Taylor Swift Counts on Parents, Friends to Keep Her Balanced

Taylor Swift saw her first single, 'Tim McGraw,' hit the airwaves before she was even old enough to vote. Now, five years later, the 21-year old has scored three multi-platinum selling albums, dozens of major awards (including four Grammy trophies) and a role in a hit film, 'Valentine's Day.' But the young superstar, who only recently moved out of her parents' house and into her own condo, says she can't take the all the credit for her success.

"My dad is adorably optimistic, positive, pie-in-the-sky. He thinks every new song I write is my best," Taylor tells Australian's Herald Sun. "He sells T-shirts at my merchandise stands and hands out guitar picks to fans."

"Mom is a planner, an organizer. She's very strong and practical," Taylor continues of Mom Andrea Swift, pictured with her above. "She's the person that will tell me if I ever start to change my personality. The balance of the two of them created my personality."

Taylor also credits her close-knit group of gal pals to keep her grounded. "In my circle of friends I have Emma Stone, Selena Gomez -- she's like my little sister -- Hayley Williams and my best friend Abigail from high school," Taylor explains (quote via CMIL). "We all have crazy schedules but we make our time together count and laugh and have hilarious dinners. It's nice to have people I consider trustworthy, great friends."

Taylor says it's her non-celebrity friends she often counts on the most. "I just give everyone around me a chance to understand what I'm going through," she explains. "I tell my friends everything I'm feeling and they can relate to any situation I've been in. Maybe we haven't lived exactly the same life, but everybody has days when you're tired or frustrated."

Not that her friends know all her secrets, she admits. Some of her deepest thoughts will only be revealed in a song. "You write about things nobody knows you went through," Taylor explains to The Boot. " A lot of times, they don't know exactly what I felt. Somehow I feel more comfortable saying it all to them in a song ... But that's just how I feel more comfortable expressing myself."

Taylor is undoubtedly cramming in as much time with her friends as possible these days. She embarks next month on her Speak Now World Tour, which will kick off in Singapore and take her all across the globe. Find her tour schedule here.