Look what you made her do! Taylor Swift has totally transformed since releasing her debut self-titled album in 2006.
“I’ve had several upheavals in my career. When I was 18, they were like, ‘She doesn’t really write those songs.’ So, my third album I wrote by myself as a reaction to that,” the songstress told Rolling Stone in September 2019 when reflecting on her career. “Then they decided I was a serial dater — a boy-crazy man-eater — when I was 22. And so, I didn’t date anyone for, like, two years. And then, they decided in 2016 that absolutely everything about me was wrong. If I did something good, it was for the wrong reasons. If I did something brave, I didn’t do it correctly. If I stood up for myself, I was throwing a tantrum. And so, I found myself in this endless mockery echo chamber. … So, I decided to just say nothing. It wasn’t really a decision. It was completely involuntary.”
While she’s had both highs and lows in her career, Taylor has since taken control of her life and how she’s portrayed. After a public feud with Scooter Braun following the purchase of Taylor’s old record label — and, ultimately, her catalog of music — the “Mean” musician decided to re-record her first six albums.
“I have recently begun rerecording my older music and it has already proven to be both exciting and creatively fulfilling,” Taylor wrote via Twitter in November 2020. “I have plenty of surprises in store. I want to thank you guys for supporting me through this ongoing saga, and I can’t wait for you to hear what I’ve been dreaming up.”
She went on to drop Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in April 2021 and Red (Taylor’s Version) in November 2021. Both records included new versions of all her original songs along with never-before-heard tracks “From the Vault.”
“I’ve spoken a lot about why I’m remaking my first six albums, but the way I’ve chosen to do this will hopefully illuminate where I’m coming from,” the Folklore musician posted on social media in February 2021. “Artists should own their own work for so many reasons, but the most screamingly obvious one is that the artist is the only one who really knows that body of work.”
Not to mention, all of Taylor’s re-released records have sent her fans into a frenzy of uncovering Easter eggs, which is something that started early on in her career. It’s safe to say, Taylor has come a long way since her “Teardrops on My Guitar” days! Scroll through our gallery to see Taylor’s total transformation over the years.
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