If you’re a Swiftie like me, I’m sure you’re still reeling from the release of Taylor Swift’s 10th album, “Midnights”. I’ve been a fan of hers since 2nd grade, and in many ways, she has grown up with me. Her progression from a people-pleasing, fawn-like girl into a formidable and guarded woman has almost eerily mirrored mine. And as I enjoy her flood of releases, I can’t help but feel so happy for her evidently unprecedented creative freedom.
Taylor began her career signing with the record label Big Red Machine. It’s a long story, but her previous manager, Scott Borchetta, essentially ended up betraying her after years of working together by selling her masters without offering her the chance at purchasing them herself. While this was cruel and obviously painful for Taylor, her signing with a new record label is the most freeing thing she’s ever done.
When naming her third album, “Speak Now”, Taylor originally wanted to name it “Enchanted”. When asking Scott, he responded ‘Taylor, this record isn’t about fairy tales and high school anymore. That’s not where you’re at. I don’t think the record should be called ‘Enchanted.’”
When switching from country to pop with her album “1989”, Taylor faced a lot of adversity from Scott and her team. From the album title, genre, and even the album art, she was questioned. When answering these questions all she could think was “Guys, don’t you understand, this is what I’m dying to do?”
We are all fortunate that Taylor stayed firm in what she wanted and continued to elevate the pop music scene, as she still does today with the exception of her folky sister albums, “Folklore” and “Evermore”.
Under a new company, the foray into a new genre was not nearly as daunting as it was with Scott and “1989”. In Taylor’s Long Pond Sessions, she expresses that her new team just trusts her and lets her take the reins without laying out a well-thought-out defense. It makes you wonder, how much did she cut when working with Scott? How many songs just didn’t “fit” her, according to Scott? To what extent was Taylor silenced and censored by his doubt?
I think we can find some of the answers to this when looking at her vault tracks. With the release of her recordings, she has also been recording previously unreleased songs (from the “vault”). In “Red (Taylor’s Version)”, the vault songs were unprecedented territory for Taylor when she wrote them. She mentions alcohol, she’s (even more) honest about her ex’s behaviors, and she doesn’t shy from sharing the full story. Of course, none of this fitted Taylor’s polished persona of 2012, and thus she was likely discouraged.
With the release of “Midnights”, a new favorite of mine, we see some of Taylor’s most honest, raw, and honestly heartbreaking lyrics. From self-loathing, to infidelity, to a love that might make her stop breathing, “Midnights” is a rare insight into Taylor’s mind, especially on the topic of past events and trauma.
I could honestly write about every song on this album, but I’ll leave you with this: Taylor just keeps getting better and deserves the freedom to explore genres and (likely) dominate any one she puts her mind to.