Must Knows About Taylor Swift

With over an array of Grammy Awards to her credit, singer-songwriter, and country-pop superstar Taylor Swift is the manifestation of all our childhood dreams. A native of a relatively small town, she had single-handedly revolutionized country music. Standing among huge names, like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, it is worth noting that Swift was just a decade and six when she released her first album. Her songs, despite being an orchestra of the simplest melodies with the least inflections, are set apart from contemporaries because of her heartfelt lyrics and her ability to play numerous instruments such as the guitar, piano, and ukulele.

To date, Swift is the only artist to take credit for two Album of the Year awards in the Grammys. She is known for giving humanity hits like Love Story and You Belong with Me. Outside of her singing career, the country singer is known to be a supporter of numerous charitable causes. Here are some of the things you should know about her.

A Brief History

Born as Taylor Alison Swift on December 13,1989, her father works as an investment advisor while her mother stayed at home to take care of her and her younger brother, Austin. As the child of Presbyterians, she would regularly attend Bible study sessions. During the weekends, Swift spent her time riding horses; her attachment to horses started when her mother put her on a saddle when she was nine months old. She then received her own horse, whom she named Ginger—they would win a handful of races together.

After moving to Berks County, Swift enrolled in the Youth Theatre Academy productions and traveled frequently to New York to develop her acting and singing skills. Perhaps one of the people who should take credit for her fame was Ronnie Cremer, the computer mechanic who taught her three guitar chords. At 12 years old, Swift was already singing her heart out to the songs of Shania Twain and Dixie Chicks.

In high school, Swift wrote a poem entitled “Monster in My Closet,” which she submitted to a national poetry competition and dominated. This was one of the earliest pieces that led her to write her first song entitled Lucky You. Her parents were ecstatic that they contacted manager Dan Dymtrow to cast her in Abercrombie & Fitch’s ‘Rising Stars’ campaign. Subsequently, with the degree of her talent, it did not take long for record labels to notice her.

Meteoric Rise to Fame

The young Swift had worked with an array of songwriters that include Brett Beavers, Mac McAnally, and Liz Rose, eventually settling with Rose to be her main editor. In 2005, her performance at the Bluebird Café caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a record executive who was about to launch his first production label. It was obvious that Swift should take credit for his very first release.

After a year of working, Swift eventually released her debut album named after herself. It sat in the top 5 spot on Billboard for over 150 weeks. She dominated the music charts with the track Tim McGraw, a piece she penned at Math class during her senior year.

At 16 years old, she immortalized her prowess in the music industry with songs such as Our Song and Teardrops on My Guitar that were sung from the heart by youngsters.

Slow and Steady

After the release of her earliest hits, Swift released her next album Fearless back in 2008. Two tracks, Love Story and You Belong With Me, made it to the charts at top 4 and top 2, respectively. Fearless takes credit for being the top-selling album in 2009. In the same year, she won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, Best Country Album, Best Country Song, and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Swift continued to release chart topping albums such as 1989, Reputation, and Lover.

Outside of her career in the music industry, Swift is vocal about empowering women.

Photo Credits:

Photo #1: Youtube

Photo #2: Youtube

Photo #3: pinterest

Cover Photo: Flickr