By: By: Lily Knickerbocker
Picture of Taylor visiting her childhood home in Reading, PA, in 2018.
Taylor Swift is one of the most successful and well-known artists of the decade, selling over thirteen million albums. What may not be so well-known about Taylor though, is that she grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania!
Taylor Swift grew up on an eleven-acre Christmas tree farm in Reading, Pennsylvania before moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 2004 to pursue her musical career. Still holding Pennsylvania close to her heart, Taylor pays tribute to the state by performing at many Philadelphia concerts. “Every year as I come home to Pennsylvania, it gets more and more special,” she stated at her concert in the Lincoln Financial Field. As a young artist, Taylor performed a lot in PA, including “Teardrops on My Guitar” at Allentown's Crocodile Rock Cafe, and her opening for Brad Paisley at the Allentown Fair back in 2007. Fans today are reminded just how special Pennsylvania is to Taylor when they listen to the song “Seven,” as the lyrics recite “I was high in the sky with Pennsylvania under me are there still beautiful things?”.
As residents of Pennsylvania, it is inspiring to see successful artists like Taylor Swift, as it is a refreshing reminder that you can be anything you want no matter where you grew up.