For those who fought ‘The Great War’ and managed to score Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets for Singapore (and the rest of her other stops), how does it feel to be God’s favourite child? Never in our ‘Wildest Dreams’ did we anticipate our ‘Lover’ to bless us with multiple shows across Asia. Ahead of her upcoming gigs, we dive into 10 fascinating facts about Taylor Swift that have left us intrigued and very much ‘Enchanted’.
In the news for her global escapade, Swift’s musical journey has earned her a position on the list of the world’s most lucrative artists. According to a report by Pollstar, “conservative” figures suggest that the final gross income from her Eras tour alone would climb north of USD 1.4 billion. Pollstar even cites the online research group, QuestionPro, which estimates that the US leg alone would generate USD 5 billion in economic impact in the cities where she tours (“more than the gross domestic product of 50 countries”). Talk about being ‘Untouchable‘!
Ahead of her Eras Tour in Singapore, what are some facts about Taylor Swift you need to know?
In the 17 years that Swift has been in the music industry, several interviews, documentaries, and appearances have revealed a sensitive and compassionate side to the singer-songwriter. Before she makes her way to Singapore for her Eras Tour in 2024, we list some of the most inspiring facts about Taylor Swift that every Swiftie needs to know, learn and memorise. Are you ‘Ready For It‘?
1. Taylor’s birthplace and initial years
Kicking off our list of interesting facts about Taylor Swift is some key information about her background. Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania, to Scott Kingsley Swift and Andrea Gardner (Finlay) Swift. She was named after James Taylor, a famous singer, and performer in his own right. In a 2014 media interview, the singer revealed she grew up on a Christmas tree farm from ages five to 10. “It was such a weird place to grow up. But it has cemented in me this unnatural level of excitement about fall and then the holiday season,” she told the publication. In 2019 she even released a Christmas song called “Christmas Tree Farm” and the video is comprised of clips from her childhood.
After attending a traditional high school during her freshman and sophomore years, Swift transferred to Aaron Academy to be homeschooled which worked best with her busy tour schedule. She received her graduation diploma by email years later, reported Associated Press.
2. Early signs of creativity
In a 2016 interview with Vogue, the 33-year-old shared that her mom harboured aspirations for Taylor to become a horseback rider. Because of this Swift rode competitively until she was 12 years old. However, she later revealed to her mother that she did not share the same passions as her.
Apart from her riding career, Taylor even authored a novel titled ‘A Girl Named Girl’ at the age of 14. While her parents seem to own the last remaining copy, it does give us an insight into Swift’s creative genius.
Even Taylor’s guitar skills were cultivated at the young age of 12. She penned down her first song ‘Lucky You’, when her local computer repairman cum musician Ronnie Cremer taught her to how to strum a few chords. The foremost song she learned to play, however, was Sixpence None the Richer’s hit ‘Kiss Me’. At age 11, she performed at a Philadelphia 76ers game and sang ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ as well as the national anthem. She emerged victorious at a local talent competition singing LeAnn Rimes’ ‘Big Deal’ in the same year.
3. The unsuccessful side of the trade
Not many fans know that Taylor’s initial attempts to break into the country music scene were unfruitful. In an interview with American Songwriter in 2011, the artist revealed that at the age of 11, she travelled to Nashville with her mum and submitted Dolly Parton and Dixie Chicks covers to record labels – but was rejected by them all. “Everyone in that town wanted to do what I wanted to do. So, I kept thinking to myself, I need to figure out a way to be different,” she told the publication.
It was only at a showcase in Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe in 2005, that the budding singer caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a record executive who was preparing to form an independent record label, Big Machine Records. She became one of the company’s first signings, with her father purchasing a three percent share. Taylor then began working on her debut album and persuaded Borchetta to hire Nathan Chapman as her producer. Her first lead single ‘Tim McGraw‘ was released in June 2006, and Taylor Swift’s self-titled album was released later that year in October. It peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard 200, where it spent 275 weeks. She returned to Bluebird in 2018, surprising fans with a duet alongside country songwriter Craig Wiseman.
4. Taylor’s songwriting skills
While many of Swift’s multi-platinum releases have been credited to her songwriting skills ( Think ‘Bad Blood’, ‘Back to December’, ‘Our Song’), it is only her album, ‘Speak Now’ which she exclusively penned and co-produced from end to end. Speaking of lyrics, Taylor revealed to Rolling Stones in 2014 that she is often inspired to write lyrics that “burn.” “Sometimes the lines in a song are lines you wish you could text-message somebody in real life,” Swift articulated, adding “I would just be constantly writing all these zingers — like, ‘Burn. That would really get her.”
In Vogue’s 73 Questions interview with Taylor Swift back in 2016, where the artist revealed many illuminating facts about herself, she further informed fans that ‘Blank Space’ took the least amount of time to write, “cause [she’d] written a lot of the lines down already in the year preceding the session,” but ‘All too Well’ took the longest to write. “It’s a really emotional song, I kept putting it down for months on end,” Swift explained.
5. Writing for other artists
The songwriter has written songs like ‘Better Man’ for Little Big Town and the iconic track ‘You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home’ from the generation-defining show, Hannah Montana. Taylor’s even written under pseudonyms — in 2016 Swift’s PR rep confirmed to People, “Taylor Swift wrote ‘This Is What You Came For’ under the pseudonym Nils Sjoberg.” The single was for artist Calvin Harris, her former boyfriend.
6. Film and TV appearances
If you thought Taylor’s musical career is her only claim to screentime, think again! The singer has a total of nine movie and television cameos which includes a grunge-haired victim in CSI, a small-time musician in Hannah Montana, and Taylor Lautner’s angry girlfriend in Valentine’s Day (2010). Other appearances include the animated feature The Lorax (2012), New Girl (2013), This is Rosemary (2014), Cats (2019), All Too Well: The Short Film (2021), and Amsterdam (2022).
7. Personal favourites
Have arrived in the land of cat cafes and eternal cuteness TOKYO HI 💕🌸🍭🍬🎆 I’m off to stare into pastel aquariums and hug all the people CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU GUYS LATER! pic.twitter.com/M2uvgIHe4i
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 6, 2019
One of the most interesting facts about Taylor Swift would be that she keeps an aquarium in her living room filled with vintage baseballs. Her USD 15 million Tribeca apartment in New York even houses a separate guest bedroom for bestie Karlie Kloss, complete with the supermodel’s photos, revealed a profile by Rolling Stone. A framed photograph of her infamous onstage encounter with Kanye West also finds a spot in her Nashville home, captioned, “Life is full of little interruptions.”
When it comes to brunching with friends, Swift’s favourite alcoholic beverage is a chilled vodka with diet Coke. She even has her drive-thru order ready at all points of the day and includes a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake to-go. Another drink that finds space among Taylor’s favourites happens to be the several bottles of Perrier water. At any given time, the Grammy-winning artist stocks a variety of different flavours in her refrigerator, including black cherry, pomegranate, blueberry, strawberry, key lime, and tangerine lime.
8. A few of Taylor’s obsessions
She’s “obsessed” with Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the sitcom Friends. While talking about her love for Fleabag, Swift told Entertainment Weekly, “She makes you crack up, shocks you, and breaks your heart all in the span of a few minutes in that show.” In 2015, she told GQ that after performing and meeting numerous fans, she likes to go home and have a Friends mini-marathon.
Additionally, she wrote her own monologue for her appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2009, which isn’t the norm with celeb guests. Swift clearly impressed the team with her creation, ‘Monologue Song’ (La La La).
9. Friends and family
Remember the “redhead named Abigail” that Swift references in ‘Fifteen‘? Well, she exists, and she’s still BFFs with Taylor! Swift was pictured in 2017 undertaking bridesmaid duties for her childhood bestie, Abigail Anderson. She was also photographed at her friend Britany Maack’s Pennsylvania nuptials in 2016, upholding her maid of honour responsibilities. It is reported that during her speech, Swift said, “Real love doesn’t mess with your head. Real love just is. Real love just endures. Real love maintains. Real love takes it page by page.”
View this post on Instagram
Another one of Taylor’s biggest industry supports comes in the form of superstar Selena Gomez, whom she befriended while they respectively dated the Jonas Brothers back in the 2000s. Other star-studded names on this list include the Haim sisters, Blake Lively, Emma Stone, and Gigi Hadid. Apart from her friendly endeavours, Swift is also a godmother to pal Jaime King’s son Leo Thames. Will we be seeing any of her famous friends at the Eras Tour gigs in Singapore? We hope so.
10. Mental health, supporting human rights, and spreading education
She regularly shares her good fortune with others, be it by funding the Taylor Swift Education Center at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville or by speaking out in support of LGBTQIA+ rights. During the Chicago stop of her Eras Tour, Taylor Swift took a moment to celebrate the start of Pride Month, speaking out against America’s growing wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation. “I wish that every place was safe and beautiful for people in the LGBTQ community. Right now and in recent years, there have been so many harmful pieces of legislation that have put people in the LGBTQ and queer community at risk. It’s painful for everyone. Every ally, every loved one, every person in these communities,” she added over the speakerphone. Taylor’s speech took place after her performance of ‘You Need to Calm Down,’ with the singer thanking the arena of fans who passionately sang along to the song’s pro-inclusivity lyrics.
For global stars like Taylor who boast of millions in follower count, mental health becomes a key area of growth. She revealed her hacks in a 2019 article, in an essay titled ’30 things I learned before 30′. In it, she wrote, “Social media can be great, but it can also inundate your brain with images of what you aren’t, how you’re failing, or who is in a cooler locale than you at any given moment. One thing I do to lessen this weird insecurity laser beam is to turn off comments. Yes, I keep comments off on my posts. That way, I’m showing my friends and fans updates on my life, but I’m training my brain to not need the validation of someone telling me how I look. ” Previously, Swift has even revealed that she does not keep Twitter downloaded on her phone for the same reasons.
From ‘Wildest Dreams’ To ‘Delicate’, These Are Taylor Swift’s Most-Streamed Songs On Spotify
All The Hidden Easter Eggs You Missed In Taylor Swift’s Songs
Which of these facts about Taylor Swift intrigued you the most and more importantly, how many kidneys do we sell to score her Eras Tour Singapore tickets? Asking for a friend.
Taylor Swift will perform in Singapore in 2024 from March 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 as part of her Eras Tour. Tickets are sold out. Read more here.
(Main and featured image: Omar Vega, John Shearer via Getty Images )
This story first appeared on Prestige Online Malaysia
