The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Location	6 Championship Drive Auburn Hills, MI 48326
Coordinates	42°41′49″N 83°14′44″W / 42.69694°N 83.24556°W / 42.69694; -83.24556Coordinates: 42°41′49″N 83°14′44″W / 42.69694°N 83.24556°W / 42.69694; -83.24556
Broke ground	June 7, 1986[1]
Opened	August 13, 1988
Owner	Tom Gores
Operator	Palace Sports and Entertainment
Construction cost	$70 million ($138 million in 2012 dollars[2])
Architect	Rossetti Architects
Project Manager	Frank Rewold and Sons[3]
Structural engineer	McClerg & Associates Inc.[4]
General Contractor	R.E. Dailey & Company[5]
Capacity	Basketball: 21,454 (1988-1997) 22,076 (1997-present) Ice hockey: 20,804 Arena Football: 20,184 End-stage concerts: 23,000 Center-stage concerts: 24,276
Tenants
Detroit Pistons (NBA) (1988–present) Detroit Shock (WNBA) (1998–2009) Detroit Vipers (IHL) (1994–2001) Detroit Safari (CISL) (1994–1997) Detroit Rockers (NPSL) (1997–2000) Detroit Fury (AFL) (2001–2004)

The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was also the home of the Detroit Shock of the WNBA (1998–2009, now playing as the Tulsa Shock), Detroit Vipers of the IHL (1994–2001), Detroit Safari of the CISL (1994–1997), and the Detroit Fury of the AFL (2001–2004).

History[link]

From 1957 to 1978, the Pistons competed in Detroit's Olympia Stadium and Cobo Arena. In 1978, owner Bill Davidson elected not to share the new Joe Louis Arena with the Detroit Red Wings, and instead chose to relocate the team to the Pontiac Silverdome, a venue constructed for football, where it remained for the next decade. While the Silverdome could accommodate massive crowds, it offered substandard sight lines for basketball viewing. A group led by Davidson bought vacant land in Auburn Hills from Joseph Shewach and built The Palace there for the relatively low cost of $70 million, using entirely private funding. The Davidson family held a controlling interest in the arena until Tom Gores purchased majority share in 2011.

Basketball[link]

The arena opened in time for the Pistons' first NBA championship season, in 1988–1989. Since then, when one of The Palace's basketball occupants has won a championship, the number on its address has changed. Its current address is 6 Championship Drive, reflecting the Pistons' three NBA titles and the Detroit Shock's three WNBA titles (the Detroit Vipers' 1997 Turner Cup championship has not been officially recognized in the arena's address; the address also remained unchanged despite the Shock's move to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2010). The original address was 3777 Lapeer Road.

Notable Concerts[link]

The first musical act to perform at The Palace was former Police lead vocalist Sting, on opening night.

The Palace was the site of an assassination attempt on Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, while he was on tour, with former band mate Robert Plant, during their "No Quarter Tour".^[6] On March 31, 1995, Lance Alworth Cunningham, a 23-year-old, who thought that Led Zeppelin music contained "satanic messages", tried rushing the stage with a knife. He waited until the song "Kashmir" started and then made his charge for the stage, waving the weapon. The man was tackled by patrons and security about 50 feet from the stage.

On August 25 and 26, 2001, Madonna performed two sold out shows on her Drowned World Tour. The shows were recorded for a live broadcast on HBO and were later released on DVD.

The Palace played host to the politically motivated Vote for Change Tour on October 3, 2004, featuring performances by My Morning Jacket, Jurassic 5, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals and The Dave Matthews Band (with unannounced guest Neil Young).^[7] The German Metal band Rammstein is scheduled to perform on May 6th 2012.

Other uses[link]

The arena has hosted WCW World War 3 pay-per-view on two occasions in 1997 and in 1998 as well as WWF's SummerSlam in 1993. The Palace hosted TNA's Slammiversary event on June 21, 2009, as well as UFC 123 on November 20, 2010. The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) hosted a Built Ford Tough Series tour event at the Palace in 2001 and 2007; in 2001 the tour was known as the Bud Light Cup.

"The Malice at the Palace"[link]

On November 19, 2004, a fight broke out between members of the NBA's Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. As the on-court fight died down, a fan threw a cup at Pacers forward Ron Artest, who then rushed into the crowd, sparking a melee between players and spectators. The fight resulted in the suspension of nine players, criminal charges against five players, and criminal charges against five spectators. The offending fans were banned from attending games at The Palace. In the aftermath of the fight, the NBA decided to increase the security presence between players and spectators. The fact that the fight took place at The Palace of Auburn Hills led it become colloquially referred to as "The Malice at the Palace" and the "Basketbrawl."

The Palace was also the site of a brawl between the WNBA's Shock and Sparks on July 21, 2008.

Facility information[link]

The Palace of Auburn Hills has the largest capacity in the NBA (22,076), which has helped the Pistons to record the league's highest home attendance from 2002 to 2008. The Pistons court was previously named the "William Davidson Court", in honor of the late owner, prior to the home opener on October 28, 2009; however Davidson's signature, along with the retired numbers, were removed from the hardwood when Tom Gores took over the Palace ownership, and were re-retired instead atop the Palace rafters as replacement banners. The Palace's large seating capacity of up to 24,276 for center-stage concerts and suburban location have made it very popular for large concerts and major boxing matches.

The Palace was built with 180 luxury suites, considered an exorbitant number when it opened, but it has consistently managed to lease virtually all of them. In December 2005, the Palace added five underground luxury suites, each containing 450 square feet (42 m²) of space and renting for $450,000 per year. Eight more luxury suites, also located below arena level, were opened in February 2006. They range in size from 800 to 1,200 square feet (74 to 110 m²) and rent for $350,000 annually.^[8] The architectural design of the Palace, including its multiple tiers of luxury suites, has been used as the basis for many other professional sports arenas in North America since its construction,^[9] including Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, also designed by Rossetti Associates. One trend that the arena has not partaken in is that of selling its naming rights to a sponsor; it is one of five NBA arenas that has not done so, and just one of eight basketball arenas owned by their respective NBA franchise.

Although The Palace is now one of the oldest arenas in the NBA, the Pistons have shown little interest in replacing it, as it already contains the amenities that most NBA teams have sought in new arenas. The Palace installed a new High-Definition JumboTron monitor, new LED video monitors, and more than 950 feet (290 m) of ribbon display technology from Daktronics.^[10] in the mid-2000s. It is widely considered to be the first of the modern-style NBA arenas, and its large number of luxury suites was a major reason for the building boom of new NBA arenas in the 1990s.^[11]

Banners[link]

The Palace of Auburn Hills has several different types of banners hanging from its rafters. These include all time great Pistons, both Pistons and Shock team achievements.

Retired numbers:

• William Davidson
• Jack McCloskey
• 2 Chuck Daly
• 4 Joe Dumars
• 10 Dennis Rodman
• 11 Isiah Thomas
• 15 Vinnie Johnson
• 16 Bob Lanier
• 21 Dave Bing
• 40 Bill Laimbeer

Team accomplishments: Detroit Pistons:

• 1988–89 Eastern Conference Champions
• 1988–89 NBA Champions
• 1989–90 Eastern Conference Champions
• 1989–90 NBA Champions
• 2001–02 Central Division Champions
• 2002–03 Central Division Champions
• 2003–04 Eastern Conference Champions
• 2003–04 NBA Champions
• 2004–05 Eastern Conference Champions
• 2004–05 Central Division Champions
• 2005–06 Central Division Champions
• 2006–07 Central Division Champions
• 2007–08 Central Division Champions

Detroit Shock:

• 2003 WNBA Champions
• 2006 WNBA Champions
• 2008 WNBA Champions

Musical acts: In 2008, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the arena, it was announced that The Palace would be raising banners to the ceiling for musical acts that have had multiple sold-out shows at venues owned by Palace Sports & Entertainment. Bon Jovi was the first to get a banner, in February, followed by Neil Diamond, in July. In addition, these artists received banners outside the building on lightpoles along with other members of Palace Sports & Entertainment's most attended acts, including Kid Rock, Bob Seger, Dave Matthews Band, The Barenaked Ladies, Van Halen, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Tim McGraw, Jimmy Buffett and Britney Spears.

See also[link]

Metro Detroit portal

• DTE Energy Music Theatre
• Sports in Detroit
• Tourism in metropolitan Detroit

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site of The Palace of Auburn Hills
• Aerial view from Google Maps
• Aerial photo from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Palace of Auburn Hills

Auburn Hills, Michigan
—  City  —
Location in the state of Michigan
Coordinates: 42°41′15″N 83°14′03″W / 42.6875°N 83.23417°W / 42.6875; -83.23417Coordinates: 42°41′15″N 83°14′03″W / 42.6875°N 83.23417°W / 42.6875; -83.23417
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Oakland
Settled [1]	1821
Incorporated [2]	1983
Government[1]
• Manager	Pete Auger
• Mayor	James D McDonald
Area
• City	16.6 sq mi (43.0 km2)
• Land	16.6 sq mi (43.0 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	961 ft (293 m)
Population (2010)
• City	21,412
• Density	1,300/sq mi (500/km2)
• Metro	4,296,250
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	48321, 48326
Area code(s)	248, 947
FIPS code	26-04105[3]
GNIS feature ID	1675443[4]
Website	http://www.auburnhills.org/

Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census.^[5] The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.

Economy[link]

Auburn Hills is home to the world headquarters of Chrysler, the Walter P. Chrysler Museum, Oakland University, BorgWarner, Guardian Industries, RGIS, Great Lakes Crossing shopping center, as well as The Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons and the former home of Women's National Basketball Association's Detroit Shock.

Geography[link]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6 square miles (43 km²). 16.6 square miles (43 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) of it (0.12%) is water.

Demographics[link]

As of 2010 Auburn Hills had a population of 21,412. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 56.3% white, 28.5% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 5.8% Asian Indian, 3.1% other Asian, 2.7% from some other race and 3.4% from two or more races. 7.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[6]

As of the 2000 census there were 8,064 households, out of which, 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 43.0% were married couples living together; 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 42.9% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.92.

The age distribution is 20.4% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 38.1% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $51,376, and the median income for a family was $60,849. Males had a median income of $45,686 versus $34,015 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,529. About 3.9% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Culture and history[link]

Auburn Hills began as Pontiac Township, including the village of Auburn, in 1821 at what is today the corner of Auburn and Squirrel roads. Situated on the Clinton River, it was named by Aaron Webster, the first settler, for Auburn, New York. His sawmill and grist mill attracted settlers to Auburn. After the streets were laid out in 1826, Auburn rivaled nearby Pontiac until the 1860s, when it lost its prosperity. The town was renamed Amy in 1880, and it officially became Auburn Heights in 1919. Pontiac Township bordered the city of Pontiac on two sides. The township attempted to incorporate as Pontiac Heights in 1971, but the request was denied by state officials. Pontiac Township became a charter township in 1978, to protect itself from further annexation. In 1983, it formally became the city of Auburn Hills and included the village of Auburn Heights. It is not to be confused with the city of Auburn, Michigan, that exists in Bay County, near Saginaw Bay.

In 1908, automobile pioneer John Dodge bought a farmhouse 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Auburn Heights to use as his country retreat. His oldest child, Winifred Dodge, married real estate baron Wesson Seyburn, who built his own country retreat 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of Auburn Heights. The estate included hunting land, dog kennels, a swimming pool, horse stables, and a 5,000-square-foot (460 m²) Colonial Revival house. Pontiac Township purchased the estate in 1976, and adapted the buildings for government use. Today, it is known as the Auburn Hills Civic Center.

Pontiac Township and Auburn Heights together became the City of Auburn Hills in 1983. The first use of the name "Auburn Hills," in 1964, was by Oakland Community College. They named their campus (a former Nike missile base) at Featherstone and Squirrel roads for the town and the hilly terrain in the area. Besides Oakland Community College, three other colleges, Oakland University, Baker College, and Cooley Law School have campuses partially within the city limits.

Auburn Hills roughly follows the course of Interstate 75 and is home to a prosperous business community. In the early 1980s, Oakland University partnered with developers to create a technology and research park on unused land it owned. The Oakland Technology Park was approved by the city in 1985, with Comerica, EDS, and Chrysler to build campuses there. Today, the city's many tech and office buildings cause its population to swell to 80,000 during the workday.

Many areas of the city still have a rural atmosphere, but land is being developed fast. Great Lakes Crossing, a shopping mall, opened in 1998. In 2002, the small downtown area at Auburn and Squirrel was revitalized as the "Village Center" with streetscape improvements. Pedestrian-friendly development is encouraged in this district.

Recreation[link]

Auburn Hills is home to several local parks, many of which are open year round.

Auburn Hills Skate Park

Fun for all ages and skill levels. Whether you skateboard, inline skate, or BMX bike, this park has something for you. The use of the facility is always free and it remains open from April to November, 8 AM until dusk

Civic Center Park

Offers the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of southeastern Michigan, year round. Take a hike on one of the park’s nature trails, throw a line in at the fishing pond, or bring your family out for a picnic. The park offers open lawn areas and a picnic shelter with a fireplace inside. It features a softball field, 9-hole disc golf course, tennis courts, two play structures, and swings.

River Woods Park

.

Clinton River Trail

An expansive, 16-mile (26 km) walkway through the heart of Oakland County. Walking along the trail will bring you through several different cities, including Rochester, Rochester Hills, Sylvan Lake, Auburn Hills, and Pontiac. The 2.1-mile (3.4 km) section of trail within Auburn Hills is covered in finely crushed stone, ideal for walking, jogging, and biking.

Dennis Dearing Jr. Memorial Park

Featuring a fireman-themed “tot-lot” for children ages 2–5, Dennis Dearing Jr. Memorial Park is a wonderful place to take your young ones. The park also has swings, picnic tables, and open space areas for picnic or play.

Hawk Woods Nature Center

Eighty acres of beautiful woods, meadows, and marsh are accessible via several groomed nature trails and a boardwalk. This year round facility features heated restroom and shower facilities for the winter months, along with a two-story lodge with six overnight camping cabins. The lodge can be rented for meetings or activities year round.

Manitoba Park

A two-acre park which contains a play structure, sand volleyball courts, a paved play area, and open space for activities.

Riverside Park

Located adjacent to downtown Auburn Hills and along the Clinton River, Riverside Park is an excellent place to spend your warm afternoons and evenings. Take a walk along the water, plan a picnic, or hop onto the play structure. You can even launch your canoe and cruise down river!

River Woods Park

Located near downtown Auburn Hills, this park contains all the outdoor necessities. It has picnic areas, both open and sheltered, standing barbecue grills, and heated restrooms which remain open year round. You can navigate your way through the park on a paved pathway system, which includes a bridge over the Clinton River. Young kids can have fun on the play structure, which features swings and climbers. The park also contains four basketball courts.

	Independence Township	Orion Township	Oakland Township
	Pontiac Lake Angelus Waterford		Rochester Hills
		Auburn Hills    East
	Pontiac	Bloomfield Township Pontiac	Troy

See also[link]

Metro Detroit portal

• Images of metropolitan Detroit

References[link]

• Randall, Natalie Kilmer. Pontiac Township 1827-1983: The End of an Era. Pontiac, MI: 1983
• Oakland University history page
• Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce
• Auburn Hills Welcome Video Program Source International, 2007.

External links[link]

• City of Auburn Hills
• Auburn Hills Public Library

v t e Municipalities and communities of Oakland County, Michigan, United States County seat: Pontiac Cities Auburn Hills Berkley Birmingham Bloomfield Hills Clarkston Clawson Farmington Farmington Hills Fenton‡ Ferndale Hazel Park Huntington Woods Keego Harbor Lake Angelus Lathrup Village Madison Heights Northville‡ Novi Oak Park Orchard Lake Village Pleasant Ridge Pontiac Rochester Rochester Hills Royal Oak South Lyon Southfield Sylvan Lake Troy Walled Lake Wixom Villages Beverly Hills Bingham Farms Franklin Holly Lake Orion Leonard Milford Ortonville Oxford Wolverine Lake Charter townships Bloomfield Brandon Commerce Highland Independence Lyon Milford Oakland Orion Oxford Royal Oak Springfield Waterford West Bloomfield White Lake General law townships Addison Groveland Holly Novi Rose Southfield Unincorporated communities Andersonville Austin Corners Brandon Gardens Campbells Corner Charing Cross Clintonville Clyde Commerce Davisburg Drayton Plains East Highland Five Points Four Towns Gingellville Glengary Goodison Groveland Corners Hickory Ridge Highland Huron Heights Jossman Acres Kensington Lake Orion Heights Lakeville New Hudson Newark Oak Grove Oakley Park Oakwood Oxbow Perry Lake Heights Rose Center Rose Corners Rudds Mill Seven Harbors Springfield Thomas Union Lake Walters Waterford Waterstone West Highland Westacres White Lake Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v t e Metro Detroit Topics Architecture Culture Detroit River Economy Freeways History Historic places International Riverfront Lake St. Clair Media Music Parks and beaches People Skyscrapers Sports Theatre Tourism Transportation Major city Detroit Municipalities over 80,000 Canton Township Clinton Township Dearborn Livonia Sterling Heights Troy Warren Westland Municipalities 45,000 to 80,000 Dearborn Heights Farmington Hills Grosse Pointe Macomb Township Novi Pontiac Redford Township Rochester Hills Royal Oak St. Clair Shores Shelby Township Southfield Taylor Waterford Township West Bloomfield Township Satellite cities Ann Arbor Brighton Flint Howell Lapeer Monroe Port Huron Toledo Windsor Ypsilanti Counties in MSA Lapeer Livingston Macomb Oakland St. Clair Wayne Counties in CSA Genesee Monroe Washtenaw Regions Southeast Michigan Great Lakes Outlying regions Central Michigan Flint/Tri-Cities Northwest Ohio Southwestern Ontario The Thumb  Michigan  United States

For the arena, see The Palace of Auburn Hills. For the hotel, see The New York Palace Hotel. See also Palace (disambiguation).

The Palace is a British drama television series that aired on ITV (ITV1/STV/UTV) in 2008. Produced by Company Pictures for the ITV network, it was created by Tom Grieves and follows a fictional British Royal Family in the aftermath of the death of King James III and the succession of his 24-year-old son, Richard IV, played by Rupert Evans. It also stars Jane Asher and Zoe Telford. The series was filmed on location in Lithuania in 2007 and broadcast from January to March 2008. It was axed after one series due to low viewing figures.

Production[link]

Tom Grieves initial pitch centred on "a woman operating within the shadow of power". Ideas for the "power" included the Prime Minister, Sir Mick Jagger and Rupert Murdoch before he settled on a fictional royal family. The relationship between the woman and the royal family was modelled on that seen in The West Wing between Jed Bartlet and his staff; Grieves desired to mimic The West Wing's "talky, aspirational, sophisticated" style in his own series.^[1] The earliest summaries of the plot placed the focus of the series on a woman who is working undercover at Buckingham Palace with the intent of writing an exposé of the King's life. The woman (later named "Abigail") "goes native" and cancels her book because she falls for the King.^[2][3]

The series was written by Grieves, Chris Lang, Charlotte Jones and Toby Whitehouse.^[3] Grieves was influenced in his writing by Hamlet; he explored how Richard deals with the "ancient, ritualistic institution" that he inherits after James dies.^[1] The writers deliberately avoided making comparisons to the real royal family, despite the links made by media between Richard and George to Princes William and Harry. Patrick Jephson, the former private secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales, was consulted extensively during production, working with the writing team for over a year.^[4] The series was greenlit by ITV in January 2007.^[5]

Sets were designed by Taff Batley. Batley scouted production locations in Hungary, due to the expense a production the size of The Palace would have if filmed in the UK. A site was eventually found near the dock in Vilnius, Lithuania. Exterior sets of Buckingham Palace were scaled down from their true counterparts because of the length of time full-sized replicas would take to create; the scale sets alone took ten weeks to build. Red gravel for the palace courtyard was mimicked using clay that was bound for a new tennis court under construction nearby.^[6] Interior sets were built in an ice skating rink on the other side of the city. They used plasterboard instead of the lighter, cheaper plywood that would have been used on a British-based set. Batley referred to documentary footage to find a basis for his designs of bedrooms and other private areas of the palace that would otherwise not be available for public viewing.^[6] Locals were hired as extras to portray lords and ladies in large crowd scenes. Unaccustomed to bowing and curtseying, the extras had to be trained and some scenes reshot.^[7] The first block of four episodes was directed by Metin Hüseyin and the second by Maurice Phillips.

Plot[link]

On the sudden death of King James III, his 24-year-old elder son, Richard, inherits the throne. This causes resentment with his elder sister, Princess Eleanor (Sophie Winkleman), who wants the throne for herself. Her Private Secretary, Major Simon Brooks (David Harewood), helps her in trying to discredit the new king. Richard's younger brother, Prince George (Sebastian Armesto), is a party-animal, while the younger daughter, Princess Isabelle (Nathalie Lunghi), is an A-Level student. Their mother is the now-widowed Queen Charlotte (Jane Asher).

Abigail Thomas (Zoe Telford) is Richard's secretary who plans to write a tell-all book about her life in the Palace. Richard's Private Secretary is Sir Iain Ratalick (Roy Marsden). Other staff featured in the series are Abigail's personal assistant Lucy Bedford (Fiona Button) and the Press Secretary Jonty Roberts (Lorcan Cranitch).

Royal family tree[link]

Episodes[link]

The Palace aired on Mondays at 9 p.m. Each episode is about 45 minutes long and originally aired in a 60-minute slot with adverts. The broadcasts were sponsored by Warner Leisure Hotels, both on television and on itv.com.^[8] International broadcast sales were handled by All3Media, Company Pictures' parent company.^[5]

Reception[link]

Prior to the broadcast of the series the pressure group Mediawatch UK called it "tawdry and offensive", suggesting that viewers would confuse the scripted television characters with the real British Royal Family. Lord St John of Fawsley called it "very near to the bone" and Penny Junor, the biographer of Charles, Prince of Wales, suggested ITV is exploiting the royal family by presenting fiction as fact.^[10] The Guardian previewed it as one of the top 50 shows (including film, theatre and television) to watch over the Christmas period.^[11]

After the first episode aired, Nancy Banks-Smith said in The Guardian that The Palace "is the TV equivalent of balloon modelling. It feels like being shot to death with popcorn." She also said that "I never fail to be amazed when decent actors - Walter, Marsden, Cranitch, Shrapnel - bob up in tosh like this."^[12] Andrew Billen said in The Times "I am delighted that, as with The Palace, the channel is setting before us something other than a grim regional detective or a comedy drama about suburban adultery. The Palace inhabits an incredible world all of its own. In that respect it is believable: the real palace undoubtedly does, too."^[13] James Walton for The Daily Telegraph wrote that for "sheer weirdness" there "was no match at all for The Palace".^[14] Keith Watson wrote in the Metro said that The Palace "pitched itself just right, its tongue-in-cheek study of a faction-riven upstairs clan contrasting with the bitching and backbiting of the downstairs footmen." He concluded his review by saying "Much of The Palace may be playing for laughs but it promises a sting in its blue-blooded tale".^[15]

The day after the series ended, Watson wrote "I know I'm in a minority here, but I shall miss the Dynasty-style antics of King Rich and his nemesis Princess Eleanor, with Rupert Evans and Sophie Winkleman top hole as scheming royal siblings." Watson called the series a victim of "ITV1’s ratings-crazy drama cull", referring to its impending cancellation.^[16]

In April 2008, ITV announced that The Palace would not be renewed for a second series, due to low viewing figures. The last episode had been watched by 3.1 million people.^[17]

Sophie Winkleman married the Lord Frederick Windsor (son of Prince and Princess Michael). After the marriage the couple took up residence in Los Angeles.

DVD release[link]

The Palace was released on DVD in the UK (Region 2) on 17 March 2008.^[18]

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Palace at itv.com
• The Palace at Company Pictures
• The Palace at the Internet Movie Database

Eva Simons (Born April 27, 1984) is a Dutch singer-songwriter. She started her music career at 18 when she auditioned for the Dutch "Popstars the Rivals", eventually joining the girl group Raffish before leaving the group to focus on a solo career.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Raised in Amsterdam, Simons grew up in a family of musicians, with a pianist father and vocalist mother. Simons is a classically trained pianist and has been writing compositions since she was a child, getting her first record deal at the age of 13. She is also a graduate from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.^[1]

In 2004, Eva decided to audition for the Dutch "Popstars the Rivals". She became a part of the girl group Raffish, receiving a golden record and several number 1 hits before leaving the group to pursue a solo career.

2009-present: Rise to fame, Silly Boy and Debut Album[link]

In 2009, Eva’s song “Silly Boy” gained popularity on the Internet. The song became one of the most notorious tracks online, generating over 20+ million views. After this success, she signed a worldwide deal at EMI. The song actually started out life as a demo idea for another high profile US female act, and gained much notoriety after Kayne West posted it in his blog, with Eva's vocal, and incorrect credits for the songs performer.

In mid 2010, Eva & Mike Hamilton (also known as the writing team Topline Ink) wrote the song “Take Over Control”. They played the idea to DJ Afrojack, who produced the hit single, which spent 6 weeks on the Billboard Top Dance Airplay Chart, topped iTunes dance charts globally, and gained Platinum status in Australia and certified Gold in the US. The song has become a globally dance crossover anthem, propelling the profiles of both Eva and Afrojack worldwide.

In 2011, as well as touring across the globe, Simons has gone on to sign a major label US deal, and is featured on LMFAO's track "Best Night". In addition to this, Eva has also collaborated with Will.i.am on tracks for his upcoming solo album.

In early March 2012, it was announced that Eva Simons will join LMFAO in the North American "Sorry For Party Rocking" tour.^[2]

On March 20, 2012, Simons premiered her new single, "I Don't Like You", which was released in most countries on March 26 under Interscope Records. The track is produced by Zedd. In March 2012, Eva Simons and RedOne (works with Porcelain Black, Lady GaGa, Jennifer Lopez, and many more) were working together.

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

Album appearances[link]

Music videos[link]

As main artist[link]

As featured artist[link]

Appearances[link]

References[link]

Taylor Swift
Swift performing during the Australian leg of her Speak Now Tour in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Taylor Alison Swift
Born	(1989-12-13) December 13, 1989 (age 22) Reading, Pennsylvania, United States
Genres	Country-pop, pop, country, alternative rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, banjo, ukulele, piano
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Big Machine
Website	TaylorSwift.com

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of fourteen to pursue a career in country music. She signed to the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. The release of Swift's self-titled debut album in 2006 established her as a country music star. "Our Song", her third single, made her the youngest sole writer and singer of a number one song on the country chart. She received a Best New Artist nomination at the 50th Grammy Awards.

Swift's second album, Fearless, was released in late 2008. Buoyed by the chart success of the singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", Fearless attracted a crossover audience and became the top-selling album of 2009. The record won four Grammy Awards, with Swift becoming the youngest ever Album of the Year winner. Fearless also received Album of the Year plaudits at the American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards, making it the most awarded album in country music history. In 2010, Swift released her third album, Speak Now, which sold over one million copies in its first week. She then embarked on the 111-date Speak Now World Tour, which was attended by over 1.6 million fans and has become one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. The album's third single, "Mean", won two Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. Swift is currently recording her fourth studio album, due for release in the fall of 2012.

Swift's work has earned her numerous accolades, including six Grammy Awards, ten AMAs, seven CMAs, six ACMs and 13 BMI Awards. She has sold over 22 million albums and 50 million song downloads worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Swift has endorsement deals with Target, CoverGirl, Sony, Elizabeth Arden, Walmart and American Greetings. As a philanthropist, Swift has placed particular emphasis on arts education, children's literacy and natural disaster relief funds. In addition to her music career, Swift has appeared as an actress in the crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2009), the romantic comedy Valentine's Day (2010) and the animated film The Lorax (2012).

Early life[link]

Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania.^[1] She is the daughter of Scott Swift, a Merrill Lynch financial adviser,^[2][3] and Andrea (née Gardner), a homemaker who previously worked as a mutual fund marketing executive.^[1][4] Swift was named after singer James Taylor; her mother believed a gender-neutral name would help her forge a successful business career.^[5][6] She has a younger brother, Austin, who attends Vanderbilt University.^[7] She spent the early years of her life on an eleven-acre Christmas tree farm in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and was educated at the fee-paying Wyndcroft School.^[8] When Swift was nine years old, the family moved to Wyomissing, Pennsylvania,^[9][10] where she attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School.^[11] Swift spent her summers at her parent's vacation home in Stone Harbor, New Jersey^[12] and has described it as the place "where most of my childhood memories were formed".^[10]

Swift's first hobby was English horse riding. Her mother Andrea put her in a saddle when Swift was nine months old and she later competed in horse shows.^[13][14] Her family owned several Quarter horses and a Shetland pony.^[14] At the age of nine, Swift turned her attention to musical theatre and performed in Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions of Grease, Annie, Bye Bye Birdie and The Sound of Music.^[15][8] She travelled regularly to Broadway, New York for vocal and acting lessons. However, "after a few years of auditioning in New York and not getting anything”, Swift became interested in country music.^[16] She was inspired by LeAnn Rimes's Blue^[17] and her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, an opera singer.^[8] When she was in fourth grade, Swift won a national poetry contest with a three-page poem, "Monster in My Closet".^[18] At the age of eleven, after many attempts,^[19] Swift won a local talent competition by singing a rendition of LeAnn Rimes’s “Big Deal”, and was given the opportunity to appear as the opening act for Charlie Daniels at a Strausstown amphitheater.^[15] She spent her weekends performing at local festivals, fairs, coffeehouses, karaoke contests, garden clubs and Boy Scout meetings.^[20][4] This interest in country music isolated Swift from her middle school peers.^[21][22]

After watching a Behind the Music episode about Faith Hill,^[23] Swift recorded a demo of karaoke covers, and travelled with her mother to Nashville, Tennessee for spring break to leave a copy of the demo with record labels along Music Row. She received label rejections and realized that "everyone in that town wanted to do what I wanted to do. So, I kept thinking to myself, I need to figure out a way to be different".^[23] Swift began performing the "The Star Spangled Banner" at many sporting events, hoping she would be offered a recording contract. On one occasion, an eleven-year-old Swift high-fived Jay-Z after singing the national anthem at a 76ers game in Philadelphia.^[24] At the age of twelve, Swift was shown by a computer repairman how to play three chords on a guitar, inspiring her to write her first song, "Lucky You".^[25][26] She then recorded a second demo of original songs.^[15] In 2003, Swift and her parents began working with music manager Dan Dymtrow, after he spotted her singing at the US Open.^[27] Swift's second demo then caught the attention of RCA Records, who offered the eight-grader an artist development deal. In 2004, Swift modelled for Abercrombie and Fitch as part of their "Rising Stars" campaign and had an original song included in a Maybelline Cosmetics compilation CD.^[28]

When Swift was fourteen, her father transferred to the Nashville office of Merrill Lynch and the family relocated to a lake-shore house in Hendersonville, Tennessee.^[1] Swift has said her parents "presented it as a move to a nice community" rather than as her chance to become a star.^[29] Her mother has said, "We've always told her that this is not about putting food on our table or making our dreams come true."^[30] In Tennessee, Swift attended Hendersonville High School for her freshman and sophomore years.^[31] Later, to accommodate her touring schedule, Swift transferred to the Aaron Academy, a private Christian school which offered homeschooling services, and earned her high school diploma in 2008.^[32]

Music career[link]

[edit] 2004–08: Nashville songwriting sessions and Taylor Swift release

Swift moved to Nashville at the age of fourteen, having secured an artist development deal with RCA Records. Her musical influences included the Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill,^[29] Tom Petty,^[33] Sheryl Crow,^[34] Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar,^[35] Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks,^[36] Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.^[37] Swift had writing sessions with experienced songwriters such as Troy Verges, Brett Beavers, Brett James, Mac McAnally and the Warren Brothers,^[38][39] but eventually formed a lasting working relationship with Liz Rose.^[40] Swift saw Rose performing at an RCA songwriter event and suggested that they write together.^[41] They began meeting for two-hour writing sessions every Tuesday afternoon after school.^[42] Rose has said that the sessions were "some of the easiest I've ever done. Basically, I was just her editor. She'd write about what happened in school that day. She had such a clear vision of what she was trying to say. And she'd come in with the most incredible hooks".^[43][42] Swift also began recording demos with producer Nathan Chapman.^[41] After performing at a BMI Songwriter's Circle showcase at The Bitter End, New York,^[39] Swift became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Tree publishing house.^[44]

Swift performing at the Maverick Saloon & Grill in Santa Maria, California in 2006

Swift left RCA Records when she was fifteeen; the company wanted her to record the work of other songwriters and wait until she was eighteen to release an album, but she felt ready to launch her career with her own material.^[45][19] She also parted ways with manager Dan Dymtrow, who later took legal action against Swift and her parents.^[28] At an industry showcase at Nashville's The Bluebird Café in 2005, Swift caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a Dreamworks Records executive who was preparing to form his own independent record label, Big Machine Records.^[40] Swift was one of the new label's first signings.^[40] As an introduction to the country music business, Borchetta arranged for Swift to intern at the CMA Music Festival; she acted as the artist escort for Darryl Worley.^[46][47]

Swift began working on her self-titled debut album shortly after signing her record deal. After experimenting with veteran Nashville producers, Swift persuaded Big Machine to hire her demo producer Nathan Chapman.^[19] It was his first time to record a studio album but Swift felt they had the right "chemistry".^[19] In the end, Chapman produced all but one of the tracks on Taylor Swift.^[19] She has described the album as the "diary" of her early teens^[48] and most songs were written during her freshman year of high school.^[19] As a result, the songs describe coming of age experiences such as insecurity, young love, and teenage angst.^[19] She has said that, although "it sounds like I've had 500 boyfriends", a lot of the songs are observational.^[19] Swift wrote three of the album's songs alone, including two singles, and co-wrote the remaining eight with writers such as Liz Rose, Robert Ellis Orrall and Angelo Petraglia.^[49] Musically, the album has been described as "a mix of trad-country instruments and spry rock guitars".^[50]

Taylor Swift was released in October 2006 and received generally positive reviews from music critics.^[51] PopMatters hoped Swift would be "able to find an accomodation between the country tradition and her very obvious pop sensibilities, because Taylor Swift suggests she has much to offer".^[52] The New Yorker's Sasha Frere-Jones described Swift as a "prodigy". She noted that "Our Song" "stop[ed] me in my tracks" and praised the lyrics: “He’s got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel, the other on my heart".^[53] Country Weekly felt Swift demonstrated "an honesty, intelligence and idealism with which listeners of any age will be able to connect" and noted that "the more thoughtful material suggests a talent poised to last well past high school".^[54] AllMusic stated that, while listening to the album, it was "never in doubt" that "Swift is a talent to be reckoned with".^[55] Rolling Stone described Swift as "bright-eyed but remarkably seasoned", and admired "Our Song"'s "insanely hooky sing-song melody that's as Britney as it is Patsy".^[50]

Swift performing at Yahoo HQ in Sunnyvale, California in 2007

Big Machine Records was still in its infancy upon the release of the lead single "Tim McGraw" in June 2006, and Swift and her mother helped "stuff the CD singles into envelopes to send to radio".^[30] She spent much of 2006 promoting Taylor Swift in a radio tour and later commented, "Radio tours for most artists last six weeks. Mine lasted six months."^[19] Swift painted canvases (inspired by Jackson Pollock) to gift to radio station managers who played her music.^[56] She took part in "GAC Short Cuts", a part-documentary, part-music-video series designed to introduce her to country music fans.^[57][58] She also made television appearances on Good Morning America,^[59] The Megan Mullally Show,^[59] America's Got Talent,^[60] and TRL.^[61] Swift, a self-described "kid of the internet",^[62] used MySpace to build a fanbase. She wrote her own blog posts, left comments on her fans' accounts and personally respond to the messages that were sent to her.^[63] This was, at the time, "revolutionary in country music".^[64][57] Borchetta has said that his decision to sign a sixteen year old singer-songwriter initially raised eyebrows among his record industry peers^[57] but Swift tapped into a previously unknown market: teenage girls who listen to country music.^[1][57]

Following "Tim McGraw", four further singles were released throughout 2007 and 2008: "Teardrops on My Guitar", "Our Song", "Picture to Burn" and "Should've Said No". All were highly successful on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, with "Our Song" and "Should've Said No" both reaching number one. "Our Song" made Swift the youngest sole writer and singer of a number one country song.^[65] "Teardrops on My Guitar" became a minor pop hit; it reached number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100.^[66][67] The album sold 39,000 copies during its first week^[68] and, as of March 2011, has sold over 5.5 million copies worldwide.^[69] Swift also released a holiday album, Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, in October 2007 and an EP, Beautiful Eyes, in July 2008.^[70][71]

Swift toured extensively in support of Taylor Swift. In addition to festival and theater dates, Swift performed as an opening act for several country artists' concert tours. She opened for Rascal Flatts on several dates in late 2006.^[59][72] In 2007, she served as the opening act on twenty dates for George Strait's 2007 United States tour,^[73] several dates on Kenny Chesney's tour^[74] and selected dates on Brad Paisley's Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour.^[75][76] Also in 2007, Swift appeared as the opening act on several dates for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's joint Soul2Soul II Tour.^[77] Swift again opened for Flatts for their Still Feels Good Tour in 2008.^[78] In addition to performing her own material, Swift played covers of songs by Beyoncé and Rihanna.^[79] She conducted meet-and-greet sessions with fans before and after her concerts; these lasted for up to four hours.^[80][81]

In 2007, Swift and Alan Jackson were jointly named the Nashville Songwriters Association's "Songwriter/Artists of the Year". Swift was the youngest person ever to be honored with the title.^[82] She also won the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award for Best New Artist.^[83] In 2008, she won Top New Female Vocalist at the Academy of Country Music Awards^[84] and Favorite Country Female Artist at the American Music Awards.^[85] She won seven BMI Awards for songs featured on Taylor Swift.^[86] Swift was also nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award in the category of Best New Artist, but lost to Amy Winehouse.^[87]

[edit] 2008–10: Fearless release, MTV VMA incident and media backlash

Swift's second studio album, Fearless, was released in November 2008.^[88] She wrote seven of the album's songs alone, including two singles, and co-wrote the remaining six with songwriters Liz Rose, John Rich, Colbie Caillat and Hillary Lindsey.^[49] While Swift wrote many of the songs on tour, she made a conscious effort not to include "road songs": "As a 16-year-old girl, I could never relate to those songs about playing a different city every night. I want to write about feelings and love and the lack of love".^[89] She has said that the album title "means you’re afraid of a lot of things, but you jump anyway".^[90] She co-produced the album with Nathan Chapman.^[49] Musically, the record is characterized by "loud, lean guitars and rousing choruses", with the occasional "bit of fiddle and banjo tucked into the mix".^[91]

Swift performing at the 2010 Cavendish Beach Music Festival in Canada

Fearless received generally positive reviews from music critics.^[92] The New York Times described Swift as "one of pop's finest songwriters, country’s foremost pragmatist and more in touch with her inner life than most adults".^[93] The Village Voice felt she displayed "preternatural wisdom and inclusiveness", "masterfully avoiding the typical diarist's pitfalls of trite banality and pseudo-profound bullshit".^[94] Rolling Stone described her as "a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift for verse-chorus-bridge architecture" whose "squirmingly intimate and true" songs seemed to be "literally ripped from a suburban girl's diary".^[95] USA Today found it "a pleasure to hear a gifted teenager who sounds like a gifted teenager, rather than a mouthpiece for a bunch of older pros' collective notion of adolescent yearning."^[96] The New Yorker described it as an album "without a bad track", adding that "the album’s finest effort, "Fifteen", will feature in yearbook quotes for years".^[97] Entertainment Weekly noted that the album would appeal mainly to young girls – "she sounds like a real teen, not some manufactured vixen-Lolita" – but predicted it would be "exciting to watch her precocious talent grow".^[98] Music critic Robert Christgau described Swift as "an uncommonly-to-impossibly strong and gifted teenage girl".^[99]

Swift promoted Fearless heavily upon its release. An episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show was dedicated to the album launch^[57] and Swift appeared on many other chat shows.^[100] She communicated with fans using social media platforms such as twitter and personal video blogs.^[57] In October 2008, she appeared at the CMT Giants: Alan Jackson event, performing a cover of Jackson's "Drive (For Daddy Gene)".^[101] In November 2008, Swift took part in a joint, televised concert with rock band Def Leppard in Nashville.^[102][103] She performed her song "Fifteen" with Miley Cyrus at the 51st Grammy Awards in February 2009.^[104] In April 2009, she performed a cover of George Strait's "Run" at a televised ACM event honoring Strait as Artist of the Decade.^[105] Swift hosted and appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in November 2009.^[106] The lead single from the album, "Love Story", was released in September 2008 and became the second best-selling country single of all time, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[67][107] Four more singles were released throughout 2008 and 2009: "White Horse", "You Belong with Me", "Fifteen" and "Fearless". "You Belong with Me" was the album's highest-charting single, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.^[108] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with sales of 592,304 and has since sold over 8.6 million copies worldwide.^[109][110] It was the top-selling album of 2009 and brought Swift much crossover success.^[111]

Swift carried out her first headlining tour from April 2009 to June 2010. As part of the 105-date Fearless Tour, Swift played 90 dates in North America, six dates in Europe, eight dates in Australia and one date in Asia.^[112] The stage show included multiple costume changes, dancers and a fairy-tale castle set.^[113] She sang a cover of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around... Comes Around" nightly, intertwined with her own "You're Not Sorry".^[114] Swift invited John Mayer, Faith Hill and Katy Perry to perform one-off duets with her at various dates during the North American tour.^{[115][116][117]} Justin Bieber, Kelly Pickler and Gloriana were the support acts.^[118] The tour was attended by more than 1.1 million fans and has grossed over $63 million.^[119] Taylor Swift: Journey to Fearless, a concert film, was aired on television and later released on DVD and Blu-ray.^[120] Also in 2009, Swift performed as a supporting act for Keith Urban.^[121]

In September 2009, Swift became the first country music artist to win an MTV Video Music Award when "You Belong with Me" was named Best Female Video.^[122] Her acceptance speech was interrupted by rapper Kanye West, who had been involved in a number of other award show incidents.^[123] West declared Beyoncé's video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", nominated in the same category, to be "one of the best videos of all time." Many audience members booed West,^[124][125] prompting him to flip off the crowd.^[126][124] He then handed the microphone back to a speechless Swift.^[124][127] Backstage, Swift was seen "hysterically crying".^[124] According to Rolling Stone, when Swift's mother confronted West, he gave "a half-hearted apology in which he added he still thought Beyoncé's video was superior".^[128] West was removed from the event.^{[124][126][129]} When Beyoncé later won the award for Video of the Year, she invited Swift onstage to finish her speech.^[124][130] In the event's press room, Swift, who in 2008 had expressed a desire to sing a hook on a Kanye West rap song,^[131] was asked if she had "any hard feelings" towards West: "I don’t know him, and I’ve never met him, so... I don’t want to start anything because I had a great night tonight."^[128][132]

The incident received much media attention and inspired many Internet memes.^[133] President Barack Obama, in an "off the record" comment, called West a "jackass".^[134] Former US President Jimmy Carter said West's interruption was "completely uncalled for".^[135] West's behavior was criticized by celebrities, including Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Lady Gaga.^{[126][136][137][128]} The following day, West apologized for his verbal outburst both in a blog entry and during an appearance on The Jay Leno Show.^[124][125] He maintained that, while Swift was "very talented", "Beyoncé's video was the best of this decade!!!! ... I gave my awards to Outkast when they deserved it over me ... I'm not crazy y'all, I'm just real."^[138] Two days after the VMAs, Swift told an interviewer that West had not spoken to her since the ceremony.^[139] West then contacted her to offer a personal apology, which Swift accepted: "Kanye did call me, and he was very sincere in his apology."^[122][139] It has been said that the incident and subsequent media attention turned Swift into "a bona-fide mainstream celebrity".^[140]

Swift released a cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl", exclusively through Rhapsody in June 2009^[141] and continues to make her stage entrance to Petty's recording of the song.^[142] Swift contributed backing vocals to John Mayer's "Half of My Heart", featured on his fourth album, in November 2009.^[143] Mayer wrote the song as a tribute to Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac: "I thought, 'Well, if this is going to be my love letter to that style of music, who's going to be the Stevie Nicks in this equation?' And I thought, 'This Taylor Swift girl is going to be around for a long time."^[144] The song received positive reviews from music critics.^{[145][146][147]} Swift and Mayer performed the song live at Madison Square Garden, New York in December 2009.^[148] It was released as the album's third single in June 2010 and peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[149] Swift collaborated with a number of other artists in 2008 and 2009. She co-wrote and recorded "Best Days of Your Life" with Kelly Pickler.^[150] She co-wrote two songs for the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack – "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" and "Crazier" – with Martin Johnson and Robert Ellis Orrall, respectively.^[151] Swift also provided vocals for Boys Like Girls's "Two Is Better Than One", written by Martin Johnson.^{[152][153][154][155]} In January 2010, Swift contributed two songs – including "Today Was a Fairytale" – to the Valentine's Day soundtrack^[156] and recorded a cover of Better Than Ezra's "Breathless" for the Hope for Haiti Now album.^[157]

Swift at the 2010 Time 100 Gala, where she was honored

In November 2009, Swift became the youngest ever artist, and one of only six women, to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association.^[158] Fearless also won the Association's Album of the Year award.^[158] The album won many other accolades and has become the most awarded album in country music history.^[159] Swift was the youngest ever artist to win the Academy of Country Music's Album of the Year honor.^[160] The American Music Awards honored Swift with Artist of the Year and Favorite Country Album plaudits.^[161] She was awarded the Hal David Starlight Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame^[162] and was named Songwriter/Artists of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association.^[163] She won four BMI Awards.^[164] Billboard named her 2009's Artist of the Year.^[165] Swift was included in Time's annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in 2010.^[166]

In January 2010, Swift won four Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, Best Country Album, Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song, from a total of eight nominations.^[167][168] She was the youngest ever artist to win Album of the Year.^[169] During the ceremony, Swift sang "Rhiannon" and "You Belong with Me" with Stevie Nicks. Her vocal performance received negative reviews and sparked a widespread media backlash.^[140][170] Her vocals were described variously as "badly off-key", "strikingly bad" and "incredibly wretched".^[171][172] While The New York Times found it "refreshing to see someone so gifted make the occasional flub" and described Swift as "the most important new pop star of the past few years",^[169] music critic Bob Lefsetz predicted that her career would end "overnight".^[173][174] In April 2010, Stevie Nicks, writing in Time, defended the singer: "Taylor reminds me of myself in her determination and her childlike nature. It's an innocence that's so special and so rare. This girl writes the songs that make the whole world sing, like Neil Diamond or Elton John ... The female rock-'n'-roll-country-pop songwriter is back, and her name is Taylor Swift. And it's women like her who are going to save the music business."^[166]

[edit] 2010–12: Speak Now release, 13-month world tour and collaborations

Swift released her third studio album, Speak Now, in October 2010.^[175] She wrote all twelve songs alone: "I'd get my best ideas at 3 a.m. in Arkansas and I didn't have a co-writer around."^[176] Album recording sessions took place in California, Tennessee and Kentucky over a two year period.^[177][178] Swift, who co-produced the record with longtime collaborator Nathan Chapman,^[179] has described it as "a collection of confessions—things I wish I had said when I was in the moment".^[180] She originally intended to call the album Enchanted but Scott Borchetta, her record label's CEO, felt the title did not reflect the album's more adult themes: "She had played me a bunch of the new songs. I looked at her and I'm like, 'Taylor, this record isn't about fairy tales and high school anymore. That's not where you're at'".^[181] Musically, it has been said that the album "expands beyond country-pop to border both alternative rock and dirty bubblegum pop".^[182]

Speak Now received generally positive reviews from music critics.^[183] USA Today felt that Swift's songwriting skills would remind listeners "what all the fuss was about in the first place", with the album capturing "the sweet ache of becoming an adult".^[184] The Los Angeles Times praised her ability as a songwriter to "hit on common experiences that feel unique".^[182] The New York Times described the album as savage, musically diverse and "excellent too, possibly her best".^[179] The Village Voice found that the album demanded "a true appreciation of Swift's talent, which is not confessional, but dramatic: Like a procession of country songwriters before her, she creates characters and situations—some from life—and finds potent ways to describe them."^[185] Entertainment Weekly noted that while love may confound her, "the art of expert songcraft clearly doesn't".^[186] Music critic John Christgau found the album's songs "overlong and overworked" but remarked that "they evince an effort that bears a remarkable resemblance to care—that is, to caring in the best, broadest, and most emotional sense".^[99] Rolling Stone described Swift as one of the best songwriters in "pop, rock or country": "Swift might be a clever Nashville pro who knows all the hitmaking tricks, but she's also a high-strung, hyper-romantic gal with a melodramatic streak the size of the Atchafalaya Swamp".^[187]

Swift performing during the Speak Now World Tour in July 2011

Swift carried out an extensive promotional campaign prior to Speak Now's release.^[188] She appeared on various talk shows and morning shows, and gave free mini-concerts in unusual locations, including an open-decker bus on Hollywood Boulevard and a departure lounge at JFK airport.^[189][190] She took part in a "guitar pull" alongside Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and Lionel Ritchie at LA's Club Nokia; the musicians shared the stage and took turns introducing and playing acoutic versions of their songs to raise money for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.^[191][192] The album's lead single, "Mine", was released in August 2010 and five further singles were released throughout 2010 and 2011: "Back to December", "Mean", "The Story of Us", "Sparks Fly" and "Ours".^[193] Speak Now was a major commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. Its sales of 1,047,000 copies made it the sixteenth album in United States history to sell one million copies in a single week.^[194] As of February 2012, Speak Now has sold over four million copies in the US^[195] and over 5.7 million copies worldwide.^[196][197] In her career, as of May 2012, Swift has sold over 22 million albums^[198] and 50 million digital tracks worldwide.^[199]

In September 2010, Kanye West's 2009 VMA interruption once again became newsworthy when West used his twitter account to apologize to Swift, referring to her as "just a lil girl with dreams like the rest of us": ""I wrote a song for Taylor Swift that's so beautiful and I want her to have it. If she won't take it then I'll perform it for her." Later that month, both artists performed at the 2010 VMAs. Swift sang "Innocent", a song widely believed to be about West, which The Washington Post has described as "a small masterpiece of passive aggressiveness, a vivisection dressed up as a peace offering".^[200] Music critics found Swift's performance overly serious and "petty".^[201][202] Speaking in November 2010, West said he failed to see what was "so arrogant about that moment" and described his actions as "selfless". He added that "if it was the other way around" and Swift were an established artist who had "made the video of her career, do you think she would have lost to a brand new artist? Hell no!"^[203][204] Also that month, he claimed that, "If I wasn't drunk, I would have been on stage longer ... Taylor never came to my defense at any interview. And rode the waves and rode it and rode it".^[205][206] At the Costume Institute Gala in May 2011, Swift and West came face-to-face on the red carpet. West was observed to hold "a hand out, and the two exchanged a studiedly casual, “down low” high five".^[1]

Swift toured throughout 2011 and early 2012 in support of Speak Now. As part of the thirteen-month, 111-date world tour, Swift played seven shows in Asia, twelve shows in Europe, 80 shows in North America and twelve shows in Australasia.^[207] Three dates on the US tour were rescheduled after Swift fell ill with bronchitis.^[208] The stage show was inspired by Broadway musical theatre, with choreographed routines, elaborate set-pieces, pyrotechnics and numerous costume changes.^[209][210] Swift invited many musicians to join her for one-off duets during the North American tour. Appearances were made by James Taylor, Jason Mraz, Shawn Colvin, Johnny Rzeznik, Andy Grammer, Tal Bachman, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, Nelly, B.o.B., Usher, Flo Rida, T.I., Jon Foreman, Jim Adkins, Hayley Williams, Hot Chelle Rae, Ronnie Dunn, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney.^[211][212] The tour was attended by over 1.6 million fans and has grossed over $123 million, becoming one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time.^[207] Swift's first live album, Speak Now World Tour: Live, featuring all seventeen performances from the North American leg of the tour, was released in November 2011.^[213]

Swift speaking during a Youtube interview in September 2011

During the North American and Australasian tour legs, Swift wrote different song lyrics on her left arm for each performance. She has said that the lyrics should be viewed as a nightly "mood ring"^[214] and The New Yorker has cited the practice as an example of Swift's "keen understanding of what fuels fan obsession in the first place: a desire for intimacy between singer and listener".^[1] Artists quoted include Tom Petty, Carole King, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin, Band of Horses, Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab For Cutie, Alanis Morrissette, Rachael Yamagata, Erin McCarley, Mindy Smith and Martina McBride.^[215][216] Swift also performed many acoustic cover versions during her North American tour. In each city, she paid tribute to a homegrown artist.^[217] She has said the cover versions allowed her to be "spontaneous" in an otherwise well-rehearsed show: "You'll have a lot of people who will come to more than one show, and I want them to get a different experience every time."^[218] Artists covered include Justin Timberlake, Tori Amos, TLC, Pink, Fall Out Boy, Dave Matthews Band, Michelle Branch, Jordin Sparks, Maroon 5, Train, John Mellencamp, Kim Carnes, Avril Lavigne, The Jackson 5, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Gwen Stefani, All American Rejects, Britney Spears and Eminem.^[219]

At the 54th Grammy Awards in February 2012, Swift's song "Mean" won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.^[220] She also performed "Mean" during the ceremony. The song is believed to be a rebuttal to Bob Lefsetz, one of the most vocal critics of her 2010 Grammy performance.^[174] Lefsetz had previously been a supporter of the singer's career,^[221] and Swift and Lefsetz had corresponded occasionally by email and telephone.^[174] Time felt she "delivered her comeback on-key and with a vengeance"^[222] while USA Today remarked that the criticism in 2010 seemed to have "made her a better songwriter and live performer".^[223]

Swift was named Songwriter/Artist of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association in both 2010 and 2011. During the 2011 ceremony, she played an acoustic version of "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" in honor of Alan Jackson, a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee,^[224] who later thanked Swift in his speech for "the prettiest version I've ever heard".^[225] Swift won various other awards for Speak Now. She was named Entertainer of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in both 2011 and 2012^[226] and was named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association in 2011.^[227] Swift was the American Music Awards's Artist of the Year in 2011, and Speak Now was named Favorite Country Album.^[228] She was also the recipient of two BMI Awards.^[229] Billboard named Swift 2011's Woman of the Year.^[230] Also that year, Billboard ranked her at number 15 in a list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters 2000–2011; she was the second highest ranking woman.^[231] Swift was ranked second on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 16 "Queen Of Pops" of the decade.^[232]

Swift contributed two original songs to The Hunger Games soundtrack album in March 2012. "Safe & Sound" was co-written and recorded with The Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett.^[233] John Paul White has said working with Swift was "a revelation. She had some great ideas. We had complete freedom. It truly was a collaboration. We brought the melancholy and the darker angle. Taylor was bringing the melody and the chords."^[234] Rolling Stone described the song as "Swift's prettiest ballad" and wondered whether the alt-country folk song was "a one-off novelty, a trial balloon cred-move, or the stirrings of a "grown-up" style".^[235] Swift and The Civil Wars debuted a live version of the song at the Ryman Auditorium, Nashville in January 2012.^[236] It was released as the album's lead single and, as of April 2012, has sold 970,000 copies in the United States.^[237] Swift's second contribution to the album, "Eyes Open", was written solely by the singer and produced by Nathan Chapman.^[238] In May 2012, Swift contributed vocals to "Both of Us", a Dr. Luke-produced song on B.o.B's second album Strange Clouds.^{[239][240][241][242]}

2012–present: Untitled fourth studio album[link]

Swift is currently working on her fourth album with producer Nathan Chapman.^[243][244] It is scheduled for release in the fall of 2012.^[245] Swift intends to keep writing and recording throughout 2012 "because I'm having so much fun".^[246] After writing her third album alone, Swift is now collaborating with people "from all different places in music",^[246] including songwriters Lori McKenna,^[247][248] Butch Walker,^[249][250] Ed Sheeran,^[251] and Dan Wilson.^[252] The album will detail "the rise and fall of a relationship",^[253] as well as the resulting "absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak".^[254] She has described the album's mood as "sad, if I'm being honest."^[255]

Artistry[link]

Songwriting style[link]

Swift has said she writes songs as an "open letter".^[256] She has said songwriting is "is a way of verbalizing those things that I feel that I can’t say".^[47] Swift has said she is "very interested in any writing from a child's perspective" and has cited To Kill a Mockingbird as one of her favorite books.^[257] Neil Young has described Swift as "a great writer" and follows her career.^[258][259] Kris Kristofferson has said that "she blows me away. It's amazing to me that someone so young is writing such great songs. She's got a great career ahead of her".^[260][261] Dolly Parton has said her songs are "great" and that she has "the qualities that could last a long time".^[262] Stevie Nicks has said Swift writes "songs that make the whole world sing, like Neil Diamond or Elton John".^[166]

Vocal abilities[link]

In studio recordings, the Los Angeles Times identifies Swift's "defining" vocal gesture as "the line that slides down like a contented sigh or up like a raised eyebrow, giving her beloved girl-time hits their air of easy intimacy".^[182] In a review of Speak Now, The Village Voice noted that her phrasing was previously "bland and muddled, but that's changed. She can still sound strained and thin, and often strays into a pitch that drives some people crazy; but she's learned how to make words sound like what they mean".^[185] Slate, reviewing Speak Now, described Swift as "a technically poor singer": "Though she does vary her phrasing in ways that attempt to mask her limited voice (the way she sneers, "She looks at me like I'm a trend/And she's so over it," on "Better Than Revenge" is especially effective), Swift is still noticeably off-pitch at least once on every song on the album".^[263]

In an interview with The New Yorker, Swift characterized herself primarily as a songwriter: “I write songs, and my voice is just a way to get those lyrics across”.^[1] "I'm not trying to go out there and do vocal acrobatics. I'm just trying to write good songs".^[264] However, her vocal presence is something that concerns her and she has "put a lot of work" into improving it.^[265] She has said that she only feels nervous performing "if I'm not sure what the audience thinks of me, like at award shows".^[266]

Public image[link]

Swift has been described as "America's sweetheart" and "a role model".^[267][268] The singer considers it her "responsibility" to be conscious of her influence on young fans.^[269] However, she insists that "I don't live by all these rigid, weird rules that make me feel all fenced in. I just like the way that I feel like, and that makes me feel very free".^[270] Swift does not drink alcohol because she worries that "I might come off in a way that I can't control. Maybe I should just lighten up!" "It's not like I judge people who [drink] or that I don't hang out with people who drink".^[270] She refuses to take part in overly sexualised photo-shoots.^[9] The lyrical content of her songs is regarded as appropriate for young audiences. A New Yorker journalist who attended a Swift concert recounted watching "sixteen-year-old girls holding hands and swaying, and a girl in a hijab sobbing as she sang the words. It was hard not to be a little moved, and not to feel relieved that the words being sung were, more or less, safe ... One can attend a concert by Katy Perry and listen to a stadium full of thirteen-year-olds chant along with the song “Peacock” which goes, “I want to see your peacock-cock-cock! Your peacock-cock!"^[1]

A Rolling Stone journalist who profiled Swift in 2009 remarked upon her polite manners: "If this is Swift's game face, it must be tattooed on because it never drops".^[271] A 2012 Vogue cover story described Swift as "clever and funny and occasionally downright bawdy" in person, but noted that she "asks if her cursing can be off the record".^[272] Grantland.com describes Swift as "talkative and openly neurotic in a way you'd never see from a blonde country princess like Faith Hill or Carrie Underwood. She is more like Diane Keaton in Annie Hall: overly gracious and eager to please but full of a nonstop, nervous, fluttering energy".^[273]

There has been much media commentary about Swift's reactions when she is recognized at award ceremonies.^[274] In 2011, The Hollywood Reporter remarked that she "seems to be consistently shocked and wonderstruck by each awards win, despite racking up an ever-growing collection of Grammys, CMAs, MTV Moonmen and AMAs".^[275] Kristen Wiig parodied Swift's surprised facial expressions during a Saturday Night Live sketch in February 2012.^[276] Swift later said she had seen the sketch: “I was laughing the entire time and then I realized that, as I was watching it, I was making the face she was making”.^[277] At the Academy of Country Music Awards in April 2012, the ceremony's host Blake Shelton joked in his opening monologue that Swift should release a perfume called "I can't believe I smell this good". When Swift later presented Shelton with the Academy's Best Male Vocalist award, "the two faced off, showing each other their ultra-surprised looks".^[278][279]

Feminist discussion[link]

Swift at the premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie, April 2009

The merits of Swift as a feminist have been widely discussed.^[280] She has been described by Jezebel as "a feminist's nightmare": "Her image of being good and pure plays right into how much the patriarchy fetishizes virginity, loves purity, and celebrates women who know their place as delicate flowers".^[281] However, a Village Voice music critic dismissed this criticism as "shallow and gross, in that special way that things get gross when you cram shaded and living work through an ideological sieve like you're mechanically separating chicken".^[282] He continued: "Criticisms include: She's a conformist stooge of the patriarchy (she's now had two hits about defying fathers); she idolizes chastity (she's coy about sex, but only the willful could miss the fucking in the new "Sparks Fly," which includes the line "Gimme something that'll haunt me when you're not around"); and she sells girls corrupt and shallow fairy-tale notions of romance (one of the two fairy-tale songs on Fearless mocked a guy for trying to white-knight her, and the only mention of such things on Speak Now is "I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you"—note the tense)."^[282]