Taylor Swift graces the cover of Elle UK with powerful essay about pop music

And she likes Panic! At The Disco.
Taylor Swift graces the cover of Elle UK with powerful essay about pop music
Taylor Swift is on the cover of Elle UK's 'The Music Issue'. Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images

Taylor Swift may still be kinda secretive when it comes to letting fans know whether or not she's releasing a new album anytime soon.

But she just opened up about her relationship to pop music and songwriting in a personal essay in the April edition of Elle UK, The Music Issue.

Swift also features on the cover of the issue. On Instagram, she just revealed her gorgeous cover shot by photographer Quentin Jones.

In her essay, entitled "The Power of Pop," Swift writes personally about which artists are significant to her (Swift mentions millennial favourites such as Panic! at the disco, The Fray and The Dixie Chicks), and divulges some secrets about how to write a banging pop song.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"The fun challenge of writing a pop song is squeezing those evocative details into the catchiest melodic cadence you can possibly think of," Swift writes. "I thrive on the challenge of sprinkling personal mementos and shreds of reality into a genre of music that is universally known for being, well, universal."

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Swift also explained why she thinks that pop songs that break through are often the ones with a personal story behind them.

"I think a lot of music lovers want some biographical glimpse into the world of our narrator, a hole in the emotional walls people put up around themselves to survive," Swift writes.

The April issue of ELLE UK is on sale from 7 March.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Elle Fanning embraces her inner alien in 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' teaser
Elle Fanning in an alien costume in "Margo's Got Money Troubles."

Everything we know about Apple TV's 'Margo's Got Money Troubles'
Michelle Pfeiffer and Elle Fanning in "Margo's Got Money Troubles."


The AI industry has a big Chicken Little problem
men line up outside a breadline during the great depression

'Lucky' teaser: Anya Taylor-Joy is a con artist, and I'm already in
Anya Taylor-Joy stars in "Lucky"

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma


What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!