Taylor Swift (Artists and Musicians from history)

Join us for this fun and fascinating episode of Check this out! Podcast4kids as we delve into the incredible story of Taylor Swift — the global superstar, record-breaking artist, and inspiration to millions! 

This week's episode features special guest, Haley, as she helps hosts Amy & Cece learn more about Taylor Swift and her impact on the world through her music.  

Discover how she went from a young girl in Pennsylvania to winning Grammy Awards, setting Guinness World Records, and changing the music industry. We’ll share fascinating facts, quiz the girls on her life, and explore her journey of reinvention, her biggest achievements, and her special connection with her fans. Perfect for young music fans and curious minds alike, this episode celebrates the inspiring story of one of the greatest artists of our time!

Transcript

Cece: We are doing an episode on Taylor Swift! 

Yesssss, I love that you didn’t even want to do a tee up.  Just get right into it.  

Cece: And we have a special guest joining us 

That is right! Cece’s friend Haley is here to help us with our episode on Taylor Swift 

Haley: Hi! I’m so excited to talk about Taylor Swift and learn more about her 

Now girls, before we dive in and start talking about Taylor Swift do you both want to share some things you like about Taylor Swift? 

Cece: 

Haley: 

Those are awesome facts and things to know.  Now as we get into the episode let’s set the stage for talking about Ms Swift.  

Taylor Swift has been nominated for 58 grammy awards 

Haley: And she won 14 grammy awards 

Taylor Swift is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with a record seven albums surpassing one million first-week sales. 

Cece: She has also made history with her Eras Tour

Haley: It was the highest-grossing tour of all time.

You’re both right.  But that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the story of taylor swift and her legacy on the world of music and beyond.  

Cece: Taylor Swift is the first and only artist to win the GRAMMY for Album Of The Year four times: 

She won for Midnights (2024), Folklore (2021), 1989 (2016), and Fearless (2010). 

Haley: She has had 40 wins at the American Music Awards

Making her the most-awarded artist in the show's history. 

At the Billboard Music Awards: she has 49 wins, the most of any artist.

Cece & Haley: Again 

Cece & Haley: Check this out! 

Taylor swift holds several guiness world records too 

For having the Highest-grossing music tour- Taylor’s Eras Tour, was the highest-grossing music tour of all time, and the first to make over $1 billion.

Haley: thats a good one 

The next one was for the Greatest seismic activity caused by a music concert

Cece: What does that mean mama? 

Eras Tour shows at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, USA, on 22–23 July 2023 registered seismic activity equivalent to a 2.3-magnitude earthquake.

She also has the record for Most Video of the Year wins at the MTV Video Music Awards

Taylor won her fifth MTV Video Music Awards gong for “Fortnight” (feat. Post Malone) from her album The Tortured Poets Department. She also won for “Anti-Hero” (2023), “All Too Well: The Short Film” (2022), “You Need to Calm Down” (2019) and “Bad Blood” (featuring Kendrick Lamar, 2015).

Cece: I love bad blood that is one of my favorites 

Oh me too, that is a goo one!  Another record is for having the most “Time Person of the Year” titles (female) Taylor has been named TIME Magazine’s “Person of the Year” more times than any other woman.

Cece: She actually has 13 Guinness world records

Yea, so we aren’t going to list them all.  But these just give you a taste of how incredible Taylor Swift is and the impact she has had through her music.  

Haley: Just a couple more things about the awards she’s won 

Yes, we could do a whole podcast just listing awards taylor swift has won, but we are going to do more than that.  It feels kind of hard to talk about taylor swift because she gets talked about so much.  

So I figured I might test your knowledge about Taylor Swift First with a little quiz and then we can tell more about her story, does that work girls? 

Cece & Haley: Yea! 

Ok - I’ll start with an easy one.  Do you know Taylor Swifts Birthday?  

Haley: I do! December 13th, 1989

Nice Haley, great work.  You’re right.  Taylor Swift has shared she is really into Numerology.  Numerology is a special way of looking at numbers to see if they hold hidden meanings about a person's life, like their personality and strengths. Think of it like a fun game where you use numbers from your name and birthday to discover cool things about yourself. 

Cece: She uses the number 13 a lot in her music, and the easter eggs she uses.  

She sure does! Plus Taylor loves easter eggs, which are like special surprises or puzzles she does for her fans. She also made an album called 1989 because that was the year she was born.  

Are you guys ready for another question?  

Cece & Haley: Yes! 

What was Taylor Swifts first hit single? 

Cece: Tim McGraw  

Nice work Cece! In 2006 she signed a contract with Big Machine Records and scored her first Top 40 hit with “Tim McGraw.” After that She released four more singles and a self-titled album called Taylor Swift.

Ready for another question?  Haley do you want to ask this one? 

Haley: Sure! How many songs has Taylor Swift written? 

Ohhhh thats a hard one.  Cece what do you think? 

Cece: Over 100? 

I mean, that's not wrong.  Taylor Swift is credited as a writer or co-writer on every original song she has released, which is over 250 songs.  She has sole writing credits on 67 of those songs, which means she wrote the song all by herself.  

Cece: Taylor Swift has been writing songs since she was 10 years old. 

Haley: That isn’t that much older than us Cece! 

Now girls, Did you know there is a museum about Taylor Swift? 

Cece: What? Where?! 

Well a part of a museum is dedicated to her. In Nashville Tennessee  at the Country Music Hall of Fame!  There is a whole display about her and the eras tour.  

Speaking of the Eras Tour.  Do you know where the Eras Tour’s first location was? 

Cece & Haley: Nope! 

The opening night of the Eras tour was in Glendale, Arizona.  And want to know something cool? 

Cece: What mama? 

I was there.  At opening night! 

Haley: Omg tell us everything.  

Well I’m really glad I got to go with Cece’s Aunt Bunny and a few other friends.  We went on the first night so we had no idea what to expect.  And then we got 3 hours of amazing performances.  It was the best concert I’ve ever been to in my life!  

Cece: I’m so jealous 

Want to know some other cool stuff about the Eras tour? 

Haley: Sure! 

Taylor began training six months ahead of the first show for the Eras tour. She would run on the treadmill, singing the entire set list out loud to get ready for the tour.  AND the eras tour was record breaking, as we heard earlier  When Eras kicked off in Glendale, Ariz., Taylor made more revenue for local businesses than the 2023 Super Bowl, which was held in the same stadium. 

Haley: I love that 

Let’s do another question! 

Cece: I have one! How many cats does Taylor Swift have? 

She has 3!  Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button

That was fun.  But I think we should do a little overview of Taylor Swift’s life and why she is a musician we are talking about on the Check this out Podcast!  

Taylor Swift is one of the most famous people in the world, and one of the best selling musicians of all time.  She just released her 12th studio Album

Haley: The life of a show girl! 

You got it! Taylor Swift was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania. 

Cece: Her mom is Andrea, her dad is Scott and her brother is Austin 

Taylor Swift's first major performance was singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" as an 11-year-old at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game, which was before a crowd of thousands.

When she was 13, her parents sold their family farm in Pennsylvania and moved to Hendersonville, Tennessee, so she could pursue a career in country music in Nashville. 

When she was 14 she signed a deal with Sony/ATV as a songwriter in 2004.

Haley: Taylor Swift started singing country music.  

Yea! One of the most amazing things about Taylor Swift is how she has changed her sound and styles of music over the years.  She is constantly reinventing herself and the type of music she makes.  

Haley: Check this out 

Before taylor was doing sold out tours like the Eras tour she actually opened for a bunch of famous artists as she was getting famous.  

Cece; Like who mama? 

Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Brad Paisley, and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. She also opened for Keith Urban on his 2009 tour before headlining her own tours starting with the "Fearless Tour" later in 2009.  

Haley: Wow that is a lot! 

How many of Taylor Swifts Albums do you guys know? 

Haley: Taylor Swift and Fearless

Cece: Speak now & Red 

Haley: 1989 & Reputation 

Cece: Lover, Folklore, Evermore

Haley: Midnights, the tortured poets department 

Cece: Life of a showgirl 

You guys nailed it! But something is missing 

Cece & Haley: What? 

We didn’t talk about the Taylors Version of these albums!  Taylor Swift has created so much amazing music but the music industry makes it hard for artists to own their own music because it requires producers, and money to make and market albums.  Taylor has always written her own music and worked closely with producers, but especially early in her career she didn’t have the ability to own her own music.  

A company she had worked with in the past called Big Machine sold her music to a man named Scooter Braun, a person who she didn’t have a good relationship with.  

Cece: She was devastated 

You’re right.  Without getting into all the logistics Taylor was in a spot where she couldn’t own the music she had made! 

Haley: That is so unfair 

Well its a good thing Taylor Swift is a really smart lady.  Starting in 2021 she began re-recording her music so that she would own it.  “Taylor’s Version” is now on any songs or albums that she re-recorded so her music would belong to her.  

Cece: But there is good news! In 2025 she was able to buy all her masters back

It was a long battle and taylor had to fight really hard but now she owns all her masters including the albums she re-recorded and songs from the vault she released along the way.   

People like to talk about Taylor Swifts personal life a lot because she uses her personal life as inspiration for her music.  Over the years people have had a lot to say about her boyfriends and her friendships.  

Haley: She is now engaged to football player Travis Kelce.  

Taylor Swift is only 35 years old and has already accomplished so much.  She has broken records, traveled around the world, created hundreds of songs, masterminded fun easter eggs, and become an inspiration to people around the world.  

Girls, before we wrap up with a poem what else do you think we should tell our listeners about Taylor Swift? 

Haley

Cece

A shining star with a voice so strong 

Her music makes people feel like they belong 

She takes the stage and stands up for whats right 

She’s figured out how to shine in the spotlight 

From early days and country beats 

Taylor Swift shows she can take the heat 

Her lyrics are catchy, her songs make us sing 

And now she’s got a football player’s ring 

We hope she continues to rise 

And keeps making an impact before our eyes