Don’t Be Surprised if Taylor Swift’s Next Album is a Return to “Country”

To say country music is having a “moment” right now is the mother of all understatements. And with the all-time success of Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” among many other factors, it’s no surprise others are looking to cash in. This very well also might include arguably the biggest pop star in all the known universe at the moment, the one and only Taylor Swift.

There are multiple reasons we can surmise that Taylor Swift might be choosin’ country moving forward. Perhaps the most leading indication is that her current single “I Knew It, I Knew You” from the Toy Story 5 soundtrack has been marketed and promoted as a country song specifically, including being pushed to country radio where it peaked at #6 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

Of course, just like the rest of Taylor Swift’s “country” catalog, it’s fair to question just how “country” the song “I Knew It, I Knew You” is. It certainly has some country elements to it, just like some of Swift’s early country singles and albums. But any honest broker will easily conclude she’s always had strong pop elements to her songs, with the Toy Story single being no different.

In a very curious development, Taylor Swift appeared on BOB 94.9 FM out of Harrisburg, Pa., Saturday night (9-5) for an on-air interview about “I Knew It, I Knew You.” Taylor Swift very rarely gives interviews, and to do one at a small market country radio station is certainly something worth noting, even if it was simulcast to multiple other stations via the iHeartCountry House Party show.

Harrisburg sits about an hour away from Wyomissing, PA where Taylor Swift grew up on a Christmas Tree farm, so the geography might be one significant clue about what’s happening here. After all, Taylor Swift loves to drops clues and Easter eggs to keep her fans engaged and guessing about what her intentions or next moves might be.

Swift spoke with DJ Wayne D about the inspiration behind writing “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which is sung by the Toy Story character Jessie. Swift said,

“I was seeing that she was going through a full-circle moment as a character … a lot of reunions of old friends, seeing people that you haven’t seen in a while, and kind of forgiving past heartbreak, or whatever, and kind of healing that within yourself.”

“Full-circle moment” is also what it felt like when Taylor Swift recently concluded a long form interview with Harvey Mason Jr. of The Recording Academy (Grammys) on August 18th. The interview focused mostly on Taylor Swift the songwriter, and centered in-depth discussions of each of her recorded projects, starting in her country era, then into her pop transformation, her pandemic records like Folklore, and then to her most recent projects.

But it was near the end of the discussion when Taylor Swift said, “I think this can happen as you grow up. I love my country roots more and more the further long this path I get. The further along this path I get, I want to honor them more and more, and I feel more and more tied and more loyal to them — the people that shaped who I am as an artist and as a writer. That all happened in Nashville.”

This was the first indication that maybe Taylor Swift is plotting some country return. Granting an interview on country radio—which is a primary gatekeeper to success in the genre—would also be a smart precursor to a country return.

Taylor Swift’s last tour was called the “Eras” tour, recapping where she has been. The next question is, where might she be going next? Swift has often used the Grammys as a jumping off point for her next project. And as the Grammys get ready to go into their voting season, this might be what Swift is angling for.

There is also the very real possibility that Swift does not do a “country” album next, or perhaps it’s just not that country even if it’s called such. But she’s most certainly laying the ground for something. And whether you’re a Taylor Swift fan or not, it could have significant reverberative effects on the country genre, especially as we see the genre continue to support more country-sounding artists.

Stay tuned.