Taylor Swift has never stepped foot into an American Idol audition nor has she needed to.  At the young age of 18, she is slowly becoming one of the most important artists in the history of country music.  As Shania Twain defined the term “crossover” in the 90s, Taylor Swift is not only carrying the torch, she’s turning a whole new generation of pop fans into country fanatics.

Her latest album, Fearless, has set the bar for any artist attempting to make the trans-genre leap.  She seems to be the perfect storm in a fading music industry that has been overtaken by contest winners and pre-packaged products.

Not only is Taylor Swift highly talented and gorgeous, she’s well-behaved in a paparazzi-driven society where celebrities are (almost purposely) transforming their fame into infamy.  Outside of her innocent and public breakup with rocker Joe Jonas, Swift has been relatively quiet.  Gossip websites and trash magazines are practically begging for a Taylor Swift slip-up.

Fearless is a sign of maturation and an improvement over her debut album, Taylor Swift.  It has a few tracks with really no country twang and songs that almost lean into a “singer-songwriter” label.  “Hey Stephen” wouldn’t feel misplaced on any Sheryl Crow record and “Breathe” is undoubtedly a legitimate pop song.  This album is a step in the right direction for an artist who is extremely dynamic and is almost single-handedly molding a new country/pop fan base.  Fearless is a magnificent piece of pop music.  It’s one of the best pop albums released since Michael Jackson’s Thriller and without-a-doubt the best female country album I have ever heard.

One thing we must remember when listening to any artist is the intended target audience.  Just as a 60-year-old woman isn’t going to love Metallica, a 30-year-old man is most likely not going to love Taylor Swift.  Fearless is for high school to twenty-something aged females.  If you listen to her music and compare it to Abbey Road, then you’re not in the right frame of mind.  Fearless isn’t trying to be Abbey Road or Let It Bleed, just as Hannah Montana isn’t trying to be Seinfeld.  With any form of art, you must understand the intended audience before determining your affinity for the work.

My favorite songs on this album, with the exception of “You Belong With Me”, were solely written by Taylor Swift.  “Fifteen”, “Love Story”, “Hey Stephen”, and “You’re Not Sorry” are all perfectly written songs of love and heartbreak.  It’s absolutely astonishing that an 18-year-old is responsible for this music.

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