I don’t know about you, but I’m feelin—not 22. I’m feeling like I’m not ready for the release of Midnights. I’ve been praying to the music gods for what has seemed like an eternity for Ms. Taylor Swift to release her next album. Now that the time is finally here, you might be feeling like me—extraordinarily unprepared and overwhelmed. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t fret. I’ve come with your step-by-step guide to take in the long-awaited ‘Midnights’ fully.
STEP 1: FIGHT
It is essential to the listening experience that you get into a fight with any man you know so you can feel as many emotions as possible. To ensure you have the most authentic Taylor experience, you must go through a terrible heartbreak (half-joking)!
STEP 2: FIND A SAFE SPACE TO LISTEN
You want to ensure you are in a comfortable and safe space for your listening session. When I say safe space, I mean somewhere you won’t be interrupted by pesky distractions like your roommate telling you to stop gasping so loudly at every powerful lyric.
STEP 3: FOOD
Make sure you have something to snack on. A friend suggested Taylor’s famous chai cookies, and I think that is a beautiful place to start. I know I will be keeping a nice iced coffee by my side to get me through all thirteen tracks.
STEP 4: CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULE
I have cleared my entire schedule on October 21st in preparation for the absolute wreck I will be after listening to this album. Expect many tears, tissues, and maybe even some dramatic gazing out a rainy window.
STEP 5: FIND OTHER SWIFTIES
One of the best parts about listening to Taylor Swift is the other people that also listen to Taylor Swift. Find other like-minded cool people you can talk to about the new album. Whether you have some friends you want to hear the album with for the first time, or if you’re more like me and prefer to listen alone, you need to find like-minded folks. You might be able to learn something new or uncover some crazy hidden meanings in some songs you may not have found on your own. I highly recommend this step.
STEP 6: REPEAT
You can bet your bottom dollar I will be listening to the entire album several times on release day. I strongly suggest you do the same. With every listen, I can promise you will fall even more in love with this album. You might be thinking, how can you make these promises? You haven’t even heard it yet. I have more confidence in Taylor’s success than in my own. It. Is. Going. To. Be. EPIC.