At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where Swift won Best Female Video for "You Belong with Me", rapper Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech the incident received widespread media corage and became known as " Kanyegate". The success of Fearless made Swift one of country music's biggest stars to crossover into the mainstream market. At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in February 2010, Fearless won Album of the Year and Best Country Album, and its single " White Horse" won Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song. "Love Story" was the first country song to reach number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart and "You Belong with Me" was the first country song to top the all-genre Radio Songs chart. Two of the album's singles, " Love Story" and " You Belong with Me", performed well on both country and pop radio, bringing Swift to mainstream prominence. It was the best-selling album of 2009 in the US, making then-20-year-old Swift the youngest artist to have an annual best-seller since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking album sales in 1991. The album spent 11 weeks at number one on the US Billboard 200, the longest chart run for a female country music artist. The album appeared in 2010s decade-end lists by Billboard and Spin, and on Rolling Stone 's 2012 list of the "50 Best Female Albums of All Time".Īmerican singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her second studio album Fearless through Nashville-based Big Machine Records in November 2008. At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012, Speak Now was nominated for Best Country Album, and its third single " Mean" won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. Some critics complimented Swift's grown-up perspectives, but others felt the lyrics fell short of maturity and refinement. Speak Now received generally positive reviews from music critics for offering emotional engagement and radio-friendly songs. In the US, it sold one million copies within its first release week, spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, and was certified six times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Speak Now peaked atop charts and received multi-platinum certifications in Australia (double platinum) and Canada (triple platinum). The album was supported by six singles, including the US Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles " Mine" and " Back to December", and the US Hot Country Songs number ones " Sparks Fly" and " Ours". Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the album combines country pop, pop rock, and power pop, with rock sensibilities and melodies characterized by acoustic instruments and dynamic electric guitars, string instruments, and drums.Īfter the album's release, Swift embarked on the Speak Now World Tour, which visited Asia, Europe, North America, and Australasia from February 2011 to March 2012. Inspired by her transition from adolescence into adulthood, Speak Now is a loose concept album about love and heartbreak a few songs are about her public image. Swift wrote the album in a two-year period while she was promoting her second studio album Fearless (2008). Speak Now is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 25, 2010, through Big Machine Records.