Taylor Swift: Next album 'very different'

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She may not have released an album, but Billboards Woman of the Year still had a pretty awe-inspiring 2011. This past weekend, Swift gave a little tease about her new album, most likely due to drop sometime in late 2012.

[My records] all seem to have a theme to them, she explained, and this one is no different. Its very different in what its about, but its no different in the fact that it has its own name.

I wonder how ghow outside the box pop-countrys reigning queen is prepared to go after her chart-topping third release. Now that herSpeak Nowtour has wrapped, and shes presumably working on album number four fulltime, lets help her brainstorm. Where does she go from here?

One of the things Im personally most curious about is where the inspiration is going to come guy-wise for this release. I assume Swift wont sway too far from her wheelhouse (although she has shown a recent affinity for hip-hop) so that means more storytelling and love songs. Its no secret Swift is pretty literally inspired by her real-life romances (Speak Nowalone featured Dear John, Back to December, Enchanted, and Last Kiss,among others all of which were eventually linked, correctly or not, to her past celebrity paramours).

But shes now been publicly single for most of 2011, tellingEllenlast month, I dont have a boyfriend. I dont have, like, even kind of a boyfriend. Theres like nothing going on right now. Props to her for being both up-front and goofy, but seriously: Are we going to have a love story-free album? She can, as she has in the past! , relied on friends relationships as well as general crazy-in-love themes (although high school crushes and diaries may begin to grow stale, now that shes only a week away from her 22nd birthday), but fans seem to prefer piecing together her own true stories as opposed to fictional or metaphorical ones. Part of her appeal is that you feel you are getting the full, real Taylor; taking her experiences that youve read about and connecting them to your own life and love woes.

In the same vein, how PG13 is her love content going to go this time around? Shes admired by many for allowing Rihanna, Katy, and the rest to prove sex sellsa smart strategy when, although she has a ton of fans all ages, her main base is still impressionable teens only a few years younger than her. But theyre growing up as well. Love and sex are quite intertwined, and Im curious how shes going to deal with what is going to become a larger and larger elephant in the room if the lady who emotionally bares all suddenly goes lyrically mum.

She went from no sex references onTaylor SwiftandFearlessto just a few subtle sexual lyrics onSpeak Now(better known for what she does on a mattress). Will number four be another grown-up step in that direction? How will the songstress balance her own emerging adult sense of self with her younger fans and their concerned parents?

A video for Ours premiered this week and its certainly some evidence Americas favorite perpetual teenager may be growing up. No sex, but rather than a fantasy about Romeo and Juliet, the new vid shows Swift perfecting her best office-drone ensemble, complete with a 9-5 schedule and a long-distance military beau. Love may still conquer all, but its also getting a lot more complicated.

Complicated adult relationships are certainly the stuff of number onesjust look at ! Adeles r ecent success turning breakup heartbreak into chart gold. Music Mixers, you tell us: Do you think grown-up Swift will be able to employ the same strategy? What themes do you hope Swift tackles this time around?

Read more:Taylor Swift is the girl in the cubicle next door in her new video for Ours: Watch it hereTaylor Swift gets great bangs, begging the question, which stars actually pull them off?Taylor Swift wraps her Speak Now tour in New York City, sings with James Taylor and Selena Gomez