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The evolution of Taylor Swift
As we prepare to welcome Taylor Swift Down Under, let’s take a deep dive into the evolution that has seen her go from country sweetheart to global pop star.
Main image credit: GETTY
From country sweetheart to out-and-out global pop superstar, the evolution of Taylor Swift is one that has captivated the world. Across the last 12 years, we’ve been introduced to an eclectic variety of Taylor Swifts – each one even better than the last.
Aaahhhh 2006, Taylor Swift — what it is to be young again. Her debut single Tim McGraw caught the attention of the country music community. Written during her freshman year of high school, it is everything great country music should be – carried by tender vocals and featuring a twelve-string guitar. Could T-Swift be the next big country phenomenon?
The world fell in love with the fresh-faced newcomer and her knack for writing honest and simple country ballads. Right from the beginning, her to the point songwriting was a hallmark of her sound.
Two years later, and we started to see a Swift in Taylor’s sound. While the acoustic twang was still there, Love Story and You Belong With Me introduced us to the beginnings of what would be her pop transformation.
Still sugary sweet and steeped in innocence, this Taylor Swift was a more confident version of herself. Before her unrequited feelings were the reason for teardrops on her guitar, now she was fighting for what she wanted.
Fearless showcased a Taylor Swift that hadn’t quite been worn down by the social media relationship craziness that would soon become her life.
You can’t take a look down Taylor Swift’s memory lane without visiting the 2009 MTV VMAs. Thanks to the now-infamous moment during Taylor’s Best Female Video acceptance speech, the world started to see a much bolder Taylor Swift.
2012 was the scene of Taylor Swift’s ultimate transformation. Gone was the sweet country innocence, and with We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and 22 we saw the first hints of a pop star unleashed.
Red was also our first taste of T-Swift’s bite – using her knack for writing catchy hooks to take jabs at former flames and have the world singing along.
Just two years later and her popstar transformation was complete. Taylor Swift dropped what will go down as one of her greatest albums –1989. Showing off all the best bits of her arsenal, Taylor Swift had well and truly cemented herself as a global superstar.
It was the biggest statement of her career so far. From taking tongue-in-cheek swipes at the media on Shake It Off, to the ultimate end of relationship takedown that was Bad Blood, the electronic elements in Blank Space and Welcome To New York or the lush Wildest Dreams – this was a new era of Taylor Swift and the world was here for it.
Without warning, Taylor Swift exploded with Look What You Made Me Do – the ultimate clapback power anthem. With references to every era of Taylor’s life up until this point and a distinctly electro-pop sound, she put it pretty bluntly – the old Taylor was dead, and there was no going back.
Sorry, #reputation isn’t by T-Swift. This is Tea Swift.
— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) November 10, 2017
On Reputation, there isn’t a single hint of the Taylor we once knew. Savage and brutally honest, this is Taylor Swift’s biggest statement yet. Kicking butt and taking names, this popstar means business.
Want a taste of what to expect when T-Swift touches down? Check out her performance of Gorgeous from earlier this year.
Find out which Taylor Swift era you are by taking our quiz and get your tickets for her Reputation tour via Ticketmaster.com.au.
