GIRLS IN MUSIC

Global popstar. Billionaire. 2023 TIME Person of The Year. These are all titles that come to mind when we hear the name Taylor Swift. As Barbara Walters famously stated “Taylor Swift is the music industry.” She has 12 original studio albums, is recognized in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and has 30 VMA’s, making her the most awarded solo artist in VMA history. Taylor Swift completely restructured the way the music industry works by dominating the performance touring industry, fighting for artist rights, and going against genre’s restrictions as she successfully conquered country, country-pop, pop, and indie-folk styles to name a few.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is the highest grossing concert tour in all of music history. She surpassed two billion dollars in ticket sales, had over ten million fans in attendance, and grossed over one billion with just one tour. She is the first person to become a billionaire with the primary source of income being music in the world. Her Eras Tour even birthed a new term “Swiftonomics”, which refers to the positive economic growth in different host cities and countries that she generated with her live performances.

Photo Notes

_{LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 16: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO STANDALONE PUBLICATION USE (NO SPECIAL INTEREST OR SINGLE ARTIST PUBLICATION USE; NO BOOK USE)) Taylor Swift performs onstage during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Wembley Stadium on August 16, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by TAS2024/Getty Images)}

^{LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 15: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO STANDALONE PUBLICATION USE (NO SPECIAL INTEREST OR SINGLE ARTIST PUBLICATION USE; NO BOOK USE)) . Taylor Swift performs on stage during the “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Wembley Stadium on August 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images)}

Swift is also widely known for fighting for artists rights in the music industry. With her “Taylor’s Version” re-recording’s of her old studio albums, she paved a way for musicians to own their own music. After Swift’s own music catalog was sold without consent to Scooter Braun she focused on leveraging fan support, published her re-recorded albums, and fought publicly engaging in conversations and giving speeches advocating for more artist ownership in the industry.

Finally, Swift is a master at breaking through in different genres and expressing her music authentically. Known for her powerful songwriting skills and heartfelt lyrics, she transformed her career entirely with her “1989” pop album. She left behind her previous country-star identity and traded it for an 80’s-synth-pop sound. She did this same shift again with her albums “Folklore” and “Evermore”. She left pop and transformed her sound into a mix of indie-folk, pop, and alternative rock with lyrics focusing on her more raw and introspective side.

Swift has broken records with her unique albums, innovative business techniques, and raw authenticity in her work. She proved time and time again that an artist can be successful without molding to traditional industry standards. She followed her own path instead, and now everyone is racing to keep up with her.