Taylor Swift announced her tenth album Midnights in August 2022, while receiving an award during that year’s MTV Music Awards. The album, released in late October 2022, has been difficult to stop listening to.
Swift mainly collaborated with her long-time work partner, Jack Antonoff, for most of the songs on the album. She said that each of its thirteen songs recount the most self-defining sleepless nights she’s experienced. The songs on the list cover quite a few emotional topics for Swift, including moments of revenge fantasy, falling in love, wondering what might have been, and the ever relatable, self-hatred. From this, it’s only natural to gather that each song from the album symbolizes a significant moment in her life – it tells a story, one worth listening to.
The album has been critically acclaimed, and many have claimed that it’s one of her best works yet. It was even placed in the year-end best albums ranking list. Some of the songs charted the top of the Billboard Top 100 list in the United States. Before the release of the album, Swift released a short series on TikTok called Midnight Mayhem With Me, releasing one video every few days, revealing details about each song in each, and sharing related personal anecdotes along the way.
The songs on the album experiment with a chill music style featuring dream and bedroom pop, as well as electronica. There are subtle grooves and R&B rhythms present throughout. The first song on the album, Lavender Haze, was created with a few of Kendrick Lamar’s collaborators and one of her friends, Zoe Kravitz. The song features a time when she suffered through rumors and criticism about a previous failed relationship. Like many of the songs on the album, the beat doesn’t blast out as much as her previous music did. It’s slow, meaningful, and has you swaying to lulling lyrics.
The song Maroon has a buzzing sound, with a dream pop tone. It speaks about a romance in which Swift missed her chance. It’s a memorable song and makes you think of her fourth studio album, Red. You’re on Your Own, Kid is a song that speaks about her earlier days. She sings about herself as an aspiring star back home. This song brings with it a sort of nostalgic feel. It gives her fans insight into how it was for her during those times when she was just starting out, and how much she had to put in and go through in order to be where she is now.
Anti-Hero is the album’s lead single, telling the story of how she can be her own enemy. It’s mainly about self-loathing, and exactly as its title suggests, she sees herself as an anti-hero. She mainly sings about her anxieties, mentioning her thoughts on the future, and how her life isn’t as easy or simple as one would think.
Karma tells the story of what she’s gone through. She ponders her past and what she’s learned from her experiences. It makes you appreciate how much she enjoys seeing people get what they deserve, especially those that have wronged her in some way.
Last, but not least, is Mastermind, where Swift speaks about her life and her career. When you listen to her lyrics and the power behind them, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Strategy sets the scene for the tale,” you realize that much of what she’s earned is because of her planning, determination, and dedication to herself and her career. Hard work.
Swift released all of the songs for Midnights at midnight on the 21st of October 2022. However, at 3 a.m., she released a few other songs as well and titled them the 3am Edition. She ends the 3am Edition with a beautiful song titled Dear Reader, which speaks to Swift’s anxieties surrounding her self-perceived flaws.
The bottom line is that Midnights is a strong album, and the power behind Swift’s lyrics have resonated with her listeners. After all, everyone goes through the highs and lows of life, even A-list celebrities, and Swift’s Midnights highlights this – that we’re all of us, human.
