Taylor Swift on Love Story, British accents and Shania Twain in 2009 interview | BBC News

Summary

In this interview, 19-year-old Taylor Swift discusses her successful music career, having been the top-selling artist in the US in 2008 and 2009. With her album 'Fearless' topping the charts for eight weeks, she shares her excitement about releasing her single 'Love Story' in the UK. Swift talks about her songwriting process, drawing inspiration from love and relationships, and her plans for an upcoming headlining tour in the US. She also highlights the importance of staying connected with her fans through online platforms like MySpace and her commitment to involving them in her musical decisions.

Takeaways

• 🎤 Taylor Swift was the biggest selling artist in the US in 2008 and 2009.
• 🏆 Her album 'Fearless' held the number one spot for eight weeks in the US.
• 🇬🇧 Taylor visited the UK to release her single 'Love Story'.
• 🎉 She appreciates the warm welcome from UK fans and their pronunciation of her name.
• 🎶 She enjoys writing about the contrast between reality and fantasy in love stories.
• 🌐 Taylor's music is not confined to a specific genre; she writes without considering whether it's more country or pop.
• 🎸 She began playing guitar at 12 and wrote her first song immediately after.
• 🏠 Raised on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania, she was influenced by Shania Twain.
• 🚀 At 19, she's embarking on her first headlining tour in the US with all dates selling out quickly.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Her parents have always been supportive of her dreams, including her move to Nashville.
• 🌐 Taylor is excited about the prospect of touring the world and playing in different countries.
• 💻 She values her online presence, especially her MySpace, as a way to stay connected with her fans.
• 📝 Taylor writes all her songs herself, drawing inspiration from personal experiences, particularly relationships.

Q & A

What was Taylor Swift's biggest achievement in the US before her UK visit?

Taylor Swift was the biggest selling artist in the US in 2008 and 2009, and her album 'Fearless' held the number one spot for eight weeks.

What was Taylor Swift's first single released in the UK?

Taylor Swift's first single released in the UK was 'Love Story'.

How does Taylor Swift feel about the fans in the UK?

Taylor Swift loves the fans in the UK, mentioning that they have been amazing, showing up wherever she goes, and bringing her presents.

What does Taylor Swift think about the way her name is pronounced in the UK?

Taylor Swift finds it interesting and enjoyable that her name is pronounced as 'Tayor' in the UK, as opposed to 'Tyler' which she is used to hearing.

How does Taylor Swift feel about starting her career in the UK?

Taylor Swift is excited about starting fresh and starting over again in the UK, comparing it to when she released her first album at 16 in the US.

What is Taylor Swift's approach to writing about love?

Taylor Swift loves writing about the differences between reality and fantasy, especially when it comes to love and fairy tales. She writes about both believing in and not believing in the concept of Prince Charming.

Where did Taylor Swift grow up and how did she get into country music?

Taylor Swift grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania and fell in love with country music after hearing Shania Twain.

When did Taylor Swift start playing the guitar and writing songs?

Taylor Swift started playing the guitar and writing songs at the age of 12, writing her first song the same night she learned to play.

What is Taylor Swift's perspective on genre when she writes music?

Taylor Swift does not focus on making her music more country or pop when she writes; she believes that would turn music into a science.

Why did Taylor Swift and her family move to Nashville?

Taylor Swift was determined to move to Nashville, the home of country music, and after years of insistence, her family finally agreed and moved there.

How does Taylor Swift use her MySpace site to connect with her fans?

Taylor Swift uses her MySpace site to stay in touch with her fans, allowing her to know what they like and want, which influences her decisions regarding her music.

What is Taylor Swift's next big goal after her success in the US?

Taylor Swift's next big goal is to tour the world, including playing in different countries and headlining her first tour in the US.

How does Taylor Swift handle the personal nature of her songwriting?

Taylor Swift writes very personal and honest songs, using songwriting as a way to deal with her emotions and experiences, and she is not afraid of being vulnerable with her music.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 Taylor Swift's US Success and UK Debut

Taylor Swift discusses her remarkable success in the US, where she was the top-selling artist in 2008 and 2009, and her new album 'Fearless' that held the number one spot for eight weeks. She expresses excitement about her UK visit to release her single 'Love Story' and shares her positive experience with the fans. Swift talks about her songwriting process, focusing on the contrast between reality and fantasy in love stories, and her approach to music that doesn't strictly adhere to a genre but rather follows her creative instincts. She also mentions her upcoming headlining tour in the US and her aspirations to tour globally.

05:00

🌐 Taylor Swift's Online Presence and Direct Fan Connection

In this segment, Taylor Swift talks about the importance of her online presence, particularly her MySpace page, which has become a significant platform for her to connect with fans. She emphasizes the value of understanding her audience's preferences, using their feedback to guide her decisions on releasing singles. Swift also confirms her upcoming performances in the UK, including a show in May and festival appearances in August. She discusses her songwriting process, which is deeply personal and often inspired by her own experiences in love and relationships, and her commitment to being honest and vulnerable in her music.

Keywords

💡Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter who is the central figure in the video script. She is described as a 'singing sensation' and 'the biggest selling artist in the US in 2008 and 2009'. The script discusses her success, her music, and her experiences in the UK, highlighting her status as a prominent figure in the music industry.

💡Fearless

Fearless is Taylor Swift's second studio album, which is mentioned in the script as having held the number one spot for eight weeks in the US. The album's success is indicative of Swift's popularity and the impact of her music on the charts, showcasing her talent and appeal to a wide audience.

💡Love Story

Love Story is the first single from Taylor Swift's album 'Fearless' that she released in the UK. The song is discussed in the context of her music's themes, which often revolve around love, relationships, and fairy tales. It represents Swift's ability to create narratives that resonate with her fans.

💡Country Crossover

Country Crossover refers to music that blends elements of country and pop genres, which is how Taylor Swift's music is sometimes categorized. The script mentions this term when discussing her musical style, indicating that her music doesn't strictly adhere to one genre but rather crosses over to appeal to a broader audience.

💡MySpace

MySpace is a social networking site that was particularly popular in the mid-2000s. In the script, Taylor Swift mentions using MySpace to share her music with friends and fans, highlighting its role in her early career as a platform for connecting with her audience and promoting her work.

💡Headlining Tour

A headlining tour refers to a concert tour where an artist is the main act, as opposed to opening for other acts. The script mentions that Swift is about to go on her first headlining tour in the US, which is a significant milestone in her career, signifying her growth and the demand for her music.

💡Nashville

Nashville is a city in Tennessee, known as a major hub for the country music industry. Taylor Swift moved to Nashville to pursue her music career, as mentioned in the script. It's where she signed a publishing deal and began her journey as a professional songwriter, emphasizing the city's importance in her musical development.

💡Vulnerability

Vulnerability in the context of the script refers to Taylor Swift's willingness to share personal experiences and emotions through her music. She discusses writing 'really personal songs' and not being afraid of being vulnerable, which is a key aspect of her songwriting and connects her with her fans on a deeper level.

💡Brits

The Brits, or the BRIT Awards, are an annual music awards show in the UK. The script mentions that Taylor Swift is attending the Brits, indicating her presence and recognition in the international music scene beyond the US.

💡Fairy Tales

Fairy tales are a recurring theme in Taylor Swift's music, as she discusses in the script. She explores the differences between reality and fantasy, particularly in relation to love and relationships. This theme is evident in songs like 'Love Story', where she plays with the idea of a modern fairy tale ending.

Highlights

Taylor Swift was the biggest selling artist in the US in 2008 and 2009.

Her album 'Fearless' held the number one spot for eight weeks in the US.

Taylor Swift is in the UK to release her first single 'Love Story'.

She appreciates the different pronunciation of her name in the UK.

Taylor is excited about the possibility of starting fresh in the UK market.

She enjoys writing about the contrast between reality and fantasy in love stories.

Taylor Swift grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania and was inspired by Shania Twain.

She started playing guitar at 12 and wrote her first song that same night.

Taylor does not categorize her music as strictly country or pop, preferring a natural approach.

She is about to embark on her first headlining tour in the US.

Taylor's parents have always been supportive of her dreams.

She moved to Nashville at a young age to pursue her music career.

Her MySpace site became unexpectedly popular, helping her connect with fans.

Taylor values her fans' opinions and bases decisions on their preferences.

She is looking forward to performing in the UK in May and at festivals in August.

All of Taylor Swift's songs are self-written, with inspiration coming from personal experiences.

Taylor is not afraid to be vulnerable in her music and writes about her emotions.

Transcripts

now if anyone can say that they've

cracked America it's our next guest the

singing sensation Taylor Swift she's

only 19 and was the biggest selling

artist in the US in 2008 2009 is looking

just as good if not better she's already

held the number one spot for eight weeks

in the states with her new album

fearless and she's now in the UK to

release her first single love story and

Taylor joins us now welcome to London

welcome to breakfast thanks very much

for being with us thank you for having

me are you having a nice trip so far

yeah it's been awesome I've been here

about 5 days and how's it going do you

get a feel of kind of is there a buzz I

love it here um the fans have been so

amazing showing up you know wherever we

go and and bringing me presents and

stuff like that it's been so cool and um

I especially love it because they all

pronounce my name tayor here oh yes okay

instead of oh I'm used to hearing it

Tyler that's how I'm used to hearing it

really oh really you know when they're

outside the radio stations chanting

they're like tayor and it's so pretty um

are you nervous about coming here to the

UK cuz you've been hugely successful in

the states are you worried about it here

or not um you know I think I can hope

for the best and I don't really know

what's going to happen and it's kind of

exciting starting fresh and starting

over again um you know I released my

first album when I was 16 in the states

so it's kind of cool going back to that

place where you don't know what's going

to happen um I was watching the video

last night um and it's very much

particularly the one we were seeing at

least and just that second ago um it's

about a love story it's about princesses

is that what you is is that what you

kind of think about what's your theory

ah definitely I love writing about uh

the the differences of reality and

fantasy and reality and fairy tales and

I think that it's just so interesting

how we have this perception of Prince

Charming and I have songs that are about

believing in that sort of things and I

have songs that are about not believing

it so I I guess the reason I write about

love so much is because I haven't

figured it out yet yeah you can spend a

lifetime writing about that sort of

stuff uh tell us this cuz I I saw it

written down as country cross over which

sounds like a sport that you do in the

Winter Olympics um but but I mean you're

you're not from sort of the Deep South

which is where you think of the the

country music coming from yeah I

actually grew up on a Christmas tree

farm in Pennsylvania yeah so uh I

Started Loving country music when I

heard Shia Twain and she really made me

fall in love with that kind of music and

you know as far as genre I don't when I

sit down to write a song I don't think

this needs to be more country this needs

to be more pop cuz I think that turns

music into a science okay so you first

listen to her and then you play the

guitar you when did you learn to play

the guitar pretty I started playing

guitar when I was 12 and I wrote my

first song that night so I had always

been obsessed with words and poetry when

I was younger and singing and when I

started playing guitar they came

together and I started writing songs so

you've cracked America you know all

being well you're going to crack the UK

I mean what what next I mean you're 19

and it s kind of it all seems there

before you wow well I'm really excited

because we're about to go on I'm about

to go on my first headlining tour in the

US so

um all the dates that we put up have

sold out within minutes and I'm so

excited it's like I just can't wait to

go out there and headline for the first

time and it's really a goal of mine to

tour the world and play in all kinds of

different countries and you know do a

tour here okay so you said shne when you

were 12 what did your mom and dad make

of it you're sitting there and you're

you're only 12 and you're already

writing songs what did they think well

my parents have always been really

amazing they've they've always said you

know if if singing is your dream we'll

be 100% behind you on that but if

tomorrow you want to be a swimmer or

something will be 100% behind that too

so um you know they always encouraged me

but I think that they saw that after

years and years it was the one thing I

never quit doing I tried every sport and

I quit I tried everything and quit and

music I never quit and I couldn't put it

down and I loved it so much and I was

absolutely obnoxious about wanting to

move to Nashville so finally they gave

in I and then you all moved so You'

moved to the home of country to to

Nashville yeah I've lived there for

almost six years now and has that

changed your musical perspective I think

that my music has always stayed the same

um I moved there because you know I've

been taking meetings there and and going

there a lot since I was like 11 and I

got signed to a publishing deal to be a

staff songwriter for Sony publishing so

that was my first job and I took it very

seriously and um you know that was my

first intro into Nashville and it's kind

of a very um a new kind of approach I

guess because you your Myspace site is

huge you had a website from when you

were very young as well didn't you yeah

I I've always really loved being online

and the internet and my MySpace um has

gotten really really big and it's it's

so surprising to me because it was

really an accident I um made a MySpace

when I was 14 because all my friends had

them and that's how we talk to each

other and I put my songs on my MySpace

because I wanted them to hear my demos

and T tell me this do you think it's

quite important then that you because

because what often happens you become a

big rock star and you move further and

further away from your audience because

you're in kind of big limit you're swept

into venues you sweep out again and yet

I guess this is a way of staying in

touch with what they're thinking and

what they're saying about the music that

you're creating it is I mean the key is

to know what your fans like and know

what they want and know what they want

to be the next single not just what your

record label thinks should be the next

single every decision that I've made as

far as releasing singles has been based

on what my fans have wanted that's

interesting um you're going to be

singing at the Brits aren't you I'm not

singing at the Brits I'm just going it's

the first award show in so long that I'm

just going to be sitting sitting there

watching having a drink so now you say

you got the headlining U US tour UK tour

UK tour I'm actually playing a show in

the UK in May and we just we just

finalized that so I'm really excited

about that and then I'm coming back in

August to do some festivals um with with

regards to your songs do you write is it

you write them all yourself do you yeah

and where's the inspiration then love

boys relationships that's that's my

favorite topic to write about and bad

relationships as well you are you happy

to write about how they end yeah I I

think that you know the only way that I

don't know how to deal with anything

happiness sadness confusion frustration

anger that writing songs about it is the

only way I know how to deal with that so

um I write really personal songs and and

I write really honest songs and I don't

think I'm ever going to be afraid of

being vulnerable with my music well I'm

going to call you Taylor thank you very

much for joining this morning our best

do Taylor in an English accent for us

again Taylor so pry the way you say it I

love it yeah you see you'll get the

great English accent by the time you go

back thanks so much for being with us

it's so good to seeing you guys than

really good to see you too thanks so

much