Over the past two decades, Taylor Swift has changed the music industry, and how we think about girls. From songs like Fifteen, about first love and heartbreak, to introspective tracks like the ballad “Mirrorball”, Swift has depicted the emotional lives of young women in a way that very few artists have. His music says that childhood experiences are worth immortalizing. But as fans celebrate her upcoming wedding and the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Carter Sherman and the Guardian’s deputy music editor Laura Snipes are asking: is she leaving that stage of her life behind, and if so, what’s in store for her next era?
