Taylor

Taylor Swift was a rarity in pop: she is the only superstar to have moved from the country to mainstream and then to be an international icon of pop culture. Swift let go of the influences from her country music like they were an extra layer of skin, revealing she was among the most talented singers/songwriters in the generation she was born into. Swift could make the moment personal or harness the moment to benefit. Swift's early songs, including the neo celebration of Tim McGraw, showed off her talents. The album from 2008 Fearless showcased a writer who was re-discovering herself and was able to draw a wide audience. Fearless became a worldwide hit and not just in North America (where it received six times platinum for the Top Ten Hits Love Story as well as "You Belong with Me") however, in Canada, Australia, the U.K. and other countries. Speak Now delivered almost two years later consolidated that achievement and propelled Swift to the heights of fame. She grew in popularity over the course of the three albums that followed - Red (2012), 1989 (2014) and Reputation (2017). Swift became a household name within a genre where she belonged. In the end, when she refocused her music to the stripped-down versions of 2020, folklore and Evermore but she was still at the top. This position was maintained with the re-recordings she had made from her earlier catalogue as in Midnights which was her chart-topping synth heavy 2022 album.