I remember the exact moment Taylor Swift came into my life: I was sitting in my dark basement, flipping through channels, when I came across her “Our Song” music video.
Forget the video; the song itself was so catchy and so relatable to the 13-year-old girl that I was. Before I knew it, I spent almost all my days after school YouTube-ing her songs (with lyrics) all while grabbing the nearest remote control and singing along. When I went to buy Swift’s debut album, I was so happy to see all the familiar songs I’d been listening to on YouTube. That album was with me on the bus to and from school, in the hallways and right before I had to take out my big JVC headphones for class. Taylor was 16 when her country debut album came out. I was 13 and had just found my idol.
Fast-forward two years; there was high school, a boy who may or may not have known that I existed and Swift’s new album, Fearless. The outcome? A 15-year-old girl who thought she was in love with another 15-year-old boy who didn’t pay any attention to her, but was comforted by her best friend and idol Taylor Swift who sang songs like “Love Story” and “Fifteen.” With lyrics like, “Count to 10, take it in, this is life before you know who you’re gonna be,” I felt like Swift knew exactly what I was going through.
Fast-forward another two years; I’m a junior in high school. I’d like to say a little more mature, and ready to embark on a new chapter – college – but only if I knew Swift would come with me. And she did, by releasing her third album, Speak Now. I admired Speak Now for its fearlessness, which is ironic because that’s the title of her second album. But it’s true; in Speak Now, Taylor sang about breaking up a wedding, swallowing her pride and giving a heartfelt apology to an ex boyfriend, and speaking directly to her haters, saying, “One day, I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me.” I think it’s safe to say now that she’s lived up to that statement. It was the perfect album to indulge myself in just before starting college and into my first year as a freshman. I firmly believe the lyrics of “Dear John” were taken right out of my diary and made into a song by Swift. “Never Grow Up” became the soundtrack of my life, while I felt nostalgia for my high school days. And “Enchanted” became my go-to song whenever I saw that guy.
Another two years, you know the drill; I’m 19 years old. Taylor releases Red, my personal favorite. It brought the sounds of new beginnings, a new side of Swift, and my all-time favorite song: “All Too Well.” When listening to songs like “Begin Again,” I understood the beauty of starting over. “I Almost Do” gave me comfort in knowing that the temptation to give in is something Swift had to go through as well and “Everything Has Changed” helped me feel comfortable with my new home away from home. The album was the perfect chance for both Swift and I to say, “I am not that 15-year-old girl anymore who dwelled on that boy who may or may not have known I existed.”
And now, another two years later, I’m 21 years old, about to graduate college, and Swift releases 1989. She caught the world’s attention with her single “Shake It Off,” the perfect message to not only her detractors, but for everyone to know how to deal with the next person who brings you down. But the album means more than just “shaking off” your haters; it truly shows the evolution of Taylor Swift. The main thing I noticed in this album was Swift’s great and inspiring confidence. With songs like “Blank Space,” she’s whole-heartedly accepting her reputation as a “dating machine,” but expresses it in a way to show it doesn’t faze her. The opening song for the album, “Welcome To New York,” signified her transition from the small-town girl to the big city girl, all while having me reflect on one of her old lyrics from Speak Now: “Someday I’ll be living in a big ol’ city.”
Swift’s extensive poise that is brought out so neatly in this album aspires me to feel the same way. After all, she helped me understand why that boy in tenth grade shouldn’t matter to me; she knew all the right words to say while I transitioned from high school into college, and comforted me in every one of my weakest moments. With that being said, I have no doubt in my mind that 1989 will have just as much of an effect on me.
Another thought: Swift’s genre of her album never mattered to me. Whether the album was country, folk or pop, it never once made me look at her differently. What mattered were her lyrics: The messages she sends in her songs that can help comfort the conflicted high school girl to the young woman who faces many obstacles while stepping into adulthood. While people spent their time criticizing her for her shift in genres, I found myself appreciating her growth as an artist.