Artistry
Influences
One of Swift's earliest musical memories is listening to her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay (née Moehlenkamp), sing at church.[17][248] In her youth, Finlay was a television host in Puerto Rico, and performed in operas in Thailand and Singapore.[9][249] As a very young child, Swift enjoyed Disney movie soundtracks: "My parents noticed that, once I had run out of words, I would just make up my own."[30][250] Later, her parents exposed her to artists such as James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel and Def Leppard.[251][252] Swift has said she owes her confidence to her mother, who helped her prepare for class presentations as a child.[253] She also attributes her "fascination with writing and storytelling" to her mother.[254]
Swift then began to explore the music of older country stars, including Cline, Loretta Lynn,[9] Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette.[9][262] She believes Parton is "an amazing example to every female songwriter out there."[259] Other mainstream country influences include Miranda Lambert,[263] Dwight Yoakam,[264] Strait,[9] Garth Brooks,[72] Kenny Chesney,[259] Reba McEntire,[265] Jackson,[9] Martina McBride,[266] Rimes,[267] McGraw[268] and Brad Paisley.[269] Swift also admires alt-country artists such as Ryan Adams,[270] Patty Griffin,[271] Lori McKenna[272] and Bon Iver.[273]
Swift has also been influenced by many artists outside the country genre. As a pre-teen, she enjoyed bubblegum pop acts including Hanson and Britney Spears; she still has "unwavering devotion" for Spears.[274][275] In her high school years, Swift listened to emo bands such as Dashboard Confessional,[276] Fall Out Boy,[277] The All-American Rejects[278] and Jimmy Eat World.[279] She was also a fan of contemporary female singer-songwriters including Celine Dion,[280] Ingrid Michaelson,[281] Michelle Branch,[279] Pink,[282] Alanis Morissette,[283] Ashlee Simpson,[284] Kelly Clarkson,[285] Fefe Dobson[279] and Avril Lavigne.[285]
Swift closely followed the musical supervision on the television dramas The O.C. and Grey's Anatomy, downloading "every" song featured.[273] She is a fan of hip hop music, stating that "Pride [in a lifestyle] is something that both country and hip-hop share."[9] Swift also drew inspiration from the catalogues of veteran artists. She describes Nicks as a "hero" who "has inspired me in so many ways."[176][286] Petty, she has said, "is on a pedestal for me."[287] She is "obsessed" with Sixties acts like The Shirelles, Doris Troy and The Beach Boys.[155][288] Influence also came from older female pop rock singers including Pat Benatar,[285][289] Melissa Etheridge,[289] Sarah McLachlan,[283] Shawn Colvin[290] and Linda Ronstadt.[291][292]
Swift lists Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson and Carly Simon as her career role models: "They've taken chances, but they've also been the same artist for their entire careers."[290][293][294] McCartney, both as a Beatle and a solo artist, makes Swift feel "as if I've been let into his heart and his mind": "Any musician could only dream of a legacy like that."[295] She admires Springsteen because he is "so musically relevant after such a long period of time."[296] She aspires to be like Harris as she grows older: "It's not about fame for her, it's about music."[297] Swift says of Kristofferson: "He shines in songwriting ... He's just one of those people who has been in this business for years but you can tell it hasn't chewed him up and spat him out."[298] She admires Simon's "songwriting and honesty": "She's known as an emotional person but a strong person."
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