Taylor Swift to release surprise new album Folklore

It features collaborations with Bon Iver, The National's Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff

Taylor Swift has announced a surprise new album titled Folklore.

The record, which is her first since 2019's Lover, will be released tonight (23 July) at midnight EST in the US and 5am in the UK.

"I’ll be releasing my entire brand new album of songs I’ve poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into," the singer wrote on Instagram.

Swift revealed that despite writing and recording the album in isolation, she got to collaborate with "musical heroes" of hers, including The National's Aaron Dessner, Bon Iver and Jack Antonoff.

"Before this year," she wrote, "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. My gut is telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into the world."

Swift concluded her post: "That’s the side of uncertainty I can get on board with. Love you guys so much."

The album's 16-song tracklist, which includes "illicit affairs" and "mad woman", can also be viewed in full here.

The artwork shows Swift standing in the middle of a forest.

Swift said making the album is one of the few things she had planned this year that was actually able to go ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic. One notable item on the agenda that has been cancelled is Swift's first ever Glastonbury performance, as the festival has been postponed until next year.

Folklore will be Swift's eighth studio album, following Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), Reputation (2017), Lover (2019).