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Taylor Swift has been on quite a journey in recent years -- going goth on "Reputation," pivoting to loved-up sugary pop on "Lover," and finding her political voice in between -- but her newest, toned-down offering "Folklore" is resonating with critics and fans more than any of her releases to date.

Swift announced the surprise album on Thursday, and it was released worldwide hours later.

If that muted rollout was an unexpected turn for a superstar whose previous efforts have been heavily promoted for months, the end product was nothing short of shocking. "Folklore" is more mellow, restrained and mature than Swift's previous offerings, delving into darkness on more than one occasion.

But the early notices are glowing -- with some publications calling it her greatest work.

"Her emotional acuity has never been more assured," the Guardian wrote in an adulatory five-star review. "It's hard to remember any contemporary pop superstar that has indulged in a more serious, or successful, act of sonic palate cleansing," Variety added.

"'Folklore' feels fresh, forward-thinking and, most of all, honest," NME opined.

And Billboard gushed: "A project created in isolation, Folklore finds Swift pouring every inch of her current psyche, amidst an imperfect reality, into her songwriting. We're fortunate that she decided to share it with us."

The album, which Swift said she developed during lockdown, boasts 16 delicately crafted tracks that occasionally rumble into ethereal soundscapes but never explode into the carefree, bubblegum pop that made the singer a star.

"Before this year 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," Swift said ahead of the release. "My gut is telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into the world. That's the side of uncertainty I can get on board with."

Her soul-stirring new sound perfectly reflects the months of isolation that both Swift and her fans have experienced -- and her supporters were every bit as rapturous as the critics. "Once again Taylor Swift's proving why she's one of the best songwriters in this decade," was the conclusion of one superfan on Twitter.

"This whole album sounds like the old books in a forgotten library started singing their stories out loud to people who can't come to take them anymore," another theorized.

English singer Maisie Peters was full of praise too, writing: "happy folklore day my favourites are this is me trying, betty and invisible string and peace is her best ever song. this is also her best ever album."

"i would die for taylor swift," was Halsey's concise take. And Australian star Alex Lahey wrote: "This @taylorswift13 record is unbelievable. Thank you for inspiring us all in such an uninspiring period of humanity."

Originally published on The Newsweek