TAY-TAY ON TOP

The music, the performances, the fans, the influence - no one does it quite like Taylor Swift

- NICOLA WHITFIELD

WHEN you’re ridiculously rich, insanely famous and off-the-charts successful there are always going to be people who don’t like you –and Taylor Swift has been on the receiving end of haters almost from the word go.

She’s been branded a mean girl, denounced as overrated, accused of going out with guys for publicity purposes and criticised for writing songs that are too straightforward.

But for every Taylor hater, there are thousands upon thousands of Taylor lovers. And whichever camp you’re in there’s no denying it: the 33-year-old isn’t only a megastar, she’s a seismic force of nature.

Taylor recently made Grammy history when she won Album of the Year for a record fourth time with Midnights, accepting the gong from the ailing Céline Dion.

But Tay-Tay didn’t simply receive the prize with a smile and a few gracious words: she announced she was thanking her fans – the millions of Swifties who’ve helped make her a global phenomenon – by sharing a secret.

“My brand-new album comes out on April 19th,” she said. “It’s called The Tortured Poet’s Department. I’m going to go and post the cover right now backstage.”

Which she did – and within an hour the post had received more than seven million likes. Too many, it turned out, for her Instagram page which went down temporarily.

This year, like the one before it and the one before that, looks set to be dominated by Taylor Swift.

Here’s why she’s in a league of her own.

HER TOUR DE FORCE