The Evolution of Taylor Swift: From Country Artist To Pop Star

By Elana Goodwin on August 21, 2014

Taylor Swift sure has come a long way from the young teenage country singer she was when she initially broke into the music industry back in 2006 with her first self-titled album.

Longtime fans of the singer/songwriter have watched both Taylor Swift and her music evolve over the last eight years during her time in the spotlight.

On Monday, Aug. 18, Swift hosted a live stream on Yahoo announcing her forthcoming fifth studio album, “1989,” which she said is to be her “first documented, official pop album.”

Swift fans were also surprised and excited when the singer debuted “Shake It Off,” her first single from “1989″ and its music video on the live stream.

Talyor Swift’s first album cover (2006)
Photo Credit: themusic-world.com

Swift’s first album, “Taylor Swift” was released by Big Machine Records when the singer was just 16, making her the youngest songwriter hired by the Song/ATV Music Publishing company. The album produced hit singles like, “Tim McGraw,” “Teardops on My Guitar” and “Our Song” and established Swift as a country music star.

Two years later, in 2008, Swift’s second album, “Fearless” was released, and it was in that album that she started dipping her toes into the “pop pond” with singles like “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me.”

“Fearless” went on to win four Grammys, including “Album of the Year,” bestowing Swift with the honor of being the youngest artist to ever win that award.

Another two years later, in 2010, Swift dropped her third album, “Speak Now.” Songs like “The Story of Us,” “Better than Revenge,” and “Haunted” continued Swift’s foray into pop while her country-ish song “Mean” won her two Grammys.

“Red,” Swift’s fourth studio album, was released in 2012 and was the last new music from the artist until now. The album spawned worldwide pop hits like “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “22.”

Altogether, Swift has won seven Grammy Awards for her music, her most recent one for her song “Safe and Sound” featuring (now broken-up duo) The Civil Wars which was written for “The Hunger Games” soundtrack.

She’s also been nominated for two Golden Globes for Best Original Song, for “Safe and Sound” and “Sweeter than Fiction” which was written for the film “One Chance.” Swift has also snagged eleven Country Music Association awards, seven Academy of Country Music Awards, and twelve Billboard Music Awards.

Besides the evolution of Swift’s music, Swift herself has evolved during her time in the music industry and public eye. No longer is she the naive, innocent, acoustic guitar-playing, curly-haired, bright-eyed teen she was when she released “Tim McGraw.”

She’s evolved into the eloquent, wiser, short and sleek-haired fashionista who isn’t afraid to try new things and call out those who’ve wronged her.

Taylor Swift on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on August 13, 2014
Photo Credit: popdust.com

Unlike her past albums, which all had some sort of country-ish feel (or at least a few country songs on them), “1989″ looks to be completely different. Swift has stated the album was inspired by the late ’80′s pop she’d been listening to recently.

On her live stream, she called the ’80s “a time of limitless potential” as well as a time of bold chances and rebellions and she sets out to embody that in her new music.

“I woke up every single day not wanting, but needing to make a new style of music than I’d ever made before,” Swift told the studio audience at her live stream.

The catchy “Shake It Off” is a strong start to what will undoubtedly be another mass-selling album by the 24-year-old singer/songwriter, who was born in 1989 (the album title is no coincidence!).

In the video, Swift dresses as a ballerina, a cheerleader, and more and dances with various other dancers and fans. Towards the end of the song, Swift raps, which again, separates this song and the coming album from her past work.

Further, unlike many of her past chart-toppers, in her new single, Swift doesn’t actually call out any infamous ex-boyfriends but rather follows more in the spirit of her 2010 single “Mean.”

In “Shake It Off” she sings about how the “players gonna play … and the haters gonna hate” but she’s just going to “shake it off.”

The VEVO video, which was posted Monday on YouTube, had already garnered over 12 million views at the time this article was being written.

“1989″ is set to hit stores this fall, on October 27, 2014.

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