Moves near Nashville
The entire Swift family moves to Hendersonville, Tennessee when she is fourteen, so Taylor can be close to Nashville and continue pursuing her music career. In a 2008 interview she says:
Living in Pennsylvania was great, and it was an incredible place to grow up, but I didn’t have any friends, so I was like, “Sure, let’s move. I’ll miss my friends even though I don’t have any.” So that wasn’t a big deal for me. But my dad had to transfer his work to Nashville. For a while, he was commuting back and forth and it was an incredible sacrifice for my parents to make and I’ve never forgotten it.
Tim McGraw
Swift releases her single, Tim McGraw, from her self titled album, Taylor Swift. Swift tells about what drove her to write the song:
I wrote [the song] in my freshman year of high school. I got the idea in math class. I was just sitting there, and I started humming this melody. I kind of related it to this situation I was in. I was dating a guy who was about to go off to college. I knew we were going to break up. So I started thinking about all the things that I knew would remind him of me. Surprisingly, the first thing that came to mind was that my favorite country artist is Tim McGraw.
Our Song
Swift releases her single, Our Song, from her self titled album, Taylor Swift. About what inspired her to write her song:
I wrote this song in my freshman year of high school for my 9th grade talent show. So I was sitting there thinking, ‘I’ve gotta write a song that’s gonna relate to everyone in the talent show, and it’s gotta be upbeat.’ And at that time, I was dating a guy, and we didn’t have a song. So I went ahead and wrote us one, and I played it at the talent show at the end of the year. And months later, people would come up to me and they’re like, ‘I loved that song that you played – ‘Our Song’.’ And then they’d start singing lines of it back to me. And they’d only heard it once, so I thought, ‘There must be something here!’
Teardrops on My Guitar
Swift releases her single, Teardrops on My Guitar, from her self titled album, Taylor Swift.Swift shares her motivation to write the song:
I used to have a huge crush on this guy, who would sit there every day talking to me about…another girl: how beautiful she was, how nice and smart and perfect she was. And I sat there and listened, never meaning it any of the times I said `Oh, I’m so happy for you.’ I guess this is a good example of how I let my feelings out in songs, and sometimes no other way. And I’ve never been afraid of using names. I love this song because of its honesty and vulnerability. To this day, they are still together and he has no idea about this song.
Taylor Swift
Swift releases her first studio album self-titled Taylor Swift. The 15 track record features singles Teardrops on My Guitar and Our Song. The album also features collaborations with writer Liz Rose for each of the album’s tracks.
I love writing with Liz. When we write, I usually come in with a melody and some lyric content, and then we’ll work on creating the rest of the song. She’s a really good song editor.
Picture to Burn
Swift releases her single, Picture to Burn, from her self titled album, Taylor Swift. Swift about the song:
I think girls can relate to the song because basically it’s about just being mad. And it’s OK to be mad after a breakup or after something goes wrong with a relationship. It’s just like completely, brutally honest. It’s also kind of funny. It’s got a comedic edge to it.
Picture To Burn performance
Swift performs Picture To Burn at the CMT Awards from her album Taylor Swift.
Fearless performance
Swift performs Fearless on Late Show with David Letterman from her album Fearless.
Fearless
Swift releases her second studio album Fearless. The 13 track album is co-written by Swift and collaborators Liz Rose, Hillar Lindsey, Colbie Caillat and John Rich. Singles Love Story, Fifteen and Fearless are all featured songs on the record.
On this album, I deal with a lot of fairy tale themes. Sometimes they turn out good, sometimes they turn out bad. Love Story was a really happy ending — you put everything you have into love and it works out. Then in the song White Horse, you put everything you have into love and you get your heart broken. It blew my mind that such a personal song was the one people were talking the most about, because I always felt like the more personal my songs were, the more I could just relate to them. But, really, more people have been able to relate to those songs — the ones that I wrote when I was really going through something terrible.
Cosmo Girl cover
Swift appears on the cover of the December 2008/January 2009 issue of Cosmo Girl magazine. She talks about love, success, and revenge. This is the last issue of Cosmo Girl.
Teen Vogue cover
Swift appears on the cover of the March 2009 issue of Teen Vogue magazine. She talks about having her picture taken, her style, and her love for country music.
Well, I started begging my mom to bring me here after I saw a TV special on Faith Hill she came to Nashville, and that’s how she made it. So for spring break we rented a car and drove up and down Music Row, handing my homemade demo CD to the receptionists at all the labels. I’d say, ‘Hey, I’m eleven, and I want a record deal. Call me.
Seventeen cover
Swift appears on the cover of the May 2009 issue of Seventeen magazine. She talks about her song about Joe Jonas, her friends, and her favorite thing to write songs about.
Right now, my favorite thing to write about is love. And breakups. And boys. And feelings. Honesty is a big part of my writing, because when I was younger and fell in love with songs I’d hear, I would always wonder who that song was about. It would have totally broken my heart to know it wasn’t about anyone and was just written so it could be on the radio.
Creme New Zealand cover
Cyrus and Swift appear on the cover of the May 2009 issue of Creme New Zealand magazine.
Love Story performance
Swift performs Love Story on The Today Show from her album Fearless.
Taylor Swift interview
Marie Claire interviews Swift about how personal her song writing is to her and her writing style.
For me, writing a song, I sit down and the process doesn’t really involve me thinking about the demographic of people I’m trying to hit or who I want to be able to relate to the song or what genre of music it falls under. When I sit down and write a song the only person that I’m thinking about in that room is the person that I’m writing the song about and what I want them to know and what I wish I could tell them to their face, but I’m going to say it in a song instead. So, for me, music is really more about a diary and a confession. I love it. I love getting to say things to people that I wouldn’t say to them if I was standing face to face with them. Music is a way of verbalizing those things that I feel that I can’t say.
Glamour cover
Swift appears on the cover of the August 2009 issue of Glamour magazine. She talks about maintaining who she is, using her life to inspire songs, and the logistics of having a boyfriend.
It’s always going to be long-distance, even if I date the boy who lives next door to me in Nashville. I’ll be flying to see him and flying him places to see me. It feels like it would involve more scheduling, and I already deal with a lot of scheduling in my life. Of course, if I met somebody who was worth it, I would probably stop thinking that way!
Bliss cover
0 0 D.D D.D2015-03-04 12:42:122015-03-04 19:54:21Bliss coverInterrupts Swift during VMAs
During the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, West interrupts Swift’s speech. Swift, who wins the award for Best Female Video (You Belong With Me), is beginning her acceptance speech when West storms the stage and takes the microphone from her.
Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!
West is referring to Beyonce’s video for Single Ladies. Swift:
I was standing onstage, and I was really excited because I’d just won the award, and then I was really excited because Kanye West was onstage. And then I wasn’t excited anymore after that.
Apologizes to Swift
West calls Swift and apologizes for interrupting her speech at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Kanye did call me and he was very sincere in his apology. And I accepted that apology
Fearless performance
Swift performs Fearless during The Ellen Show to promote her album Fearless.