Swifties around the world rejoiced on October 21st, 2022 with the release of the tenth studio album Midnights from the ever-talented singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The first album since her quarantine projects Folklore and Evermore, which marked a creative peak for Swift at the time, Midnights serves as an index of Swift’s many eras throughout her life. Conceptually, Swift said that the album tells the “stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life” (1). It allows her adoring fans and herself to reflect on the highly decorated and bejeweled career of Swift and see how she has grown in her musical prowess. As a recurring theme in her vast discography, “midnights” and “middle of the nights” has perforated various albums of hers, and so this album is a sort of culmination of this motif that she has carried with her throughout her career. It is, as Caroline Sliver of The Daily Collegian put it “a legacy-building album” (2).
While all of the songs had their own charms, there were a couple of songs that stood out to me for various reasons. The first song of the album “Lavender Haze” was a terrific introduction to the sound and atmosphere of the rest album. I specifically noted the departure from the alternative folk sound of her Folklore and Evermore era. With the use of synthesizers and other production quirks, Swift was able to create a sound more in the synth and dream pop genre reflecting the concept of restless writing in the middle of the night.
Additionally, I liked how you can hear the writing style of Swift from her different eras, especially how that lyricism has grown and changed as you listen to the other songs. For example, “Maroon’s” sensual and somber mood was deeply enjoyable as a mature homage to her album Red and the song of the same name. The next song “Anti-Hero” grew on me. While I initially thought the lyrics and the emphasized rhymes were a little cheesy, I loved the subject matter of the song. As an honest portrayal of her own self-criticism and insecurities, I really enjoyed the candid conversation she was willing to have with her listeners. The first time I heard the song, I thought that it felt like an epiphany moment you have during a mental spiral down a rabbit hole. It was like the one sober moment when you look at yourself in the mirror and think “Yes, it’s all my fault”.
“Snow on the Beach” featuring Lana Del Ray was very beautiful and had a sort of melancholic note throughout that I love. The next song, “You’re on Your Own, Kid”, I loved for its buildup and climax. It reminded me of Rina Sawayama’s concept and sound in her new album Hold the Girl, especially the songs “Hurricanes” and “Catch Me in the Air”. For “Midnight Rain”, I thought that it perfected and epitomized the sound of midnight and late-night delirium. I also noted that it sounded like a sobered-up Reputation, which is the beauty and terror of having a public diary of your life. People are free to see how you have grown and how you have sparkled and dimmed; this album facilitates that reflection as Swift pushes her sound as her lyricism grows. While I like the subject of “Question…?”, it wasn’t my favorite. The lyrics definitely reminded me of Swift in the earlier days of her career. Though it has since grown on me as most of Swift’s songs do, I still don’t love some of the lyrics. “Vigilante Shit” though was one hundred percent a Reputation era song. It touched on similar themes of revenge and facing yourself that encapsulated the older album. Next, “Bejeweled” has a special place in my heart for its lyrics and message. It reminded me of an inverse of “Mirrorball” from Folklore and the overall feeling of Reputation of reconciling with all that you embody. It’s also just a fun song that makes me want to dance, which I always love from artists. The next song is my favorite of the album. From its soft lyricism and somber feeling, I love everything about “Labyrinth”. I can tell that I will be listening to this song for a long while.
The next song “Karma” is a fun return to a more pop-oriented sound that makes you want to dance. It’s a much-needed breather after the previous song and the next song “Sweet Nothing”. This next song sits as my second favorite for a similar soft lyricism to “Labyrinth”, but it’s coupled with a softer sound instead of a more late-night sound. It is also heart-wrenching and reminds me of staying inside under a blanket on snow days with the fireplace on and candles scattered around the room. It has a sort of comforting energy coupled with a sense of irrevocable exhaustion and exasperation. It’s beautiful. Lastly, the 13th track of the album “Mastermind” details Swift’s efforts in getting her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, to fall in love with her. While I love the continued candidness of her lyrics, this track also wasn’t my favorite, but I have a feeling it may grow on me.
Later on the night of October 21st, Swift released a “3am Edition” of the album. The seven additional tracks (“The Great War, “Bigger Than the Whole Sky”, “Paris”, “High Infidelity”, “Glitch”. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”, and “Dear Reader”) serve as an excellent addition to the regular album. With sweeping lyrics and a similar capture of the nighttime sound, these seven are exquisite, and I think they are some of the best songs on the album.
Overall though, this tenth studio album from Swift is a touching catalog of the different moments throughout her life. When Swift announced this concept album, she said that “This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams. The floors we pace and the demons we face. For all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit and go searching — hoping that just maybe, when the clock strikes twelve … we’ll meet ourselves.” (3). With such a vivid concept, she truly delivered just that. While it must have been cathartic to get these residual feelings out, the album is also a treasure chest of jewels for her devoted fans as they reflect on Swift’s growth as an artist and as a person alongside her. Midnights is a truly special album that is a testament to the length and success of Swift’s career. At this point, she is free to experiment with new sounds, release music for her own enjoyment, and celebrate her fandom all as she pleases. I highly suggest everyone give Midnights a listen, and for further review and analysis of the album I suggest reading Pitchfork’s review (https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-midnights/).
REGULAR ED RANKING
- Labyrinth
- Sweet Nothing
- Maroon
- Karma
- Bejeweled
- Lavender Haze
- Snow on the Beach
- Vigilante Shit
- Anti-Hero
- Midnight Rain
- You’re on Your Own, Kid
- Question…?
- Mastermind
3 AM ED RANKING
- Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve
- Paris
- The Great War
- Bigger Than the Whole Sky
- High Infidelity
- Glitch
- Dear Reader
- https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch1Ed_Su6Qw/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=2c9e34a9-5b76-463e-b06c-c7aa010ffffc
- https://www.collegian.psu.edu/culture_lifestyle/taylor-swift-s-midnights-becomes-a-legacy-building-album-blog/article_cf1ac48a-53fc-11ed-84ba-1b4d8b8a5d0a.html
- https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swift-midnights-a-brief-history-1849468632
- https://genius.com/albums/Taylor-swift/Midnights
- https://www.metroweekly.com/2022/10/is-midnights-taylor-swifts-best-album/
- https://twitter.com/popcrave/status/1565232293785939969
- https://twitter.com/popbase/status/1565189110913830912
Hey Kevin! As always, I look forward to reading your weekly passion blogs! I think that Taylor did very well with this album and it is, argualbly, one of her best. I really enjoyed your review and I look forward to reading your next passion blog.
Great work with this, especially since the album is so new. I really liked how you provided rankings at the end to indicate your preferences. I personally really like how you dissect songs within an album and really dive into their overarching meaning. It makes a reader like me who has a little different musical taste get a unique perspective on artists I do not particularly engage with much.
Kevin, I thought your review was fantastic. To be honest, I think she fell off after 2015, but that’s just me. I do think you have a great skill for putting the emotion of music into words. Great job!!