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Hollywood legend Michael Caine showered praise on Taylor Swift, claiming that she earned her success while starting as a country singer in the early days of her career. Swift worked on multiple country albums previously, before transitioning to pop music in her recent ventures.
In his latest memoir, Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over: My Guide to Life, Michael Caine credited Taylor Swift for her "incredible success." The 92-year-old English actor wrote:
"I think Taylor Swift is incredible, a giant star, You know, she was a country singer to start with? And now she fills stadiums all over the world, with audiences of 100,000, and politicians are desperate for her to support them. That’s extraordinary."
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For the uninformed, Swift concluded her record-breaking Eras Tour in December last year. Caine further appreciated Swift's hard work and added:
"You can just tell how much hard work lies behind what she’s achieved, too. It’s no accident, She has really earned her success, and it hasn’t come overnight. She’s down-to-earth, which is almost always part of it. Not spoiled by all the accolades and money. That’s impressive."
Taylor Swift has four country albums in her discography: her eponymous debut album (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), and Red (2012). She transitioned to more pop-oriented music with her 2014 album, 1989. The singer also won a Grammy for Best Country Album for her second studio album, Fearless.
While both her debut album and Fearless are reportedly classified as purely country albums, the influence of a more pop or country-pop style became prevalent from her work in Speak Now and Red. Swift's latest works, such as Midnights (2022) or The Tortured Poets Department (2024), have a blend of genres but with a heavy pop influence.
From Fearless to Red: Exploring Taylor Swift's initial country albums
Taylor Swift has explored a number of genres throughout her career so far, including pop, country, and folk music. She began her career at the age of 16, when she dropped her eponymous debut album in 2006. Two tracks from her album, Our Song and Should've Said No, reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Charts.
With her first studio album, Taylor Swift became the first artist to either write or co-write every song on her debut country platinum album. She also received an Album of the Year nomination from the Academy of Country Music.
Swift's career hit a bigger high with her commercially successful second studio album, Fearless (2008). The venture released when she was 18 and included multiple hits, such as Love Story and You Belong With Me. The pop star's second studio album still completely adhered to the country music genre, with You Belong With Me being the first country song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Radio Songs list.
Moreover, Taylor Swift is currently the only artist to have won the Grammy's coveted Album of the Year category four times. Fearless gave Swift her first Album of the Year win at the Grammy Awards. It remains one of the most honored and appreciated country albums of all time, having won Album of the Year honors at the Country Music Association Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards.
In 2009, Taylor Swift took the trophy home in the category of Best Female Video for her song You Belong With Me at the MTV VMAs.
Taylor Swift's third studio album, Speak Now (2010), continued to display the singer's country influences, although it marked her transition to slight pop genre. The singer notably wrote the entire album herself. The album went platinum six times, selling one million copies in the United States in its first week. Few tracks from the album include Back to December, Mean, Enchanted, and Haunted.
She bagged the Billboard Country Album of the Year award for her work in Speak Now, while her single, Mean, won two other country music awards. The album reportedly gained recognition for Swift's transformation to a more mature writing style, moving from teenage influences in her two previous albums.
In October 2012, Taylor Swift dropped her fourth studio album, Red, which had some rock and pop influences to her country music roots. With this, the singer became the first female artist to get three straight albums on the Billboard 200 for at least six weeks.
Red was nominated for the Album of the Year and Best Country Album categories at the Grammys. She also got a CMAA nod for Album of the Year. Some of her notable hits from the album include I Knew You Were Trouble and All Too Well.
In 2014, Taylor Swift ventured into pop music with 1989, which displayed the heavy influence of producer Max Martin. It got her the second Album of the Year Grammy Award.
Her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, came out in 2024. She has yet to announce her next venture.
