Taylor Swift has opened up about the mantra she relies on whenever the pressures of fame and public scrutiny become overwhelming.
In a recent interview with Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. for the organisation’s Icon Sessions series, the pop superstar discussed how she copes with life in the public eye.
“I go through several processes and coping mechanisms that I’ve gone through over the years,” Swift said.
“And one of them is saying, ‘You chose this. You chose this every day. You could have opted out of this any day before it got unmanageably big.’”
The 36-year-old singer said she reminds herself that she consciously chose a career in music despite everything that comes with being one of the world’s most recognisable artists.
“And I decided not to because I love it that much,” she continued.
“Everything that comes with this ultimately is worth it as long as I get to still make music.”
Swift also reflected on the early years of her career, recalling how music executives attempted to shape her image and sound to appeal to a particular genre or demographic.
The singer said she eventually realised that her primary motivation was not universal approval, but connecting with the people who genuinely care about her music.
“I realised that I’m making music because I’m playing for the fans,” Swift said.
She explained that she creates music for people who turn to it as a way of coping with their lives, much as she once did.
According to Swift, understanding that releasing music she loves will never guarantee universal validation helped her recognise why she continues to make music.
“If you can actually go through all those checkpoints and realise that putting out music you’ve made that you love so much is not the path to universal validation, if you’re still doing it, then you love it for the right reasons,” she said.
The singer also offered a playful glimpse into how she deals with people who criticise or mock her.
“Sometimes when people are mocking me, it’s really fun to mock them back,” Swift said with a smile.
“Sometimes I like to just use words that they have to look up in order to talk s**t about.”
Swift released her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, last October.
