Taylor Swift: a complete guide to EVERY era
Taylor Swift performing in London during the Eras tour.
- Published
Calling all Swifties - a brand-new Taylor Swift era has arrived!
The pop-star has announced her new album The Life of a Showgirl, but it doesn't have a confirmed release date just yet.
When it is released, it will be Swift's 12th studio album, and mark her 12th 'era'.
So, let's Begin Again and look back at EVERY one of Taylor's 12 era's.
Tell us in the comments which era is YOUR favorite...
New Era - The Life of a Showgirl (2025)
Taylor announced her new album on a podcast with boyfriend Travis Kelce.
Taylor's latest era is only just beginning.
The buzz began with a cryptic social media post from Taylor's marketing team, teasing fans with 12 pictures from Taylor's latest tour with the caption "Thinking about when she said 'See you next era…"
A mysterious timer counting down to 12:12 ET (05:12 UK time) on the 12th of August also appeared on her official website.
Eagle-eyed Swifties have noticed the color orange features in lots of the album teasers - could it be the color theme for the album?
Then, in a dramatic reveal on Swift's official website and on social media, she announced the name of her latest album - but kept the album cover a secret.
Are you Ready For It?
The Tortured Poets Department (2024)
Taylor Swift performed songs from The Tortured Poets Department during her 2024 Era's tour in London.
This album was a huge hit!
With fan-favorites like Fortnight and I Can Do It With a Broken Heart, it smashed streaming records including the Spotify record for being the most streamed album in a day ever.
In its first week, the album sold over 2.6 million copies in the US and 270,000 in the UK - Taylor's biggest US and UK opening ever!
In typical Taylor style fans were in for a surprise too, as she released an extra 15 songs just two hours later!
Midnights (2022)
Swift won several Grammy Awards for the album.
Midnights is all about the moments that have kept Taylor awake at night, from big life choices to heartbreaks.
The album was a big return to pop music for Taylor.
It's got lots of electronic sounds and synth-pop vibes, which are very different from the calm, folk vibes on Evermore and Folklore.
At the 2024 Grammy Awards, it won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, making Taylor the first artist to win Album of the Year four times.
Evermore (2020)
Taylor surprised fans back in 2020 by announcing a second album that year.
Evermore was yet ANOTHER surprise for fans, and was released just five months after her last album, folklore.
This album is a bit like a storybook of songs. Instead of writing directly about her own life, Taylor created a world of characters.
The album sounds a bit like folk and indie music, with soft instruments and lots of storytelling, which give the songs a warm, wintry, and magical sound.
Folklore (2020)
Folklore surprised fans with it's indie and folk sound.
Folklore was Taylors eighth album, and was actually produced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Folklore was a big change of style for Taylor. Just like Evermore, it had calm, folk-like storytelling vibes, which were very different to the pop and country-pop hits that made her famous.
Unlike other albums, because of the pandemic lots of songs were produced remotely. The hard-work paid off, too!
Folklore was a chart-topper in the US and the UK, and even won Album of the Year at the Grammys in 2021.
Lover (2019)
Taylor's Lover era was bursting with color.
Lover was Taylor Swift's bright and colorful return to love songs and her first album after leaving her old record label.
The album celebrates love in all its forms, from romantic, to self-love, and even love for her fans.
Taylor used pastel pinks, blues, and purples for the album's look, making it one of her most colorful eras yet.
Reputation (2017)
Reputation was a bold new step for Taylor.
Reputation was a comeback album for Taylor.
It was released three years after her album 1989, and had a very different sound and vibe.
The whole look of the era was black and silver, with images of snakes and newspaper headlines.
At the time, the albums bigger, heavier beats and darker, edgier lyrics, were a new direction for Taylor.
The Reputation tour was a record-breaker, and so was the album, becoming the best-selling album of 2017 in America.
1989 (2014)
Swift took home three Grammys for '1989' - Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Music Video and Album of the Year.
In the 1989 era, Taylor swapped her country boots for the big-city!
The album is named after her birth year, and marked her first move into pop music.
This album delivered some huge hits - think Shake It Off, Blank Space and Bad Blood - and won Taylor Album of the Year at the Grammys
It sold over a whopping 10 million copies worldwide, which made it one of the best selling albums of the decade!
This was the era Taylor proved herself a pop super-star.
Red (2012)
In her album Red, Taylor moved into pop music.
Red mixed country, pop, and even some electronic and rock music together.
The albums name represents the intense and sometimes messy emotions in relationships, often in breakups.
Some of the most famous songs from the record were We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and I Knew You Were Trouble.
This was the era Taylor showed she could move from country-star to pop-star.
Speak Now (2010)
Taylor's style back in 2010 was country-music - very different from her later pop style!
Often, musicians have multiple writers behind their songs - but not this album!
Taylor wrote Speak Now completely solo.
Unlike Red and 1989, this was Taylor's country music era, with songs about love, growing up, and standing up for yourself.
It was nominated for Best Country Album at the Grammys, and single "Mean" even won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.
Fearless (2008)
Taylor won four Grammys for Fearless - the most of her career!
Fearless was Taylor's second album, and was released when she was just 18.
Lots of people consider this album to be Taylor's breakthrough moment.
The album explores love and heartbreak, and has a fairy-tale-like lyrics. Songs like Love Story use images from classic love stories like Romeo and Juliet.
The album won Taylor plenty of awards, including Best Country Album of the Year and Best Album at the Grammy's , making teenage Taylor the youngest to ever win the prize..
Taylor Swift (2006)
Taylor released her first album at 16, and here she is back then playing at an NFL game.
Finally - back to where it all began!
Swift's very first album was released when she was 16-years-old.
This one is country through-and-through - think acoustic guitars, banjos, fiddles and plenty of storytelling.