Taylor Swift isn't a country artist anymore, but she has fond memories of her time in the genre. In a new interview with Billboard, the singer looks back on her country years and what it was like to have Faith Hill as a mentor.

It's been five years since Swift left country music with the release of her first all-pop album, 1989. Looking back on her early years in the genre, she says there's a genuine bond in country that served her well.

"I had so many mentors in country music. Faith Hill was wonderful. She would reach out to me and invite me over and take me on tour, and I knew that I could talk to her," Swift tells Billboard.

Swift's debut single "Tim McGraw," was not about Hill's husband, Tim McGraw. It was about a boy Swift was dating. Still, the song sparked a friendship with Hill and McGraw that continues to this day. The couple joined Swift on stage in August of 2018 to perform the track with Swift during her Reputation Tour.

Swift says moving from country music into pop was a bit of a culture shock at first.

"Crossing over to pop is a completely different world. Country music is a real community, and in pop I didn’t see that community as much," she notes, adding, "Now there is a bit of one between the girls in pop -- we all have each other’s numbers and text each other -- but when I first started out in pop it was very much you versus you versus you."

Swift recently returned to her country roots, pairing up with the Dixie Chicks for a song called "Soon You'll Get Better," which appears on her most recent album, Lover. The song became Swift's first Top 10 in country music hit since 2013.

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