Taylor Swift's impact on young songwriters can't be overstated. The Grammy-winning music icon, who released her debut album at 16, chronicled the heartbreak of her high school years on songs such as "Tim McGraw" and "Teardrops on My Guitar," and would go on to become a superstar thanks to her immense talent and diaristic songwriting that captures the joys and anxieties of young adulthood and womanhood. Countless singer-songwriters grew up with Swift and her lyricism, which helped teach them the value of their voice.
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One of those singer-songwriters is Erin Gibney, a rising pop-country artist with with lyrics steeped in the type of heart-on-her-sleeve honesty Swift perfected. The Nashville-based singer points to "Back to December," a standout from Swift's album Speak Now and recently re-released as part of Speak Now (Taylor's Version).
Gibney says the song was a staple of her middle school years, during which she first became interested in writing her own songs.
"The entire Speak Now album was so influential to me when I was first becoming a songwriter and especially the song 'Back to December.' I just love how it's written. I think it's so beautiful," Gibney tells Wide Open Country. "I do remember it being the anthem of my middle school years."
Stephen Goth
"As a woman in country music, Taylor Swift has given me the courage to speak about my life and relationships in an unfiltered way," Gibney previously told Wide Open Country. "Her music has inspired me since I was young, and she has taught me to turn my experiences into art."
Gibney recently released "Talk Me Out of Him," a song about finding support -- and priceless romantic advice -- from your best friends.
For more information on Gibney, visit her official website.
