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Halle Weber is a freshman studying journalism with a focus in news and information at Ohio University.

On A High Note: Thoughts on Taylor Swift's rumored album this year

Taylor Swift’s sixth record is one of the most highly-anticipated musical projects in the works right now. With all the rumors going around on social media, how is one to know the truth?

“Expectation: TS6, NEW SINGLE Reality: FLOWER SHOUTOUTS!!!” tweeted one fan after Swift’s live stream of the pre-show party for her first and only show of 2017 in Houston on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. Swift partnered with AT&T to put on a Super Saturday show, promoting the big game.

There had been buzz for months about Swift utilizing her first major press outlet in a while to finally give us some answers. Fans were understandably frustrated when there was no announcement on Saturday. The air time was utilized by staff members doing fan shoutouts while we all waited in vain.

Swift also only played one show in 2016 and broke her pattern of a record coming out every other year for the first time in her decade-long career. However, she has been writing. Last year Swift wrote two smash-hits: Calvin Harris and Rihanna’s “This Is What You Came For” and Little Big Town’s “Better Man.” As far as her own music is concerned, all she has given us since 2014’s 1989 is “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever,” the single she wrote for the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack and recorded with Zayn Malik.

The good news is that TS6 is in the works. Swift is starting to go back to work in the studio again, model and close friend of Swift, Gigi Hadid, told Entertainment Tonight backstage at the Tommy Hilfiger show she walked in during New York Fashion Week in September.

“Her not being creative is one of the last things I would ever worry about” added Jack Antonoff, who wrote and produced much of 1989 with Swift. Writing is not an issue for someone who started for leisure at age 12 and professionally at age 14; the issue is what direction Swift wants to take this record.

As a hater of cliché pop hits that share the same bass-heavy production and repetitive lyrics, I would prefer an unplugged, acoustic record from Swift. She is at her most raw and powerful when she details five- to seven-minute piano or guitar-ridden ballads recalling relationships in scarily relatable detail. The high points of her career are found in Red’s “All Too Well” or Speak Now’s “Last Kiss” and “Dear John,” all of which she wrote without co-writers, a rare feat in today’s industry.

Some speculate a return to her country roots. Others argue another pop record would be the smartest move, while the 26-year-old is still a young, pretty face. The common ground seems to be the consensus that the record will come out this year. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but during a second year with no tour, you’ve got to figure the singer-songwriter will find something she’s satisfied with soon.

The success of the new record is almost guaranteed, before we even know anything about its stylistic components; there is no denying the fact that people want to consume everything Swift creates. Swift and Adele are the only two artists to top a million record sales in the first week, in this streaming-heavy decade, and Swift is the only artist ever to do it three times consecutively.

As there is no release date announced yet, I guess we will just have to wait for the next series of our diary entries set to music. We’re trying to be patient, Taylor, but how many breakups do you expect us to get through without any new anthems?

Halle Weber is a freshman studying journalism with a focus in news and information at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What are your hopes for Taylor Swift's next release? Let Halle know by emailing or tweeting her at hw422715@ohio.edu or @HalleWeber13, respectively.

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