It has been 10 years since the release of her debut album, and her influence on the music industry has been anything but ordinary.

I first heard a song by Taylor Swift was on a commercial break on TeenNick years back. The song was titled "Our Song" and I couldn't help but sing along to its catchy tune. Along with the song played the music video, and being in my middle school years, I had instantly fallen in love with an artist who's songs would later shape my perspective on high school, boys, and drama. Her first album was one of the first tastes I had of the country genre, and I had instantly loved it. Songs like "Teardrops on my Guitar" and "Should've Said No" were both catchy and emotional and I felt like I could relate to each and every song (except for the song "Fifteen" because she described walking into freshman year as a fifteen-year old when I was only 14 on the first day).

Her second album I loved as well. It was more associated with the pop genre, but the catchy relatable tunes still stuck with me. One of my personal favorites from the album, and also the title of the album, the song "Fearless" shone through and guided me through some of my most difficult times. "Fearless" taught me to never be afraid to try new things; to never be afraid to fail and have to start it all over, but most importantly the song always gave me hope. If you could learn to dance in some of the hardest times, then you could and would learn some of life's most important lessons: to move on from the past and aim high for the future.

Speak Now taught me to exactly that. If you have something to say, don't hold it in, instead, you have to let it out and show the world exactly how you feel. You can't stand in the shadows and hope that things turn out exactly how you want them to. If you want a change in your life, you have to go out there and take action. Nothing is accomplished by those that stand still and refuse to stand up for the things that they believe in.

Red, her fourth album, followed the similar themes of heartbreak and loss that had been featured in her previous albums, but it also brought a sense of maturity when introducing the themes of the effects of being famous. Although a seemingly unrelatable topic, the feeling of pressure she felt from being in the spotlight was a similar pressure to that of peer pressure among many high school students.

1989, her most recent album, features a more pop feel. After being nominated for many awards, including grammy's, Swift's album also inspired me. One of the top hit songs on the album, "Shake it Off," taught me not to let things bother me. It taught me to let things go, because sometimes all you can do is just move along and be yourself.

I grew up with Taylor Swift and her music, and without her careful words and catchy tunes, I would not have gotten through some of my more difficult times, so thank you Taylor Swift for your musical career, it has inspired and helped the best of us.