Taylor Swift: the 7 secrets to her success
Whether you’re a fully committed Swiftie with a wrist dripping with friendship bracelets or a casual observer in awe of her success, it’s impossible not to be fascinated by Taylor Swift.
So how did this adorable country singer, who grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania, transform into a globally beloved powerhouse? The truth is, Swift, 34, has always wanted this, once admitting, “I’m intimidated by the fear of being average.”
While no clumsy 12-year-old writing songs in her bedroom on an acoustic guitar could have imagined the world domination that would follow, Swift didn’t just have a dream from an early age; she made it happen.
Let’s break it down…
1. Be insanely talented: check!
There are things you can’t do, no matter how hard all those talent show judges try! Whether you have The department of tortured poets repeat or not, you can’t dispute that Swift is a genius with words.
Luckily, her parents saw her creative spark early on and moved their lives to Nashville when they realized they had a little genius on their hands. Twenty years (and thousands of songs) later, in a world where even the most talented musicians employ teams of producers and writers to create their hits, Swift maintains a unique control over her process, usually working with just one or two close employees work together. brings an album to completion.
She is also incredibly prolific, having released five new studio albums in the last five years, plus her first four re-recorded Taylor’s Version LPs, each containing several new ‘From the Vault’ tracks. That amounts to 135 new songs since 2019.
So what makes her tick? “It’s because I was never able to feel the kind of rejection in the music industry that I felt in high school,” she says. Yes, most of us post a hot selfie every now and then to prove a point to our childhood enemies; she did a (OK, quite a bit) better!
Taylor Swift started writing songs about love and breakups in the early 2000s, but her talent was quickly recognized by music executives who knew she was the real deal. From releasing her first record in 2006 to gracing stages around the world, this star has earned her place in the Hollywood A-list music scene. […]
2. Convince all kinds of people: check!
Picture a Swiftie: friendship bracelets, face glitter, maybe an excess Eras T-shirt? Sure, she’s popular with young women, but nowadays her fans range from age groups to genders and if you manage to get a ticket to one of her shows (what kind of witchcraft is this?), you might encounter Prince William, Flavor Flav, Paul McCartney, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise or Swift’s ever-loyal friend, NFL star Travis Kelce. And they all know one thing: you’re never too old, rich or famous to take part in ‘Shake It Off’.
Swift also understands that being nice to her fans and making them feel close to her is the key to how globally adored she is. Swifties spend thousands of dollars traveling to faraway places to see her – not to mention hours of their lives fighting Ticketmaster. She also always acknowledges them and thanks them from the stage every night for their long standing ovations and the generous support they have given her all these years.
“I love it when people say things to me in public and want to meet me because I want to meet them!” she once said. “My manager told me early on, ‘If you want to sell 500,000 records, go out and meet 500,000 people.’”
Several of Taylor Swift’s famous friends and fans showed up to shake it down during the singer’s highly anticipated The Eras Tour. The stars of Swift’s “Bejeweled” music video – Este Haim, Danielle Haim, Alana Haim and Laura Dern – were among the thousands of fans in attendance at the tour’s opening night in Glendale, Arizona. […]
3. Feed the obsession: check!
One of the best things about being immersed in the Swiftverse is that you’re never just a passive listener; there are games to play and mysteries to solve!
Over the years, Swift has become a master at getting her fans invested in her production. One clever way she hooks us is through her Easter eggs, which are a genre unto themselves at this point. She leaves clues everywhere, from her lyrics to her music videos to her outfits, allowing listeners to parse entire lyrics for information about her past relationships without directly naming who inspired any of her songs.
Who hasn’t listened to “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” over and over again to learn more about the much-rumored topic? Jake Gyllenhaal? More than ten years later his sister arrived, Maggie Gyllenhaal, people are still asking about the infamous missing scarf, thanks to Swift’s comment about leaving the neck warmer at her boyfriend’s sister’s house. (For the record, Maggie claimed in 2017 that she was “in the dark” about the scarf’s whereabouts.)
Beyonce Knowles Carter and Taylor Swift.
John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS4. Support other women: check!
Swift practices what she preaches when it comes to supporting other women. As her star has risen, she has received a professional boost for newcomers such as Sabrina TimmermanGirl in red and Phoebe Bridgers by taking them on tour, introducing them to a new audience and showing the world that she is a woman with impeccable taste who has her finger on the pulse.
Plus, she doesn’t have time to inexplicably face other stars. When she was on tour at the same time as Beyonce (while their concert films were shown back-to-back in theaters), the duo assured everyone that it’s all love between two women at the top of their game.
“I’m so glad I’ll never know what my life would have been like without Beyoncé’s influence,” Swift said after Queen B. Eras movie premiere. And why not? There’s plenty of room in our Spotify app for both megastars.
Plus, we all know that if Swift has a problem with someone, we’ll hear about it. The brilliantly spiky song “thanK you aIMee” is featured The department of tortured poets It is believed that it is about her fight Kim Kardashianand we all remember her talking to Bad Blood Katya Perryfollowed by their very public makeup.
5. Surround yourself with the right squad: check!
Swift’s famous group of friends first rose to prominence way back in 1989, when she recruited everyone from her group Gigi Hadid Unpleasant Mariska Hargitay to star in the “Bad Blood” music video, but she has always surrounded herself with fellow power players.
More recently, her core group, which also includes old friends Blake Lively And Selena Gomezas well as employees such as Jack Antonoff And Zoe Kravitz – has seen the addition of Brittany Mahomes, icewort And Sophie Turnerwho invited Swift to stay at her house after the actress split from their mutual ex, Joe Jonas. Look, there’s that ‘women supporting women’ thing back in action!
But it’s important to note that not all of her friends are megastars. She also hangs out with a lot of normal women, many of whom have worked with her on a more behind-the-scenes level and who help her stay grounded (see high school bestie). Abigail Anderson).
And while evenings at fancy restaurants with fellow A-listers may turn heads, just know that she’d probably rather be home with her cats, gossiping about relationships with the more low-key friends who know her best.
“I think who you are at school really sticks with you,” she says. ‘I never feel like the cool kid at the party. It’s like, “Smile and be nice to everyone because you’re not invited to be here.”
It’s safe to say that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce can afford to rent out (multiple) restaurants every day for the rest of their relationship. Swift and Kelce broke the internet in September 2023 when they confirmed their romance by watching the Grammy winner watch the Kansas City Chiefs play the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri. […]
6. Learn more about entrepreneurship: check!
“I want to make the most of this cultural relevance or this success or whatever you want to call it,” Swift once said. “Because it won’t last long.”
Twenty years into her career, we’re not sure if the second part is true, but her longevity as a star is thanks to her having a seriously smart business brain and all that natural creativity.
Swift made the Forbes Billionaires List this year, becoming the first musician to become a billionaire solely on the strength of her music. After her masters were sold to Scooter Braun – which led to a highly publicized feud – Swift made the unprecedented decision to re-record her first six albums. But she didn’t just release them digitally – as with her new albums, the Taylor’s Version LPs have arrived with entire collections of limited-edition vinyl variants and themed merchandise that inspire true connoisseurs to buy multiple copies of the same album.
She has become a master of marketing, making certain items available for only a few days or hours at a time or only in specific locations. But just ask anyone who stood in line for the blue Eras crewneck in 2023: Swift always makes it worth the wait.
7. Get your happily ever after: question mark!
Of course, one of the things Swift is most known for is singing about her relationships. It’s not that she dates more men than the average successful, unmarried woman in her 30s; it’s just that the men (who range from actors and boy banders to a controversial rocker) have been largely high-profile.
Her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn it felt like it could have been forever, but we all know how that ended; The tortured poets’ divisionsIt might be one of the best breakup albums of all time. But now we have Kelce, 34, who Swift got together with in the summer of 2023 after revealing he tried unsuccessfully to give her his number at a Eras concert – a move she later called ‘metal as hell’.
Swift is clearly in love too. While she’s always open about relationships in her songs, she’s never been so publicly in love, so we’re really keeping our fingers crossed for it. When Swift settles down with Kelce, it will feel like the conclusion to a journey we’ve all been on with her. And if she doesn’t? It’s time for another love album… she’s mastered this now!
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