Love her or hate her, Taylor Swift has helped define pop music over the last decade. Her impact can be measured in six Billboard No. 1 albums, 10 Grammy awards, 56 American Top 40 singles, the highest grossing North American tour, and, now, an Artist of the Decade award.
And those are just some of her accomplishments. So it makes sense that the American Music Awards would want to honor the superstar, who last year surpassed Whitney Houston for the record of most AMA wins for a female artist. This year, she beat out Michael Jackson for most AMAs of all time with 26 career wins.
She’ll join previous Artists of the Decade Elvis Presley (‘50s), the Beatles (‘60s), Stevie Wonder (‘70s), Michael Jackson (‘80s) and Garth Brooks (‘90s). Brooks was the first artist to receive the award, as the previous decades were decided for the turn of the century show. There was no Artist of the Decade for the ‘00s.
A decade is a long time, and over the years, Swift has grown up in the public eye. She’s experimented with different artistic styles and battled harsh criticisms and rumors. Her highs and lows seep into her music, giving each album its own signature feel. This evolution is what makes her so enigmatic, and it’s even more interesting in light of her most recent award.
“Taylor Swift” – 2006
The album seeps innocence and the bittersweet pain of teenagehood. She paints herself as a country sweetheart, singing about boys in pickup trucks, faded blue jeans and small-town life with hits like “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “Our Song.”
Swift was 17 when she released her first album, establishing her as the songwriter and storyteller we’re familiar with and setting the precedent of songs inspired by the juicy particulars of her life. She uses real details, which will inspire a certain intrigue in later albums.
“Fearless” – 2008
Her sophomore album wasn’t a far jump from her first. While “Fearless” includes more pop-infused songs, it was still considered a country album, winning multiple awards in the country music world.
The Swift we get in “Fearless” is still innocent but finding her place as a popular artist, her image strengthened by songs like “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me.” Her debut album was tinged with a sad vibe, but “Fearless” rings out with a more cheerful, hopeful and fairytale-like message. She embraces the good and bad emotions, which we see outside of the actual album as well. At the 2009 VMAs, Kanye West rushed the stage during her award speech. West’s interruption strengthened Swift’s image of innocence and boosted her recognition.
“Speak Now” – 2010
“Speak Now” played heavy into the fairytale element and continued her transition from country to pop. It was the first album written entirely by Swift and turns the focus of each song to the lyrics. Throughout the album, we hear about her doomed relationship with John Mayer (“Dear John”), an apology to her ex, Taylor Lautner (“Back to December”), and a message of forgiveness to Kanye West (“Innocent”).
Following the release of “Speak Now,” Swift was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and became the youngest recipient of the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
“Red” – 2012
This was the album in which Swift reworked her brand and really turned herself into a superstar. The bangs? Iconic. The red lipstick and short-shorts? The epitome of fashion to my middle school self. “22,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” were a bit edgy for a “country singer,” yet they dominated mainstream media.
Swift had accepted that her private life fed public intrigue, and she framed the album according to that.
“1989” – 2014
“1989” is where Swift outrightly acknowledged her public reputation with such songs as “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” It’s also where things got messy for her.
Back in 2013 when Swift was on her “Red” Tour, she hired three dancers who had danced for Katy Perry. Shortly after, Katy Perry was preparing for her own world tour, and the dancers left Swift’s tour to join Perry’s.
Swift drops her single “Bad Blood,” and the feud heats up. The music video features a cohort of female celebrities, seemingly attempting to take down Perry.
In an interview with “Rolling Stone” magazine, she discussed how the single was about another female pop star and said that “[the person] basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour. She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me.” Here, she paints herself as a victim, a tactic she learned in 2009 and that will spill into future celebrity beefs.
Right after that article, Perry tweets, “Watch out for the Regina George in sheep’s clothing” and releases her clap-back single, “Swish, Swish.” Nicki Minaj slithers her way into the feud, starring in Perry’s video for the single, and it becomes a battle between Swift’s “squad” and the Perry-Minaj duo.
Shade is thrown from both sides, and in 2016, Swift is trapped in another messy and public dispute when Kanye West releases the song “Famous.”
At the time the song came out, Swift released her iconic statement: “I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative, one that I have never asked to be a part of.”
Once again, she plays the victim card, keeping a white-knuckle grip on her “innocent” image.
But then, Kim Kardashian posted videos of Swift giving permission to West to use the lyrics referencing the 2009 VMAs and claiming to have made her famous. Swift was declared “cancelled.”
“reputation” – 2017
In the midst of this drama, Swift drops her sixth album, and the Old Taylor dies. A darker and edgier undertone replaces the innocent and straight-from-the-heart songs that dominated her past work.
She embraces an almost-villainous persona in the promotions, music videos and on tour. “ … Ready for it?” and “Look What You Made Me Do” paint her in a much darker light. But this image doesn’t last long.
“Lover” – 2019
The Old Taylor lives. Lover brings back the childish, naive image that has permeated throughout her career. However, after the backlash, rumors and changing sound over the years, the first single, “ME!”, didn’t reach #1 on the charts—very atypical for Swift.
She traded in the black bodysuits and thigh-high boots for a rainbow-themed fantasy world.
After receiving criticism in the 2016 presidential election cycle for not taking a political stance, Swift is trying to rebrand herself as an outspoken social advocate with her single “You Need to Calm Down.” The music video featured prominent LGBTQ celebrities and included a call for fans to sign a petition supporting the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination at work, home, school and other public places.
She’s received backlash for the video, with critics saying she’s using the LGBTQ community to boost her popularity.
Lots can be said about Taylor Swift. Maybe she’s a manipulative, childish attention-seeker. Or maybe she really is a sweet, positive advocate. Maybe she’s neither.
Whatever her reputation may be, Swift has undoubtedly had an impact on American culture and society over the last ten years, making her a logical choice for the Artist of the Decade award.
Kayla Mayer can be reached at maye8518@stthomas.edu.