Taylor Swift in 2017: Looking Back at Her Big Year
Sure, 2017 started out slowly for Taylor Swift, but, boy, has it turned into a whirlwind year for the singer.
The year did not startoff on a high note for the superstar: In January, she caught flak for sending out a tweet in support of the Women's March rallies—none of which she personally attended—with several people calling her out for being a "selective feminist."
Swift's personal life, always a hot topic, bubbled to the surface again in early February, when ex-boyfriend Tom Hiddleston told TMZ that his relationship with the singer "was real."
The same month, Swift showed off her business acumen when she trademarked the word "Swifties," the name for her legion of fans.
In March, she got a serious safety scare when a stalker was arrested after hiding out on the roof of her New York City apartment.
Things got nicer for the star in May, however, when reports began to surface that Swift was dating British actor Joe Alwyn.
Later in May, longtime nemesis Katy Perry admitted to James Corden what everyone already knew: She and Swift were feuding. Perry threw some fuel on the fire when she said Swift "started it and it's time for her to finish it." A few weeks later, Perry reversed course with a surprise apology. "I forgive her and I'm sorry for anything I ever did, and I hope the same from her," she said.
August proved to be a month of vindication: A judge tossed out deejay David Mueller's lawsuit claiming that the superstar was responsible for him getting fired after she accused him of groping her during a concert meet-and-greet in 2013. A few days later, a jury ruled that Mueller did indeed sexually assault her. She won a very symbolic $1, which is the amount that she sought.
With the assault trial behind her, Swift marched on doing what she does best: making music. On August 23, she announced she would release a new album, Reputation, in November. A day later, she sent fans into a frenzy when she dropped the album's first single, "Look What You Made Me Do," which some people said bore too strong a resemblance to Beyonce's "Lemonade."
The video, which ushered in the era of zombie Swift, had fans going wild, while the tune smashed records galore and proved to be "Despacito's" kryptonite.
The excitement over "Look What You Made Me Do" had barely settled when Swift returned in early September with a second song, "...Ready For It?" The sci-fi-themed video arrived a few weeks later.
If it seemed Swift was showing up everywhere, well, maybe it's because she was: She teamed up with Andy Samberg in a commercial for AT&T's Taylor Swift NOW service, in which they hilariously battled.
The assault trial may have been behind her, but litigation returned to Swift's life in September when the writing team behind 3LW's 2001 song "Playas Gon' Play" sued her, claiming the lyrics from Swift's massive smash "Shake It Off" were directly ripped off.
November arrived with another treat for Swifties: a fourth song from Reputation, titled "Call It What You Want."
While fans are itching for even more music from Reputation (which she may not make available for streaming), Swift has already had to endure more criticism, this time from a familiar face: Earlier this week, Diplo, who had already blasted the singer a few years back, said Swift's music doesn't relate to kids and that his previous comments about her damaged his career.
Fortunately, Swift—whose new album drops Friday, November 10—ended the week on high note, taking home the 2017 Song of the Year award for "Better Man" at the CMAs on November 8.
It's been a roller coaster year for Swift, to say the least... and it's not even over yet. Stay tuned.
Look Back at Taylor Swift's Squad: