Why Taylor Swift's Breakup is Important

The news of Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris' breakup broke Wednesday evening. As a devoted Swiftie, my heart immediately sunk. Several of my friends called and texted to check on me. I'm upset as a Taylor fan, but I'm more upset as a feminist.

Taylor Swift has been the victim of merciless slut shaming her entire career. She couldn't go out in public with a guy without the media circulating rumors he was her latest boyfriend. On Ellen Degeneres' show, Ellen even brought Taylor to tears.

Experiences like this didn't end on Ellen's show. Every tabloid ran headlines about Taylor's dating life.

Taylor was linked to Zac Efron, Cory Monteith, Eddie Redmayne and Lucas Till, to name a few.

These rumors obliterated the public's opinion of Taylor. More importantly, it obliterated the female opinion of Taylor. Her 2013 cover of the Christmas edition of Cosmopolitan magazine was the worst performing that year.

Taylor knew she had to do something to change the public's perception of her if she was going to have a successful career. For six months, Taylor left the public eye. She didn't date anyone. She wasn't photographed with any guys. She was absent from the judging eyes of the media.

She came back in the fall of 2014 with her smash hit album, "1989." Instead of focusing on Taylor and a man, the album was about her relationship with herself through a relationship and a breakup.

The album's hit song "Blank Space" made a bold statement to the media. Swift joked about herself before anyone else could. Time and time again, she was cast as this boy crazy man-eater. Taylor used this portrayal of herself as inspiration.

Swift's "1989" won three Grammy awards, including Album of the Year. She also won Best Tour at the iHeart Music Radio Awards.

Her accomplishments didn't stop there. She became the most followed person on Instagram. Her character, Catastrophe, in the music video for her song "Bad Blood" was named one of the most influential fictional characters of 2015. She was on the cover of Time magazine.

For once, the spotlight was on Taylor herself, not her dating life. Eventually, she did feel comfortable enough to go public with her relationship with fellow artist, Calvin Harris. The rest is history.

Their relationship was well received by the public. The picture Taylor posted confirming their relationship was the third most liked photo on Instagram of the year. "Tayvin" was the epitome of relationship goals. Swift herself called it a "magical relationship."

Why is the Taylor Swift/Calvin Harris breakup so important? The media has already turned on Taylor. It's as if the past two years of phenomenal success are out the window.

Perez Hilton released a story that Calvin had been unhappy for months, and Taylor was trying to trap him. Multiple news sources speculated Taylor was pressuring Calvin into marriage and children. Photos were released of Calvin looking "happy and smiling" after his breakup with Swift. Taylor must be crying in her mansion again.

The jokes about Taylor having material for another album are not okay. Every artist writes about love. Adele, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, all write about love. Furthermore, Ed Sheeran, One Direction, and Adam Levine are all male singers who write about love. No one questions or critiques their songs or songwriting process.

It's 2016, and it's time for slut shaming to stop. This woman has accomplished so much in her life. She is so much more than her relationships with men. She is someone who has changed the world for the better.