Whether or not you’re a totally dedicated Swiftie with a wrist dripping in friendship bracelets or an off-the-cuff onlooker in awe of her success, it’s unimaginable to not be fascinated by Taylor Swift.

So how did this cute nation singer who grew up on a Pennsylvania Christmas tree farm remodel right into a globally adored powerhouse? The reality is, it’s what Swift, 34, wished all alongside, as soon as admitting, “I’m intimidated by the concern of being common.”

Whereas no awkward 12-year-old writing songs in her bed room on an acoustic guitar might presumably think about the world domination that adopted, from a younger age, Swift didn’t simply have a dream; she made it come true.

Let’s break it down …

1. Be insanely proficient: verify!

There’s some stuff you’ll be able to’t manufacture, irrespective of how laborious all these expertise present judges may strive! Whether or not you could have The Tortured Poets Division on repeat or not, you’ll be able to’t dispute that Swift is a genius with phrases.

Fortunately, her mother and father noticed her artistic spark early, uprooting their lives to Nashville after they realized they’d a little bit genius on their arms. Twenty years (and 1000’s of songs) later, in a world the place even essentially the most proficient musicians make use of groups of producers and writers to craft their hits, Swift maintains a singular management over her course of, normally working with only one or two shut collaborators as she shepherds an album to completion.

She’s additionally unbelievably prolific, having launched 5 new studio albums up to now 5 years, plus her first 4 rerecorded Taylor’s Model LPs, every that includes a number of new “From the Vault” tracks. That involves 135 new songs since 2019.

So what spurs her on? “It’s as a result of I might by no means really feel the type of rejection within the music trade that I felt in center faculty,” she’s stated. Yup, most of us simply put up a sizzling selfie each from time to time to show one thing to our childhood frenemies; she went one (OK, fairly a couple of) higher!

2. Win over all types of individuals: verify!

Image a Swiftie: friendship bracelets, face glitter, possibly an oversize Eras T-shirt? Certain, she’s fashionable with younger ladies however, today, her followers span age teams and genders and, for those who handle to get a ticket to certainly one of her reveals (what witchcraft is that this?), you could possibly run into Prince William, Taste Flav, Paul McCartney, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise or Swift’s ever-loyal boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce. They usually all know one factor: You’re by no means too outdated, wealthy or well-known to shimmy to “Shake It Off.”

Swift additionally will get that being good to her followers, and making them really feel near her, is essential to how globally adored she is. Swifties spend 1000’s of {dollars} touring to far-flung locales to see her — to not point out hours of their lives battling Ticketmaster. She at all times acknowledges them, too, thanking them nightly from the stage for his or her prolonged standing ovations and the beneficiant help they’ve given her all these years.

“I like it when individuals say issues to me in public and wish to meet me as a result of I wish to meet them!” she as soon as stated. “Early on, my supervisor informed me, ‘If you wish to promote 500,000 data, then go on the market and meet 500,000 individuals.’”

3. Feed the obsession: verify!

One of the vital enjoyable issues about being immersed within the Swiftverse is that you just’re by no means only a passive listener; there are video games to play and mysteries to be solved!

Through the years, Swift has develop into a grasp of holding her followers invested in her output. One intelligent approach she hooks us is thru her Easter eggs, which, at this level, are a style in their very own proper. She drops clues all over the place, from her lyrics to her music movies and her outfits, giving listeners full texts to dissect for information about her previous relationships with out straight naming who impressed any of her songs.

Who hasn’t listened to “All Too Nicely (10 Minute Model)” time and again to attempt to study extra about its strongly rumored topic, Jake Gyllenhaal? Greater than a decade later, his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, remains to be getting requested concerning the notorious lacking scarf, due to Swift’s line about leaving the neck hotter at her boyfriend’s sister’s home. (For the document, Maggie claimed in 2017 that she is “at the hours of darkness” concerning the scarf’s whereabouts.)

4. Assist different ladies: verify!

Swift practices what she preaches relating to supporting different ladies. As her star has risen, she’s given knowledgeable increase to up-and-comers like Sabrina Carpenter, Woman in Purple and Phoebe Bridgers by bringing them on tour, introducing them to new audiences within the course of and exhibiting the world that she’s a lady of impeccable style who has her finger on the heart beat.

Plus, she has no time for being inexplicably pitted in opposition to fellow stars. When she was touring similtaneously Beyoncé (with their live performance movies heading to theaters back-to-back), the duo assured everybody that it’s all love between two ladies on the high of their recreation.

“I’m so glad I’ll by no means know what my life would’ve been like with out Beyoncé’s affect,” Swift stated after Queen B made an look on the Eras film premiere. And why not? There’s loads of room in our Spotify app for each megastars.

Moreover, everyone knows that when Swift has an issue with somebody, we’ll hear about it. The brilliantly spiky music “thanK you aIMee” on The Tortured Poets Division is believed to be about her spat with Kim Kardashian, and all of us bear in mind her rumored Dangerous Blood with Katy Perry, adopted by their very public make-up.

5. Encompass your self with the best squad: verify!

Swift’s well-known buddy group first rose to prominence within the 1989 days when she enlisted everybody from Gigi Hadid to Mariska Hargitay to star within the “Dangerous Blood” music video, however she’s at all times surrounded herself with fellow energy gamers.

Extra just lately, her core group — which incorporates longtime buddies Blake Full of life and Selena Gomez, in addition to collaborators like Jack Antonoff and Zoë Kravitz — has seen the addition of Brittany Mahomes, Ice Spice and Sophie Turner, who Swift invited to crash at her place after the actress cut up from their mutual ex, Joe Jonas. See, there’s that “ladies supporting ladies” factor in motion once more!

However it’s essential to notice that not all her pals are megastars. She hangs out with loads of regular ladies, too, many who’ve labored together with her in a extra behind-the-scenes approach and who assist her hold grounded (see highschool bestie Abigail Anderson).

And whereas the nights at fancy eating places with fellow A-listers could get the eye, you simply know she’d in all probability moderately be at house together with her cats, gossiping about relationships with the extra low-key pals who know her greatest.

“I believe who you’re at school actually sticks with you,” she’s stated. “I don’t ever really feel just like the cool child on the social gathering, ever. It’s like, ‘Smile and be good to all people, as a result of you weren’t invited to be right here.’”

6. Find out about enterprise: verify!

“I wish to benefit from this cultural relevance or success or no matter you wish to name it,” Swift as soon as stated. “As a result of it’s not going to final.”

Twenty years into her profession, we’re unsure the second half is true — however her longevity as a star is as a result of she has a significantly good enterprise mind in addition to all that pure creativity.

Swift made the Forbes billionaire record this yr, turning into the primary musician to develop into a billionaire solely off of her music. After her masters have been bought to Scooter Braun — resulting in a extremely publicized feud — Swift made the unprecedented resolution to rerecord her first six albums. However she didn’t simply drop them digitally — as together with her new albums, the Taylor’s Model LPs have arrived with complete collections of limited-edition vinyl variants and themed merch that encourage true connoisseurs to purchase a number of copies of the identical album.

She’s develop into a grasp of promoting, making sure gadgets obtainable for simply days or hours at a time or solely at particular places. However ask anybody who stood in line for the blue Eras crewneck in 2023: Swift at all times makes it well worth the wait.

7. Get your fortunately ever after: query mark!

In fact, one of many issues Swift is greatest identified for is singing about her relationships. It’s not that she’s dated any extra guys than your common profitable, single thirty one thing girl; it’s simply that the lads (who run the gamut from actors and boy banders to a controversial rocker) have largely been high-profile.

Her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn felt prefer it could possibly be ceaselessly, however everyone knows how that ended; The Tortured Poets Department is arguably one of many biggest breakup albums of all time. Now, although, we’ve got Kelce, 34, who Swift bought along with in the summertime of 2023 after he revealed he’d unsuccessfully tried to slide her his quantity at an Eras live performance — a transfer she later declared “steel as hell.”

Swift is clearly smitten too. Whereas she’s at all times openhearted about relationships in her songs, she’s by no means been fairly this publicly in love earlier than, so we’re actually rooting for them. If Swift settles down with Kelce, it can really feel just like the conclusion to a journey we’ve all been on together with her. And if she doesn’t? It will likely be time for one more heartbreak album… she’s bought this down by now!

Watch the video above and browse extra on this week’s relaunch difficulty of the brand-new Us Weekly, that includes 12 further pages, a redesigned look and new franchises you’ll love — on newsstands now.