Taylor Swift is opening up about her songwriting and the importance of involving yourself in the meaning of your music in her new piece for British Vogue.

The "Lover" songstress covers the forthcoming January issue of the fashion publication, and stuns in a mature, elegant photo shoot that shows off her evolved style.

While the muted colors of her look in the spread are in stark contrast to the prismatic rainbow aesthetic of her Lover album art and most of her recent music videos, it has the retro-English vibe that compliments her upcoming role in Tom Hooper's Cats.

For her piece in British Vogue, Swift sits down for a conversation with Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber -- the creator of Cats -- with whom Swift co-wrote the new original soundtrack tune "Beautiful Ghosts."

During the conversation, Swift reflects on how and why she penned so many of her own songs, and was involved in their creation from inception.

“I think [writing] is really important – also from the side of ownership over what you do and make," Swift shares. 

The singer says that, more so than just having the connection to the song, writing your music allows you to have a connection to what the song is saying and what you're sharing with the public.

"Even if you aren’t a natural writer, you should try to involve yourself in the messages you’re sending," Swift explains.

Webber also asks Swift about how she wrote and recorded Lover while working on Cats, and if her love of performing live inspired a desire to pursue acting. She admits, "I have no idea."

"When I was younger, I used to get questions like, 'Where do you see yourself in 10 years?' I’d try to answer," Swift says. "As I get older, I’m learning that wisdom is learning how dumb you are compared to how much you are going to know."

The full conversation between Swift and Webber appears in the January issue of British Vogue, which hits newsstands on Dec. 6. Swift's upcoming movie musical, Cats, comes out Dec. 20, just in time for Christmas, and she admits to Webber that she finds the film a little weird.

"I really had an amazing time with Cats. I think I loved the weirdness of it," she shares. "I loved how I felt I’d never get another opportunity to be like this in my life."

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