In the spirit of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour kicking off last Friday, I knew I had to do a March Madness-inspired take in order to rank all 20 of her songs in the album. Obviously, all the songs hold a special place in my heart, and doing this was not easy, but considering musical elements like lyricism, tone, symbolism, the beat, and more, I ultimately decided that my personal favorite had to be Mastermind.
Before we get into why Mastermind ultimately won, let’s go through the highlights of the songs in the album by track:
- Lavender haze
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Favorite lyric: “The only kind of girl they see is a one night or a wife.”
“Meet me at midnight.” What an iconic intro to the song, especially with this being the first track in the album. I love how the background beat of the song at certain times sounds like a racing heartbeat of someone who is deeply in love. After all, this song is about being in the lavender haze – a 1950s term to describe an all-encompassing love glow despite what anyone around you has to say. This was also the first song in the album that actually drew me into having the Midnights album on repeat.
- maroon
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Favorite lyric: “And I wake with your memory over me, that’s a real f*ckin’ legacy to leave.”
Being track 2, I didn’t think the song that followed the beauty that was Lavender Haze could keep up, but Maroon really defied that notion. The hazy deep vocals presented by Taylor were truly a treat to the ears – not to mention the bridge and final chorus hit in the best way possible. It’s also interesting to note that maroon is a much deeper and richer shade of red, a color that Taylor shares a special connection with. In a sense, just like a wine stain on a white dress darkens over time, the marks of her past relationship appear all over her mind in a wistful, husky manner.
- anti-hero
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Favorite lyric: “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism like some kind of congressman?”
The video, production, direction, and not to mention the sheer accuracy of the mental state of our modern society is channeled through this song. Anti-hero has been a sense of solace and comfort in an era where many of us would rather struggle than face ourselves (“I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror”). Not to mention, the Anti-Hero remixes, notably the ILLENIUM Remix, have slowly grown on me (didn’t think that would happen, but it’s been on repeat for a while).
- snow on the beach (feat. lana del rey)
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Favorite lyric: “Life is emotionally abusive and time can’t stop me quite like you did. And my flight was awful, thanks for asking.”
When Taylor announced this song with Lana, I literally screamed. Two of my favorite artists with such different musical styles coming together to make a dreamy song? I was beyond excited. However, I think we can all agree that we were a little bit let down when Lana didn’t get as many lines as we were hoping for – which is primarily the reason why this song did not progress farther up in my rankings. Other than that, I liked how the song lives up to its airy vocals and ethereal description of two people reciprocating the feeling of falling so hopelessly in love.
- you’re on your own, kid
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Favorite lyric: “Everything you lose is a step you take. So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it, you’ve got no reason to be afraid.”
Taylor’s fifth track of all her albums is known to be her saddest song and contains lyrics with a very specific, deep meaning. In particular, this track is incredibly relatable as it showcases the trials and tribulations one faces in their journey of discovering themselves in a world that isn’t exactly the kindest at times. Going into college, this song helped me to a great extent, and it has been my go-to whenever I needed to remind myself that I can let go of all my anxieties, and this too shall pass.
- midnight rain
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Favorite lyric: “I guess sometimes we all get some kind of haunted. And I never think of him except on midnights like this.”
So this song grew on me when my roommate Thierry blasted it in her car with the windows down and began scream singing to it once I told her I didn’t initially like it (I’m aware, that sounds quite criminal). I guess I didn’t like it at first because I was expecting something different when I saw the song’s name, but over time, the pure nostalgia and risk that comes from leaving a comforting relationship to pursue your career really hit me. The song itself carries a haunted, bittersweet narrative that allows one to reminisce on the life that they could have had. Truly a full circle moment because I too have begun to scream sing the lyrics when the song comes on.
- QUestion…?
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Favorite lyric: “Cause I don’t remember who I was before you painted all my nights a color I’ve searched for since.”
To be honest, I just listen to this song because I absolutely adore the beat. I don’t personally relate to the lyrical aspect of the song, but I love the constant questions that keep on popping up throughout the song. The song keeps me on my feet while listening, which adds on the aura that is Taylor’s experience. I also find it interesting how the song ends with “It’s just a question,” which implies that the person Taylor is ironically questioning is not taking her hypotheticals that well (even though they both know what happened and Taylor is trying to get the answer out of him).
- Vigilante Sh*t
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Favorite lyric: “Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man.”
This one really gave us Taylor’s Reputation era with the song’s motifs being revenge, getting back at someone, and eventual self-acceptance. I admire the lyrics and premise of the song, but the constant, somewhat monotone beat of the song did not resonate with me as much as the other songs in the album.
- bejeweled
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Favorite lyric: “Putting someone first only works when you’re in their top 5. And by the way, I’m going out tonight.”
This song is all about reclaiming your sense of inner sparkle and self-worth after letting other people walk over you for far too long. It all comes down to Taylor regaining her self-confidence and giving herself the respect and love she deserves, rather than going after people/relationships that are not fulfilling her – a reminder that personally hit home for me. So yeah, sometimes you just have to defenestrate your thoughts (or sometimes a person, metaphorically, of course), put on your best dress, and have your night out!
- labyrinth
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Favorite lyrics: “You would break your back to make me break a smile / You know how much I hate that everybody just expects me to bounce back.”
This one’s a song about cautiously falling in love with someone after being hurt so many times, but then coming to realize that you’re actually not mad about it at all! You and the person would do whatever it takes to be each others’ comfort, which is honestly so beautiful considering the fact that this song is supposedly written for her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. I also think it’s quite notable that this song in particular sounds beautiful on a record player – especially with Taylor’s amazing falsetto and her high notes throughout the song.
- karma
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Favorite lyric: “My pennies made your crown.”
Karma is an incredibly snappy track that allows you to make peace with the twisted things people do. After all, at the end of the day, anything bad someone does only accounts to their bad karma. It’s also a reminder that you’re far above the actions that take place beneath you. So when I can’t do something about a situation, I like to put on this song and know that I don’t need to do anything because karma truly “is the breeze in my hair on the weekend.”
- sweet nothing
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Favorite lyric: “And the voices that implore, ‘you should be doing more,’ to you I can admit that I’m just too soft for all of it.”
After all the relationships and things Taylor has gone through, Sweet Nothing is a breath of fresh air in her life that she has always deserved. There is nothing like the comfort of knowing the person you love doesn’t expect much from you, and you are each others’ solace. The song was also co-written by Joe Alwyn and it’s supposedly his response to the song Peace on Taylor’s Folklore album, where she writes about her partner not finding peace in the midst of all the negative aspects of fame that her career brings.
- mastermind (the winner, in my opinion)
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Favorite lyric: “I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian ’cause I care.” / “I’m the wind in our free-flowing sails and the liquor in our cocktails.”
Essentially, this song is all about scheming your way through relationships in order find some sense of acceptance. Taylor describes herself as a wise woman which comes with the cost of having to be the “pawn in every lover’s game.” Despite all the off-putting defense mechanisms, Mastermind ends with Taylor realizing that the person she is with knew (and accepts!) the fact that she was a mastermind all along.
- The great war
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Favorite lyric: “You said I have to trust more freely but diesel is desire, you were playing with fire.”
The song title, also another name for World War I, is about not letting your past creep up on to your current relationship. It goes through the internal war one feels especially when they have pent up frustrations and demons from previous relationships and experiences. But it’s also about surviving that great war and learning to trust both yourself and the person you’re with – something anyone with trust issues (like myself) can relate to.
- bigger than the whole sky
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Favorite lyrics: “Did some force take you because I didn’t pray?” / “You were more than just a short time and I’ve got a lot to live without.”
Yeah, I’ll admit that I cried a lot when I heard this song. A song that can be interpreted as a short relationship (some theories even speculate a miscarriage), this track has resonated especially with many mothers out there who have lost their child during pregnancy. The lyrics are incredibly bittersweet, and it showcases the pining of someone you lost to the unfair forces of the world. You will always love all that they could’ve been, and even the universe itself can’t take that away from you.
- paris
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Favorite lyric: “I want to transport you to somewhere the culture’s clever. Confess my truth in swooping, sloping, cursive letters.”
This song is my fun, delusional little getaway from the chaos that continuously ensues in the world around us. The colorful imagery and serotonin-inducing beat of the song adds on to the charm that makes up Taylor’s magical rendezvous with her lover. As her elated vocals, poppy beat, and upbeat lyrics comprise the song, Paris welcomes the listener to enjoy a personal, love retreat of their own.
- high infidelity
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Favorite lyric: “Lock broken, slur spoken, wound open, game token. I didn’t know you were keeping count.”
Imagine doing so much for someone only for them to say “I never asked you to do any of that.” This song is basically one engaging in a fleeting, revengeful act of infidelity in order to break away from a former love that is not serving you anymore. I personally didn’t connect to it as much, but I do appreciate the song’s musicality especially as it expresses the pain one feels in the final days of a waning relationship.
- glitch
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Favorite lyric: “I was supposed to sweat you out in search of glorious happenings of happenstance on someone else’s playground, but it’s been two thousand one hundred and 90 days of our love blackout.”
Yeah, so this one is clearly about Joe Alwyn and how Taylor didn’t think their relationship would last as long as it did, which circles back to the theme of Labyrinth. I appreciate the glitch-like musicality of the song, which really adds on to Taylor’s awe when it comes to how something so pure like her relationship survived the test of absolutely everything around her.
- would’ve, could’ve, should’ve
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Favorite lyric: “Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first. And I damn sure never would’ve danced with the devil at nineteen, and the god’s honest truth is that the pain was heaven.”
This song is definitely for my inner child, which is why I had such a difficult time placing this song as my second favorite in the album. The song particularly holds a sense of angst, regret, and anger that comes from leaving a relationship that changed your naïve self. As the song progresses, it is evident that Taylor’s young self has been left damaged with the relationship, but her older and more mature version of herself is coming back to protect the version of herself that she couldn’t in the past. The song reminds you that you can still reclaim yourself and your energy despite dancing “with the devil at nineteen.”
- dear reader
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Favorite lyric: “Dear reader, get out your map, pick somewhere and just run.”
More than a song you fall in love with for the beat, this piece is all about the lyrics and inherent meaning that lies within the sheer irony presented by Taylor. As the last song in the album, Taylor tells us all to not trust advice from people (including herself at times) who are falling apart and of those who don’t really know you like you do. The song really hits when you need a reminder to keep your cards in life close in order to preserve your inner peace. Not everyone needs to have a say in your life, which this song helped me realize.
After a lot of debating and listening to the album over and over again, I had to give Mastermind the top rank on the list. Mastermind truly does encompass Taylor’s aura as a singer and songwriter. Not only is this the song I instantly sing along to when it comes on, but it captures the spirit of who Taylor is when it comes to her relationships and connection to her audience. Taylor, truly, is a mastermind herself whether it be her cryptic lyrics or the way she announces her new projects, such as the Midnights album itself. It’s also fun to note that Mastermind is track 13 on the album (which can’t be a coincidence considering the mastermind she is).