Taylor Swift

QuickIntroductionTaylorAlisonSwiftisanAmericancountrymusicsinger-songwriter.ShewasbornonDecember13,1989.Shestartedsinging,playingaguitar,andsongwritingataveryyoungage.Taylorstartedoffshowinghertalentsatfairsandwherevershewouldgetthechance.HerparentsmovedfromherhomeinPennsylvaniatoTennesseesoshecouldpursuehercareer.ThereSwiftwasabletosignherfirstrecorddealwithanewrecordlabelbeforetheageofsixteen.QuickIntroductionAfterthatitdidn'ttakelongbeforeeveryonewashearinghermusic.Hermusicsoundsbothcountyandpop,winninghercountlessdiversifiedawards.TaylorSwiftbecamethefirstcountrysingerevertohavetwosinglesreachnumberoneonthepopchart.Fearless,TaylorSwift'ssecondalbum,hasspentmoreweeksatnumberoneonBillboard'sTop200chartthananyotheralbumthisdecade.NotonlydoesTaylorSwiftsingthesongsonheralbum,shealsohaswrittenorco-writteneverysongonthealbum.Ifthatisn'tenoughaccomplishedatsuchayoungage,shealsoistheyoungestsingerevertowinaCountryMusicAwardforEntertaineroftheYear.Sheisknownaroundtheworldbyhermusic;herfanscan'tgetenoughofTaylorSwift.•TaylorSwiftwasbornandraisedinWyomissing,PennsylvaniaasthefirstchildandonlydaughterofAndrea,ahomemaker,andScottSwift,astockbroker.Shehasayoungerbrother,Austin.TaylorwasraisedasaBaptist.Whenshewasinfourthgrade,Swiftwonanationalpoetrycontestwithathree-pagepoementitledMonsterInMyCloset.•Attheageof10,Taylorbeganwritingsongsandsingingthematkaraokecontests,festivals,andfairsaroundherhometown.Whenshewas12yearsold,shedevotedanentiresummertowritinga350-pagenovel,whichremainsunpublished.Herfirstmajorshowwasawell-receivedperformanceattheBloomsburgFair.In2008,sheearnedherhighschooldiplomathroughhomeschoolingattheageof18.Taylor'sgreatestmusicalinfluenceisShaniaTwain.HerotherinfluencesincludeLeAnnRimes,TinaTurner,DollyParton,andTaylor'sgrandmother.Althoughhergrandmotherwasaprofessionaloperasinger,Taylor'stastesalwaysleanedmoretowardcountrymusic.Taylorbeganlearningtoplayguitarfromacomputerrepairmanwhoshowedherhowtoplaythreechords.Afterlearningthosethreechords,shewroteherfirstsong,LuckyYou.Shebeganwritingsongsregularlyanduseditasanoutlettohelpherwithherpainfromnotfittinginatschool.Otherkidswouldreactbadlytohersoshewrotesongsaboutthem.Atage11,TaylormadeherfirsttriptoNashville,hopingtoobtainarecorddealbydistributingademotapeofhersingingwithkaraokesongs.Shegaveacopytoeverylabelintown,butwasrejected.AfterTaylorreturnedtoPennsylvania,shewasaskedtosingattheU.S.Opentennistournament,whereherrenditionofthenationalanthemreceivedmuchattention.Taylorstartedwritingsongsandplaying12-stringguitarwhenshewas12.TaylorbegantoregularlyvisitNashvilleandwrotesongswithlocalsongwriters.Bythetimeshewas14,herfamilydecidedtomovetoanoutlyingNashvillesuburb.WhenTaylorwas15,sherejectedRCARecordsbecausethecompanywantedtokeepheronanartistdevelopmentdeal.AfterperformingatNashville'ssongwriters'venue,TheBluebirdCafé,shecaughttheattentionofScottBorchetta,whosignedhertohisnewlyformedrecordlabel,BigMachineRecords.Atage14,shebecametheyoungeststaffsongwritereverhiredbytheSony/ATVTreepublishinghouse.MusicCareer2006–2008:TaylorSwift•Taylorreleasedherdebutsingle,TimMcGraw,inmid-2006,reachingNo.6onBillboardmagazine'sHotCountrySongschart.Herself-titleddebutalbumwaslaterreleasedonOctober24,2006.DebutinghighontheBillboard200,thealbumsold39,000copiesduringitsfirstweek.ItpeakedatNo.1ontheBillboardTopCountryAlbumsandNo.5ontheBillboard200.•ThemusicvideoforTimMcGrawwonTayloranawardforBreakthroughVideooftheYearatthe2007CMTMusicAwards.•ThesecondsinglefromtheTaylorSwiftalbum,TeardropsonMyGuitar,wasreleasedFebruary24,2007.Inmid-2007,thesongpeakedatNo.2onBillboard'sHotCountrySongschartandNo.33ontheBillboardHot100.•Herthirdsongoffherdebutalbum,OurSongspentsixweeksatNo.1ontheCountrycharts,peakedatNo.16ontheBillboardHot100,androsetoNo.24ontheBillboardPop100.•Should'veSaidNobecameTaylor'ssecondNo.1single.InSummer2008,TaylorreleasedBeautifulEyes,anEPsoldexclusivelyatWal-Mart.1.TimMcGraw(3:52)2.PicturetoBurn(2:53)3.TeardropsonMyGuitar(3:33)4.APlaceinThisWorld(3:19)5.ColdasYou(3:59)6.TheOutside(3:27)7.TiedTogetherWithaSmile(4:08)8.StayBeautiful(3:56)9.Should’veSaidNo(4:02)10.Mary’sSong(OhMyMyMy)(3:33)11.OurSong(3:22)“TaylorSwift”(2006)thesongsonTaylorSwiftdescribecomingofageexperiencessuchasinsecurity,younglove,andteenageangst.MostsongsonthealbumwerewrittenduringSwift'sfreshmanyearofhighschool.TimMcGrawTimMcGrawistheTaylor’sdebutsingle.ThesongtellsofTaylor'sremembranceofasummerlove,andhowanun-namedsongbycountrymusicartistTimMcGraw(identifiedlateronasCan'tTellMeNothin'fromhisLiveLikeYouWereDyingalbum)bringsbackmemoriesofthatlove.Taylorhassaidshewrotethesongduringmathclassinhighschool.Thesong,shesays,isaboutherandherboyfriend,whenhewasmovingawaytogotocollege,andtheywouldeventuallyhavetobreakup.Taylorgoesontosay,Istartedthinkingofallthethingsthatremindedmeofhim.ThemusicvideoforTimMcGrawwonTayloranawardforBreakthroughVideooftheYearatthe2007CMTMusicAwards.ThesongtalksaboutherrelationshipwiththenboyfriendDrewDunlap.AccordingtoSwift,Wehadastrongrelationshipandwehadalotoffunthoseyears,