Time Magazine talked to Taylor about Nahville and her favorite places to hang out when she has the time. It’s a good read, so check it out below!

Nashville is more than the heart of Taylor Swift’s business, it’s her home. But the city she came to as 13-year-old aspiring singer has grown far beyond its musical roots; it’s now an economic and cultural powerhouse. TIME’s Alex Rogers spoke to Swift about her favorite city for this week’s magazine feature which looks at the unique alchemy that makes Nashville both a classic American city and a modern success story. Here are excerpts of their conversation.

TIME: Why did you decide to live in Nashville?
SWIFT: I decided to move to Nashville when I was about 10 years old. I was obsessed with watching biography TV shows about Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and I noticed that both of them went to Nashville to start their careers. From that point on, I began relentlessly nagging, begging, and pleading with my parents to take me on a trip there. When I was 11, my mom took my brother and me to Nashville on spring break and we drove up and down Music Row. She would wait in the car as I scampered into record labels one by one, handing my demo CD to the receptionists. I remember thinking it was so odd and wonderful that all of these important record labels were all on one street, most of them in small buildings and old houses. I remember being charmed by how kind people were to strangers and newcomers like us. We took more and more trips to Nashville as time went by, and when at 13, I was offered a development deal by a major record label, my parents gave in and we moved from Pennsylvania.

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