The renowned American singer and songwriter, Taylor Swift, was born on Dec. 13, 1989. Named after James Taylor, Swift was born in Montgomery County, PA, and was raised in a Christmas tree farm located in Reading. Inspired by Shania Twain and Faith Hill, Swift moved to Tennessee when she was 14, the age she began professional songwriting, to pursue her career as a country singer. In Tennessee, Swift transferred to Aaron Academy, after attending Hendersonville High School. She spent the early years of her career singing country, releasing albums such as ‘Taylor Swift’ and ‘Fearless.’ With her second album, Swift released her most popular song to date, “You Belong With Me,” which helped her transition into pop star status.

After singing country and country pop for her first several albums, she decided to switch genres to pop. In 2014, she debuted her first full album, “1989” which ended up selling over 14 million copies worldwide. After her hit album, Swift decided to shift into this genre forever. This album helped her gain more fans and win numerous  Grammys, Billboard Music Awards, and more. For the next decade, Swift would end up releasing 14 more albums and re-releases with her most recent being “The Tortured Poets Department.” This past year, she became the only person to win the Grammys for Album of the Year four times and has broken other music records.

Despite her many achievements,  Swift has dealt with many challenges including eating disorders and her mother’s cancer. However, this hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her passion and continuing to connect with her fans. Recently, Swift has been promoting her 31-song double album, “The Tortured Poets Department: Anthology” and is continuing her world tour.  Taylor Swift is important because of her songwriting and singing and has undoubtedly had a lasting impact on the music industry.