In Brad Paisley's "Letter To Me," he cleverly wrote some words of wisdom to an earlier version of himself: the 17-year-old high-schooler in West Virginia. Now he's got some words of praise for an artist who was 17 years old when she hit the road with him last year as part of the Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour. That artist, of course, is Taylor Swift, who's since turned 18.
"I was looking at a lot of artists to come out on tour with us," Brad told Blender magazine, "but as soon as I downloaded her album, I knew we had to have her. I was floored by the songwriting. I love the fact that she doesn't pretend to be 30 years old in her songs. She has a very genuine voice."
Taylor's currently working on her second album, which includes a song she co-wrote with Kellie Pickler, who was also on the Bonfires & Amplifiers itinerary. Taylor has promised that the CD will show some artistic growth, but also says it won't be so different that she alienates her fans. Brad thinks she's showing enough talent — and smarts — that she'll be a force to contend with in the future, as well as the present.
"Taylor will be around a long time," he predicted. "Her audience will grow with her."