Taylor

Taylor Swift was a rarity in pop culture: she was the sole celebrity who transitioned from the traditional to the mainstream and then to be a global pop culture icon. Swift shed her country roots as if they were just a second skin, revealing she was arguably the smartest pop-oriented singer/songwriter of her time, one who could harness the current zeitgeist and make it personal and just as impressively perform in the opposite direction. Swift's talents are evident in some of her earliest tracks, notably the neodue Tim McGraw. But on her second album Fearless released in 2008 Swift discovered the person she was and reach audiences across the globe. Fearless became a worldwide hit but not only in North America (where it was certified with six platinum awards for Top Ten Hits Love Story as well as "You Belong with Me") but in Canada, Australia as well as the U.K. and many other countries. Swift managed to build upon her popularity by releasing Speak Now almost two year following. Over the next three years, her popularity grew with the release of three albums -- Red (2012), Reputation (2014) in addition to 1989 (2014-2015) during which time she entered a new realm of pop in which her talent was already well established. As she cut her style with the stripped-down releases of 2020, folklore and Evermore, she still remained in the top spot. The position was defended by re-recordings from her past catalogue as well as Midnights the synth-based chart-topper 2022 album.