When you hear the name Taylor Swift, what comes to your mind? The controversial incident in 2009 when rapper Kanye West rushed the stage to interrupt her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards? Do you think of her sonorous voice that has captured the hearts of millions of fans across the world? Or does the Taylor Swift net worth come to mind? Whatever it is you think of, there’s much more to the singer and songwriter than what meets the eye.
Taylor Swift is an American singer, songwriter, actress, record producer, music video director, and philanthropist, among other things. She gained huge fame as a teenager for her eponymous debut album, entitled “Taylor Swift.” Fondly referred to as ” American Sweetheart” by the media, the singer has sold millions of records worldwide. Hence, she is one of the best selling female artists of all time. This is further reflected by the significant Taylor Swift net worth.
Taylor Swift Profile Summary
- Full name: Taylor Alison Swift
- Date of birth: December 13, 1989
- Place of birth: West Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Nationality: American
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Height: 1.78m
- Marital status: Single
- Profession: Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, music video director, businesswoman
- Music Genre: Pop, country, rock
Taylor Swift: Her Early Days
The singer was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America on December 13, 1989. She is of Scottish descent and was named after famous singer James Taylor. Her parents, Scott Kingsley Swift (father), and Andrea Gardner Swift (mother) raised her and her younger brother, Austin Taylor, on a Christmas tree farm. Her father worked as a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch. Meanwhile, her mother was a mutual fund marketing executive.
Swift started her preschool and kindergarten at the Alvernia Montessori School before she transferred to The Wyndcroft School. In addition to this, the famous singer also attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School and Hendersonville High School.
At the age of nine, Swift developed an interest in musical theater and was later featured in four Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions. She also started taking vocal and acting lessons in New York City. The young starlet was inspired by Shania Twain’s songs, and hence shifted her focus towards country music. In a bid to get a major music label, Swift auditioned for several record labels with the help of a New York-based music manager Dan Dymtrow. Subsequently, her efforts paid off, as RCA Record gave her an artist development deal.
Taylor Swift: Professional Career
As a teenager, the talented songwriter worked with a host of experienced Music Row songwriters such as Mac McAnally, Troy Verges, the Warren brothers, Brett Beavers, Brett James, and Liz Rose. Eventually, Swift left RCA Records when she was 14. She was subsequently signed by the Sony/ATV Tree publishing house. In 2005, she caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, who later formed an independent record label called Big Machine Records. Notably, Taylor Swift was also among the first signing of the label.
Over the years, Taylor Swift albums have gone on to sell millions of copies worldwide. The beautiful singer’s debut album entitled “Taylor Swift” was released on October 24, 2006. The album received a lot of favorable reviews and peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. It spent a total of 157 weeks on the Billboard 200. Interestingly, this makes “Taylor Swift” the longest stay on the chart by any album in the U.S. that decade. Additionally, the album had sold well over 7.75 million copies worldwide as of 2016.
Second Album and Further Success
Taylor Swift then released her second studio album, entitled “Fearless,” on 11 November 2008. “Love Story,” the first single, from the album released in September 2008, reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at number one in Australia. After that, four more singles – “You Belong with Me”, “Fifteen,” “Fearless,” and “White Horse”– were released between 2008 and 2009. Interestingly, “You Belong with Me,” which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100, was the highest-charting single in the album. The album, “Fearless,” debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. It became the best selling album in the United States in 2009.
In August of 2010, the “You Belong with Me” crooner released “Mine,” which was a lead single in her third studio album. “Mine” debuted at number three on the Billboard charts. Consequently, Swift became the second female artist in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 aside from Mariah Carey to debut multiple tracks in the top five within a year.
Taylor Swift Album Growth
On October 25, her much-anticipated album “Speak Now” was released. It was an instant hit with fans within and outside America. The album broke several records, including becoming the fastest-selling digital album by a female music act. It was downloaded 278,000 times within a week. This feat earned the talented singer an entry in the 2010 Guinness World Records. Additionally, “Speak Now” entered number one on the Billboard 200 within the first week of release. As such, it also became the 16th album to achieve opening week sales of one million copies.
The talented artist who was enjoying quite a successful career run released another album, titled “Red” on October 22, 2012. The album marks a slight departure from her countryside style of music. The album is a mixed genre of heartland rock, dubstep, and dance-pop. However, “Red’ was met with much acclaim and positive reviews. It was also a huge success commercially, posting a first-week sales of 1.21 million copies. This made Guinness book of records recognize Swift as the first female artist to have two million-selling album openings. Also, the album debuted at the top spot on the US Billboard 200.
In 2014, the album “1989,” was released. It was credited as swift’s first official Pop album. Despite that, 1989 was a critical and commercial success. Furthermore, the star singer has gone on to release other successful songs in the past few years. “Reputation” was her last album under her 12-year contract with Big Machine Records. The American sweetheart then signed a new multi-album deal with distributor Universal Music Group in November 2018.
Taylor Swift broke several records and sold millions of copies across the world. All these cement her status as one of the most successful female artists of the past two decades.
Taylor Swift Latest Songs
The singer’s lead single “Me!” from her latest album, “Lover,” was released in April 2019. The Disco song featured Brendon Urie and debuted at number 100 on Billboard hot 100. The following week, it jumped to the second spot on the chart. This became the biggest single-week jump in the history of the chart. The album also contained the singer’s latest songs and also spawned hit singles like “You Need to Calm Down,” and “The Archer.”
Taylor Swift Tours
Taylor swift embarked on her first tour between 2009 to 2010 to promote her album, “Fearless.” The Fearless tour was successful, and it grossed $63,705,590 from 89 reported shows boasting a total audience of 1,138,977. Then between 2011-2012, she embarked on the Speak Now World Tour. This tour received a favorable reception from critics. The tour grossed over $104.2million from 100 shows. It was ranked the highest-grossing female and solo tour of 2011. On March 13, 2013, Swift began The Red Tour in CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska. This tour concluded on June 12, 2014, at Singapore indoor stadium in Singapore. It became highest-grossing tour by a country artist in history, with an estimated gross of $150 million
In 2015, the talented performer embarked on The 1989 World Tour, which received critical acclaim. The tour grossed $250,733,097 and, in the process, became Swift’s highest-grossing tour then. However, the Swift Reputation tour, which began in 2018, remains the best so far in her career. The tour is also Taylor Swift’s highest-grossing tour to date. It grossed over $345.7 million in revenue. It is estimated that 2,888,916 people were in attendance.
Taylor Swift Grammy and Other Accolades
The singer has won 10 Grammy awards so far in her career. She also 35 Grammy nominations under her belt. Additionally, Swift is a highly decorated artist with several music awards and nominations such as American Billboard Awards, American Country Awards, Country Music Awards of Australia, and many others.
Taylor Swift Net Worth
In 2017, Forbes magazine ranked the blonde singer number 9 on the list of American richest female entertainers with a net worth of $280 million. Furthermore, according to Forbes, in June of 2019, the Taylor Swift net worth was put around $360 million. As of 2021, the estimated Taylor Swift net worth sits at about $400 million. This makes her one of the world’s highest-paid celebrities.
Taylor Swift Boyfriend
Besides her much-publicized romance with world-renowned DJ, Calvin Harris, the country music singer has managed to keep her relationship private. This is the reason fans ask “Who is Taylor Swift dating?”
The singer is currently in a relationship with Joe Alwyn. The Taylor Swift Joe Alwyn relationship fist began in 2017. However, the pair have kept their romance fairly private. This is a bit of a contrast to the singer’s previous relationships, which were much publicized. In fact, many Taylor Swift songs have circulated around several of her ex-boyfriends. To note, Swift’s ex-boyfriends include a long list of celebrities such as Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner, Conor Kennedy, Jake Gyllenhaal, Harry Styles, Calvin Harris, and Tom Hiddleston.
Taylor Swift New Album
Though Swift already has a number of hits under her belt, this has not deterred her from creating more music. In 2020, she released “Folklore,” her eighth studio album. The release was a surprise for fans and industry bigwigs alike, and was released through Republic Records. Upon its launch, “Folklore” saw a lot of fanfare. So much, in fact, that it broke the Guinness World Record for biggest opening day on Spotify for an album by a female act.
“Evermore,” Swift’s ninth studio album, follows in the footsteps of “Folklore.” As a “sister” record to its predecessor, “Evermore” opened at the top of the Billboard 200. Much like “Folklore,” “Evermore” was a surprise release as well.
Taylor Swift Net Worth and Success
Ultimately, the Taylor Swift net worth and her success is all thanks to her hard work. Despite all the criticism she continues to face, Swift consistently delivers smash hit after smash hit. There’s a reason why she’s always the talk of the town – both by critics and fans alike. Whether you love her or hate her, it’s clear that Taylor Swift – no matter what genre she chooses to pursue – is here to stay.
