Taylor

Taylor Swift was a rarity in pop: she is the sole celebrity who crossed from country into the mainstream and become an international icon of pop culture. Swift removed the influences of country like they were an extra layer of skin, revealing she was among the most talented singers/songwriters in her time. Swift could make the moment personal or harness it for her benefit. These skills were evident on her earliest hits especially the Neo-tribute Tim McGraw but her second album 2008's Fearless showcased a songwriter discovering the person she really was, and in the process finding the mass market. The album was able to have significant legs not only on the U.S. where it racked up six platinum singles on the strength of the Top Ten hits Love Story and You Belong with Me but throughout the world, with a particular success in Australia, U.K. Canada and Australia. Speak Now delivered almost two years later consolidated that achievement and propelled Swift into the stratosphere of superstardom. In the three subsequent albums -- Red 2012 1989, Red 2012 and Reputation 2017. Swift's popularity only increased. That was an obvious indication that she was in the new music scene where she fit in. In the end, when she refocused her music with the stripped-down releases of 2020, folklore, and Evermore but she was still at the top. It was a position that was confirmed with the re-recordings she had made from her earlier catalogue as well as Midnights the synth-based chart-topper 2022 album.