Taylor Swift looked back on the origins of one of her biggest hits, "Love Story," as she reflected on her songwriting journey.
In an interview for The New York Times Magazine's feature on the 30 greatest living American songwriters, where she was among those honored, the global pop star opened up about the creative process behind the iconic track.
Taylor recalled feeling a strong sense of conviction while writing "Love Story," regardless of how it might be received.
"The first time I felt like I don't care if people hate this because I love it so much was when I wrote 'Love Story,'" she remarked.
She revealed that she was just 17 years old when she wrote the song. "[I was] sitting in my bedroom, mad at my parents 'cause they won't let me go on a date with a guy too old so I shouldn't have been on a date with him anyway," she recalled.
The singer added a lighthearted remark about the experience, saying: "And this is why you need to discipline your kids because they might write songs that go No. 1."
In the same interview, the singer reflected on the unpredictability of songwriting, noting that even after years in the industry, the process still varies.
"It's still such a mystery to me. I've been writing songs for so long and they never quite happen exactly the same way and I still don't quite understand how it works," she said.
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She also shared how she strives to retain the emotional intensity of her younger years in her work.
"I have this very strong opinion that when you're young you feel things on such an intense and detailed level. There is an attention to detail when you're like 17 to 22 years old and you're longing, or you're reaching and grasping but never holding. And I've always tried to like without a being completely unhinged adult, keep that level of detail and intensity when it comes to trying to describe a feeling," she relayed.