Earlier this week, fans suspected that Taylor Swift was dropping her seventh album thanks to a slew of cryptic Instagram posts. Though Swift read the fan theories (as confirmed by another Instagram pic starring her cat) the "Bad Blood" songstress was coy about whether fans could expect new music. Alas, Swift did have a surprise in the works: The pop star will grace the cover of Elle UK, and even wrote an epic essay on the power of music.
Swift's aesthetic for her Elle UK photoshoot is worlds away from her moody Reputation era look. In the photoshoot for Elle, she's all pastel pinks and yellows, which is far more reminiscent of her 1989 days. While Reputation was certainly a pop album, it was more heavily influenced by rap and hip hop. (Her single "End Game," featuring Ed Sheeran and Future, was a big departure for the star in terms of sound.) 1989 drew most of its inspiration from hits of the '80s.
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Swift's essay for Elle UK essay, titled "The Power of Pop," is a love letter to the songs that Swift listened to during pivotal moments in her life.
"When I hear 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies' by Panic! At The Disco... 'How to Save a Life' by The Fray, 'Breathe (2AM)' by Anna Nalick or 'The Story' by Brandi Carlile, I immediately flash back to being 17 and on tour for months on end," the Cats actress wrote, per People. "I would spend my rare nights off painting alone with candles lit in my room — just being alone with those songs."
She added that she got over heartbreak with the help of some pop and rock queens.
"I’m convinced that ‘You Learn' by Alanis Morissette, 'Put Your Records On' by Corinne Bailey Rae and 'Why' by Annie Lennox have actually healed my heart after bad breakups or let downs."
For many people, it's Swift's music that helps them get through heartbreak. Will the artist drop new music for others to add to their own "getting over it" playlists soon? While that's up in the air, at least we have Swift's entire essay to look forward to when the April edition of Elle UK drops on newsstands March 7.