With Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” in full swing, there is no better time to break down each era. Everything from the fashion to the Billboard standings, here’s a look at each of Swift’s eras, from “Taylor Swift” in 2006 to her latest album, “Midnights,” in 2022.
The “Taylor Swift” Era
The “Taylor Swift” era, also commonly given the title, “the debut era,” represents Swift’s self-titled country album that first brought her into the spotlight.
The album was released in 2006 and had five singles, including “Tim McGraw,” which spent eight months on the Billboard country singles chart.
This era is often defined by a sense of innocence. During this time, Swift was best known for her curly hair, acoustic guitar and cowboy boots.
Although Swift didn’t tour for this album, she did open for many other country artists and left her mark on the country music industry. By the end of the debut era, Swift had won the CMA’s best new artist award in November of 2007.
The “Fearless” Era
Nov. 11, 2008 marked the beginning of Swift’s second era with the release of her second album, “Fearless.” This album was the start of Swift’s transition into the world of pop, being labeled as a country-pop album.
This era quickly became even more successful than “Taylor Swift,” becoming No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and winning album of the year at the Grammys in 2010. This era also has its own tour, which started in April of 2009 and lasted for over a year.
Throughout the tour Swift was still defined by her long, curly hair but now her acoustic guitar had been covered in rhinestones.
In April 2021, Swift re-released “Fearless” as “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” in order to own the master recordings of the album.
The “Speak Now” Era
Swift’s third era, the “Speak Now” era, marks her third album, which was released on Oct. 25, 2010. It was in this era that Swift started including songs that alluded to her public relationships, something that has become a staple to her songwriting.
The album sold a million copies within its first week and spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. This era also had its own tour that began in February 2011 and ended in March 2012, Swift still rocking her blonde curls and innocent style.
The “Red” Era
The release of Swift’s fourth album, “Red,” on Oct. 22, 2012, made a more noticeable transition from country to pop.
There were seven singles released from the album, including “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “Red,” “22,” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” The album spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard 200, making Swift the first female to have three consecutive albums each spend six weeks at No. 1.
During the album’s tour, which began in March of 2013, Swift’s iconic curls had disappeared and the guitar appeared less. It was during this era that we first saw Swift’s iconic red lipstick.
On Nov. 12, 2021, Swift re-released “Red” as “Red (Taylor’s Version),” which included nine “from the vault” tracks, including “All Too Well (10 minute version) [Taylor’s Version].”
The “1989” Era
Swift’s fifth era, with the release of “1989” on Oct. 27, 2024, officially marked an end to Swift’s country music career and made a full transition into the world of pop music.
During Swift’s “1989” tour came a complete transition from curly hair and cowboy boots to a long bob with bodysuits.
The album’s clear move away from country influences was very apparent in songs like, “Welcome to New York” and “Shake It Off” that had a focus on life in a big city.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” as an album has yet to be released, the single “Wildest Dreams” is the only song to have been re-released.
The “Reputation” Era
After drama between Swift and rapper Kanye West, which led to Swift removing herself from the public eye and social media, Swift returned to the public, releasing her sixth album, “Reputation,” on Nov. 10, 2017.
“Look What You Made Me Do,” the lead single of the album, was the first single Swift had released in three years.
This era had taken a darker turn, in sound, lyrics and overall appearance. The album and its tour featured darker colors and lots of snake imagery and Swift’s iconic red lipstick had been traded in for darker colors.
“Reputation” was the last album Swift recorded with Big Machine Records and will be the last to be re-recorded as “Reputation (Taylor’s Version).”
The “Lover” Era
“Lover,” Swift’s seventh album, was released on Aug. 23, 2018 with only four singles released from the album.
A complete turn around from Swift’s dark wardrobe during the “Reputation” tour, “Lover” featured many pastel colors and Swift even dyed her blonde hair to a pastel pink color.
The “Lover” tour, given the name “Lover” fest by fans, was scheduled to begin in 2020 but was eventually cancelled due to COVID-19. On Sept. 9, 2019, Swift held a concert in Paris, called “City of Lover,” making that performance the only live performance from Swift’s “Lover” era.
The “Folklore/Evermore” Era
Many fans consider the releases of “Folklore” and “Evermore” to be one era because of the similarities between the two albums, both in overall aesthetic and the style of the music.
As alluded to in the title, “Folklore’s” musical style leaned towards folk and both the covers for “Folklore” and “Evermore” showed Swift wearing fall clothes, walking through the woods.
“Folklore” was released on July 24, 2020 and later that same year “Evermore” was released on Dec. 11, 2020. Both albums were surprise releases, with no singles being released before the release of each album.
The “Midnights” Era
Swift’s most recent era, the “Midnights” era, stems from the release of her tenth album, “Midnights,” which was released on Oct. 21, 2022.
“Midnights” is made up of Swift’s nocturnal creations, essentially her experiences with midnights. This era uses lots of night imagery and marks Swift’s return to pop.
