There hasn’t been a lot of news about Taylor Swift lately, but that didn’t stop many outlets from running pieces about what Taylor was doing exactly one year ago. Last year at this time, Taylor met Tom Hiddleston at the pre-Met Gala dinner at Anna Wintour’s house. Then they spent time together at the gala, and there were videos of them dancing together. Shortly after that, Tiddles began and the Glorious Tiddlebanging got its first photo-op, on some rocks in Rhode Island. It was a special time, and I don’t blame media outlets for running “remember the beginning of Tiddles” stories this week. I too have sort of missed Taylor Swift. She’s a snake, she’s a perpetual victim, she is a Darth Susan. But gossip is less fun without her and her whirlwind of manufactured drama.

We actually heard a month ago that Taylor has been hiding out in Nashville. Maybe “hiding out” is the wrong term, because I’m not sure if she’s hiding or if paparazzi just haven’t been looking for her. Either way, Taylor has been largely MIA in 2017 and that’s by choice. She realized people were tired of her and she went away, and props to her for being that self-aware. She’s been working on a new album, and Ed Sheeran said she’ll probably release it later this year. I guess we need periodic updates on this, because E! News has another story which pretty much is the same thing we learned a month ago.

You may not be able to see her, but you may be able to hear Taylor Swift sooner rather than later. As the Grammy winner continues to live her life away from the public eye, many fans are wondering what their favorite singer has been up to. While she may not be active on social media or showing up to red carpets, E! News has learned that Taylor is focused on making new music.

“Taylor has been writing and recording her new album in Nashville for the last several months,” a source shared with E! News exclusively. “She has been working on it around the clock and will be making an announcement soon. She is really excited about her new music and can’t wait to share it with her fans.”

Our insider added, “She has been entirely focused on that and not much else. She has been 100 percent dedicated to making music the last few months and that’s it.”

While music remains one of her top priorities this season, the “Blank Space” singer has stayed in touch with those closest to her. In addition to sending close friend Gigi Hadid flowers on her birthday, Taylor “has spent some time with her family and friends” amid a busy work schedule. Once the album is complete, however, Swifties may be able to see a few gatherings with a few familiar faces.

“She is really looking forward to finishing the record and being able to have some down time to reconnect with her friends,” our source added.

[From E! News]

I take “looking forward to finishing the record and being able to have some down time to reconnect with her friends” to mean “she’s working on a strategy for a big, splashy comeback which will probably involve a new boyfriend and boyfriend rollout.” Her last two relationships were with high-profile men, Calvin Harris and Tom Hiddleston. Will the new boyfriend be equally famous? My theory is that the new guy will be a country star, maybe. Like, I’m starting to wonder if there’s another reason (beyond “work”) why she’s spending so much time in Nashville. The only thing is… most of those country dudes are already married or in relationships. Like, Sam Hunt would have been amazing for Swifty but he just got married. Hmm.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Pacific Coast News.