Republic RecordsAt the stroke of midnight Friday, Taylor Swift not only dropped her surprise new album folklore, but its first music video for the song “cardigan.”

The self-directed video was shot under the oversight of a medical inspector to ensure the crew’s health and safety due to COVID-19.

True to Taylor’s signature style, the music video for “cardigan” is a magical story rife with symbolism — this time about growing up, finding love, breaking up, and finding each other again.

The music video opens in a sepia tint as Taylor, dressed in a long flowing white night gown, plays at her piano next to the roaring fire as the melancholy lyrics speak of being bushed off because “When you are young they assume you know nothing.”

She’s then transported via a luminous gold light to two different locations, one a lush colored forest covered in moss with a dazzling waterfall, symbolizing a new love — and then the breakup happens, tossing her into stormy waters with only a piano to cling to.

The music video ends with the golden light bringing Taylor back at home, where she sits next to warm cardigan and sings, “And when I felt like I was an old cardigan/ Under someone’s bed/ You put me on and said I was your favorite.”

Since folklore is Swift’s eighth studio album, there will be eight deluxe CD editions and eight vinyl editions available for one week to celebrate the milestone.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.