When Taylor Swift made her Shanghai debut last year with her Red tour, tickets predictably sold out within minutes. However, as she returns to the Mercedes-Benz Arena from November 10-12, the singer has ascended to a level reserved for pop royalty. We look back at how the princess of Nashville became the Queen of Pop in less than two years.
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A Brewing Backlash
“I'm sorry, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!”
- Kanye West, 2009 VMA Awards.
Subtext: You may rule the radio but you are not on my artistic level.
"You know what, Taylor Swift? You stay away from Michael J. Fox's son.”
- 2013 Golden Globes hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
Subtext: You date way too many famous people.
“I think it's kind of cheap songwriting. I think it's abusing your talent to rub your hands together and go 'Wait till he gets a load of this!'"
- Taylor's ex John Mayer
Subtext: Your famous exes want you to stop writing songs about them.
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A New Sound...
After selling six million records with the country-pop masterpiece Red, Swift was resolute about making her first truly pop album with 1989.
"I woke up every single day not wanting, but needing to make a new style of music than I'd ever made before."
"[The 1980s] was a very experimental time in pop music. I think what you saw happening with music was also happening in our culture. There just seemed to be this energy about endless opportunities, endless possibilities, endless ways you could live your life. And so with this record, I thought, 'There are no rules to this.' I can make whatever record I want."
"I presented the album to my Nashville record label president. He said, 'It's the best thing you've ever done but can you put two country songs on it?' I refused. I explained it would change the solid cohesiveness of the record. He agreed and he's happy as a clown now as we got our first Hot 100 No. 1 with 'Shake It Off.'"
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1989 by the Numbers
Released last year on October 27, 1989 was an immediate smash. Here are a few benchmarks it set.
In its first week of release, 1989 sold 1.287 million copies – the highest debut since 2002. Swift became the first artist to sell one million or more copies of a record in a week on three occassions.
1989 was America's best selling album last year, with over 5.124 million copies sold (current total: over 8.6 million).
The album has produced five singles which all made the Billboard Top 10, with three topping the charts: 'Shake It Off,' 'Blank Space' and 'Bad Blood.'
Launched in May, the 1989 World Tour had made over USD130 million in ticket sales by early September. The tour wraps up on December 12 in Australia and is expected to be her highest grossing tour yet.
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Famous Fans…
Kendrick Lamar
Possibly the most respected rapper in the game and Taylor Swift have made no secret of their mutual love for each other's music. She shouted him out in Rolling Stone, he freestyled live over 'Shake It Off.' Things capped off with his guest verse on 'Bad Blood (Remix).'
Ryan Adams
The respected and shapeshifting singersongwriter surprised many when he announced an entire 1989 cover album musically inspired by The Smiths. His extremely melancholic take on the disc has been met with great acclaim and Swift's enthusiastic approval.
Kanye West
Taylor's most famous nemesis has been seen snapping pics at awards shows and having dinner with the singer this year. The outspoken rapper has praised Swift's musical shift and teased a future collaboration between the two.
> Nov 10-12, 8pm (7.30pm on Thurs), RMB480-2,280. Mercedes-Benz Arena, tickets.
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