It's no secret that Swifties were truly blessed this year. After releasing not one, but TWO surprise albums in 2020, Taylor Swift ensured we continued to be fed in 2021.
In fact, we might as well call it 2021 (Taylor's Version).
Here are 22 moments that prove 2021 was Taylor's year:
1. Folklore won a Grammy for Album of the Year a year after the Miss Americana documentary revealed that Taylor thought her previous album, Lover, was one of her "last opportunities as an artist to grasp onto that kind of success."
2. She briefly reunited with ex-boyfriend Harry Styles at the Grammys, proving that exes can be friends AND giving the rest of us hope for a collab.
📽️ | Video of Taylor Swift and Harry Styles talking to each other at the #GRAMMYs! [via. @RecordingAcad]
3. After Britta Thomason, a nurse who's been working through the coronavirus pandemic, mentioned in an interview that she's a Swiftie, Taylor sent her a big box of presents and a handwritten note to "personally thank" her.
4. When Olivia Rodrigo — who often credits Taylor as one of her biggest inspirations — climbed the charts with "Drivers License," Taylor was one of the first big-name artists to acknowledge her success, commenting, "I say that's my baby and I'm really proud."
Taylor's comment quoted a statement her own mother once made, which is often repeated in her fandom.
5. Though Fearless (Taylor's Version) was on its way, she dropped a snippet of the rerecorded 1989 track "Wildest Dreams" in the trailer for Spirit Untamed — an animated horse movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal, her ex-boyfriend and the speculated subject of Red.
Watch the trailer here:
View this video on YouTube
6. She released the bonus tracks for Fearless (Taylor's Version) from the vault in puzzle form — which her fans quickly decoded.
The vault door is about to be as unhinged as you’ll think I am after you watch this video. Level: Expert Happy decoding!
7. Then, on April 9, she released her first rerecorded album — Fearless (Taylor's Version) — marking the beginning of Taylor finally owning all of her own music.
8. Everybody was jamming to Fearless (Taylor's Version) — including Sophie Turner, who shared "Mr. Perfectly Fine," which is allegedly about her husband/Taylor's ex-boyfriend, Joe Jonas, on her Instagram story.
9. On TikTok, Taylor trolled critics who think country girls can't go pop, and paid homage to icon Shania Twain.
10. During the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Taylor created a video message for the US gymnastics team and shared a special message of support for Simone Biles.
I cried watching YOU. I feel so lucky to have gotten to watch you all these years, but this week was a lesson in emotional intelligence and resilience. We all learned from you. Thank you. https://t.co/VQxyeEf0mJ
11. Taylor adorably dressed up as a squirrel for Halloween — and quoted Megan Thee Stallion while doing it.
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🥚🐣🥚🐣🥚🐣🥚🐣🥚🐣🥚🐣🥚🐣🥚🐣🥚🐣🥚🐣
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13. She challenged her fans to unscramble the Red (Taylor's Version) bonus tracks with a puzzle that was even more complicated than the Fearless one.
*presses post* *cackles maniacally* Level: casually cruel in the name of being honest
14. Then, alongside Adele, she ushered in "sad-girl autumn" with the release of Red (Taylor's Version).
15. After nearly a decade of fans asking for it, she (finally!) released the 10-minute version of "All Too Well."
16. She also wrote and directed her first-ever short film, All Too Well (The Short Film).
Grab a box of tissues, then watch the full thing here:
View this video on YouTube
17. She released an Easter egg–stuffed, Blake Lively–directed, red scarf symbolism–toting music video for "I Bet You Think About Me."
Relive the magic here:
View this video on YouTube
18. Then she made a hilarious "Speak Now" throwback on TikTok.
19. As the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, she teamed up with Pete Davidson and Please Don't Destroy to make a music video called "Three Sad Virgins."
Check out the full video here:
View this video on YouTube
20. Taylor and Selena Gomez proved that best friends truly are forever with this adorable TikTok they made backstage.
21. She also made fun of that Drunk Taylor meme on TikTok.
22. And finally, she dominated everyone's Spotify Wrapped — and was the second-most-streamed artist worldwide.
