Who's Taylor Swift anyway?

Since 2006, Taylor Swift has released 9 studio albums across a career trajectory that has brought her from America’s teenage sweetheart to obsessively scrutinized serial dater. Throughout the ups and downs of her public perception, an international fanbase has accompanied Swift to the top of every chart, breaking record after record in her domination of the country, pop, and now indie landscapes.

With her stardom, Swift has faced no small amount of criticism of her work and her person. "She only writes about her exes. All her songs sound the same. She's just doing it for attention." In the eyes of her haters she’s grown from a silly, boy-crazy youth to a licentious, overly-dramatic adult.

Whatever the criticisms of Swift’s person, to deny her achievement and talent is a claim without base. Despite her polarizing persona, her releases continue to top charts. And while personality may be impossible to put down in numbers, Swift’s success is quantifiable, and her discography can be subject to analysis to investigate the trends and evolution present in her songwriting (it’s worth noting that Swift is credited as a writer on every single one of her songs).