On Sunday, February 4th, Taylor Swift made history as the first artist to win four Grammys for Album of the Year. She was previously tied with Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Simon for three wins, but broke the tie with her win last night for her album Midnights. After hearing her name called by global icon, Celine Dion, Swift was visibly shocked to have won. Smiling from ear to ear, she raced to the stage hand in hand with her collaborator Lana Del Rey and producer Jack Antonoff before accepting the award that marked her historic win.
Swift has been breaking records since she won her first Album of the Year award in 2008 for her album Fearless, becoming the youngest person at the time to win the category. Her latest new album, Midnights, also broke countless records. Swift became the first artist in history to claim all top 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, and Midnights became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day, breaking Swift’s own previous record of most-streamed artist in a single day.
There is no doubt that Swift is the artist of today’s society, with millions of fans hanging on her every word in hopes of discovering clues hinting at new music. The Eras Tour generated billions for the American economy, and Swift’s music continues to inspire generations of fans.
The Grammy’s were a big night for Swift, beyond her historic, record-breaking win. After winning her 13th Grammy for Pop Vocal Album, Swift thanked her fans for their endless support by letting them in on a secret she had been keeping for two years: “My brand new album comes out April 19th. It’s called ‘The Tortured Poets Department.’” As the audience erupted in applause, the internet exploded. After the album’s cover was posted on Instagram, the post was the quickest-liked post ever, reaching 1 million likes in under 2 minutes.
The announcement comes just over a year after Swift released her now two-time Grammy-winning album Midnights, highlighting her prolific songwriting abilities and the importance of her craft to her life. After winning Album of the Year, Swift emphasized that making music is “all [she] wants to keep being able to do. I love it so much, it makes me so happy.” Her passion for making music is reflected in the passion of her fans, as immediately after the announcement, her website had an average one-hour wait time to purchase CDs and vinyls.
Swift’s dedication to everything she does is what draws her fans to not only her music but also her vibrant personality. Her historic win this weekend only adds to the radiance of her impact and the joy she brings to so many.
Sources:
https://ew.com/music/taylor-swifts-midnights-records-broken/
https://www.grammy.com/news/taylor-swift-album-of-the-year-2024-grammys-speech
https://variety.com/2024/music/news/taylor-swift-new-album-the-tortured-poets-department-1235897622/
