Taylor Swift is ending the decade with achievements as big as her stadium tours. In November, she became the artist with the most American Music Awards, besting Michael Jackson; earlier this month, she was honoured with Billboard’s Woman of the Decade award. Now, Forbes has announced that she was the 2010s’ highest-earning woman in music.
At $825 million (£629 million), Swift was second only to Dr. Dre, who earned $3 billion (£2.3 billion) when Apple bought Beats Electronics. Beyoncé, U2, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga are some of the other high earners to make the list this decade.
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Swift started the decade with two albums and two Grammys under her belt. Though 2008’s Fearless got fans listening, it was her 2010 release, Speak Now, that became the 16th album ever to sell over 1 million copies in its first week — and with her three subsequent records, Red, 1989, and reputation, Swift accomplished the same feat, Billboard reports. More recently, her 2019 album, Lover, went platinum just four weeks after its release.
Swift’s album tours also broke numerous records: 2011’s Speak Now World Tour was the year’s highest-grossing tour by a solo artist, earning $104.2 million (£79 million), and she only continued to earn more with each subsequent tour. 2015’s 1989 World Tour grossed $199.4 million (£152 million) in America alone, and 2018’s reputation Stadium Tour grossed $202.3 million (£154 million).
“When this decade began I was 20 years old,” Swift said during her Woman of the Decade speech. “This was the decade I became a mirror for my detractors. Whatever they said I couldn't do is exactly what I did.”
Outside of music, Swift starred in ad campaigns for Diet Coke, Keds, and Apple Music, just to name a few.
Up next for Swift will be the international Lover Fest, with performances in Los Angeles, Berlin, Madrid, and more. Just don’t say she won’t be able to break her own records — among Swift’s many skills is proving people wrong.
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