94 Fun Facts About Taylor Swift Music

Which production duo co-wrote and produced 'Shake It Off' with Taylor Swift?

Max Martin and Shellback co-wrote and produced 'Shake It Off' with Swift; the Swedish pair also handled much of 1989, her first full pop album, released in 2014.

Which track opens Taylor Swift's critically acclaimed 2020 album 'folklore'?

'the 1' opens the record with piano and light percussion; the album was written in isolation during the 2020 lockdown and surprise-released on July 24 with under a day's notice.

Which of Taylor Swift's re-recorded albums was the first 'Taylor's Version' released, in April 2021?

Fearless (Taylor's Version) arrived on April 9, 2021, the first of the re-recordings she made to regain control of her masters.

In 'All Too Well (10 Minute Version)', what clothing item is left at a sister's house?

The scarf, left over a Thanksgiving weekend in the first verse, returns in the last: the ex still has it because 'it smells like me'.

Who is the featured act on Taylor Swift's 'exile' from 'folklore'?

Bon Iver, the project of Justin Vernon, is the featured act on 'exile'; Vernon's baritone and Swift's vocals trade verses on the folklore duet released in July 2020.

'Anti-Hero' was the lead single from which Taylor Swift album?

Written and produced with Jack Antonoff, it rides a 1980s-style LinnDrum loop and its lyrics deal with Swift's own insecurities.

Which of these singles came from Taylor Swift's album Red, rather than from 1989?

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together was the lead single from Red in 2012; Blank Space, Style and Bad Blood are all 1989 tracks.

What animal is prominently featured in the music video for 'Blank Space'?

Horses are the video's signature animal: Swift and her co-star ride white horses across the estate grounds, shot at Oheka Castle on Long Island in 2014.

Which of Taylor Swift's albums is home to 'You Belong With Me'?

'You Belong With Me' was a major crossover hit from her second studio album, *Fearless*, released in 2008.

Taylor Swift wrote 'Love Story' using which Shakespeare play as a reference point?

Swift rewrote Romeo and Juliet's ending so 'Love Story' closes with a proposal instead of a tragedy, the happy ending she felt they deserved.

The song 'Mean,' an anthem against critics, is from which Taylor Swift album?

'Mean' is a country song from her third studio album, *Speak Now*, which she wrote as a response to music critics.

What was the title of Taylor Swift's debut single, released in June 2006?

"Tim McGraw" was the debut single, and Swift and her mother spent that summer hand-mailing promo copies to country radio stations.

Which producer recorded Swift's self-titled debut album with her over four months in late 2005?

Nathan Chapman produced Swift's self-titled 2006 debut and stayed on through her country albums; he was still credited on 1989's 'This Love'.

Which Speak Now song did Swift debut at the 2010 VMAs, a year after Kanye's interruption?

Swift premiered 'Innocent' at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, one year after Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech there; its lyrics are widely read as addressed to him.

Under what pseudonym was Swift credited on Calvin Harris's 'This Is What You Came For'?

Swift was credited as Nils Sjöberg on Calvin Harris's 'This Is What You Came For' (2016), sung by Rihanna; she and Harris were dating at the time and split months later.

Joe Alwyn co-wrote and co-produced several Folklore and Evermore songs under which pseudonym?

William Bowery was Joe Alwyn; fans guessed it for months before Swift confirmed it in the Long Pond Studio Sessions film.

Which single gave Swift her first UK number one?

'Look What You Made Me Do', the 2017 lead single from Reputation, was Swift's first UK number one; it also topped the US Hot 100 for three weeks.

What chart record did 'All Too Well (Taylor's Version)' set in 2021?

At ten minutes it became the longest song ever to top the Hot 100, nearly twice the length of the 2012 original.

In which year did Swift first occupy the entire Billboard Hot 100 top 10?

Midnights' tracks filled all ten spots on the Hot 100 dated November 5, 2022, a first for any artist; The Tortured Poets Department then took the top 14 in 2024.

Which Swift album spent eleven weeks at number one on the Billboard 200?

1989 logged eleven weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 after its October 2014 release, and stayed in the chart's top 10 for a full year.

Which pair of 1989 singles made Swift the first woman to replace herself at number one on the Hot 100?

1989 became her first album to land five consecutive top-10 singles.

Alongside Jack Antonoff, which musician produced Taylor Swift's 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore?

Aaron Dessner of The National co-produced both; each debuted at number one alongside a number-one single, a first for any artist.

Which album was Swift's first to reach number one in the UK?

Red (2012) was Swift's first album to reach number one in the UK; in the US it opened with 1.21 million copies, the biggest first week by any artist in a decade.

Which song Swift wrote for Little Big Town won the CMA Award for Song of the Year?

'Better Man', which Swift wrote and gave to Little Big Town, won the CMA Song of the Year in 2017; she later released her own version on Red (Taylor's Version).

Swift's duet with Zayn Malik, 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever', was recorded for which film's soundtrack?

Fifty Shades Darker's duet peaked at number two, the highest chart position of any single from the Fifty Shades franchise.

'Safe & Sound', co-written with the Civil Wars, appeared on the soundtrack of which 2012 film?

'Safe & Sound', Swift's collaboration with the Civil Wars, appears on The Hunger Games soundtrack (2012) and won the Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media in 2013.

Which song did Swift write and record for the 2022 film Where the Crawdads Sing?

'Carolina' is Swift's song for Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), which adapts Delia Owens's novel set in North Carolina's marshes; she recorded it with Aaron Dessner.

Which character did Taylor Swift play in the 2019 film Cats?

Swift played Bombalurina, the flirtatious red cat who sings 'Macavity', in Cats (2019), alongside Idris Elba as Macavity and Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy.

Which MTV Video Music Award did 'The Man' win in 2020?

'The Man', the first music video Swift directed alone, won Best Direction at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards; she also stars in it in prosthetics as the title character.

Which 2010 music video, co-directed with Roman White, was Swift's directorial debut?

'Mine', the 2010 lead single from Speak Now, was Swift's first co-directing credit, shared with Roman White; the video was shot in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Which 1989 (Taylor's Version) vault track hit number one, giving Swift three chart-toppers from three albums in a year?

'Is It Over Now?', a vault track from 1989 (Taylor's Version), debuted at number one in November 2023; the album itself was her 13th Billboard 200 chart-topper.

What was the lead single from The Tortured Poets Department?

"Fortnight" debuted at number one, and the album then monopolised the Hot 100's top fourteen spots in a single week.

How many weeks did The Tortured Poets Department spend at number one on the Billboard 200?

The Tortured Poets Department logged seventeen weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 across 2024 and early 2025; it was also the first album to reach a billion Spotify streams in a week.

On which podcast did Swift first announce The Life of a Showgirl in August 2025?

Swift revealed The Life of a Showgirl on New Heights, the podcast co-hosted by Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, in an episode released on August 13, 2025.

Which Life of a Showgirl track debuted at number one on the Hot 100?

'The Fate of Ophelia', lead single from The Life of a Showgirl, her twelfth studio album, debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2025.

When Swift signed with Big Machine Records, her father bought what stake in the fledgling label?

Scott Swift bought a 3 percent stake in Big Machine Records, about $120,000 worth, when his daughter became one of the new label's first signings in 2005.

At which Nashville venue did Swift play the 2004 showcase where Scott Borchetta first saw her?

Swift played a November 2004 showcase at The Bluebird Cafe, where Scott Borchetta saw her; he was still planning Big Machine Records, which launched in 2005 with her as an early signing.

Swift featured on 'Half of My Heart' by which artist?

John Mayer's 'Half of My Heart' features Swift; the two were romantically linked in late 2009, a relationship fans believe inspired her Speak Now song 'Dear John'.

Which of these instruments has Swift played live in concert?

Ukulele sits in Swift's live arsenal alongside guitar, six-string banjo and piano; she played 'Fearless' on ukulele on the Speak Now World Tour.

The acoustic 'surprise song' segment of her concerts originated during which era's shows?

The surprise-song slot began on the Speak Now World Tour (2011-12), when Swift covered a different song each night, often by an artist from that city; on the Eras Tour it became a nightly two-song ritual.

After leaving Big Machine in 2018, Swift's albums were released under which label imprint?

Republic Records, a Universal imprint, released her albums under a deal that let her keep ownership of her new master recordings.

In May 2025, Swift bought back the masters of her first six albums from which company?

Shamrock Holdings, which bought the catalog from Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings in 2020, sold Swift the masters of her first six albums in May 2025; she had begun re-recording them after Braun's 2019 purchase.

What is Swift's singing voice type, even though she mostly sings in her alto range?

Swift is classed as a mezzo-soprano, though most of her catalog sits in a lower, alto-leaning range; Rolling Stone placed her 102nd on its 2023 list of the 200 greatest singers.

Which poet who inspired Folklore and Evermore is a distant cousin of Swift?

Emily Dickinson is Swift's sixth cousin, three times removed; Ancestry.com traced the link in 2024 through Jonathan Gillett, a 17th-century settler of Windsor, Connecticut.

Swift was named after which singer-songwriter?

James Taylor is the namesake; her parents chose a unisex name hoping it would help her succeed in business.

How many Grammy Album of the Year awards had Swift won by the end of 2025?

Four, for Fearless, 1989, Folklore and Midnights, making Swift the first artist with four Album of the Year wins.

Which single made Swift the youngest person to write and sing a country number one alone?

'Our Song', which Swift wrote alone for a ninth-grade talent show, topped Hot Country Songs in 2007, making her the youngest person to write and sing a country number one single-handedly.

Which publisher signed Swift in 2004, making her the youngest songwriter in its history?

Sony/ATV Tree signed Swift to a publishing deal in 2004, when she was 14, its youngest signing ever; she stayed until 2020, then moved to Universal Music Publishing Group.

Which original song did Swift co-write and record for the 2019 film Cats?

'Beautiful Ghosts' is the original song Swift co-wrote with Andrew Lloyd Webber for Cats (2019); Francesca Hayward sings it in the film and Swift's version plays over the end credits.

Which 1989 single has a music video shot on safari in Africa?

'Wildest Dreams' (2015) has a 1950s-Hollywood safari video shot in Botswana and South Africa; Swift donated its proceeds to the African Parks Foundation of America.

Evermore's 'Marjorie' honors Swift's maternal grandmother, who had what career?

Her grandmother's singing in church became one of Swift's earliest memories of music, and the song samples her operatic vocals.

Which 2019 Swift holiday single is named after her childhood home?

'Christmas Tree Farm', released in December 2019, is named for Pine Ridge Farm, the Pennsylvania Christmas tree farm where Swift spent her early childhood.

Who helped a 12-year-old Swift learn guitar and write her first original song?

A computer repairman, Ronnie Cremer, showed 12-year-old Swift a few guitar chords while fixing the family computer; she wrote her first song, 'Lucky You', soon after.

At 13, Swift was given an artist development deal by which label?

RCA Records gave 13-year-old Swift an artist development deal in 2003; she walked away a year later because the label wanted to keep her in development until she turned 18.

Swift's family relocated to which Tennessee town when she was 14?

The Swifts moved to Hendersonville, Tennessee, in 2004 so she could pursue country music in nearby Nashville; her father transferred to Merrill Lynch's Nashville office.

An early Swift song appeared on a promotional CD for which cosmetics brand?

'The Outside' appeared on Maybelline's 2004 'Chicks with Attitude' compilation CD, an early placement arranged by her then-manager Dan Dymtrow.

Which Music Row songwriter wrote with teenage Swift every Tuesday after school?

Liz Rose co-wrote with teenage Swift on Tuesdays after school; their partnership yielded 'Tim McGraw', 'Teardrops on My Guitar', 'You Belong with Me' and 'All Too Well'.

What was the title of Swift's Walmart-exclusive 2008 EP?

Beautiful Eyes, a six-track EP sold only at Walmart, came out in July 2008; it followed her Christmas EP, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, from October 2007.

'Love Story' was the first country song to top which Billboard airplay chart?

'Love Story' was the first country song to top Billboard's Pop Songs (Mainstream Top 40) chart, in 2009; 'You Belong with Me' then became the first country song to top the all-genre Radio Songs chart.

Which Fearless single won Best Country Song at the 2010 Grammys?

'White Horse' won Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance at the 2010 Grammys, the same night Fearless took Album of the Year.

Swift wrote 'Today Was a Fairytale' for which 2010 romantic comedy?

Valentine's Day (2010), Garry Marshall's ensemble romantic comedy, gave Swift her film debut; she wrote 'Today Was a Fairytale' for its soundtrack, which topped the Canadian Hot 100.

Who directed Swift's star-studded 'Bad Blood' music video?

Joseph Kahn directed the 2015 'Bad Blood' video, a Sin City-style action pastiche with Selena Gomez, Karlie Kloss and Lena Dunham in its cast; he also directed 'Blank Space' and 'Look What You Made Me Do'.

Which two Speak Now singles reached number one on Hot Country Songs?

'Sparks Fly' (2011) and 'Ours' (2012) both topped Hot Country Songs; 'Mine' and 'Mean' each stalled at number two on that chart.

Which singer duets with Swift on Red's 'The Last Time'?

Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol duets with Swift on 'The Last Time'; he co-wrote it with her and Jacknife Lee, who produced the track.

Ed Sheeran co-wrote which Red track with Swift?

'Everything Has Changed' was co-written by Swift and Ed Sheeran and produced by Butch Walker; the pair later reunited on Reputation's 'End Game'.

Besides 'Safe & Sound', which song did Swift record for The Hunger Games soundtrack?

'Eyes Open' was Swift's second contribution to The Hunger Games soundtrack (2012), a rockier solo track alongside the Civil Wars collaboration 'Safe & Sound'.

'Sweeter than Fiction' was written for the soundtrack of which 2013 biographical film?

'Sweeter than Fiction' was written for One Chance (2013), the biopic of Paul Potts, the phone salesman who won Britain's Got Talent; Swift wrote it with Jack Antonoff.

Which album includes 'Cruel Summer', a 2019 track that topped the Hot 100 in 2023?

'Cruel Summer', co-written with Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent, appeared on Lover in 2019 and topped the Hot 100 four years later after the Eras Tour revived it.

Swift left Nashville for where in March 2014?

Swift moved from Nashville to New York City in March 2014, buying a Tribeca penthouse; the move coincided with her full pivot from country to pop on 1989.

Which 1989 track did Swift create with Imogen Heap?

'Clean', the closing track of 1989's standard edition, was written and produced by Swift with Imogen Heap; Heap was one of several new collaborators alongside Jack Antonoff and Ryan Tedder.

Which rapper features on the single remix of 'Bad Blood'?

Kendrick Lamar raps on the 2015 single remix of 'Bad Blood'; its star-studded video won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration at the 2015 VMAs.

Each CD copy of 1989 came with a packet of 13 random photos of what kind?

Each 1989 CD included 13 Polaroids drawn from a set of 65 different shots of Swift, echoing the Polaroid-style portrait on the album cover.

In November 2014, Swift pulled her catalog from which free streaming platform?

Swift removed her entire catalog from Spotify in November 2014, objecting to its free ad-supported tier; the music returned in June 2017, the week Katy Perry's Witness came out.

Which rapper appears alongside Ed Sheeran on Reputation's 'End Game'?

Future features with Ed Sheeran on 'End Game', the third single from Reputation (2017); the three trade verses about finding real love despite the gossip around their public images.

Swift featured on 'Babe' (2018), a single by which country duo?

Sugarland's 'Babe' (2018) features Swift, who wrote it with Pat Monahan of Train during the Red sessions and later released her own version on Red (Taylor's Version).

Which musician features on Lover's 'ME!'?

Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco features on 'ME!'; the pair debuted it live at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, backed by marching-band drums and horns.

Which group features on Lover's country ballad 'Soon You'll Get Better'?

Dixie Chicks, since renamed The Chicks, sing and play on 'Soon You'll Get Better', Swift's song about her mother's cancer; she has cited them with Shania Twain and Faith Hill as formative influences.

Folklore's 'The Last Great American Dynasty' tells the story of which socialite?

Harkness once owned the Rhode Island mansion Swift bought in 2013, and the song draws parallels with Swift's own life.

Which sibling band features on evermore's 'no body, no crime'?

Haim, the sisters Este, Danielle and Alana, feature on 'no body, no crime', evermore's murder ballad in which a character named Este vanishes after confronting her cheating husband.

Who is the featured artist on Midnights' 'Snow on the Beach'?

Lana Del Rey features on and co-wrote 'Snow on the Beach'; a 'More Lana Del Rey' version with her vocals brought forward arrived in 2023 after fans complained her part was buried.

A May 2023 remix of 'Karma' featured which rapper?

Ice Spice features on the 'Karma' remix released in May 2023 on Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition); the two performed it together at the Eras Tour's East Rutherford, New Jersey shows.

Actress Zoë Kravitz has a co-writing credit on which Midnights track?

'Lavender Haze', the opening track of Midnights, lists Zoë Kravitz among its writers alongside Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet and Sam Dew; the title is a 1950s term for being in love.

What was Midnights' surprise extended edition, released the same night as the album, called?

Midnights (3am Edition) appeared at 3 a.m. Eastern on October 21, 2022, three hours after the album; it added seven tracks, four with Jack Antonoff and three with Aaron Dessner.

The Tortured Poets Department closes with a track named after which silent-film actress?

'Clara Bow', which closes the standard edition of The Tortured Poets Department, is named for the 1920s 'It girl' of silent film; its lyrics also name-check Stevie Nicks.

Which track opens Swift's 2017 album Reputation?

'...Ready for It?' opens Reputation (2017) and was its second single; Swift wrote it with Max Martin, Shellback and Ali Payami.

The double-album issue of The Tortured Poets Department carried what subtitle?

The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology arrived two hours after the standard album on April 19, 2024, adding 15 tracks, most of them produced with Aaron Dessner.

The Life of a Showgirl was recorded in which country?

Swift recorded The Life of a Showgirl in Sweden with Max Martin and Shellback, slipping into the studio between Eras Tour dates on the 2024 European leg.

Which singer guests on the title track of The Life of a Showgirl?

Sabrina Carpenter guests on the title track of The Life of a Showgirl; she had opened for Swift on the Eras Tour's Latin America, Australia and Singapore dates.

The Eras Tour opened on March 17, 2023, in which city?

The Eras Tour opened at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on March 17, 2023, and ran 149 shows over 21 months, finishing in Vancouver in December 2024.

In 2023 Swift became the first figure from the arts to receive which honor?

Time named Swift its 2023 Person of the Year, the first pick chosen for achievements in the arts; she had earlier shared the 2017 cover as one of the Silence Breakers.

The documentary Miss Americana premiered at which 2020 film festival?

Miss Americana, Lana Wilson's documentary, opened the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in January before its Netflix release on January 31, 2020.

Speak Now (Taylor's Version) broke whose record for most number-one albums by a woman?

Speak Now (Taylor's Version) gave Swift her 12th Billboard 200 number one in July 2023, passing Barbra Streisand's record of 11 for most chart-topping albums by a woman.

Swift was an opening act on which country star's 2009 world tour?

Keith Urban took Swift out as an opener on his Escape Together World Tour in 2009; she had also opened for Rascal Flatts, George Strait and Brad Paisley in 2006-07.

What working title for Speak Now did Scott Borchetta talk Swift out of using?

Swift planned to call her third album Enchanted, after the song, until Scott Borchetta argued the word was too fairy-tale for its more grown-up perspective; she chose Speak Now instead.