As of October 21st, Taylor Swift has graced the public with her tenth (!) studio album, Midnights. The songs, much like the album’s corresponding aesthetic, are glittery and introspective. The lack of a lead single in the weeks prior to release left fans (present company included) puzzling as to what the genre would be, and Ms. Swift rewarded us with a stunning return to pop. As a concept album, each song on Midnights addresses an event that has kept Ms. Swift up at night at some point in her life. Swift tackles subjects such as paralyzing loneliness (“You’re on Your Own, Kid”), the fearful rush of new love (“Labyrinth”), and vindication (“Vigilante Sh*t”). For fans of Swift’s more intense work such as folklore and evermore, the “3 AM” songs (as the bonus tracks have been dubbed) contain some of the most hard-hitting material of her career thus far (see: “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”).
For those of us that love Taylor Swift no matter what musical styling, Midnights feels like a beautiful, sleep-deprived present. After years of wishing that she would collaborate with Lana Del Rey, the queen of 2012 ennui, the two harmonize on “Snow on the Beach.” Swift also joined forces once more with William Bowery, her collaborator on folklore and pseudonymously-known boyfriend Joe Alwyn, on the entrancing “Sweet Nothing.” The synth-heavy songs see Swift as the songstress we always knew her to be, but with an added assuredness. She correctly labels herself a mastermind and is more aware of her worth than ever. On “Bejeweled,” an anthem for pulling yourself together and dancing all night, she delivers my favorite line of the whole album: “Putting someone first only works when you’re in their top five/ And by the way, I’m going out tonight.”