Written by Ana Sofía Landinez

Dear Taylor…

If your songs could speak and tell how I scream each time I listen to your masterpieces, I would be ruined. Since I discovered your discography, I felt an instant connection with it. I’ve learned that before establishing a relationship, you need to connect with the other person. In this case, I’ve connected with your music and, therefore, with you.

I’m so proud of being able to say that my favorite artist can generate such works of art that enter our veins and are conducted directly to our hearts. Beyond that, you are a source of inspiration and a role model for all your fans; you are one of the most famous artists left that actually do music because it is your passion, not because you have commercial interests, it is evident through the effort that you put on each chord to make the songs perfect.

I admire you not only because of your music, but because of the impact you have impressed on our society. The responsibility you’ve to demonstrate to our world is unbelievable. In a world where everyone is so cruel and is moved by influences and power, you have used your voice without fear to stand up for what you believe. You have encouraged all your listeners to not be afraid to speak and fight for what they think. You decided to leave the perpetuated silence that is normal in artists regarding these topics to represent your interests in political elections; you encouraged your audience to have consciousness of the importance of practicing their right of voting. I perfectly remember the day in which Donald Trump said that he liked your music 25% less after you raised your voice to defend LGBTQ+ rights, to defend women and demonstrate that we are powerful, to defend all those discriminated, to defend all those who can’t speak for themselves, all those that circumstances have stolen them their impulses and voices.

Your voice didn’t tremble when you raised it, because, in a world like ours in which you are safe if you are submissive, it is an act of bravery to fight for those that seem to have lost the battle. Your political and social impact have made you successful. You have demonstrated that women are more than simple statues to admire because of their beauty, but are humans to admire because of their minds. You show the world that it is possible to put an end to injustices, that it is possible to end with those that seem unbreakable because they use their power to damage others, you show the world that beauty standards are obsolete and women are not defined by a number in a balance, that women in the music industry should be recognized because of their art, not their personal life. Those afraid should be the ones that were accommodated by their power, since you disrupt their tranquility by representing this cultural reset.

Furthermore, you have always supported love, peace, and union. The moment you dedicated a song to defend LGTBQ+ (You Need to Calm Down) people, as well as a whole album to recognize those who have the courage to take the risk of loving, was a clear statement that delivered the message as you have affirmed in Daylight: “I wanna be defined by the things that I love, Not the things I hate, Not the things that I'm afraid of, I'm afraid of, Not the things that haunt me in the middle of the night, I, I just think that you are what you love.” Indeed, we are what we love.

You have made me feel like the most understood and safe person in the world. I can’t explain the importance you have had in my personal development; for some people, it might seem impossible to love someone without even knowing them, but your songs within your career have been such an inspiration for my life and have accompanied me through too many stages of my questionable existence. Your lyrics have penetrated my soul, and have driven me on a journey in which I have witnessed my fears, my sadness, my problems, and all the crying in my room but also my happiness, my hopes, and my dreams. They have made me more human, have revived my faith in life, and have helped me to start the journey to discover who I am. I’m still in the process, but I’m trusting that the outcome would be amazing. Your words will forever be embedded in my heart, and the stars you have drawn in my scars will forever remain there as a reminder that I deserve the best things and that my past doesn’t define me.

Thank you for making me feel so safe, so welcome, and so special through your poetic melodies that turn my mind into an endless revolution of emotions.

With love, Ana.