Taylor Swift's new album Folklore is a dazzling surprise, but who is William Bowery – Joni Mitchell, boyfriend Joe Alwyn, or even ex Harry Styles?

Jul 28, 2020

Taylor Swift still manages to surprise with the unexpected release of her latest ‘coronavirus album’, Folklore. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram

Featuring indie heroes from The National and Bon Iver and already compared to Bruce Springsteen’s acoustic classic Nebraska, Swift’s surprise-released 8th album – the low-key, meditative, unplanned ‘coronavirus LP’ Folkllore – might just be her best yet

There’s a scene in Miss Americana, the recent Taylor Swift documentary on Netflix, where Swift is talking about whether she wants to have children. “I kind of don’t have the luxury of figuring that stuff out,” Swift tells producer Joel Little. “My life is planned two years ahead of time.”

This was in the same conversation where she famously revealed that she didn’t eat her first burrito until she was 26.

Swift was talking about the obligations of the global pop star: the discipline required to release an album every two years starting when you’re 16, followed by ever more ginormous concert tours. Global domination doesn’t allow for downtime, or room for surprises.

Until now.

On Thursday (July 23), Swift caught her millions of fans unawares by announcing that she would be releasing her eighth album, “Folklore”, at the stroke of midnight.

“Most of the things I had planned this summer didn’t end up happening,” Swift wrote in announcing the album. “But there is something that I hadn’t planned on that DID happen … an entire brand new album of songs I’ve poured all my whims, dreams, fears and musings into.”

The 16-song collection, which includes a bonus track, The Lakes, on deluxe editions, was written and recorded entirely during the coronavirus pandemic shutdown that started in March. And Swift made the most of her quarantine, stretching out musically and working remotely with new collaborators. “Folklore” is mellow, contemplative and utterly captivating.