Country's Hottest Crossover Artist

Taylor Swift is the biggest country star of 2009.

Her sophomore album, "Fearless" (Big Machine), has spent the most weeks at no. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 this year and has been certified triple platinum. Also, her single, "You Belong to Me", sits at no. 1 on the country charts and no. 2 on the pop charts, and that's what maybe the most impressive.

While country music always has its share of stars, the genre hasn't seen this kind of crossover success since Shania Twain's heyday a decade ago; even then, Twain, whom Swift counts as a major influence, didn't match the 19-year-old's across-the-board appeal. Swift looks as comfortable singing with '80's rockers Def Leppard as she does hanging out with her pal Miley Cyrus.

What makes it more special is, though, is that she has done it all essentially on her own terms. "I wrote every song on it. I co-produced it. So to have people go out and actually buy it? It's wonderful." she said.

For Swift, songwriting is a major part of her story. The Pennsylvania native was first signed to a publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music at age 14. By the time she reached 17, she became the youngest person to write and sing a no. 1 country single entirely on her own when "Our Song" topped Billboard's country single's chart.

Swift sold over 600, 000 copies of "Fearless" in its opening week in November, making it her first no. 1 pop album and proving that country music's appeal far broader than many expected.

It proved, in impossible to dispute numbers, what many country artists had always said - that their music is just as viable in the pop world as any other games.

Annalyn San Pedro