Taylor Swift has wooed country music fans with her authentic heartfelt lyrics, genuine vocals, and adorable personality; and time and again she is proving that her appeal isn’t limited solely to the country music realm. The guitar toting songstress ended 2008 at the top of pop for the fourth week in the #1 spot on the Billboard albums chart with her album Fearless – more than a small feat considering the massive competition she was up against. Trailing behind her on the albums chart were pop superstars Britney Spears with her album Circus and Beyonce with her album I am… Sasha Fierce. Both Britney and Beyonce brought their A-game in 2008 with their latest albums each receiving rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Britney’s Circus has been labeled by some as the best pop album of 2008, while many have made mention that Beyonce’s single “If I Were a Boy” from her new album is a potential contender for a Grammy nod. With such stiff competition battling it out on the pop music charts, Taylor’s ability to surpass the album sales of Britney and Beyonce is definitely somewhat revealing.

So why is Taylor Swift topping the pop charts and giving some of pop music’s best artists a run for their money? Two words: emotional honesty. Taylor approaches her songwriting with an open heart, spilling her life onto the page in front of her – heartbreak, crushes, and all. It’s her honest approach to her songwriting that allows her to create songs that hit a note with tweens, teens, and young adults. Her songs become not only a soundtrack to her life, but in a sense they also become a soundtrack to the lives of her fans who see their life experiences reflected in Taylor’s words. Her lyrics are deep, thoughtful, and yes - catchy. She brings a mature sense of self to lyrics describing young love and other life experiences that are a part of being a tween, teen, and young adult. To make it short and sweet: she’s honest, she’s a great songwriter, and fans can relate to her and her lyrics.

As we get the motor running on 2009 there are a number of artists to keep your eye on who have the potential to rock it hard in this new year. One of those artists is undoubtedly Taylor Swift who not only possesses the potential to continue topping both the pop and country music charts, but is also poised to solidify herself as a true pop music superstar.