The year she turned 16, she signed with Big Machine Records.
The breakthrough yearThe year she turned 17, her first single, “Tim McGraw,” came out in June. Her debut album followed in October.
The year she turned 18, the Nashville Songwriters Association International named her Songwriter/Artist of the Year. The year she turned 19, she released Fearless, and Rolling Stone called her the bestselling artist of the year. The year she turned 20, she became the youngest person to win CMA Entertainer of the Year.
The year she turned 21, Fearless won Album of the Year at the Grammys, and Speak Now debuted at No. 1 with 1,047,000 copies sold. The year she turned 22, she won CMA Entertainer of the Year a second time. The year she turned 23, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” gave her a first Hot 100 No. 1, and Red sold 1.21 million copies in a week. The year she turned 24, she was named Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards.
The year she turned 25, 1989 moved 1.28 million copies in its opening week, and she pulled her catalog from Spotify. The year she turned 26, she published an open letter about keeping 1989 off Apple Music. The year she turned 27, 1989 won Album of the Year, her second.
The year she turned 28, “Look What You Made Me Do” went to No. 1, and Reputation sold 1.212 million copies in the U.S. in a week. The year she turned 29, she signed with Universal Music Group, and the Reputation Stadium Tour finished with $345.7 million in ticket sales. The year she turned 30, she released Lover, her seventh album. The year she turned 31, she released Folklore and confirmed she was re-recording her early albums.
The year she turned 32, Folklore won Album of the Year, making her the first woman to win it three times. The year she turned 33, Midnights broke the Spotify record for the most-streamed album in a single day, and her songs filled the entire top 10 of the Hot 100. The year she turned 34, the Eras Tour opened, and Time named her Person of the Year.
The year she turned 35, Midnights won her fourth Album of the Year, and the Eras Tour ended after 149 shows and $2,077,618,725 in tickets. The year she turned 36, she bought back her first six albums, got engaged and released The Life of a Showgirl. The year she turned 37, she married Travis Kelce and announced The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore.
Taylor Swift (born Dec 13, 1989) released her debut single “Tim McGraw” on Jun 19, 2006, the year she turned 17. Billboard and Rolling Stone call it her first hit. Her first Hot 100 No. 1 came in 2012, the year she turned 23.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Scott Borchetta, head of Big Machine Records, signed her to the label. She recorded her debut album that year.
Source 01 · CMT · Taylor Swift savors “Tim McGraw” payoff · opens in a new tab Only the year is given.Big Machine released her first single, which became her first hit. It peaked at No. 6 on Hot Country Songs in January 2007.
Her self-titled debut album came out on Big Machine Records. Billboard reported in 2009 that it had been on the Billboard 200 every week since Nov. 11, 2006.
Source 06 · Billboard · Borchetta on the debut album’s anniversary · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Billboard · Chart Beat, Oct. 29, 2009 · opens in a new tabThe Nashville Songwriters Association International honored her, tied with Alan Jackson. It was her first songwriting award.
Source 07 · Great American Country · Songwriter/Artist of the Year · opens in a new tab The article, dated Oct. 16, says the award was announced on Sunday night.Fearless spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2008–09. Rolling Stone reported that her first two albums had sold 6 million copies, making her the bestselling artist of 2008.
Source 45 · Billboard · Taylor Swift’s career timeline · opens in a new tabSource 08 · Billboard · Dangerous spends ninth week at No. 1 · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Rolling Stone · The Very Pink, Very Perfect Life of Taylor Swift · opens in a new tabAt the 43rd CMA Awards she became the youngest person to win Entertainer of the Year.
Source 09 · MTV News · Taylor Swift Dominates CMA Awards · opens in a new tab The article is dated Nov. 12 and says Wednesday night.Rolling Stone reported she was the youngest musician to win the award. She won four Grammys that night.
Source 10 · Rolling Stone · Beyonce, Taylor Swift Dominate 2010 Grammy Awards · opens in a new tab The article is dated Feb. 1 and says the ceremony was last night.Speak Now debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 1,047,000 copies sold, Billboard reported.
Source 11 · Billboard · Speak Now sells over 1 million · opens in a new tabShe became the second woman to win the award twice, after Barbara Mandrell.
Source 12 · CBS News · CMA Awards 2011 · opens in a new tabThe song rose from No. 72 to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its second week, her first Hot 100 No. 1.
Source 13 · Billboard · Taylor Swift scores first Hot 100 No. 1 · opens in a new tab Date of Billboard’s report.Red sold 1.21 million copies in its first week, more than any album since 2002, Billboard reported.
Source 14 · Billboard · Red sells 1.21 million · opens in a new tabSource 13 · Billboard · Taylor Swift scores first Hot 100 No. 1 · opens in a new tabShe took the Artist of the Year award at the 2013 American Music Awards in Los Angeles.
Source 15 · Billboard · 2013 American Music Awards · opens in a new tab1989 moved 1.28 million copies in its opening week, the best of her career to that point, Billboard reported.
Source 16 · Billboard · Roadmap to 1989’s record week · opens in a new tabSource 45 · Billboard · Taylor Swift’s career timeline · opens in a new tabIn the week 1989 sold 1.3 million copies, Rolling Stone reported, she removed “Shake It Off” and all her earlier music from Spotify.
Source 17 · Rolling Stone · Label head explains Spotify removal · opens in a new tab The article is dated Nov. 8; the exact day is not given.The letter said 1989 would not be on Apple Music when the service launched on June 30.
Source 18 · Billboard · Open letter on Apple Music · opens in a new tabIt was her second Album of the Year, after Fearless in 2010.
Source 19 · Billboard · Second Album of the Year Grammy · opens in a new tabSource 45 · Billboard · Taylor Swift’s career timeline · opens in a new tabReleased Aug. 25, the song went to No. 1 on the Hot 100 with the most weekly streams ever for a song by a woman. It was her fifth Hot 100 No. 1.
Source 20 · Billboard · “Look What You Made Me Do” leaps to No. 1 · opens in a new tab Date of Billboard’s report.Reputation sold 1.212 million copies in the U.S. in its first week and 2 million worldwide, according to Nielsen Music.
Source 21 · Billboard · Streaming services and Reputation · opens in a new tabSource 20 · Billboard · “Look What You Made Me Do” leaps to No. 1 · opens in a new tabThe multi-album agreement made Republic Records her U.S. label. Her deal with Big Machine Records had ended earlier that month.
Source 22 · Variety · New deal with Universal Music Group · opens in a new tabThe tour finished with $345.7 million in ticket sales, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
Source 23 · Billboard · Reputation Stadium Tour closes · opens in a new tab Billboard says the tour wrapped with the Tokyo Dome shows on Nov. 20–21; its final tally is dated Dec. 6.Her seventh album came out on Aug. 23.
Source 24 · NPR · Lover has arrived · opens in a new tabShe announced the 16-track album on Thursday and released it on Friday. It came 11 months after Lover, her first project on less than a two-year schedule.
Source 25 · Time · Folklore explained · opens in a new tabSource 46 · CBS News · Folklore announced as a surprise album · opens in a new tab CBS News reported the Thursday, July 23, announcement of a release at midnight; Time gives July 23 as the release date.She said her Big Machine masters had been re-sold to a private investment firm and that she had begun re-recording that catalog.
Source 26 · Variety · Confirms sale of her masters · opens in a new tabShe became the first woman to win Album of the Year three times.
Source 27 · Variety · Album of the Year, three times · opens in a new tabThe album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, her eighth.
Source 28 · Billboard · “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” at No. 1 · opens in a new tabIt set the Spotify record for most streams of an album in a single day. Billboard reported she became the first artist to hold the entire top 10 of the Hot 100 in one week.
Source 29 · The Guardian · Midnights breaks Spotify record · opens in a new tabSource 30 · Billboard · Her biggest accomplishments of 2022 · opens in a new tabThe tour opened at State Farm Stadium before around 70,000 people. By August it had expanded to 146 stadium dates, the New York Times reported.
Source 31 · The Washington Post · Eras Tour opener recap · opens in a new tabSource 32 · The New York Times · How the Eras Tour conquered the world · opens in a new tabTime chose her as its 2023 Person of the Year.
Source 33 · Time · Person of the Year 2023 · opens in a new tabIt was her fourth Album of the Year. She announced The Tortured Poets Department at the ceremony.
Source 34 · USA Today · Fourth Album of the Year win · opens in a new tabThe album had 2.6 million album-sales equivalents in its first week in the U.S., the most since Adele’s 25 in 2015. Her songs took Nos. 1 through 14 on the Hot 100.
Source 35 · The New York Times · Tortured Poets breaks records · opens in a new tabSource 36 · Billboard · Top 14 spots on the Hot 100 · opens in a new tabThe tour ended after 149 shows, having sold $2,077,618,725 in tickets.
Source 37 · The New York Times · Eras Tour grand total · opens in a new tabShe acquired the six albums from Shamrock Capital for an undisclosed nine-figure sum.
Source 38 · Variety · Buys back her first six albums · opens in a new tabThe two announced their engagement.
Source 39 · Variety · Engaged to Travis Kelce · opens in a new tabIts opening-week sales of four million copies topped Adele’s 25, the New York Times reported. All 12 songs took the top 12 spots on the Hot 100.
Source 40 · The New York Times · Showgirl first-week sales · opens in a new tabSource 41 · Billboard · Top 12 spots on the Hot 100 · opens in a new tabThe Toy Story 5 single, released June 5, gave her the third-most Hot 100 No. 1s, after The Beatles and Mariah Carey.
Source 42 · Billboard · “I Knew It, I Knew You” debuts at No. 1 · opens in a new tab Date of Billboard’s report.They married at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Source 43 · AP · Wedding at Madison Square Garden · opens in a new tabThe follow-up to The Life of a Showgirl was due on Sept. 25.
Source 44 · USA Today · The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2005–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Music · United States
Dec 13, 1989 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1989: the year of the event minus 1989, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.30 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.