When Taylor Swift announced that she would go from country to pop, the music industry already predicted that she would be one of the biggest stars we had ever seen. While the years leading up to 2015 showed her rise, her full potential became visible in the year itself.
She seems to be a conscious pop star. Conscious of her image, influence, fans, what people say about her and conscious of her power. She’s not afraid to take risks nor to mock herself.
The days of that young girl singing “Love Story”, which for me was my introduction to her, are far behind us and a woman has emerged that I, personally, look up to because of what I mentioned above.
Officially, she says “1989” is her first pop album, but the hits from her previous album had already paved the way for it and pop influences have always been present in her music anyway.
The album sold over 8.6 million copies so far and is going head to head with her album, “Fearless”, from 2008. She’s just wrapped up her 1989 World Tour, which grossed $173 million dollars in November. The tour ran until December 12th, 2015.
Usually, when artists hit the road, it becomes a bit quiet around them, but Taylor, as I said, is a conscious woman. She knows how to make headlines by inviting celebrities to the tour. So, the tour has always remained in the press, as well as her fight for higher royalty payouts from streaming services.
It was Taylor this year, who made sure that artists were getting paid for streams played in Apple Music’s free trial period. And even though that may have given her a reputation for being anti streaming, she ends the year showing she’s not. Her music has returned to most streaming services and a registration of one of her concerts is, currently, being offered exclusively on Apple Music.
She’s definitely worked hard, but also had time for a, much discussed, private life. Her relationship with DJ Calvin Harris is something that has kept the press interested from the start. The two together are a power couple within music, that, financially, top Beyoncé and Jay Z. This makes them, some sort of music royalty.
Calvin, of course, fell for what others have also begun noticing this year: Taylor’s looks and style. It’s the first time Taylor made it onto Maxim’s Hot 100 Of The Year and won Elle’s Style Woman Of The Year Award. It’s the bangs and red lips… A classic combination that works all the time.
One thing I have absolutely enjoyed seeing her accomplish this year is that she brought back the lengthy and costly music videos. Call them mini movies, if you will. I hadn’t seen that since Michael Jackson and am very glad someone picked that up and gave it new life. No bad blood between me and Taylor. I can’t wait to see what happens with her next.
