At midnight EST tonight, Taylor Swift will drop a new 16-track album titled Folklore. Unlike her seven prior studio albums, the singer-songwriter kept the new music release a complete surprise this time without dropping a single breadcrumb clue beforehand, giving fans mere hours to acquaint themselves with the look and feel of Swift's Folklore phase.
In terms of the new aesthetic, we got a sneak peek of the vibe via Swift's latest Instagram posts, where she shared the album artwork. The cover features a black-and-white photo of Swift from the back, standing on the edge of a forest. Even more notable than the misty, majestic scenery is the ethereal hair look: two loose, braided buns sitting low towards the nape of her neck, which Swift says she executed DIY-style.
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In the post's caption, Swift shed light onto how the production for the album's first single "Cardigan," the video for which will drop tonight, came together in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic. She explained that necessary safety precautions were taken, which included forgoing a glam squad entirely. "The entire shoot was overseen by a medical inspector, everyone wore masks, stayed away from each other," Swift wrote. "I even did my own hair, makeup, and styling."
A closer look shows that Swift's makeup is fairly minimal, whereas the hairstyle — once again, braided and wrapped into twin buns — is impressively intricate for a non-pro. It's safe to say that Swift can add "hairstylist" to her resumé (right beside "nail artist"), and that braided buns will most definitely be trending this summer.