"Next big thing"???

Stan, she sold more records in '08 than anybody in the freaking world (source) .

Wikipedia says she earned $18 million last year. (source) .

Stan, that said, you are right on again. Don't confuse "simple" sounding with simple. If you really study the girl's lyrics, they are pretty damn inventive.

Moreover, her greatest strength in my view is that she writes in a simple conversational tone in a language her peers totally understand and she conveys the emotions they feel every day. She connects with them and they connect with her--works every time!!

She wraps all that up in really fresh melodies and that's why she's the hottest thing in the biz right now. (Oh yea, and she's easy on the eyes.)

Yea, she studied at the knee of master songwriter Liz Rose and co-wrote a lot with Liz, but check out the girl's sole writes like "Fifteen" and "Love Story" or "Our Story."

Think about how well you wrote at 18. This girl is an amazing talent.

Think about this too. She's on an indie label. RCA could a had her but essentially passed because the deal they offered her was what we call in Nashville "The Artist Protection Program." Once you're in it, we never hear from you again.

So, it wasn't a "big machine" that made her (even though her label is "Big Machine Records." Isn't it ironic).

I would suggest that aspiring songwriters should be studying Taylor Swift with great diligence. We all have something to learn from her. If you think we don't, stay on the couch and good luck with your career.