Review: Midnights by Taylor Swift
The evening of Oct. 20 into the morning of Oct. 21 was quite eventful for Swifties worldwide. Taylor Swift fans flooded the internet counting down the minutes until midnight. As the clock hit 12 Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated album “Midnights.” The 13 songs highlighted 13 sleepless nights, a number well known to Taylor Swift fans as her lucky number. The night of excitement didn’t end there, at 3 a.m. seven bonus songs were released and added to the album, making “Midnights (3am Edition).”
Swift announced the album Aug. 29, and over the last two months, she slowly released track titles and easter eggs increasing the suspense surrounding the album. The announcement of new songs was surprising with her recent trend of re-releasing her first six albums owned by Scooter Braun. The release of “Midnights” became so popular it caused an outage on Spotify as it launched, leaving fans scrambling.
Once the songs were released they did not disappoint. Emotional lyrics were highlighted by low levels of instrumentals with more techno backtracks. Many of the songs on the album are similar to her past synth-pop albums “Reputation” and “1989.” In the week following, “Midnights” became the number one top-streamed album on Spotify.
The album has a lot of moods ranging from the slow, heartfelt tempo of “Sweet Nothing” all the way to the moody techno sound of “Vigilante Shit.” Each song has a story with a unique emphasis on vocals. Starting the album with “Lavender Haze” Swift’s pop influence shines through in a narrative of overcoming scrutiny and societal expectations. Followed by “Maroon” the slow verses paired with a fast-paced chorus shift the mood away from the heavy pop influence. This sets the scene for the rest of the album switching tones with every song.
Many listeners expressed frustration with “Snow On The Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)” because of the barely audible contribution of Del Rey’s vocals in the track, however, the catchy chorus and repetitive beat leave it stuck in your head. The album was not lacking in emotion with “You’re On Your Own, Kid” and “Dear Reader” plucking at heartstrings. “You’re On Your Own, Kid” explained the process of Swift healing her inner child, and “Dear Reader” gives advice to listeners about transforming their lives through advice column-themed lyrics.
Continuing the excitement, Swift released the “Anti-Hero” music video Oct. 21 and the “Bejeweled” music video Oct. 25. The “Midnights” madness didn’t end there. On Nov. 1 Swift also announced The Eras Tour and the dates for the U.S. leg of the world tour. Swift will be touring with artists including Phoebe Bridgers, girl in red, HAIM, OWENN, and more. With the teasers of the tour, fans are hopeful for a journey through all phases of her music career. With The Eras Tour, there are hopes for the re-release of her remaining four albums to celebrate the entirety of her discography. Overall, the album and tour show a promising development for the future of her music and career and demonstrate Swift’s growth over her 10 albums.
4/5
