she signed a songwriting deal with Sony/ATV in 2004.
After signing on as a songwriter, Taylor continued to perform around Nashville, specifically in The Bluebird Café, where she managed to score a record deal in 2005 with Scooter Braun at Big Machine Records.
Following, at only 15 years old, Taylor first came onto the music scene with her debut single “Tim Mcgraw” in 2006. This single received unheard of success for a new artist, making its way into the top ten on the country music charts. From here, she went on to release her debut album, “Taylor Swift,” selling over 5 million copies. This success is what catapulted her into the music industry as “America’s Sweetheart,” eventually leading to the launch of a total of 9 studio albums.
Despite her hard work and paying her dues, performing in small cafes and putting herself out there to multiple labels, the media argues that Taylor’s fame is the responsibility of Scooter Braun taking a chance on a young teenage girl with blonde, curly hair. Yet, if anybody other than Taylor is to credit for her unimaginable break into country music, with this knowledge of her upbringing, it is Taylor’s parents as they uprooted the entirety of their lives just to move their daughter closer to her dreams, which, in the end, succeeded with her record deal in Nashville.
As you can see from this misconception in tabloids, Taylor’s rise to fame is fundamental to understanding the “behind the scenes” of her life. And, inevitably, this young age and inexperience, as well as lack of credit for her music career, from when she accepted her 1st record deal eventually come to haunt her in her later years when she’s forced to fight massive music corporations to own the rights to her own discography. However, that story is for another week.
See you next Friday where I will discuss Taylor’s reinvention of herself through eras, ranking them from the most buzz-worthy to the least…
…Are You Ready For It?
