Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift's name says it all. She grew up fast, bursting on the Nashville scene at the unheard of age of 11, demanding that someone sign her. Teaching herself to play 12-string guitar, she practiced four hours a day until her fingers bled, but it paid off. By 15, she had her deal. The next year she released her debut, which included the smash single "Tim McGraw" that she penned during math class. We talked to the talented newcomer about being an outsider, how she can't write if anyone is in the room and exactly what McGraw said when he heard her song.