Taylor Swift has taken the world by storm with her music, style, and unique personality.
Whether you’re a lifelong Swiftie or just curious, this guide dives deep into 145 surprising and fun facts about Taylor Swift. From career highlights to personal quirks, get to know Taylor like never before!
Taylor Swift’s Early Life
- Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania.
- Her parents named her Taylor so she could have a gender-neutral name in business.
- Taylor’s father, Scott Swift, worked as a stockbroker, while her mother, Andrea Swift, was a homemaker.
- She grew up on a Christmas tree farm, which she credits with inspiring her creative side.
- At age 9, Taylor developed a passion for musical theater, performing in various shows.
- Taylor first learned guitar from a computer technician who taught her three chords.
- By age 12, she had started writing her own songs, drawing inspiration from her life and surroundings.
- Taylor moved to Nashville at 14 to pursue a music career and became one of the youngest Sony/ATV songwriters.
- Taylor Swift was inspired by Shania Twain, who influenced her interest in country music.
- She attended Hendersonville High School in Tennessee but finished high school via homeschooling.
- Taylor originally wanted to be a stockbroker, following in her father’s footsteps.
- Growing up, her favorite musical artists included LeAnn Rimes and Dolly Parton.
- Swift has a younger brother, Austin, who is also involved in the entertainment industry.
- She won her first talent competition singing LeAnn Rimes’s “Big Deal.”
- Taylor’s middle name, Alison, was inspired by her mother’s best friend from college.
Rise to Fame
- Taylor released her debut single, “Tim McGraw,” in 2006, inspired by a high school romance.
- Her first album, Taylor Swift, went platinum in the U.S. and included hits like “Our Song” and “Teardrops on My Guitar.”
- The album sold over 2.5 million copies, cementing her place in the country music scene.
- Taylor was the youngest artist signed by Big Machine Records at the time.
- She opened for major country stars like Rascal Flatts and George Strait in her early career.
- Taylor became the first female solo artist in country music history to write or co-write every song on a platinum-certified debut album.
- In 2008, her second album, Fearless, became the best-selling album of the year.
- “Love Story,” one of her biggest hits, was based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
- Fearless won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 2010, making Taylor the youngest artist to win the honor.
- Taylor’s move from country to pop with her album Red was a significant career pivot.
- Her 1989 album marked a full transition to pop and featured global hits like “Shake It Off.”
- Taylor became the first female artist to replace herself at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
- In 2021, she became the first woman to win Album of the Year three times at the Grammys.
- With over 50 million albums sold, she is one of the world’s best-selling music artists.
- Taylor’s songwriting has been recognized with numerous awards and is known for its storytelling quality.
Songwriting Talents
- Taylor writes or co-writes all of her songs, which is uncommon in pop music.
- Her storytelling style is widely praised, with each song often telling a personal story.
- Taylor has a unique style where she references people from her life in her lyrics.
- “All Too Well,” a fan favorite, was originally over 10 minutes long.
- She’s known for hiding Easter eggs in her lyrics and music videos, leaving fans to find clues.
- Taylor was inspired by poetry, especially by poets like Robert Frost and Shel Silverstein.
- Her album Folklore introduced fictional characters, a first in her discography.
- She often writes lyrics on hotel napkins, receipts, and random pieces of paper.
- “The Last Great American Dynasty” from Folklore tells the story of the previous owner of her Rhode Island home.
- Taylor has co-written songs with stars like Ed Sheeran, Jack Antonoff, and Max Martin.
- She has won over 11 BMI Pop Awards for her songwriting skills.
- Rolling Stone called her one of the greatest songwriters of her generation.
- Taylor wrote “Speak Now” entirely by herself after someone criticized her writing skills.
- She often keeps notebooks filled with lyric ideas and diary entries for inspiration.
- Her father once found 400 pages of songs Taylor had written by age 15.
Unique Personality Traits
- Taylor is known for her love of cats and has three named Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button.
- She loves making homemade gifts for her friends and fans.
- Taylor enjoys cooking and often shares her recipes on social media.
- Her favorite holiday is Christmas, and she goes all out decorating each year.
- Taylor loves binge-watching TV shows and often recommends her favorites.
- She has a soft spot for horror movies, especially classic thrillers.
- Taylor can play several instruments, including piano, guitar, banjo, and ukulele.
- She once accidentally invited herself to Selena Gomez’s house because she wanted to become friends.
- Taylor has a “lucky number” 13, which she incorporates in many ways, like writing it on her hand during performances.
- She’s afraid of sea urchins but has gone snorkeling to face her fear.
- Taylor loves baking and is known for her homemade cookies, especially around the holidays.
- She’s incredibly organized and often writes color-coded lists.
- Taylor is very close to her fans and goes out of her way to meet them.
- She loves painting and frequently shares her art on social media.
- Taylor is a huge Game of Thrones fan and named “Arya Stark” as one of her inspirations for the Reputation era.
Record-Breaking Achievements
- Taylor was the first artist to win the American Music Award for Artist of the Decade.
- She’s the only female artist to have won Billboard’s Woman of the Decade.
- Swift holds 29 American Music Awards, the most by any artist.
- Her 2020 album Folklore broke records by staying at No. 1 for eight consecutive weeks.
- Taylor’s 1989 World Tour grossed over $250 million, making it one of the highest-grossing tours.
- She was the first woman to replace herself at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Her Fearless (Taylor’s Version) broke records as the first re-recorded album to debut at No. 1.
- Taylor holds the record for the most entries in the Billboard Hot 100 by a female artist.
- She’s the first artist to have four albums with over one million sales in a week.
- Taylor became Spotify’s most-streamed female artist in a single day in 2021.
- She was listed as one of the world’s most influential people by TIME magazine multiple times.
- In 2019, Forbes named her the world’s highest-paid entertainer.
- Taylor was the first artist to have eight albums sell more than 500,000 copies in one week.
- She has the Guinness World Record for Most Simultaneous Hot 100 Hits.
- Taylor’s album Lover was the first to sell over 1 million copies in the U.S. in 2019.
Philanthropy and Activism
- Taylor is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and has made substantial donations to related charities.
- She has supported education by donating to various literacy programs.
- Taylor donated $1 million to Louisiana flood relief in 2016.
- She’s a supporter of the “Time’s Up” movement against workplace harassment.
- Taylor made headlines by helping fans pay off student loans and medical bills.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, she donated to food banks across the U.S.
- Taylor advocates for music rights and famously took a stand against Spotify and Apple Music.
- In 2021, Taylor launched a program to fund music education in Tennessee schools.
- She donated proceeds from her 1989 single “Welcome to New York” to NYC public schools.
- Taylor often highlights voting awareness, encouraging young people to vote.
- She once donated $250,000 to Kesha to help with legal fees.
- Taylor has funded several hospitals and research institutions focused on cancer treatment.
- She was awarded for her philanthropic efforts by the Do Something Awards.
- Taylor supports animal shelters and has donated to various rescue organizations.
- Swift donated thousands of books to schools across Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Bonus Fun Facts About Taylor Swift
- Taylor has won over 500 awards worldwide.
- Her fans are known as “Swifties.”
- She sends Christmas gifts to fans through a tradition known as “Swiftmas.”
- Taylor’s “Bad Blood” music video featured many of her famous friends.
- She’s a self-proclaimed “cat lady” and calls her cats her “children.”
- Her perfume line includes scents like “Wonderstruck” and “Incredible Things.”
- Taylor holds honorary “Ambassador” status for the city of Nashville.
- She once appeared on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as an actress.
- Taylor has been in several commercials for companies like Diet Coke and Apple.
- She loves mystery novels and recommends them on social media.
- She’s a skilled knitter and made Harry Styles a sweater once.
- Taylor starred in the movie The Giver and in Cats as Bombalurina.
- She was one of the first to break Spotify’s record for most streams in a day.
- Taylor sends flowers to fans who support her music on social media.
- She was the first person to appear twice on the cover of Rolling Stone in one year.
- Taylor has been parodied on Saturday Night Live but has also been a guest host.
- She used to keep a “fearless bracelet” given by her friend Abigail as good luck.
- Her “Red” lipstick became iconic in her Red album era.
- Taylor loves the fall season and often decorates her home with pumpkins.
- She’s obsessed with collecting vinyl records.
- Swift once donated $50,000 to a young fan battling leukemia.
- Taylor’s been photographed carrying her cat, Olivia, in a backpack.
- She’s one of only a few artists to reach a billion views on YouTube multiple times.
- Her handwriting is admired for its neatness and consistency.
- Taylor loves Halloween and throws themed parties each year.
- She received a tree planted in her name in New York City’s Central Park.
- Taylor’s favorite color is reportedly purple.
- She designed her merchandise herself, putting personal touches in each product.
- Taylor loves Christmas and decorates early every year.