When Did You Know Taylor Swift Would Be a Pop Superstar?

There is no confusion as to the unprecedented scale of Taylor Swift’s pop superstardom now, and there hasn’t been for many years. Starting with her crossover breakout on “Red” in 2012, followed by her full anointment on “1989” two years later, she solidified her spot as American pop’s alpha figure on “Reputation,” the 2017 album in which she catalyzed tabloid fixation into some of the most radical music of her career. The Eras Tour, which ran for almost two years with a set list encompassing her whole career, cemented her global dominance.

But it wasn’t always this way. Swift’s beginnings as an unlikely country arriviste meant that her path to the top was winding and unlikely. There were bold musical risks, unanticipated speed bumps both creative and public, and a fiery resolve to triumph over any and all of those obstacles.

Her forthcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl” (due Friday), has been advertised as a return to Swift’s pure pop ambition, thanks to her reunion with the Swedish writers and producers Max Martin and Shellback, responsible for some of her biggest hits.

The pop music team of The New York Times wrote about the first moments they understood Swift’s pop star destiny.

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