Taylor swift surprises fans with new album

Pop singer Taylor Swift has just dropped her eighth studio album Folklore, out of the blue. The singer made the announcement on Thursday, in a Twitter post noting that the album is composed of “songs I’ve poured all of my whims, dreams, fears and musings into.”

The album is a departure from Swift’s signature pop sound and goes more into the indie realm. Written and recorded completely in isolation, Folklore features collaborations from various artists belonging to the genre. These include The National’s Aaron Dessner, Bon Iver, William Bowery and Jack Antonoff, reported Variety. Dessner, who plays guitars and piano, is a co-writer or producer on 11 of the album's 16 songs.

“Before this year, I probably would’ve overthought when to release this music at the ‘perfect’ time. But the times we’re living in keep reminding me that nothing is guaranteed,” Swift wrote on Twitter. “My gut is telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into the world.”
Swift paired the album release with the drop of a brand-new music video for her song Cardigan, which she directed herself. Within hours, the video managed to cross 3.4 million views on Youtube. The singer assured that it was shot after taking all the necessary medical precautions.

"The entire shoot was overseen by a medical inspector, everyone wore masks, stayed away from each other and I even did my own hair, makeup, and styling," she wrote on Instagram.
The singer had been due to play her seventh album, Lover, at a series of festivals this summer, before the coronavirus pandemic put an end to live music. In February, she directed a video for her single The Man, in which she played a cigar smoking, strip-club-going businessman.

The satirical video took aim at male music executives - in particular Scooter Braun, who purchased her back catalogue last year.

Have something to add to the story? Share in the comments below.