I've been wondering how we'll find out about her new album. For the sake of argument, I'm assuming here that there will be a new album, of course.
Before any official news of a new album, I would guess that we'll hear some rumblings beforehand. Such as, news and/or rumors of a new producer (if there is one). I don't believe, for example, that if Shania decides to work with Rick Ruben (or whoever), that this news will be kept secret, and that fans will not know about it beforehand. I just don't see a new album being announced before we hear some solid news of who is producing it, and I'd guess that we'll hear this news many months before any album actually comes out.
Maybe we'll hear some news and/or rumors from Shania's band members, that they're finally working on a new Shania project. Assuming they'll be working with Shania again.
Will Shania herself and/or her record label give us news before the album is released? Will Shania and/or her label really say "Yes, work has begun, and Shania is in the studio right now", many months before the finished product? Or will word get leaked through unofficial sources before the official sources actually say something?
Does anyone recall how we first heard news and/or rumors about Shania's new "Up!" album?
On April 26, 2002, a Universal shareholder statement said that Shania would release a new album in late 2002. This news came seven months before Up! was released. Fans didn't know an exact date, but they fully expected a new album in 2002.
On July 30, 2002, the Hungarian Universal website leaked the official album title and stated that Up! would be out in November 2002. This was roughly three months before Up! was released.
On August 12, 2002, Mercury officially announced that Shania's new album, titled Up!, would be released on November 12, 2002 (this first announcement from Mercury was actually wrong, as the album got pushed back a week from the originally scheduled date). Mercury's official announcement came roughly three months before the album was released (and, as mentioned above, around two weeks after the news had already been leaked online).
Finally, on November 19, 2002, Shania's Up! album was released.
So fans had some solid news of a new Shania album a full seven months before the release date, and they knew the album title and official release date three months before the album hit stores.
I don't expect Shania's new album to follow this exact type of timeline. A potential new producer throws some interesting developments into the mix, for example. But based on Up!'s release, we will most likley hear some real news of the new album many months before it comes out. So 2008 is clearly out of the question for a release, and we're most likely looking at Spring 2009 at the very earliest, and that's if we hear some news real soon. But we'll see how things play out in the coming months. I'd say that NO news in 2008 will result in a late 2009 release at the very earliest.
At the time of the release of UP! I didn't follow her career as closely but since I've been to see her live in concert and everything, things have changed. I'm sure we'll get to hear news about the CD through CMT and various entertainment shows like ET before it's officially confirmed by her label.
Yes, I'm surprised that fans first learned of the Up! album title through a Hungarian website, of all places. You never know where new news will turn up.
Yes, I felt that if we didn't hear about an album in the works before the start of September, we could forget about 2008. Now it is October. Let's now hope for 2009. Man, how the years go by. Although I think she was preparing for fall 2008, this Mutt separation and their butting heads took care of that. I would assume Shania wants a fresh start and less Mutt the dirty dog.
I agree that the timing of the separation wasn't great just as she was getting ready to make a comeback. On the other hand, if Shania released an album this Fall as planned and had then found about Mutt's alleged affair and parted ways that would have been even worse as she would be too distraught to do any promo or touring. Although people say she is ruining her career at the moment by staying longer and longer out of the spotlight, but at least she's having the time to heal and fuel that creative streak again.
