Taylor Swift released her 10th studio album Midnights on October 21st, detailing 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout her life. Taylor during those sleepless nights writes about self-loathing, acceptance within herself, daydreaming about revenge, falling apart, falling in love, and reminiscing about what could have been. Taylor surprised fans with six additional bonus tracks in Midnights (3 a.m Edition) and “Hits Different,” only found in Target Midnights: Lavender Edition. She delivers an intense album with her powerful lyrics and voice.
Taylor was quick to reclaim her spot on Billboard and Spotify charts breaking records left and right. She started by surpassing Drake’s record for the most streamed album in a single day by debuting with 186 million streams. Taylor and Lana Del Rey’s collaboration in “Snow on The Beach” surpassed the most streamed song for an all-female collaboration with 15 million streams. Taylor now also holds the No.1 spot on Spotify for monthly listeners with almost 83 million listeners. One of her most recognized achievements is being the first ever artist to hold all 10 top spots in Billboard’s Hot 100 with; “Anti-Hero” holding the No.1 spot debuting with 17.39 million streams. This is the first time no male artists were in the Billboards Top Ten chart.
Midnights is one of Taylor’s most relatable and vulnerable albums. It was created throughout her life and she has tunes, rhythm, and lyrics that connect to other albums. Fans were quick to point out that Midnights has similarities to Reputation, Lover, and 1989 with the background music that is shared within them and finished lyrics. For example, “Lavender Haze” has that fun upbeat rhythm found in “I Think He Knows” from the Lover album. Lyrics from “You’re on Your Own, Kid” connect to lines from “Call It What You Want” from Reputation. Midnights is an illustrious combination of all her albums allowing fans to reminisce on Taylor’s growth as an artist and a person.
Top 3 Songs In ‘Midnights’:
“Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”
This song’s rawness and vulnerability combined with the haunting and chilling tone make it the best song in the whole album. It’s a song that listeners need to scream out loud to fully grasp what she is describing. She illustrates having a person in your life that completely ruined your beliefs, judgment, and values that they end up losing themselves and are left with many regrets. Taylor’s usage of language, symbolism, and terminology helps her build up the bridge of the song along with the pain in her voice in the last couple of lines making it the most heartbreaking song in Midnights.
“You’re on Your Own, Kid”
Taylor has a history of making track 5 in her albums the saddest one and she didn’t disappoint with “You’re on Your Own, Kid.” The bridge of YOYOK is a collection of every album she has released intertwined with her journey throughout the years, making it a tear-jerker. It starts with, “from sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes.” representing her debut album to the transition of her Fearless era like her transition from her youth to adulthood. Then it continues with, “I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this,” representing Speak Now and Red, and ” I hosted parties and starved my body,” acknowledging her 1989 era.
Continuing this pattern, the lines “the jokes weren’t funny, I took the money” reflect her experience during her Reputation era. Lover’s lyrics “I looked around in a blood-soaked “gown/And saw something they can’t take away” represent her regaining part of herself. Lastly “Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned” represents the sister albums Folkloreand Evermore. In Midnight’s lines “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 is saying to herself that everything is going to be okay. Her tone-change from beginning to end gives the listener an uplifting conclusion that one will overcome the challenges that come with life.
“The Great War”
“The Great War” is from Taylor’s Midnights (3 a.m. Edition) where she showcases her storytelling skills. With the help of Aaron Desser who helped co-write and produce a masterpiece of a song. This song is Taylor celebrating overcoming challenges in a relationship which is a common theme in Midnights. She is metaphorically coming out of that “war” with the one she loves; overcoming everything that is ahead of them, together.
Taylor continues her journey, announcing on her Instagram that she will be going on tour in the spring of 2023, for her “The Eras Tour.” With special guests such as HAIM, Paramore, girl in red, MUNA, Gracie Abrams, Phoebe Bridges, GAYLE, and OWENN. Taylor will be performing from all her previous albums and re-recordings of Red (Taylor’s Version) and Fearless (Taylor’s Version).
