From "cancelled" to person of the year: Taylor Swift's unfiltered journey

In an exclusive interview with Time magazine, Taylor Swift, recently crowned Person of the Year, delved into her extraordinary year, discussing the highs and lows of her remarkable career. Swift, at the age of 33, expressed that the current moment feels like the "breakthrough" in her career, especially after the immense success of her Eras Tour and a highly acclaimed concert film.

The pop star, known for her resilience, reflected on the rollercoaster ride of public opinion she has endured over the past two decades. Swift acknowledged being adorned with praise and then swiftly facing criticism, describing it as a recurrent pattern throughout her career. This time, however, she emphasised that she feels mentally tough enough to navigate the challenges that come with fame.

Swift highlighted that it took reaching her lowest points to truly appreciate the significance of her recent triumphs. She candidly pointed to two significant catalysts – first, facing severe backlash and what she referred to as being "cancelled within an inch of my life and sanity," and second, experiencing the heartbreak of having her life’s work taken away by someone who harbours animosity towards her.


The interview touched upon Swift's public feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, particularly during her "Reputation" era. She recalled the infamous 2016 release of West's song "Famous," which led to a contentious dispute. Swift described the situation as a "career death," marked by a manufactured frame job involving an illegally recorded phone call manipulated and released by Kardashian.

After the release of her "Reputation" follow-up album, "Lover," Swift faced another challenge – the sale of her music catalogue from Big Machine's Scott Borchetta to Scooter Braun. Swift expressed feeling devastated by the sale of her music, especially to someone she believed had nefarious intentions. In response, she took the unprecedented step of re-recording all her Big Machine albums, releasing them under the banner "Taylor’s Version."