Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. She was born in 1989 in Pennsylvania and began singing and playing guitar at a young age. Her parents regularly took her to Nashville to perform and meet with songwriters. She signed with Big Machine Records in 2006 and released her self-titled debut album that year at age 16. Her 2008 album Fearless was a commercial success and won several awards. She is known for her country pop and contemporary country music style.