Taylor Swift facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Taylor Swift
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Swift in 2023
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Taylor Alison Swift
December 13, 1989 |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Organization | Taylor Swift Productions |
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| Partner(s) | Travis Kelce (2023–present; engaged) |
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| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee |
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Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most famous and successful musicians in the world. Swift is known for writing songs about her own life and experiences, which many fans connect with. Over her career, she has changed her musical style, moving from country to pop and even exploring folk and rock music.
Swift is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She has released many hit albums and singles that have topped music charts around the globe. Her songs "Shake It Off," "Blank Space," and "Anti-Hero" are just a few of her many number-one hits.
Her 2023–2024 concert tour, The Eras Tour, became the first tour in history to earn over a billion dollars. A movie of the concert also became the highest-grossing concert film ever. Swift has won many awards, including a record four Grammy Awards for Album of the Year. In 2023, Time magazine named her Person of the Year.
Contents
Life and Career
Growing Up in Pennsylvania
Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in West Reading, Pennsylvania. Her parents named her after the singer-songwriter James Taylor. Her father, Scott, was a stockbroker, and her mother, Andrea, was a marketing executive. She has a younger brother named Austin, who is an actor.
From a young age, Swift loved music. Her grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, was an opera singer and inspired her. At age nine, Swift became interested in musical theater and performed in local plays. After watching a documentary about country singer Faith Hill, she decided she wanted to pursue a career in country music.
When she was 11, Swift and her mother went to Nashville, Tennessee, to give demo tapes to record labels, but she was not signed. This made her focus on writing her own songs. At age 12, she learned to play the guitar and wrote her first song. When Swift was 14, her family moved to Hendersonville, Tennessee, to help her start her music career.
2004–2008: A Country Music Star is Born
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In Nashville, Swift was signed by Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 2004, becoming the youngest artist they had ever signed. Soon after, she was discovered by music executive Scott Borchetta, who signed her to his new label, Big Machine Records.
In 2006, she released her first single, "Tim McGraw", followed by her first album, Taylor Swift. The album was a huge success, and she became the first female country artist to write or co-write every song on a platinum-certified debut album. She toured with famous country artists like Rascal Flatts and George Strait. Her songs "Our Song" and "Teardrops on My Guitar" became big hits on both country and pop radio.
2008–2010: The Fearless Era
Swift released her second album, Fearless, in 2008. It became the best-selling album of 2009 in the United States. The album included the hit singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", which were popular all over the world. She went on her first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour.
Fearless won many awards, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2010. At the time, Swift was the youngest artist ever to win this award. This album made her a global superstar. During this time, she also appeared in the movie Valentine's Day.
2010–2014: Speak Now and Red
For her third album, Speak Now (2010), Swift wrote every single song by herself. The album continued her country-pop sound but also added rock influences. It sold over a million copies in its first week. Hit songs from the album included "Mine" and "Back to December".
In 2012, Swift released her fourth album, Red. This album showed her experimenting with new sounds, mixing country with pop and rock. It included the worldwide number-one hit "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and another popular song, "I Knew You Were Trouble". The success of Red showed that Swift was becoming a major pop artist. The Red Tour was a huge success, playing in arenas and stadiums around the world.
2014–2018: Becoming a Pop Icon with 1989 and Reputation
With her fifth album, 1989 (2014), Swift fully transitioned from country to pop music. The album was inspired by 1980s synth-pop and was a massive success. It included three number-one singles: "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", and "Bad Blood". 1989 won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, making Swift the first woman to win the award twice.
After the success of 1989, Swift faced intense media attention. She took a break from the public eye before returning in 2017 with her sixth album, Reputation. The album had a darker, more electronic sound and explored themes of fame and public image. The lead single, "Look What You Made Me Do", went to number one in many countries. The Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018 broke records for being the highest-grossing US tour at the time.
2018–2021: New Music and Re-recordings
In 2018, Swift signed a new record deal with Republic Records. Her first album with them was Lover (2019), which had a brighter, more upbeat pop sound.
Around this time, a dispute began over the ownership of her first six albums. Swift decided to re-record these albums so that she would own her work. She calls these new recordings "(Taylor's Version)".
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift surprised the world by releasing two albums, Folklore and Evermore. These albums had a quieter, indie folk sound and were praised by critics. Folklore won the Grammy for Album of the Year, her third time winning the award.
2021–2025: Midnights, The Eras Tour, and More
Swift released her first two re-recorded albums in 2021: Fearless (Taylor's Version) and Red (Taylor's Version). Both were very successful. Red (Taylor's Version) included a 10-minute version of her song "All Too Well," which became the longest song ever to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Her tenth studio album, Midnights, was released in 2022. It broke many records, and Swift became the first artist to hold all top 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at the same time. The album won her a record-breaking fourth Grammy for Album of the Year.
In 2023, Swift began The Eras Tour, a massive tour celebrating all of her musical eras. It became the highest-grossing tour of all time. She also released two more re-recordings, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and 1989 (Taylor's Version). In 2024, she released the double album The Tortured Poets Department, followed by The Life of a Showgirl in 2025.
Artistry
Musical Styles and Songwriting
Swift is known for changing her musical style throughout her career. She started as a country music artist, with songs featuring guitar, banjo, and fiddle. Later, she moved into pop music, using synthesizers and drum machines to create an upbeat sound. With Folklore and Evermore, she explored a more acoustic, folk style.
What makes Swift special to many fans is her songwriting. She writes or co-writes all of her songs, often drawing from her own life, friendships, and relationships. She is known for telling detailed stories in her lyrics. While many of her songs are personal, on her 2020 albums she began writing about fictional characters and stories as well.
Voice and Performances
Swift has a mezzo-soprano singing voice. Critics have noted that her singing style is very expressive and helps to tell the stories in her songs. She focuses on conveying emotion to her audience.
Her live shows are known for being large, theatrical productions with amazing sets and costumes. On stage, she often plays instruments like the guitar and piano. She is praised for her ability to connect with thousands of fans in huge stadiums and make the show feel personal.
Impact and Influence
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Taylor Swift is considered one of the most influential artists of her generation. She has inspired many younger musicians with her songwriting and her ability to control her own career. Her decision to re-record her old albums sparked a conversation in the music industry about artists' rights and ownership of their work.
She is also known for being a smart businesswoman. She uses social media to connect with her fans, often leaving clues and "Easter eggs" about her new music for them to find. Her dedicated fanbase, known as "Swifties," is one of the most active and loyal in the world.
Giving Back
Swift is known for her generosity and has donated to many causes throughout her career. She has given money to help victims of natural disasters, such as floods and tornadoes. She also supports education and the arts, and has made large donations to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and to schools.
She often supports organizations that help children, including hospitals and literacy programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she donated to food banks and other relief organizations. On her Eras Tour, she made a donation to a food bank in every city she visited.
Achievements
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Taylor Swift has won hundreds of awards for her music. Here are some of her biggest accomplishments:
- She has won 14 Grammy Awards. She is the only artist to win the award for Album of the Year four times (for Fearless, 1989, Folklore, and Midnights).
- She has won 40 American Music Awards, more than any other artist.
- She has won 30 MTV Video Music Awards, including four for Video of the Year.
- The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry named her the Global Recording Artist of the Year five times, more than anyone else.
- She holds many chart records, including being the woman with the most number-one albums in Billboard 200 history.
- In 2023, Time magazine named her Person of the Year, recognizing her huge cultural influence.
Discography
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Studio albums
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Re-recorded albums
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Filmography
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Documentaries
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Tours
- Fearless Tour (2009–2010)
- Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012)
- The Red Tour (2013–2014)
- The 1989 World Tour (2015)
- Reputation Stadium Tour (2018)
- The Eras Tour (2023–2024)
Interesting Facts About Taylor Swift
- Taylor Swift was named after the singer-songwriter James Taylor.
- She has Scottish and German family roots.
- Her grandmother on her mother's side, Marjorie Finlay, was an opera singer.
- Her younger brother, Austin, is an actor.
- Swift is a Christian.
- Shania Twain was Taylor Swift's biggest musical influence.
- Faith Hill was Taylor's role model when she was a child. Taylor would often pretend to be her.
- "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer was the first song Taylor learned on the guitar.
- In 2009, she acted for the first time on TV. She played a rebellious teenager in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
- She hosted and performed on Saturday Night Live. She was the first host to write her own opening speech.
- Taylor Swift is known for trying different music styles. She has been called a "music chameleon" because she changes her artistic style.
- She is the first living artist to have five albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 at the same time.
- Scientists who study insects named a millipede species Nannaria swiftae after her.
- YouGov surveys ranked her as the world's most admired female musician from 2019 to 2021.
- Taylor Swift loves cats. Her pet cats have been in her music videos. One of her cats is the third richest pet animal in the world!
- Taylor Swift received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from New York University. She also gave the graduation speech on May 18, 2022.
Taylor Swift Quotes
- "No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind."
- "Anytime someone tells me that I can't do something, I want to do it more."
- "We don't need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful."
- "I love making new friends and I respect people for a lot of different reasons."
See also
In Spanish: Taylor Swift para niños
- List of American Grammy Award winners and nominees
- List of highest-certified music artists in the United States
