Artist Updates: Taylor Swift, Ray Stevens, Erica Nicole, Robby Johnson

Taylor Swift is up to something. The singer-songwriter has released several teases this week, including a brief Instagram video of her repeatedly pressing the button for the 18th floor on an elevator. On Wednesday, she released a screenshot of her phone. The image features the time 5:00, Swift’s cat and a drawing of the Statue of Liberty/New York City in the background. On Thursday, Swift released clue No. 3…a screenshot of the Yahoo! homepage.
Fans have speculated the clues could mean the singer-songwriter will hold a Q&A with Yahoo! on Aug. 18 from New York City, or that new music could be coming Oct. 18 (as Swift’s previous albums have all released around late October). Fans will have to wait and see.

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Ray Stevens will release a new Gospel project on Aug. 19, titled Gospel Collection: Volume One. The project will be the singer’s first release as part of the Gaither Gospel series. Stevens also produced the project, which features his renditions of classics including “The Old Rugged Cross/Rock of Ages,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Farther Along.”
Gospel Collection is part of a TV special airing on Dish TV, DirecTV, AT&T Uverse, GaitherTV, TBN, RFD, FamilyNet, CTN, GMTN, Guardian, Liberty, TCT and TLN.  It will air in Canada on Vision TV, CTS, The Miracle Channel and Hope TV.
“This is my first Gospel album in years,” he says. “I’m really excited about it.  I love the songs and worked long and hard on the arrangements, but the coup de gras is being presented as part of the Gaither Gospel Series. I hope everyone will enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it.”

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Erica Nicole will perform at the upcoming Nashville Independent Music Awards, which will take place in Nashville on Aug. 24. She is nominated for Best Country Female Artist, and her song “I Listen To My Bad Girl,” is nominated for Song of the Year. She is also set to perform during the event.
Nicole garnered a Top 20 single on MusicRow‘s CountryBreakout chart with “I Listen To My Bad Girl.”
Voting for the 2014 NIMA Awards is open now here.

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Robby Johnson is stacking up the media coverage in national outlets. Fresh from an appearance on FOX’s Huckabee, he will perform on the Late Show with David Letterman on Aug. 19.
The video for his single, “South of Me,” has garnered more than 3 million views. He is prepping his 12-track debut album, in collaboration with musician/producer Jimmy Nichols and Frank Myers.