Last night at the American Music Awards, Taylor Swift cleaned up shop taking home the awards for Favorite Female Country Artist, Favorite Country Album and Artist of the Year. And in typical T-Swift fashion, she was shocked. Honestly, I’m shocked…that Adele didn’t win out. But I’m not totally surprised that Taylor won. Everyone loves her. It got us thinking about why. Obviously homegirl can write songs that tug at your heartstrings, and she’s a great entertainer. But she’s not 13 anymore.

She’s 21, resonating with teens and girls in college. I’m 21, and my friends and I (and a majority of college women) are definitely guilty of belting out some Swifty songs whether it’s at the bar or in the car. I can rhyme too, maybe I should be a songwriter. Her music continues to top charts, snag awards, and break records. Why?

I’ll tell you. Taylor is one of the first female artists to be honest. While she doesn’t always say which guy her song is about (“Dear John,” anyone?), she’s always upfront in her lyrics. She rips these dudes to shreds. We love songs that we can get angry to after a breakup or after the friend-with-benefits doesn’t want benefits anymore. And we love eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s while listening to “Back To December.” For college women, we connect to her music because of our personal experiences. We also relate to her idealized love songs, like “Love Story,” because even though we sit here and say it’s so stupid, we really want someone to come sweep us off our feet. We listen because we’ve been there.

The young fans identify with Taylor’s still-thirteen-at-heart personality. That age is so tough, and there are constant feelings of rejection and loneliness. Taylor’s songs delve into the heartbreak young women feel and outright say what they can’t express in their own words. And while many of us look at Taylor and think she’s overrated and wonder “Does she own any more sequin dresses?!”, the truth is simple — these girls look up to her. While I don’t think they should grow up thinking it’s okay to date every guy and write a song about it, she does have her stuff together. They see a successful woman that went through the same issues they deal with on a daily basis, and they want to be like that. They see positivity where there might not otherwise be any.

It’s not that we’re not jealous of her, although I really would love the dress she wore last night.

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