Taylor Swift swapped out her guitar for a pen as she wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal talking about the music industry, including how autographs are "becoming obsolete."
In the WSJ opinion piece, Swift writes that the music industry is constantly changing and while fewer albums are being sold, she still sees the situation optimistically.
She notes that while "piracy, file sharing and streaming have shrunk" album sales, Swift doesn't believe that artists should be giving them away for free. "Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for."
The "Red" singer noted that people are now purchasing albums that resonate with them, and that should cause musicians to work harder in order to have an album that someone should want to purchase, one that breaks "through on an emotional level and end[s] up in people's lives forever."
Swift also noted that Twitter holds power over artists, especially after witnessing a friend lose out on an acting gig because they had less followers, something she believes could happen in the music industry.
Something she predicted would likely never change is the obsession people have with celebrities and all facets of their lives, whether it is public or private.
The superstar also noted that it has been a long time since someone requested her autograph, preferring instead to simply take a selfie with her, noting that front-facing cellphones have changed things.
Swift spent her Fourth of July weekend with several friends, including Emma Stone, Lena Dunham, Andrew Garfield and others at her Rhode Island beachfront home.
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