Taylor Swift said that her country roots mean more to her now. She’s been making music for almost twenty years. The singer-songwriter spoke at a GRAMMY Museum event on Aug. 18 with Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.
“I’ve loved — and I think this can happen as you grow up — my country roots more and more,” Swift said. “The further along this path I get, I want to honor them more and more, and I feel more and more tied and more loyal to them — the people that shaped who I am as an artist and as a writer.”
Nashville gave her a start. That’s where she learned to write songs. At age 10, she heard that Faith Hill was discovered at the Bluebird Cafe. She decided she’d perform there too, taught herself instruments, and wrote songs. “I was 16 putting out an album in country music that was all about my life as a kid in high school,” the performer said.
Her debut single, “Tim McGraw,” had parts that would show up in later work. It built characters and moved through time. The track came out in 2006.
Swift moved past country with her 2012 album, Red, then made a pop switch with 2014’s 1989. Her last album was 2025’s The Life of a Showgirl, which became the best-selling album that year in the UK. This year marks 20 years since her first album.