I'm the kind of person," Taylor Swift explains, "who needs to feel
like everything happens for a reason. When you date a guy and it goes
badly, that's horrible. But if you can write a song about it, then it
was worth it." By that standard, the petit tragedies of Taylor's teenage
years are looking pretty close to priceless: Her self-titled 2006
debut, which took as its subject matter the artist's life as a young
girl, sold more than 3 million copies. And Fearless, her
double-platinum follow-up (which features at least one song written
about her most famous ex, Joe Jonas) debuted atop the Billboard 200. "I
never expected all this would happen to me," the nineteen-year-old says.
But in the midst of the madness—she's been planning her first big U.S.
headlining tour, which starts in April—Taylor shut off her cell phone
(current ring tone: Carly Simon's "You're So Vain") and spent a couple
of hours talking to Teen Vogue.
Teen Vogue: You grew up in a town called Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, listening to the Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain. When—and why—did you first come to Nashville?
Taylor Swift: Well, I started begging my mom to bring me here after I saw a TV special on Faith Hill—she came to Nashville, and that's how she made it. So for spring break we rented a car and drove up and down Music Row, handing my homemade demo CD to the receptionists at all the labels. I'd say, "Hey, I'm eleven, and I want a record deal. Call me."
TV: How'd that work out for you?
TS: It didn't. And I realized that I needed to find a way to have a fighting chance of making it. So I started writing songs and playing the guitar. I actually learned on a twelve-string, purely because some guy told me that I'd never be able to play it, that my fingers were too small. Anytime someone tells me that I can't do something, I want to do it more.
TV: Was country music popular in your hometown?
TS: Not at all. The kids at school thought it was weird that I liked country—they'd make fun of me. Junior high was actually sort of hard, because I got dumped by this group of popular girls. They didn't think I was cool or pretty enough, so they stopped talking to me.
TV: And then in the ninth grade, you signed a song-writing deal, moved to Nashville, and here you are. Did you ever see those girls again?
TS: Actually, I did! I played a hometown show about a year into my career, and they showed up, wearing my T-shirts and asking me to sign their CDs. It was bittersweet, because it made me realize that they didn't remember being mean to me and that I needed to forget about it, too. And really, if I hadn't come home from school miserable every day, maybe I wouldn't have been so motivated to write songs. I should probably be thanking them!
TV: Totally! Since you're known for writing very honest, almost confessional lyrics, everything is fair game. Has that changed the way you approach your relationships?
TS: Well, I'm typically single. I'm the girl who—I call it girl-next-door-itis--the hot guy is friends with and gets all his relationship advice from but never considers dating. Right now I'm not opposed to falling in love, but I'm also not exactly out there looking.
TV: Does success make it easier to meet people?
TS: It's weird—I thought I'd have so many more friends, but I feel like I'm less popular than I've ever been. It makes me value the people I can trust even more; I still have the same best friend I had all through high school.
TV: You're playing yourself in the Hannah Montana movie. Are you interested in acting?
TS: Only if it was a show that I loved, like CSI or Grey's Anatomy, or if it was a really cool script. But I'm not feeling this desperate urge.
TV: On Fearless, you sing about your penchant for T-shirts and sneakers, and you're the face of the denim line L.e.i. But it seems like you've been busting out some pretty glamorous looks on the red carpet lately.
TS: Thank you! I've learned a lot. I go to all these photo shoots, and each time I figure out something new about myself and what I want to wear. For a big night, I like Marchesa or Badgley Mischka—and I love Oscar de la Renta. I've never gotten to wear one of his dresses; if I ever did, I would probably faint. And I am obsessed with high heels.
TV: Does it feel strange to have so many people taking your picture all the time?
TS: Well, I've never had paparazzi in Nashville before; that's a new thing. You really have a lot of privacy here. I saw that documentary on Britney Spears, and I feel bad for her—she can't leave her house!
TV: At what point did you realize you finally made it?
TS: Oh, no, I'm never going to have that moment. All of this is amazing, but it doesn't guarantee anything about the future. I still haven't made it to where I want to be.
Edited for teenvogue.com. For the complete story pick up the March 2009 issue of Teen Vogue, on newsstands February 3!
Teen Vogue: You grew up in a town called Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, listening to the Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain. When—and why—did you first come to Nashville?
Taylor Swift: Well, I started begging my mom to bring me here after I saw a TV special on Faith Hill—she came to Nashville, and that's how she made it. So for spring break we rented a car and drove up and down Music Row, handing my homemade demo CD to the receptionists at all the labels. I'd say, "Hey, I'm eleven, and I want a record deal. Call me."
TV: How'd that work out for you?
TS: It didn't. And I realized that I needed to find a way to have a fighting chance of making it. So I started writing songs and playing the guitar. I actually learned on a twelve-string, purely because some guy told me that I'd never be able to play it, that my fingers were too small. Anytime someone tells me that I can't do something, I want to do it more.
TV: Was country music popular in your hometown?
TS: Not at all. The kids at school thought it was weird that I liked country—they'd make fun of me. Junior high was actually sort of hard, because I got dumped by this group of popular girls. They didn't think I was cool or pretty enough, so they stopped talking to me.
TV: And then in the ninth grade, you signed a song-writing deal, moved to Nashville, and here you are. Did you ever see those girls again?
TS: Actually, I did! I played a hometown show about a year into my career, and they showed up, wearing my T-shirts and asking me to sign their CDs. It was bittersweet, because it made me realize that they didn't remember being mean to me and that I needed to forget about it, too. And really, if I hadn't come home from school miserable every day, maybe I wouldn't have been so motivated to write songs. I should probably be thanking them!
TV: Totally! Since you're known for writing very honest, almost confessional lyrics, everything is fair game. Has that changed the way you approach your relationships?
TS: Well, I'm typically single. I'm the girl who—I call it girl-next-door-itis--the hot guy is friends with and gets all his relationship advice from but never considers dating. Right now I'm not opposed to falling in love, but I'm also not exactly out there looking.
TV: Does success make it easier to meet people?
TS: It's weird—I thought I'd have so many more friends, but I feel like I'm less popular than I've ever been. It makes me value the people I can trust even more; I still have the same best friend I had all through high school.
TV: You're playing yourself in the Hannah Montana movie. Are you interested in acting?
TS: Only if it was a show that I loved, like CSI or Grey's Anatomy, or if it was a really cool script. But I'm not feeling this desperate urge.
TV: On Fearless, you sing about your penchant for T-shirts and sneakers, and you're the face of the denim line L.e.i. But it seems like you've been busting out some pretty glamorous looks on the red carpet lately.
TS: Thank you! I've learned a lot. I go to all these photo shoots, and each time I figure out something new about myself and what I want to wear. For a big night, I like Marchesa or Badgley Mischka—and I love Oscar de la Renta. I've never gotten to wear one of his dresses; if I ever did, I would probably faint. And I am obsessed with high heels.
TV: Does it feel strange to have so many people taking your picture all the time?
TS: Well, I've never had paparazzi in Nashville before; that's a new thing. You really have a lot of privacy here. I saw that documentary on Britney Spears, and I feel bad for her—she can't leave her house!
TV: At what point did you realize you finally made it?
TS: Oh, no, I'm never going to have that moment. All of this is amazing, but it doesn't guarantee anything about the future. I still haven't made it to where I want to be.
Edited for teenvogue.com. For the complete story pick up the March 2009 issue of Teen Vogue, on newsstands February 3!
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