I first saw Taylor Swift three years ago when I attended one of her concerts with my girlfriends. We sang along to her tunes lamenting teenage love lost; we shared the chorus with young girls and their moms.
Even then, in my late twenties, I appreciated Taylor's talent. She was an excellent performer and songwriter. Her songs instantly took me back to the days of high school romance.
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The best part of the show was watching the young girls watch Taylor: They were enamored of her and she obviously takes the role of role model seriously.
When I sat down with Taylor recently, I was shocked by her maturity. She just turned 22, which makes her more woman than teenage heartthrob. And as she said in her interview, she's never going to be someone who (unlike other stars) wakes up one morning a woman. "I am going to write dark songs and dance around in my bra," she said. Watch the video:
She's making the transition from girl to woman, and singer to actress in smart, calculated ways, which is not at all surprising after speaking to her. She's still the young girl, growing up and writing about her journeys through music.
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