Even without new singles at country radio, Taylor Swift’s presence in the format is still unmistakable. Swift’s Oct. 3 release, The Life of a Showgirl, rocketed in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (dated Oct. 18) with 4.002 million equivalent album units in the United States, according to Luminate — the biggest first week for an album in modern music history.
Meanwhile, country stations are giving Swift’s early hits renewed play, and SiriusXM’s channel 13 is showcasing her full catalog, evidence that those Nashville-era songs remain a core part of her story even as she rules pop, and that her country roots still echo on the dial.
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“We have put some throwback Taylor tracks back on,” says MoJoe Roberts, senior vice president of programming for iHeartMedia’s Last Vegas cluster, which includes country KWNR (95.5 The Bull), citing “Mean,” “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and “Our Song.” Roberts plans to keep them in rotation for a few weeks before re-evaluating. “We want The Bull to keep a seat at the Taylor fan table,” he states.
Swift is still a gold artist in the format, after all. Of the tracks Roberts notes, “Our Song” and “Mean” logged the most notable presence among Country Airplay reporters Oct. 3-9, according to Luminate. The former drew 800,000 impressions (up 3%), the latter, 500,000. Plus, big gains show for “Love Story” (up 39%), “Teardrops on My Guitar” (20%) and “Tim McGraw” (36%).
Swift’s catalog still connects, says Audacy country format captain Tim Roberts. “She’s older now, but so is her original audience,” he notes. “They still relate to those songs.” Some fans follow her pop releases and some don’t, he adds, “but the country audience certainly remembers those early records.”
At WYCD Detroit, where Tim Roberts also leads programming, Swift remains a reliable content driver. “This love story with Travis Kelce and the NFL connection, which touches nearly every major U.S. city, keeps her relevant,” he says. “We just did a promotion for the movie, giving away premiere tickets, and packed the theater. It was big for us.”
Beyond Country Airplay chart panelists, SiriusXM recently launched Taylor’s Channel 13 to welcome the Showgirl era. The station features music from across Swift’s career, with about a quarter of its library drawn from her first four albums, according to Kathleen St. Clair, SiriusXM’s director of music programming. “That includes the re-recorded versions of Fearless, Speak Now and Red and their respective vault tracks,” she says.
“These songs continue to be integral to appreciating the full scope of Taylor’s artistry,” St. Clair adds. “Beyond nostalgia, by having these titles live in a musical universe like Taylor’s Channel 13 alongside pop tracks and brand new songs from The Life of a Showgirl, fans can explore common threads between Taylor’s country, folk and pop sounds.”
From country playlists to pop superstardom, Swift’s music continues to bridge worlds, proof that the sound she started with in Nashville still carries far beyond it.
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