Gone are the folklorian woods and whimsical cabins, Taylor Swift has returned to reclaim her throne in the kingdom of pop music on her newest album Midnights.
In today’s fast-paced, instant gratification-seeking world, releasing full-length albums is becoming a lost art. Dropping individual singles is where it’s at for most artists, but not Taylor. Upon announcing only the release date of Midnights at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, Swift left fans (and the world) wanting more as the internet went into a frenzy.
In the following weeks, Taylor slowly unveiled more information about the album on social media and took to TikTok to reveal track titles every other night at midnight leading up to the album’s release. However, Swift never dropped a lead single. Nobody knew what to expect from the singer, who is known for cryptically planning things out in advance, sometimes even years before the event takes place.
At midnight sharp on October 21, the album’s release broke Spotify’s platform due to the sudden traffic for Midnights’ release. Fans had to wait a couple of extra minutes before diving into the pop star’s newest venture.
Midnights opens up with “Lavender Haze”, an upbeat track that begins with Taylor inviting listeners to meet her at midnight before transitioning into a catchy chorus. Swift addresses rumors that often circulate about her relationship regarding marriage by singing “All they keep asking me is if I’m gonna be your bride,” and “The only kind of girl they see is a one-night or a wife.” She makes it clear her feelings towards these rumors — they are inevitable, but she just wants to be left alone with her lover.
Midnights has a mix of upbeat and slower-tempo songs, each one telling an expertly crafted story of Swift’s sleepless nights. Lead single “Anti-Hero” deals with Swift’s insecurities and self-doubt that is all too relatable for many. About halfway through the album, “Vigilante Shit” lurks in with background music that sounds like it came straight out of some criminal/spy/”Kim-Possible-but-make-it-grown-up” movie scene. This is the only track on Midnights that is written by just Taylor alone, and it’s evident here that she isn’t finished with dragging Scooter Braun through the dirt (as she should). On the opposite end of the spectrum lies “Sweet Nothing,” a simple song about how Taylor’s current lover only wants nothing from her, a stark contrast to what she’s likely endured in past relationships.
While many newer fans feel that the lyricism in Taylor’s previous albums folklore and evermore is her best prose, Midnights is just as well-written. Some fans were slightly disappointed upon the release of Midnights’ production information because Aaron Dessner, producer of folklore and evermore, was not listed on it.
Three hours after the album dropped, Taylor once again broke the internet by releasing Midnights: 3am Edition which contained seven new additional songs. Those who were hoping for a Swift-Dessner collaboration were in for a treat — a handful of these bonus songs were produced with Dessner. Days prior to the album’s release, Dessner tweeted “Always have to remember things aren’t necessarily how they seem!” Bonus tracks “The Great War,” “High Infidelity,” and “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” as well as “Hits Different” from the exclusive Target edition are all produced by him.
Taylor has established her place in the pop world since 2014 with the release of 1989 and doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. With every album, she continues to break new records and set the industry bar even higher for other artists. No two Taylor Swift albums sound alike, and Swift finds new and creative ways to reinvent herself with each release. Midnights is no different. While it is synth-heavy pop, the overall aesthetic of Midnights is different than anything she has done before. There are sprinkles of slower, more airy-sounding tracks, and then the bright, tongue-in-cheek pop we’ve come to expect from Taylor all wrapped up nicely in a dark, glittery bow. This album is absolutely meant for driving through the city in the middle of the night, and could very well be Swift’s best pop album yet.