Over the past ten years, Taylor Swift has cemented her pop star status, breaking sales records and earning a mind-bogglingly long list of industry accolades. The 33-year-old singer/songwriter is arguably the most commercially successful modern musician, but her influential career is deeply rooted in country music.
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She first rose to fame as a teenager, taking Nashville’s Music Row by storm and racking up an impressive streak of radio hits. Her evolution into adulthood coincided with a creative expansion, leading her to a level of crossover success rarely seen.
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Swift’s ongoing Eras Tour, which looks back on each of the ten studio albums she’s recorded, offers a reminder of just how far she’s come. Although her sound has pivoted far from the pop-country sound of her early albums, Swift still keeps close ties with the genre and the artists who help define it.
From The Chicks to Chris Stapleton, revisit these seven stellar Taylor Swift collaborations that return to her country roots.
1. “Soon You’ll Get Better”
This emotional cut from Swift’s 2019 album, Lover, was inspired by her mother’s battle with cancer. Country trio The Chicks add a new layer of emotion to the powerful track with their perfectly melded vocals. Although Swift has leaned heavily into a pop-forward sound in recent years, “Soon You’ll Get Better” is a stunning ballad rooted in classic country storytelling.
2. “Babe”
In 2018, this sassy country-pop tune became a Top 5 hit for Sugarland, who recorded it for inclusion on their sixth studio album, Bigger. Penned by Swift and Train frontman Pat Monahan, “Babe” also includes fiery backing vocals from the cross-genre hitmaker.
3. “Highway Don’t Care”
One of Swift’s most high-caliber country duets to date, “Highway Don’t Care,” is a passionate duet with Tim McGraw featuring energizing electric guitar riffs by Keith Urban. This track from McGraw’s 2013 record Two Lanes of Freedom climbed all the way to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart and earned the title of Video of the Year at the CMA and ACM Awards.
4. “You All Over Me”
Swift tapped the talents of fellow country-pop crossover Maren Morris for a new rendition of “You Are Over Me” for Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Upon its release in 2021, the steamy track climbed to No. 6 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, proving her reach in the country music world is still strong.
5. “I Bet You Think About Me”
This co-write with Lori McKenna is an energizing, harmonica-driven track recorded in 2021 for Red (Taylor’s Version). Chris Stapleton’s rich, emotive vocals bring even more country flare to the infectious lyrical clap-back, which earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Song in 2023.
6. “Safe & Sound”
Swift’s haunting ballad “Safe & Sound” was first released in 2012 as a cut from the hit film series The Hunger Games‘ official soundtrack. The original version was recorded as a collaboration with acclaimed indie-folk duo The Civil Wars, who disbanded two years later. Swift reunited former members Joy Williams and John Paul White for the “Taylor’s Version” re-recording, which dropped in March 2023.
7. “That’s When”
The re-recording process led to another creative reunion in 2021, which marked the release of Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Swift teamed up with Keith Urban once again for this previously unreleased tune, which examines the longing for the past that heartbreak leaves in its wake.
(Photo by Terry Wyatt, Courtesy of Getty Images)
