She certainly doesn’t have the vocal chords of Christina Aguilara or Beyoncé , nor does she have the spontaneous, new age creativity of idols such as Lady Gaga. However, she does have one thing that many current artists lack: the ability to communicate through lyrics and truly connect to the audience. Who is she? Taylor Swift.

Time and time again, critics shut down Taylor Swift, claiming that she can’t sing. True, she may not have the best voice nor is she the best live performer. Nevertheless, her ability to connect with her audience (preteen-young adult females) and truly relate to them has surpassed all other artists of the decade. She writes all of her own lyrics and music, a skill that many singers cannot claim, plays either piano and guitar in all of her songs, and puts every piece of her heart into each of her songs, even using real names of people that have impacted her lift. This fearlessness continues to impress me; in a world where stars are constantly shot down by the media and analyzed according to the paparazzi’s viewpoint, Swift continues to maintain her own musical style and originality despite negative any negative feedback.

In addition to her down-to-earth lyrics and simple melodies, Taylor Swift has managed to “keep it real” and stay out of trouble from clubs, drugs, and many other side-effects of young stardom. In a time when Lindsay Lohan is constantly in and out of court and Disney stars are taking videos of themselves smoking marijuana (*cough cough* Miley Cyrus), it is certainly refreshing to follow a star who’s able to gain publicity and interviews for her achievements rather than her failures.

In a response to critics, Scott Borchetta defends Taylor Swift by writing, “"Maybe she's not the best technical singer, but she's probably the best emotional singer because everybody else who gets up there and is technically perfect, people don't seem to want more of it. ... I think [the critics] are missing the whole voice of a generation that is happening right in front of them. ... She's an extraordinary songwriter and her vocal performances are getting better.” I couldn’t say it any better myself.