Over the years, many celebrities have revealed how they stay so fit and healthy. While some may still swear by weight-loss cleanses, many of Hollywood’s elite aren’t all about the quick fixes these days, but rather essential — and simple — modifications to two things you’ve heard countless times before: diet and exercise. In this regard, Taylor Swift is not unique. However, she has chosen ways to stay healthy that both fit her lifestyle and have received praise from professionals.
As far as staying in shape is concerned, Swift relies on celebrity trainer Simone De La Rue, creator of the Body by Simone Method. The Grammy award-winning artist isn’t looking to “get skinny” though, as she explained to Allure (via Today). “It’s so that I can keep up my endurance so I’m not panting on stage,” she said. She also tries not to indulge “too much.” But what exactly does that mean?
Here’s a glimpse at what T-Swift’s food diary might look like today.
Taylor Swift’s go-to breakfast is anything but simple
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Swift leads a super busy life. No one would blame her if she rolled out of bed and poured herself a bowl of Cheerios or unwrapped a Pop-Tart first thing in the morning. Despite her hectic life, Tay-Tay is all about sit-down breakfasts. “I love making buckwheat crepes with ham, Parmesan cheese, and a fried egg on top,” she told Bon Appétit, before adding, “It’s my go-to breakfast.”
Swift keeps thinly sliced deli ham, eggs, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in her fridge at all times, which is great because then she can always prepare her favorite morning meal. But what good is a beautiful breakfast without some freshly squeezed fruit juice, right? Swift said she always has some orange juice on hand as she drinks it “with breakfast every morning.”
Forget buying tickets to her concerts, can we buy tickets to Taylor Swift’s brunch?
She eats healthy during the week
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While Taylor Swift’s breakfast of eggs, cheese, and meat may not blow you away as the healthiest meal ever, she does strive to stick to a wholesome diet throughout the typical workweek. While healthy eating can mean different things to different people, Swift told WebMD that, for her, it involves adding “salads, yogurt, and sandwiches” to her diet “during the week,” while also cutting out “sugary drinks.”
Swift admitted that while she does try to keep her meals fairly light, she doesn’t believe in following a very strict diet. “I don’t like to create too many rules where I don’t need them. We know what’s good for us, thanks to common sense,” the singer explained. Of course, knowing what’s good for us and sticking to what’s good for us are two vastly different things. Regardless, Swift seems to have been able to successfully strike the balance — and you don’t need us to tell you that it’s working.
Weekends are a different story
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Taylor Swift may try to keep her weekday meals light, but, as far as the weekends are concerned, anything goes. “I allow myself to eat what I know from common sense is bad for me,” Swift chuckled while telling WebMD her weekend eating habits. Instead of the aforementioned “salads, yogurts, and sandwiches,” Swift is more likely to order “a burger and fries.” The star also admitted that she’s a huge fan of ice cream, so that will often be on the menu for Saturday or Sunday.
While it may sound a little counterintuitive from a health perspective to eat well from Monday to Friday and then eat some less-than-healthy foods on the weekends, registered dietician and the nutrition director of Duke University’s Diet and Fitness Center Elisabetta Politi said it’s actually a good thing. “Food is not the enemy, and Taylor is really to be commended for enjoying what she eats. We should all be eating in a mindful way and enjoying every moment that we do,” she told WebMD. That’s right, you have permission to satiate that ice cream craving.
She’s a fan of Wendy’s and McDonald’s
Taylor Swift enjoys having a burger and fries on the weekends (via WebMD), but that doesn’t mean she’s cooking them herself or hitting up high-end burger joints. No, the star told Whirl magazine that Wendy’s and McDonald’s are among her favorite fast food restaurants. “I love ice cream,” she continued, “so I’ll either get a Frosty from Wendy’s and dip my fries in it — or a McFlurry from McDonald’s, or I like to just stop by and get one of their cones. And, I love fries.”
Tay-Tay’s love of Mickey D’s fries is the real deal. After singer Katy Perry and Swift made amends following a years-long feud, the duo donned a fast food-themed couple’s costume for Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” music video. “A happy meal,” Swift captioned two pictures from the video’s set on Instagram. While Perry wore a cheeseburger getup, Swift rocked an order of fries. What greasy, cheesy perfection.
Southern and comfort foods are a must for Taylor Swift
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Southern food is not necessarily known for being healthy. From sugary sweet tea to buttery biscuits to fried chicken, Southern dishes are often some of the hardest to resist — and easiest to consume. This is likely even more difficult for those living in country food heaven, aka Nashville, Tennessee.
During a Vanity Fair interview at her Nashville apartment, Taylor Swift made it clear that she enjoys country cooking by ordering chicken sandwiches and lavender lemonade from one of her favorite restaurants in town. Although a Southern staple, Swift admitted to InStyle that she “never enjoyed anything with the word casserole in it ever before.” That is, until she tried sweet potato casserole. Life: changed. The country star told of Del Frisco’s, a restaurant that serves the dish, and described it as “basically sweet potatoes with this brown sugary crust.” She added, “Oh my God, it’s amazing.” If you’ve never had it, just know that Swift summed it up accurately.
She is all about those PSLs
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Love it or hate it, the number of people that flock to Starbucks for their first Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) of the season only seems to keep growing — even as fall somehow comes earlier and earlier every year. If you’re a lover of all things pumpkin spice, who knows, you may just run into T-Swizzle in line one day. That’s right — Taylor Swift is a fan of the autumnal beverage — and the coffeehouse chain in general. In fact, she gets a Starbucks latte each and every day.
Since she tries to eat lighter throughout the week, she orders a skinny vanilla latte during the traditional workweek. On the weekends, full-fat lattes are in order and, if they’re in season, she’ll pick up a PSL. “The point is,” she told WebMD, “I’m never cutting out what I love, which is Starbucks.”
Swift further pledged her allegiance to all things pumpkin spice, writing on Tumblr (via Cosmopolitan) that she loves autumn because it involves “not caring when people make fun of pumpkin flavored stuff cause you LOVE IT and are happy it’s all the rage.” That’s right, ladies. There’s no shame in embracing your “basic” instinct.
She drinks a ton of water
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Taylor Swift is all about caffeinated beverages, but she also makes sure to consume a lot of water. When Bon Appétit asked the star what kinds of food she brings with her on the road, Swift replied, “I have so much water in my dressing room — because I drink, like, ten bottles of water a day.” Whoa. If Swift is talking about ten standard 16.9-ounce bottles, that means she’s guzzling 169 ounces — or about one and one-third gallons — of water per day. At this point, you may be wondering if Swift has sprouted gills.
While it does sound like a lot, it’s not a bad thing to consume that much water in a day — with one important caveat. According to Medical News Today, the average person’s kidneys can handle up to seven gallons daily, but no more than 1 liter (or two standard-size bottles of water) per hour. So Tay-Tay, please pace yourself!
Taylor Swift is a grilling machine
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It’s certainly a gender stereotype to imagine that only men grill, but the truth of the matter is this: Men are twice as likely to, for lack of a better word, man the grill. According to survey data from the NPD Group (via NPR), only 19 percent of households reported women to be the grillers of the family. Oddly enough, these figures have remained the same for decades.
Taylor Swift, however, is in the small percentage of female grillers. In an interview with Bon Appétit, Swift dubbed grilling her “biggest food revelation.” She told the publication: “When I figured out how to work my grill, it was quite a moment. I discovered that summer is a completely different experience when you know how to grill.”
Swift now whips up some healthy grilled dishes like marinated chicken, “garlic green beans,” and a variety of other veggies. Of course, she also loves to make the classic grilled food burgers.
She eats (and bakes) cookies
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Not only is Taylor Swift adept at grilling, but she’s also quite the amazing baker. In a since-removed Instagram photo (you know, because she wiped all of her social media accounts ahead of her album “Reputation”), Swift shared her amazing “chai sugar cookies with cinnamon eggnog icing” that she herself had made. Adapted from a JoyTheBaker.com recipe, Swift brought the cookies to a whole new level by adding her homemade icing.
Cookies are not the only baked good the star makes though. She also likes to make apple pie, sheet cake, and cupcakes. Swift even made an adorable pink cake for her buddy Selena Gomez, complete with white icing handwriting that read “Gomez or go home” and featured the number 26.
Although the two friends weren’t able to celebrate together in person, Swift didn’t let the distance stop her from baking — and likely eating — the beyond yummy-looking confectionary.
Taylor Swift has her favorite cold weather — and not so cold weather — foods
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Cold weather months go perfectly with baked goods and comfort foods, which just so happen to be two of Taylor Swift’s favorite things to whip up. “Winter is my favorite season because of the food and the smells and the spices and how everyone is feeling everything so intensely and giving each other things,” the singer told Bon Appétit.
She further added, “I bake pumpkin bread for everyone I know and make ginger molasses cookies and hot chocolate and chai.” Jealous. Regardless of the season, Swift also admitted to keeping a supply of “binge food,” whether that be ready-made cinnamon rolls or a container of cookie dough.
Swift also told the publication that her favorite dish to eat when visiting home is her mom’s “brisket and pot roast.” Mama Swift apparently makes some killer toffee too, made with a mix of brown sugar, chocolate chips, butter, and Saltine crackers. Umm, yes please. “Those are high-calorie days for me,” the singer admitted. But, like she said, she doesn’t believe in cutting out the foods she loves. We feel you, Tay.
She always has hummus on hand
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Decades ago, there weren’t a lot of people snacking on hummus outside of the Middle East. Since then, though, the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council estimates that 25 percent of American homes now keep their refrigerators stocked with the chickpea concoction, as reported by Today. And, as it turns out, Taylor Swift is one of those people.
As part of Vogue’s “73 Questions Answered by Your Favorite Celebs” series, the person from the publication asked the star, “What one thing do you need to have in your fridge at any given time?” Swift replied, “Hummus, weirdly.”
While the superstar may find it odd that she loves hummus, she’s one of many big names — including Lucy Hale and Hillary Clinton — who enjoy the dip. Yes, hummus is all kinds of popular. Charlie Sahadi, the owner of a Middle Eastern grocery store in Brooklyn, N.Y., has watched the product’s sales quadruple since 2006. He revealed to Today that hummus had become his store’s best-selling deli item by 2016. If Taylor Swift is weird for liking hummus, well, we’re weird too.
She eats home-cooked dinners
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Considering Taylor Swift is one of the world’s highest-paid entertainers, we’re going to venture a guess here and say she could probably afford an in-home chef. That may sound like a dream to many, but Swift actually enjoys cooking. “I love making an entire meal, starting from making iced tea in a pitcher and then making tomato mozzarella pesto paninis,” she admitted to Whirl magazine. “I love cooking, and I love all the things you can incorporate into it and put your own spin on it.”
Swift told the publication she likes to experiment with a variety of spices in the kitchen. According to the star, she makes “a mean barbecue chicken.” as well as “really great pasta dishes.” She continued, telling Whirl, “I make shrimp scampi or, like, this great chicken with capers. It’s really excellent, if I can go out on a limb and say that about my own cooking.”
She supplements her diet with gummy bear vitamins
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For the most part, Taylor Swift typically eats a healthy diet. So, chances are, she gets a decent amount of vitamins and minerals just through eating. Yet and still, Swift boosts her intake with over-the-counter vitamins. When Whirl asked about her go-to supplements, the singer confessed, “Yeah, oh my God, this is so embarrassing. I take gummy bear vitamins.” She went on, “And I have them in, like, this mason jar on my kitchen counter, and there’s a label on it that says ‘gummy vitamins.'”
According to Healthline, gummy vitamins are among the post popular kinds of vitamins on the market — and not just among kids. NatureMade’s parent company Pharmavite revealed in a 2014 report (via AARP) that a whopping 65 percent of its gummy vitamin sales were for adult products. Go on, Tay-Tay — don’t be ashamed of your gummy bears.
Taylor Swift wishes she could eat chicken fingers every day (don’t we all?)
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If you didn’t have to factor in your health, is there one food you would sit down to eat each and every day? Taylor Swift has one. During an interview with Vogue’s “73 Questions Answered by Your Favorite Celebs,” Swift was asked, “What’s your favorite food?” The star didn’t skip a beat and responded, “I mean, if we’re just saying like, what I wish I could eat every day if calories didn’t count, is like, chicken tenders.”
Chicken tenders — or chicken fingers, as they are often called — have been frequently found on kids’ menus since the 1990s, but should they really be classed as children’s food? “We, as a society, need to stop classifying chicken fingers as a kids’ menu food,” a viral tweet reads. “It’s time.” We — and probably Taylor Swift — agree.
She is all about burritos
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In Taylor Swift’s January 2019 documentary, Miss Americana (via Decider), Swift can be heard asking her producer, Joel Little, “Do you eat burritos?” Little responds with a laugh, thinking Swift must be kidding. When asked again, he retorts, “Of course I eat burritos.” Because, duh, right? Swift snaps back, “Some people don’t!” And that’s when the truth starts coming out, folks. Swift revealed to her producer and, you know, the entire world, “I didn’t ever eat burritos until, like, two years ago. I just had never tried one.”
The fact that Swift didn’t try a burrito until she was well into her 20s prompted her producer to label it “the weirdest niche thing.” That has all changed, though. In her documentary, Taylor Swift is not only seen wolfing down a burrito, but also adding some chips to it — “for crunch,” according to the star.
Taylor Swift is fond of the French Blonde
Taylor Swift has been expanding her alcohol horizons as of late. While a vodka Diet Coke was once her go-to, she has since displayed a special predilection for the French Blonde cocktail while visiting acclaimed Kansas restaurant Rye with best pal Brittany Mahomes and other Chiefs’ wives and girlfriends in December 2023. Megan Garrelts, the restaurant’s co-owner, told Page Six, “From our understanding, [that is] her favorite cocktail” — a revelation to Swifties, who were hearing about this preference for the first time.
So what is a French Blonde anyway? The cocktail comprises gin, Lillet (a French aperitif), St-Germain liqueur (an elderflower elixir), and grapefruit juice — so you can expect both citrusy and floral undertones. When the ingredients are mixed together, they settle into a pretty shade of pink — almost like the pastel hues of the “Lover” cover art.
Even though Swift enjoys a drink here and there while celebrating with friends, you won’t catch her hosting booze-soaked afterparties on tour. According to her Person of the Year profile in Time, she abstains from alcohol entirely while on the road. “Doing that show with a hangover, I don’t want to know that world,” she said. We can understand why. According to Time, she prepared for her elaborate Eras tour with six months of strength and weight training plus three months of dance training with choreographer Mandy Moore. That’s definitely not a routine for the faint of heart.
She takes a page out of Ina Garten’s cookbook
Mustard-roasted fish isn’t the only Ina Garten meal Taylor Swift can whip up in the kitchen. Turns out she’s a major fan of the celebrity chef — not to mention a proud owner of Garten’s “Barefoot Contessa” cookbook. When Garten was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015, Swift absolutely gushed over her. Apparently, model Lily Aldrige recommended Garten’s recipes to Swift back in 2010. From then on, she was hooked. “As soon as I started watching Ina’s show, I realized why so many people adore her,” Swift wrote. “Her goal is to make things easier for us. Fans love her warmth and generosity. She shows us how to create memories that we’ll treasure for years to come.”
Over the years, Swift has shared a few of her fave Barefoot Contessa recipes. In 2014, she hosted a Fourth of July party, and the pics from the bash showed her baking Ina Garten’s flag cake, which uses blueberries, raspberries, and icing to form the stars and stripes. Years later, sharing “30 Things She Learned Before 30” with Elle, Swift named Garten’s Real Meatballs and Spaghetti as one of “three recipes I know I’ll be making at dinner parties for life.” Swift told Elle that she has modified the recipe for ease — she uses prepackaged bread crumbs and only ground beef for meat instead of blending veal, pork, and beef.
Swift told Food Network Magazine in 2022, “[Ina Garten] made cooking feel like self-care. Ever since, cooking has been my escape from stress and one of the only ways I can truly calm myself on a rough day.”
When she dines out, Taylor Swift opts for Italian and Asian cuisine
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As much as Taylor Swift loves to cook and bake, she’s equally keen on dining out. She’s often spotted at renowned restaurants with tight end beau Travis Kelce on her arm. She’s also been known to make time for dinners with members of her high-profile girl squad, ranging from Blake Lively to Selena Gomez to Zoë Kravitz.
It was only a matter of time before someone mapped out Swift’s go-to eateries. In December 2023, Eater stepped up to the plate, compiling a list of 29 New York City restaurants that Swift has blessed with her presence. Her picks revealed a love for two types of cuisine in particular: Italian and Asian. Of the Italian restaurants she patronized were Locanda Verde (a Greenwich Street spot co-owned by Robert De Niro), Lucali (a Brooklyn pizzeria), Emilio’s Ballato (a celebrity fave in Nolita), and Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria (another Nolita locale). Among the Asian restaurants that made the cut were Koi New York (a Japanese restaurant located in the Bryant Park Hotel), Nobu Fifty Seven (the Midtown installment of the famed sushi chain), and Lure Fishbar (which offers sushi as well as dim sum).
Of course, as Eater noted, Swift’s appearances at these restaurants have drummed up business, sometimes resulting in lines around the block — so if you don’t manage to weasel your way in, prepare to shake it off and try again.
Next Up
Every Taylor Swift Era Explained
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By The List Staff/Updated: April 26, 2024 4:37 pm EST
Taylor Swift is undoubtedly one of the most influential musicians of our time. She’s been making headlines since the summer of 2006 when her debut single “Tim McGraw” was released and is still the center of attention two decades later. Since her debut, Swift has sold over 114 million albums and won 14 Grammys. With deeply personal lyrics rich with symbolism, her music speaks to humanity without the borders of age or gender. From a country pop darling to an indie pop icon, Swift’s music has evolved through the years, providing cathartic entertainment that proves the haters wrong.
Millions of Swifties around the world recognize the attention to detail that goes into every Taylor Swift album. Each album marks the beginning of an era characterized by unique aesthetics that complement the concept of the album, Easter eggs, breathtaking visuals, and gorgeous outfits. (And, of course, there’s Swift’s complex dating history, which only adds to all the lore.) All this goes hand-in-hand with her magical voice and powerful songwriting to birth some of the most streamed albums in history. Whether you are a new or seasoned Swiftie, sometimes the task of remembering the details of every era can be more difficult than expected. Fret not, we have compiled brief explanations of every Taylor Swift era for your perusal.
Taylor Swift’s debut album introduced the world to a country music darling
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Ah, the era that started it all. The year was 2006, and a young aspiring country star named Taylor Swift entered the world of music with nothing but a guitar and some country attire. After years of performing in bars and venues in Nashville in hopes of getting a record deal, the singer-songwriter debuted her first and self-titled album, “Taylor Swift,” at the mere age of 16. Soon enough, the young singer was opening for famous country acts like Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill, all while having hits like “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “Tim McGraw” topping the charts.
The success of her debut album, of course, had Swift emerging into the music world as a teenage country darling, instantly recognizable by her tight blond curls, floral sundresses, and signature cowboy boots — and all of it coming together to form a monumental breakout era defined by Swift’s country-chic style and sweet girl-next-door status. And who could forget her adorable country twang?
The Fearless era was full of sequins and teenage romanticism
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With the release of her highly successful sophomore album “Fearless,” the year 2008 had Taylor Swift beginning to emerge as a household name, with now-classic hits like “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story” quickly establishing the singer as a teenage country-pop icon. In fact, Swift even earned her first Album of the Year Grammy win for “Fearless,” making history as the youngest-ever artist to claim the category at the age of 20 — until 18-year-old Billie Eilish broke her record in 2020.
As for what the iconic “Fearless” era was defined by, early fans will nostalgically recall the singer’s sparkly dresses and ball gowns, signature winged eyeliner, hand hearts, and of course, Swift’s lucky number 13, which the singer started donning on her hand for her performances during this era. “‘Fearless’ was an album full of magic and curiosity, the bliss and devastation of youth,” Swift recalled in early 2021 (via Taste of Country). “It was the diary of the adventures and explorations of a teenage girl who was learning tiny lessons with every new crack in the facade of the fairy-tale ending she’d been shown in the movies.”
Speak Now was Taylor Swift’s most magical and theatrical era
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Following the success of “Fearless,” Swift set out to further prove herself as a rising star, and more specifically, as a talented songwriter. Her 2010 album “Speak Now” was her first (and only) self-written album, written entirely by herself without the help of co-writers. As noted by Pitchfork, it was a truly personal and confessional album that focused on that transitional period between “adolescence and adulthood, innocence and understanding, country and pop.”
Much like the album itself (with songs like “Enchanted,” “Sparks Fly,” and “Long Live”), the “Speak Now” era was undoubtedly defined by its magical and theatrical aspects. In fact, Taylor Swift’s ambitious Speak Now World Tour was inspired by Broadway and was a truly wondrous spectacle filled with pyrotechnics, lighted trees, dancers, aerialists, and multiple costumes and set changes. Ultimately, when you think “Speak Now,” you’ll probably think of Swift’s sparkly dresses and looser curls, her “Wonderstruck” perfume line, and her ethereal “fairy tale” aesthetic.
The Red era saw Taylor Swift shifting into a more mature, experimental style
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Think of the “Red” era, and you’ll probably picture red lipstick and black fedoras — and of course, Taylor Swift’s straight hair and blunt bangs. With the release of her 2012 album “Red,” the singer debuted a new, edgier style, swapping out her usual glittery gowns for high-waisted shorts, striped shirts, and vintage dresses — and also famously ditching her signature bouncy curls for sleek, straight locks.
Swift’s shift from her signature “princess fairy tale” aesthetics to a vintage, more mature style, of course, was also a reflection of her shift in sound and themes for her fourth album. According to NPR, “Red” in many ways represented a “turning point” in Swift’s life and career while “on the precipice of adulthood,” with the singer experimenting with different sounds beyond her previous country-pop style to touch on — and blend — new genres such as mainstream pop, rock, and even EDM and dubstep. “Musically and lyrically, Red resembled a heartbroken person,” Swift reflected in 2021 (via NME). “It was all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end. Happy, free, confused, lonely, devastated, euphoric, wild, and tortured by memories past.”
The 1989 era established Taylor Swift as a global pop phenomenon
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“1989” marked Taylor Swift’s first full-scale pop album, and the era saw the singer taking over the music world as a worldwide mega-pop star, experiencing more commercial success than ever before. Few could escape the ubiquitous pop hits of “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” and “Style” from 2014 to 2015, and Swift’s presence was felt pretty much everywhere, whether it be the radio or award shows. And who could forget Taylor Swift’s “squad,” aka the pop superstar’s group of friends who were down to pop up in music videos or make surprise appearances at concerts.
Mirroring her transition from country to pop, the “1989” era was also defined by other Taylor Swift transformations. The award-winning songwriter moved to New York City, cut her hair into a short bob, and, of course, changed up her fashion style, opting for crop tops, skater skirts, and more form-fitting clothes that completed her evolution from a country sweetheart into a bombshell mega-pop star. Clearly, she was ready to shake off the eras of yesteryear.
Reputation was Taylor Swift’s darkest and edgiest era yet
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Following the peak of her career in the “1989” era, Taylor Swift found herself in the midst of bad press and negative public scrutiny — and it all started, of course, with her infamous feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. After months of disappearing from the public eye, Swift made an iconic comeback in 2017 with her sixth studio album, “Reputation” — and needless to say, it was quite a different feel from any of her previous eras.
Declaring that “the old Taylor was dead” in her lead single “Look What You Made Me Do,” the singer officially shed her “good girl” status and instead embraced the “snake” image put on her by the public. “Yeah, this is the character you created for me, let me just hide behind it,” Swift told Vogue of the persona she created.
Reflecting the darker aspects of her electro-pop album, Swift’s style during the unforgettable “Reputation” era was also noticeably edgier and grungier. Her classic red lip became darker and she rocked oversized sweatshirts, sequined bodysuits, and lots of thigh-high boots. And how could we forget “Bleachella” when she bleached her hair to an edgy platinum blond?
The Lover era was full of pretty pastels and bright, colorful optimism
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Talk about a 180 from the “Reputation” era. Moving away from the dark and edgy style of her previous album, Taylor Swift ushered in her seventh era with the bright and cheery lead single “ME!,” complete with a music video full of butterflies, rainbows, and colorful pastels. The noticeable shift in aesthetics also reflected the bright optimism of “Lover,” signaling that the “old Taylor” perhaps wasn’t dead, after all. “I’ve decided that in this life, I want to be defined by the things I love — not the things I hate, the things I’m afraid of, or the things that haunt me in the middle of the night,” Swift wrote in the album’s foreword. “Those things may be my struggles, but they’re not my identity.”
With this optimism of the “Lover” era came lots of brighter, more colorful looks in Taylor Swift’s wardrobe — including lots of fringe, sparkles, pastel-colored menswear, and ’70s-inspired clothes. There was also, of course, an abundance of the color pink — including in her hair, when she dyed the ends of her locks a pretty pink.
Folklore saw Taylor Swift embracing the alternative pop-folk genre
During the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, Taylor Swift announced the beginning of her alternative pop-folk journey by teasing us with the promotional images of her eighth studio album, “Folklore.” The woodsy photographs in cottage core aesthetics saw the country-pop star’s rise as an indie folk star. The emotionally intense album woven around folk storytelling also saw Swift drawing inspiration from other indie folk artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Sufjan Steven, and Lana Del Rey. The album also served with some dream collaborations like with Bon Iver for “Exile.” Set in a grey-blue imagescape, the autumn-themed album released in the summer of 2020 is full of self-introspection rooted in melancholy taking her reputation as a confessional pop musician to new heights.
As Time magazine noted, “Every song [in the album] has these kinds of lyrical winks, reinforcing the universe that Swift has crafted even as she expands it with her newfound layers of fantasy and character.” In a statement for the album, Swift shared that there is a collection of songs that she refers to as “the teenage love triangle.”
“These three songs explore a love triangle from all three people’s perspectives at different times in their lives,” Swift noted. This statement has led fans to speculate that these songs are “Cardigan,” “Betty,” and “August.” After all, when analyzed side by side, the songs weave a story of heartbreak, betrayal, and yearning — an embodiment of “the teenage love triangle.”
Evermore cemented Taylor Swift’s reputation as an indie artist
In December 2020, Taylor Swift made history by releasing the second album of her indie folk era, “Evermore” — the same year as “Folklore.” With her ninth studio album, Swifties embraced the cottage core aesthetic and set out to solve the hidden puzzles in the album laden with mystical lyricism. Many parallels can be drawn between “Folklore” and “Evermore” and fans consider both albums part of one era. As noted by Teen Vogue, the music video for “Willow” can clearly be seen as a follow-up to that for “Cardigan” as both the videos begin and end in a wooden cabin.
Another interesting fact surrounding the winter-themed album is the co-writer of “Champagne Problems,” “Coney Island,” and “Evermore” — William Bowery. In her Disney+ film, “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions,” Swift confirmed that Bowery is none other than her boyfriend Joe Alwyn, who had previously co-written “Betty” and “Exile” for “Folklore.” This revelation saw Swifties taking to X, formerly Twitter, to joke about a happy couple role-playing a break-up scenario to give birth to relatable heartbreak songs.
Midnights era is full of paradoxes and futuristic retrospection
“Midnights,” the 10th studio album is a collection of 13 songs Taylor Swift wrote on 13 different nights throughout her career and has elements of all the different eras. Listening to Midnights” is an experience of revisiting all her albums. On Instagram, she shared that the album featured “the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life.” With “Snow On The Beach,” this album also features a much-requested Taylor Swift-Lana Del Rey collaboration.
Even though “Midnights” was a surprise album, in less than 24 hours it became the most streamed album in a single day on Spotify, making Swift the most streamed artist in a single day on Spotify. The song titles of the album were revealed one by one via a cheeky TikTok series, “Midnights Mayhem With Me.” The album also saw Swift going back to intensely personal lyrics, a trademark of her music after having stepped away from it for the last two albums. In retrospect, the album is also a great foundation for “The Eras Tour.” There’s no better way to re-engage with fans than giving them the musical treatment they’ve been patiently waiting for, right?
The Tortured Poets Department defied breakup album expectations
When Taylor Swift announced “The Tortured Poets Department,” fans naturally assumed it would be a breakup album about Joe Alwyn. Ultimately, it’s about Alwyn, yes, but it’s also about her short-lived rebound romance with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy. Moreover, on songs like “But Daddy I Love Him,” Swift hits back at her own fanbase, furious with those who meddled in her relationship out of a faux concern for her well-being. The more successful she’s become, it seems, the more Swift views fame like a curse.
The night of the release, Swift wrote on Instagram, “An anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time — one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure.” In other words, the songs on this album were written during a heightened emotional period; reflective and sad but also angry and spiteful.
The album’s name turned out to be ironic. On the title track, Swift mocks a lover’s typewriter, and she sings, “You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith / This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’rе modern idiots.” She knows just how overwrought her lyrics are — how tortured her poetry is — and the black and white visuals for lead single “Fortnight” match. She copies Post Malone’s face tattoos and comes out looking like Jared Leto’s Joker. If pop culture wants her to be a villain, then she’ll assume the role … at least for “The Tortured Poets Department” era.
