Taylor Swift releases 'Willow,' the first single off her surprise album 'Evermore'

Taylor Swift released "Evermore," the sister album of "Folklore," at midnight on Friday. And like any younger sibling, "Evermore" is more innocent and spirited than the pensive and moody "Folklore."

Also on Friday, Swift released the music video for her whimsical new single, "Willow."

The connection between "Folklore" and "Evermore" is made evident with "Willow," which picks up right after the events of "Cardigan," with Swift sitting at her piano and processing what she experienced.

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However, the singer is spirited away on a new adventure when a glowing golden thread tempts her to follow it back inside of her piano, where she steps out of a willow tree and into a fantasy world.

The ethereal music video plays out like a fairytale, with Swift at first chasing the promise of her true love -- played by her backup dancer Taeok Lee -- before breaking out of her glass cage and finding her golden path again.

"The more that you say, the less I know/ Wherever you stray, I follow/ I'm begging for you to take my hand/ Wreck my plans, that's my man," she sings in the upbeat chorus.

The video ends with the Grammy winner climbing back out of her piano, this time warm and dry as her true love greets her with a wide smile.

The two then leave the cottage, hand in hand, into the sunbathed woods.

Before "Willow" premiered on YouTube, Swift explained the meaning of her newest single in the live chat.

"'Willow' is about intrigue, desire and the complexity that goes into wanting someone. I think it sounds like casting a spell to make someone fall in love with you," she told fans.

"Evermore" is available for purchase and streaming now. There is also a deluxe version of the album, which includes two bonus singles.

Here is the full track listing for the standard version of "Evermore":

1. "Willow"
2. "Champagne Problems"
3. "Gold Rush"
4. "'Tis the Damn Season"
5. "Tolerate It"
6. "No Body, No Crime" (feat. Haim)
7. "Happiness"
8. "Dorothea"
9. "Coney Island" (feat. The National)
10. "Ivy"
11. "Cowboy Like Me"
12. "Long Story Short"
13. "Marjorie"
14. "Closure"
15. "Evermore" (feat. Bon Iver)

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