With four multi-platinum albums under her belt, it’s clear Taylor Swift has an accomplished ear for picking the right songs to put on a CD. As for deciding which of her compositions make the final cut, that involves a critical ear and a lot of repetition. 

“I’m pretty harsh on my own songs and I listen to them over and over again,” she admits. “The ones that I get tired of first, don’t make the record.”

Taylor confesses she uses her friends and family as the ultimate test audience. 

“The first rule that I always apply to the record is, ‘May the best song win.’ You determine that by the songs that your friends and family absolutely freak out over. Because my friends and family, when I play them new songs and they go, ‘Oh that’s really good,’ I know that one’s not supposed to make the record. Because unless they’re going ‘Oh… My… God! WHAT?! Whoa!’ Unless they’re really losing it and asking to hear it again, then it’s not good enough.”

Taylor’s stellar song selection skills brought her five nominations at this Sunday’s American Music Awards, including one for the all-genre Artist of the Year trophy.