Taylor

Taylor Swift may be the most unusual of pop stars: an artist who could effectively bridge the gap between pop and country music and conquer the world. Swift left her country roots like they were a second skin to reveal that she was possibly the most savvy populist singer/songwriter of her generation one that could tap into the mood of the moment and personalize it and just as impressively perform the reverse. The skills she displayed were apparent on her earliest hits especially the Neo-Tribute Tim McGraw but her second album, 2008's Fearless featured a singer-songwriter figuring out who she was and, in doing so, gaining a mass audience. The album was hugely successful and not just in the US, where six of its singles were certified platinum on the back of Top Ten hit songs Love Story and Belong with Me. But the album also enjoyed a great reception across all over the world. Swift could build on her success through Speak Now almost two year later. The next three years, her fame was growing -- Red (2012), Reputation (2014), and 1989 (2014-2015) during which time she moved into a realm of pop where her talents were already well-established. Although she slowed down her style with the 2020's stripped-down siblings' folklore and Evermore she was still atop the world of pop, a position she maintained with re-recordings of her older catalogs as well as Midnights the top charting synth heavy 2022 album.