Portraits of Country Music's Top Stars

My Country: Portraits of Country Music's Top Stars
© My Country by Melanie Dunea / CPi / Rodale Books

Taylor Swift
Was there a moment when you knew you had to be a country musician?
The first time I saw Faith Hill on TV in her video for "The Kiss." I was about 9 years old. The way that I felt, watching her on brightly colored flowers singing a song I couldn't get out of my head, I knew.

If you could thank God in person for one thing, what would it be?
For putting ideas in my head that I turn into songs. A lot of times I come up with a song, and I don't know how it comes to me; it just happens. God helps me filter the ideas into a 3½-minute song. My best songs were written in less than 15 minutes. I wrote "Love Story" about a guy I never even kissed in 25 minutes on my bedroom floor.

Favorite songs:
"You're So Vain," Carly Simon
"One," U2
"You Were Mine," Dixie Chicks
"Breathe," Faith Hill
"Can't Tell Me Nothin'," Tim McGraw

Get the Latest Photos from Time.com
Get TIME photos and pictures of the week delivered directly to your inbox.