Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her narrative songwriting, which is often inspired by her personal life, has received widespread media coverage and critical praise. Born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, Swift relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. She signed a songwriting deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 2004 and a recording deal with Big Machine Recordsin 2005, and released her eponymous debut studio album in 2006.
Having sold over 200 million records worldwide, Swift is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Her accolades include 11 Grammy Awards (including three Album of the Year wins), an Emmy Award, 12 Country Music Association Awards, 25 BillboardMusic Awards (the most wins for a female artist), 32 American Music Awards (the most wins for an artist) and 49 Guinness World Records. She featured on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time (2015), placed eighth on Billboard's Greatest of All Time Artists list (2019), and appeared multiple times on power rankings such as the Time 100 and the Forbes Celebrity 100. Named the Woman of the 2010s Decade by Billboard and the Artist of the 2010s Decade by the American Music Awards, Swift has been recognized for her advocacy of artists' rights and women's empowerment in the music industry.
