Kelsey Barnes is a freelance writer/contributor for GRAMMY.com.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Oct. 6, 2025 to reflect the release of The Life of a Showgirl. The world now knows Taylor Swift as a global pop superstar, but back in 2006, she was just a doe-eyed country prodigy. Since then, she's released 12 studio albums, re-recorded four as "Taylor's Version," and cultivated one of the most…
"And, baby, that's show business for you," Taylor Swift declared after announcing her 12th full-length album, The Life of a Showgirl. From becoming the first woman and only artist to win a GRAMMY for Album Of The Year four times, to dealing with heightened media scrutiny, to breaking records with her Eras Tour, no one understands the highs and lows…
It's no secret that Taylor Swift puts on a show. The pop superstar has proven that time and time again, with her record-breaking, mind-blowing Eras Tour being the ultimate display of her showmanship. And now, she's giving fans a glimpse of what life looked like once the glittery bodysuits came off and the final bow was taken with The Life…
Fame has always been something of a pipe dream for Zach Top. Though he started learning guitar at 5 years old and formed a bluegrass band with his siblings by 7, he never envisioned he'd be a chart-topping country star. Now, it's hard for him to imagine how different life looked last year, let alone five years ago. "If younger…
No one had a bigger year than Sabrina Carpenter thanks to her GRAMMY-winning record, Short n' Sweet. That's exactly why when she announced her new album, Man's Best Friend, less than 365 days later, fans were initially puzzled as to why she was ending the Short n' Sweet chapter so soon. But Carpenter had lived a lot of life in…
OneRepublic's very first single, 2006's "Apologize," hinted at their hitmaking prowess. The sweeping ballad went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, earned the band their first GRAMMY nom, and introduced lead singer Ryan Tedder's unmistakable voice to millions. But that was just the beginning of their legacy as one of the most successful bands of the 21st century.…
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Aug. 23, 2024 and was updated on Feb. 4, 2025 to reflect Carpenter’s wins at the 2025 GRAMMYs. Sabrina Carpenter is the first to admit that it's taken her a bit of time to find her way to the top of the music industry. She even likens herself to the tortoise in…
When Tate McRae launched her THINK LATER era in September 2023, she was already a bona fide pop superstar in the making. She scored a multi-platinum viral hit in 2020 with her breakthrough single, "you broke me first," and further proved her pop prowess in 2022 with her debut album, I Used To Think I Could Fly. But as soon…
For many pop stars, reinvention can be seen as key to staying relevant. But for Camila Cabello, reinvention is just another word for change — and, in turn, growth. Her genre-bending fourth studio album, C,XOXO, was an unexpected turn for what people assumed of Cabello. After years of crafting pop hits often with a Latin flair, the Cuba-born, Miami-raised star…
Charli XCX is a product of the internet. A teen during MySpace's peak years, Charli — born Charlotte Aitchison — landed her first gigs thanks to the platform. Her first amateur album, 14, caught the attention of a promoter organizing illegal raves in London, and soon enough, she was performing at those parties as Charli XCX — fittingly, a former…
"All’s fair in love and poetry," Taylor Swift declared when she announced her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, at the 66th GRAMMY Awards. Taken from the proverb "All’s fair in love and war," the pop phenom gave us a fair warning: there’s no limit to what she’ll go through to achieve her ends. On the freshly released The…
With an ability to write songs that are as timeless as they are universal, Taylor Swift has often been described as the most impressive songwriter of her generation. The pop star's authentic lyrics and knack for storytelling has had fans invested from the start of her career, picking apart each line to better understand them. What is largely overlooked, though,…
Taylor Swift has continuously redefined what it means to be a pop superstar for almost two decades. But 2023 might have been her most defining year to date, thanks to the Eras Tour. With 152 dates in stadiums across five continents, the Eras Tour isn't just Swift's personal biggest tour to date — it's a feat few other artists have…
For international artists, making it in America can feel like a pipe dream — something only reserved for a handful of pop stars every few years. For Swedish pop singer Zara Larsson, it's a dream that is coming true slowly but surely. In 2015, Larsson released "Lush Life" and "Never Forget You," two singles that both hit No. 1 in…
When Taylor Swift released "Shake It Off" — the lead single from her fifth studio album, 1989 — in August 2014, she couldn't have known just how apt the lyrics "I never miss a beat/ I'm lightning on my feet" would be to her career nine years later. Since then, Swift has never missed a chance to shake up the…
