Pardon me for being overdramatic, but I'll just come out and say it. I'm waiting for Taylor Swift to run for president of the United States. At the rate she's going these days, she'll go down in history as both the youngest and the first female commander-in-chief we've had.
So, you say--what's Taylor up to now, in order for me to make such a grandiose prediction? Well, two new things. Neither quite POTUS material, but both pushing her into the public-visibility category in which she becomes not only a household name, but a somewhat mythical figure to boot.
Number one: She's been named to TIME magazine's "100 Most Influential People" 2010 list, putting her in the company of Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Phil Mickelson, Serena Williams, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Lady Gaga, Simon Cowell, Prince, and Elton John.
Among 87 other world-shaking personalities, of course.
Taylor was the only country music artist to make the list. Legendary Fleetwood Mac frontwoman Stevie Nicks wrote a short essay about her for the TIME feature, noting:
"Taylor reminds me of myself in her determination and her childlike nature. It's an innocence that's so special and so rare. This girl writes the songs that make the whole world sing, like Neil Diamond or Elton John...it's women like her who are going to save the music business." (Italics mine, not Stevie's.)
Well, all that was enough to make me wipe my brow. But there's more.
It's just been announced that Taylor will be the latest face of CoverGirl, joining such multifaceted and beautiful women as Ellen DeGeneres, Queen Latifah, and Rihanna. Her ads, which will support a new luxury line by the cosmetics giant, will debut in January 2011. This latest achievement should, arguably, give her more exposure than just about anything she's done in her career to date (yes, even more than the Kanye incident).
Taylor, Taylor. Ahhh, Taylor. How many girls out there have won Grammys, made country music history, broke digital music sales records--and appeared in both TIME magazine and a global makeup campaign? Before even reaching legal drinking age?
You rock my world. You've got my vote when you finally do go into politics.
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