Swift rose to mainstream prominence with her sophomore studio album, Fearless (2008), a country pop record with crossover appeal. Aided by the top-five singles “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me”, Fearless was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Swift's third studio album, Speak Now (2010), blended country pop with elements of rock and featured the top-ten singles “Mine” and “Back to December”.
Drawing inspiration from various pop, rock, and electronic genres, Swift's fourth studio album Red (2012) saw her transcending her country roots. She completely moved to pop with her synth-pop fifth studio album, 1989 (2014), and expanded the electropop sound on her next two studio albums, reputation (2017) and Lover (2019), which respectively embraced urban and retro styles. The four albums spawned a string of international top-five singles, including “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, “I Knew You Were Trouble”, “Shake It Off”, “Blank Space”, “Bad Blood”, “Look What You Made Me Do”, “ME! (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco)”, “You Need to Calm Down”, and “Lover”.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift experimented with folk and alternative rock on her eighth and ninth studio albums, folklore and evermore (both 2020), whose lead singles “cardigan” and “willow” topped charts around the world. She also released the critically acclaimed documentaries Miss Americana and Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions that year. Swift's tenth studio album, Midnights (2022), marked her triumphant return to pop after two folk albums. The album set the record for biggest first day and first week ever on Spotify, spawned the hits Anti-Hero and Lavender Haze, and sold over 1.5 million copies in its first week becoming not only the biggest debut of the decade but also Swift's biggest debut ever. She would make history by becoming the first artist to occupy the entire top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 with tracks from Midnights.
Additionally, Swift began re-recording her back catalog in November 2020 as a result of a publicized dispute with talent manager Scooter Braun and her former label Big Machine, regarding the acquisition of the masters of her back catalog. In April 2021, Swift released a re-recorded issue of her 2008 album Fearless, titled Fearless (Taylor's Version). It debuted at number one in the US. Swift continued releasing re-recorded versions of her back catalog in November, 2021 with the release of Red (Taylor's Version), a 30 track re-issue of her 2012 critical smash. The album debuted at #1 in the US, spawned the #1 hit All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault), and broke the record at the time for biggest first day for a female album on Spotify. Red (Taylor's Version) was a critical and commercial hit, and proved that Swift's ambitious, yet ongoing plan to re-record her first 6 albums was well worth it.
Along with the release of Red (Taylor's Version) came All Too Well: The Short Film (2021), Swift's filmmaking debut. The 15 minute romantic drama was based on the lyrical content from Swift's 2012 fan favorite “All Too Well” starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien. It had a limited theatrical release in major cities, and Swift held special screenings of the film throughout 2022 at various film festivals. In December, 2022 Taylor announced that she would be making her feature directorial debut with Oscar-winning studio Searchlight Pictures.
Following the release of Midnights, Swift would embark on her first tour in five years, The Eras Tour—a retrospective tour covering the entirety of her discography. During her ongoing tour, Swift would release her next two re-recorded albums, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) in July and 1989 (Taylor's Version) in October of 2023. The former of which would land Swift as the woman with the most number-one albums (12) in Billboard 200 history, surpassing Barbra Streisand. The latter was her sixth album to sell one million copies in a single week in the US, her largest album sales in a week span. “Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version)”, the lead single for 1989 (Taylor's Version), would peak at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
At the 66th annual GRAMMY Awards, Taylor Swift surprised viewers by announcing her eleventh studio album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. On April 19, 2024, the album was released globally, breaking records: it became the first ever to amass 1 billion Spotify streams in a week and sold 2.6 million units in its first week in the US. Swift dominated the charts, monopolizing the top 14 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 and securing the top 10 positions on Australia’s ARIA Singles Chart. The lead single, Fortnight, featuring Post Malone, quickly soared to the number-one position on the Hot 100. Additionally, just two hours after the album’s release, Swift surprised fans with a reissue titled THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY, which included 15 extra songs.
Swift has released several songs for film soundtracks. She co-wrote two songs for the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack— “You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home” and “Crazier”, and contributed two songs to the Valentine's Day soundtrack, including the single “Today Was a Fairytale”, which was her first number one on the Canadian Hot 100, and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. She also contributed two original songs to The Hunger Games soundtrack album: “Safe & Sound - from The Hunger Games Soundtrack”, co-written and recorded with The Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett, and “Eyes Open”. “Safe & Sound” won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. In 2013, Swift recorded “Sweeter than Fiction”, a song she wrote and produced with Jack Antonoff for the One Chance film soundtrack, which received a Best Original Song nomination at the 71st Golden Globe Awards. Swift and English singer Zayn Malik, mononymously known as Zayn, released a single together, “I Don't Wanna Live Forever”, for the soundtrack of the film Fifty Shades Darker (2017). She also recorded an original song called “Beautiful Ghosts”, which she wrote with Andrew Lloyd Webber for the Cats's soundtrack (2019). In 2020, Swift's documentary Miss Americana featured the song “Only the Young” which was written after the 2018 United States elections. In 2022, she released an original song titled “Carolina” for Where The Crawdads Sing (2022) inspired by the novel written by Delia Owens.
With sales of over 200 million records worldwide, Swift is a best-selling music artist. Her accolades include 14 Grammy Awards, including four Album of the Year wins, which makes Swift the artist with the most awards for that category in history, two Brit Awards (including a Global Icon award), an Emmy Award, 28 Guinness World Records, 32 American Music Awards (the most wins by an artist), and 23 Billboard Music Awards (the most wins by a woman). She ranked eighth on Billboard's Greatest of All Time Artists Chart (2019) and was listed on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time (2015). Swift has been included in various power rankings, such as Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world (2010, 2015 and 2019) and Forbes Celebrity 100 (placing first in 2016 and 2019). She was named Woman of the Decade (2010s) by Billboard, Artist of the Decade (2010s) by the American Music Awards, and Person of the Year (2023) by Time Magazine.
Castle Crumbling
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was held up so high, I used to be great
They used to cheer when they saw my face
Now, I fear I have fallen from grace
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
Once, I was the great hope for a dynasty
Crowds would hang on my words and they trusted me
Their faith was strong, but I pushed it too far
I held that grudge 'til it tore me apart
Power went to my head and I couldn't stop
Ones I loved tried to help, so I ran them off
And here I sit alone behind walls of regret
Falling down like promises that I never kept
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now
My foes and friends watch my reign end
I don't know how it could've ended this way
Smoke billows from my ships in the harbor
People look at me like I'm a monster
Now they're screamin' at the palace front gates
Used to chant my name
Now they're screaming that they hate me
Never wanted you to hate me
My castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down (just let you down)
My castle's crumbling down
You don't wanna know me now, now
In Taylor Swift's song "Castles Crumbling," the lyrics tell a story of a downfall from a position of power and greatness. The singer describes a time when they had an empire during a golden age, when they were admired and celebrated. However, something changed, and now they find themselves fallen from grace. The imagery of the crumbling castle and burning bridges symbolize the destruction and isolation the singer is experiencing.
The song explores themes of pride, betrayal, and regret. The singer reflects on their past actions and admits that they let power go to their head, causing them to push away the ones they loved and trusted. The regret they feel is akin to walls closing in on them, as they are left alone with their mistakes. The chorus emphasizes the feeling of isolation and the fear that others no longer want to be associated with them.
As the song progresses, the singer acknowledges the consequences of their actions. Their enemies and friends witness their reign coming to an end, and the hatred directed towards them escalates. The once loyal subjects who used to chant their name now scream insults and express their hatred. The singer desperately pleads, expressing genuine remorse and a desire for redemption, realizing the pain they have caused.
Overall, "Castles Crumbling" serves as a reflection on the consequences of one's actions when consumed by power and ego. It underscores the importance of humility, forgiveness, and the fragility of relationships when trust is broken.
Line by Line Meaning
Once, I had an empire in a golden age
There was a time when I was at the height of my success and power
I was held up so high, I used to be great
I was admired and respected by many
They used to cheer when they saw my face
People used to celebrate and support me enthusiastically
Now, I fear I have fallen from grace
But now I feel like I've lost the favor and support I once had
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
I feel like my empire and everything I built is falling apart
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
I witness the destruction of all the connections and relationships I had
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't want to be associated with me anymore because I will disappoint you
You don't wanna know me now
You have no interest in being connected to me in the present
Once, I was the great hope for a dynasty
I was once seen as the promising figure for a long-lasting legacy
Crowds would hang on my words and they trusted me
People would eagerly listen to what I had to say and had faith in me
Their faith was strong, but I pushed it too far
However, I took their trust for granted and crossed the line
I held that grudge 'til it tore me apart
I couldn't let go of my anger and it ultimately destroyed me
Power went to my head and I couldn't stop
I became intoxicated with my own power and couldn't control myself
Ones I loved tried to help, so I ran them off
Those who cared about me tried to assist, but I pushed them away
And here I sit alone behind walls of regret
Now I find myself isolated and filled with remorse
Falling down like promises that I never kept
I am collapsing just like the vows and commitments I failed to honor
My foes and friends watch my reign end
Both my enemies and allies witness the downfall of my rule
I don't know how it could've ended this way
I am at a loss as to how everything unraveled like this
Smoke billows from my ships in the harbor
Metaphorical smoke rises from the vessels I once commanded, symbolizing my failures
People look at me like I'm a monster
Now people see me as a terrible and monstrous figure
Now they're screamin' at the palace front gates
People are now angrily protesting outside the palace
Used to chant my name
Once, they used to joyfully cheer for me
Now they're screaming that they hate me
But now they are shouting with intense hatred towards me
Never wanted you to hate me
I never desired for you to hold such strong animosity towards me
My castle's crumbling down
My empire and everything I've built is collapsing
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
I witness the complete destruction of all my connections and relationships
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down (just let you down)
You have no desire to be associated with me because I will only bring disappointment
My castle's crumbling down
My empire and everything I've built is falling apart
You don't wanna know me now, now
In the present, you have no interest in being connected to me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Taylor Swift
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ling23
The harmony is just unbelievable, their voices coordinate so well😭
@baloneyspeaker9037
fr i didnt even noticed who was singing at first
@3v3erm0re
Ikr!
@Jsxntos.ৎ
@@Dj07-i3u hahahahaha 😂😂😂 yea not subbing 😉
@charleswilson7425
Fun times times for u always great job u guys
@sirius7623
Wdym
@intothewoods5964
This is for everyone who feels as if their character faces regression instead of development. Who used to make people proud of them, but now everything is shadowed by the disappointments and mistakes. To everyone who feels as if they lost the "special" in them... This song's for us.
@fiona8683
Exactly what I felt after graduation sigh
@rosie-in-her-wonderland
THIS!!!! Wow, this is exactly what I am going through at the moment, I’ve loved Paramore since the start and it seriously feels as if Taylor wrote this from my perspective, then decided to add my favourite singer to it as well to make sure I heard it, I know why Swifties call her a mastermind now!
@Shivamkukreti7
Its for me 🥺
I lost everything in the process my friends my loved one everyone
Thanks to taylor