After Taylor Swift announced the release of Midnights following her critically acclaimed albums Folklore and Evermore, it was almost like Swift was setting herself up for more-than-usual criticism. When you release albums that were so transformative during a time that was incredibly difficult for everyone, there is almost certainly nothing that can top them. Although I’ve found that Taylor does a great job of releasing album after album of masterpieces, I was nervous to see how Midnights would sound. Finally the album was released, which followed the mixed feelings expressed by fans all over social media. I was not exempt from that: I didn’t like the album the first time around. After a few listens, It grew on me pretty quickly. It’s especially intimidating when Swift makes a big jump in sound when her style is pretty well-established in years-long career. With the help of Jack Antonoff, we knew what to expect from the popular producer making music with the it-girls of pop and alternative, like Lana Del Rey and Lorde. Even with an album as experimental as Reputation, I enjoyed the edge that Swift had finally unraveled after being exiled for years following the defamation of her character. So Midnights was a mature and party person, ready to go out after being at home for so long.
A lot of people thought it was too far from her roots of America’s sweetheart and favorite young country singer, but it’s not unusual for her to take such leaps between genres. Once known for her small-town teenage love within country music, she became the girl next door that everyone wanted to be friends with, or be with. She has made it seem like going between different genres is a nice breeze in the air– it’s actually quite difficult and very easy to fail. If not executed properly, especially as a female artist in her early 30s, people do not hold back their criticism. Despite this, she has survived the jump: selling stadiums state-wide for countless nights and having all 20 songs charting on Billboard Hot 100.
With a single like Anti-Hero– a song about admitting to one’s own faults while still rooting for yourself– it’s hard to not see this album as a behind-the-scenes look into the singer that is loved by all, hated by some, and listened by millions. Behind the criticism and constant speculations of who she did- and didn’t- date, there is someone who is just as uncertain of the world as everyone else. With the constant fear of failure and ending up alone, Midnights speak to the thoughts that only creep in at midnight, scaring away the sleep and haunting us in our dreams. It’s a kind of taunting thought that edges us towards anxiety, seemingly never going away, even when we are doing so well in life.
With an album like Midnights, it’s what a life-long and grown-up fan needs. Growing up with Taylor, I’ve seen myself through her songs as she grows up, too. Even as someone as powerful as Taylor Swift, there are universal experiences that cannot be avoided. Whether it’s losing a loved one, seeing ourselves as our worst enemies, or going out to flaunt your desirability, this album swears to have at least one song that speaks to you. Most of her albums speak to me in a way that sounds like it’s my diary being read out to the world, but Midnights feels like an intimate thought that only happens every so often. It persists even after it’s gone.