Taylor Swift Shows the ‘Stars’ How It’s Done

Taylor Swift will kick off the season premiere of 'Nashville Star' Monday night with a performance of her hit single, 'Picture To Burn.' Swift, who at 18 has already seen her debut album go triple platinum, realizes that she has already achieved the dream that the contestants are fighting for and is quick to offer them advice.

"I think it's really about what makes you different," Swift told The Boot backstage at the taping of Season Six's first episode. "You have to stand out in some way. And that's not about creating an alter ego or some persona that's not you, because that's not real. It's figuring out what it is about you that people can relate to and applying that to who you are, while somehow you can be evolving . . . being able to change and grow. And also, if you get high on the ladder, if you are lucky enough to succeed, treat people with respect. Treat people the same that you would when you were back on day-one. And always remember your fans are No. 1."

With her debut album released when she was only 16 years old, Swift became an almost instant success, eventually having to leave high school in favor of studying on the road. Still, she insists she has no regrets.

"My freshman and sophomore year were unbelievable," she told us. "But it felt after two years, it was getting a little redundant, and I was kind of ready to go on the road. I don't really feel like I missed a lot. Yeah, it was kind of weird to see my best friend go to the prom, and it was kind of weird not going to graduation, but those are the things you have to give up. You can't have your cake and eat it too. I feel like I picked a pretty good half."

If her accolades are any indication, she certainly did pick a good half. In addition to her recent ACM win for Top New Female Vocalist, Swift has won the coveted CMA Horizon Award and the CMT honors for Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year. She has also been named the Superstar of Tomorrow at the Young Hollywood Awards and the Nashville Songwriter's Association International Songwriter/Artist of the Year.

You can see Swift's performance on 'Nashville Star' Monday night at 9:00PM ET on NBC. The premiere episode will also feature clips of the audition process and performances by the show's 12 finalists. The Boot also talked to 'Star' judges Jewel, John Rich and Jeffrey Steele. Read excerpts from their interviews here.