By Caitlin Gallagher Rattan
11-time grammy winner and 40-time AMAs winner, Taylor Swift is one of the greatest singers and songwriters ever seen, so highly praised she has even been nicknamed ‘The Music Industry’. After starting her career in the country genre with her debut album Taylor Swift in 2006 and her lead single Tim Mcgraw peaking at number 40 on the US billboard 100 in 2006, she has gained the admiration and support of millions of fans across the world, culminating in her most recent album, Midnights which has shattered records. It has become her most streamed album in one day and was the first ever album to claim the top ten spots on the Billboard top 100 at one time. This was largely a result of the enormously dedicated and loyal fan base Swift has created for herself through her 10 studio albums in which she has explored multiple genres, different collaborations and developed her impressive songwriting, most notable in her albums Folklore and Evermore, both released in 2020, during the pandemic. Here, her song writing took a notable twist into holding a more profound, meaningful, and often ethereal presence among listeners; her words seemed to hang in the air as she sang them, playing on the listeners minds, etched into the memories. It was unlike anything her fans had ever heard or experienced before however it portrayed Swift as a much more versatile, intense, and skilful songwriter.
The music industry, however, is not an easy place for female musicians and Swift is often an inspiration to women about standing up for themselves. She was notably the victim of sexual assault case where a man inappropriately touched her at a meet and greet, then lied about it in court after being fired from his job and suing her for 1 million dollars. She counter sued for 1 dollar. It was a process she described as ‘dehumanising,’ and despite winning her case she highlighted in her documentary Miss Americana that she had the support of photos and eye witnesses and when it comes to the cases of rape victims, it is their word against their rapists, which is often not enough to defend themselves with. She spoke out against the court systems, particularly sexual abuser’s lawyers, stating ‘I was angry that people are paid to antagonise victims.’ Swift raises a critical issue that needs to be continually talked about so one day our generation will find a solution to and change the futures of the women who come after us.
Swift also took a stand after her controversy with Republic Records and Scooter Braun’s ownership of her albums, resulting in them being sold to Scooter Braun. To regain the ownership of her albums, Swift has begun re-recording all her old albums, adding the phrase ‘Taylor’s version’ onto the end of each album and song, with the album Fearless released in April 2021 and Red released in November 2021. She also released two singles from her album 1989 which appeared as in the soundtracks of a couple of films, however she has not announced any further re-recorded albums due to her 10th studio album Midnight’s release, leaving fans eager to figure out which is next. Swift’s power move clearly presented her once more to the world as a bold and confident icon who knew her self-worth and was not afraid to stand up to people, she called a ‘incessant, manipulative bully.’ Since then, she has received a great deal of support particularly emphasised through her ten-minute song ‘All Too Well Ten-Minute Version’ becoming the longest song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100.
Whether she is your music taste or not, Swift is clearly a phenomenal musician, role model, and powerful woman who has taken the music industry by storm and built an unforgettable legacy for herself.