It was fifth grade. I had just gotten my first ever CD player, and was really into Leann Rhimes and Deanna Carter. And that's the last I ever considered myself a country fan.

Those of my friends who love country know that I don't, and usually make it a point to play other music while I'm chillin' in their car.
But lately, there's one artist that has recently made me cross over again. And that's the ever-so-popular Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift was an artist I hated for two reasons.
1) She was a country singer. (Yes, I dislike country that much.)
2) She was everyone's favorite. And I hate copying people.

But somehow, this girl, whose second album which went quadruple platinum, has captured my listening attention as well as my heart.

Taylor's music is good country, meaning she's not too country, and just enough pop in it to make it cute and listening worthy. Not only that, her lyrics speak volumes about what it's like to be a teenager. "Fifteen" for example speaks about her and her best friend Abigail when they were 15, and the mistakes they hope others will avoid. "You belong with me," is a top favorite, which conveys a story about the not-so-popular girl and the boy who's dating the mean and preppy cheerleader.

Back in the day, there was a song by country-star Leann Rhimes that went "don't ever lose that light in your eyes." That light in Taylor's eyes is clearly evident every time she gets up to sing her music. Every time this beautiful girl performs, whether it's a small acoustic set or a crazy subway ride, she radiates from the stage and into her audience all across the nation.
Despite being rattled by Kanye Wests' recent display of rudeness, Taylor put on her "performance" face and had the best subway ride of her life. With hundreds of fans surrounding and singing along her, she rode the subway and sang her hit song "You Belong With Me," then exited to find herself in front of Radio City Music Hall on top of a taxi, again, surrounded by more fans. It was by far the craziest and most fun performance I've seen in a long time, because in those moments, you realized that singing that music gave her such joy. And sharing that joy with hundreds of her fans in the middle of New York City is something she will cherish for a long time.
Two days after the VMA awards, Taylor Swift performed again on The View. Those performances of "Fifteen" and "You Belong With Me" were just as impressive as the subway ride. When she sang "You Belong With Me," she beamed with joy, like singing that song was what she was made to do, and she was reminding herself of just how blessed she is. And she just loves to have fun with her music, just like the rest of us do when it comes on the radio: we blast it and sing (or screech) along with it.

Taylor is just a down-to-earth girl who acts just like all the rest of us "teenagers at heart." What attracted me at first to her music wasn't her music at all, actually; I had found a video blog she had posted on Youtube. The fact she video blogs, and shows just how much crazy-fun she has, makes her so much more relatable. It was those videoblogs that made me listen to her music...and I gradually came to love a singer who considers herself a country singer. If you haven't looked for any of her video blogs on youtube, you should immediately watch it below.


Lastly, Taylor is a humble, modest, and poised young lady who deserves appreciation. The whole "Kanye West" show during the VMA's would be enough to make me start bawling, or at least slap him silly. But she just stood there, and although rattled, didn't fight back and let Kanye be his rude and self-centered self. Later, on an interview on "The View," speaking about winning the VMA and Kanye, she quoted her process of thinking as "wow, I can't believe I won! This is awesome! Don't trip and fall. I'm gonna get to thank the fans this is so cool. Oh, Kanye West is here! Cool haircut. What are ya doing...ouch...I guess I'm not going to get to thank the fans."
Taylor loves her fans. On the first time ever a country music singer wins a VMA, it wasn't about how awesome she is or even how much she loves her family...it's "Thanks to the fans." Later on, Beyonce herself showed poise and self-sacrifice when she gave up her award speech time to Taylor Swift, so she could then, not dis Kanye West, but to say "I'd like to thank all the fans on twitter and myspace, and everyone who came out to my shows this summer." Showing complete grace and poise in the situation, she never once bashed Kanye West for his display of rudeness. Instead, she said, "I can't say I wasn't rattled, but if he wants to say hi, then sure." Obviously not wanting to say anything negative about West, she held her own and handled the whole ordeal with the upmost grace and poise - something most 19-year-olds don't know how to do....and even some celebrities.

So, after about 6 months, my thought process about Taylor Swift goes like this.
"I hate country music, including Taylor Swift. I will put up with Taylor Swift's music. She has the sweetest video blogs. Hey, her music's actually pretty good. Wow, she is talented. Nice hair. Hey, she's actually a stand-up-girl too! Guess I get to thank her for being an inspiration."