ELLE’s April cover girl on media scrutiny, her fears, and those revealing lyrics

On who she thinks is hot:

“Um, well…Taylor Lautner.”

On whether she’s really “fearless”:

“I overthink everything. I overanalyze everything.”

On media scrutiny:

“I’ve had countless opportunities to do some really bad things. And then people start combing through everything I do trying to find the next mistake and misperception, which leads to more scrutiny. Like, if I go to a bar, even if I’m not drinking, who’s to say that a source isn’t going to say that I was doing something I shouldn’t have been doing? So it’s not only about your own moral compass, but the moral compasses of other people that you don’t know.”

On yearning to visit Nashville as a child:

“I just got it into my head that there was this magical place that I needed to go to because that was where dreams come true.”

On sourcing material from her romantic relationships:

“I like to categorize the various levels of heartbreak. I’ve only had that happen once. A letdown is worth a few songs. A heartbreak is worth a few albums.”

To see more info and photos from the Taylor Swift cover shoot visit