"Taylor Swift has always had music in her genes, as her grandmother was a professional opera singer. Swift started singing when she was very young and hasn't stopped since. She got her first taste of the limelight when she was 11 and performed the national anthem before a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game. It was soon after this performance that she began to play the guitar, practicing relentlessly.When Swift's parents realized that they may have something special on their hands, they began making trips to Nashville, TN where she could perform and mingle with the folk of the music hub. It was while playing at a Nashville club that she was discovered and soon Swift released her debut single ""Tim McGraw."" The song was popular, seeing its way onto four different Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100.The single paved the way for Swift to release her self-titled debut at just 16 years of age in 2006. Her fresh voice set to a blend of pop and country was a big hit, the record reaching number one on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and number five on the Hot 100. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the album is the fact that Swift co-wrote each and every song that appears on the track list, quite an accomplishment for an artist so young.Swift released a highly successful holiday album in 2007, which was followed by Beautiful Eyes, an EP that landed atop the country charts. Her sophomore full-length, Fearless, was released in 2008. Swift has established herself as one of the up-and-coming artists in the Country-Pop genre, a style that is rapidly growing in popularity as many artists depart from the traditional country sound for a more mainstream appeal. At such a young age, Swift obviously has much more to say and many future releases lay ahead."
