Article Written by: Devishi Jain
Cover Design by: Jayant Manem
Taylor Swift, one of the world’s most popular singer-songwriters, seems to be at the peak of her career and continues to grow everyday. When announcing Midnights, she described the tracks as “the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life.” With the release of what is her tenth original studio album, she broke over 73 sales and streaming records, some of which had previously even been set by her. A few of these records include…
The first artist to ever occupy all top ten spots on the Billboard Hot 100
Biggest streaming week for an album by a female artist
Most streamed artist in a single day on Spotify
Most streamed album in a single day on Spotify
Most single-week vinyl sales in the US
First artist in history to have five albums sell over 1 million copies in one week
In total, Swift released 20 original songs, 13 from the original album and 7 more on the deluxe version, also called the 3am Edition. However, is the album actually good?
Track #1: Lavender Haze
Referred to by some fans as “the best album opener Taylor Swift has ever had,” Lavender Haze In this song, the artist sings about the pressure she faces from society and the media, and how well her partner, supposedly Joe Alwyn, handles the scrutiny. This opener conveys a sense of carefreeness and sets the perfect tone for the rest of the album. She lets people know that she is done doing what others expect of her and simply wants to express however she’s feeling, without worrying about the criticism of others.
Favorite lyric: “I’ve been under scrutiny (yeah, oh yeah) / You handle it so beautifully”
Track #2: Maroon
Many fans speculated this track to be an homage to one of Taylor’s previous songs, Red, which was about the different feelings one could compare to loving someone. Maroon, a more intense Red, tells a story of an intense love that fizzled out, and the mark it left. It’s about the deep connection she once had with someone and how they could call each other their home. Towards the end of the song, the lyrics slightly change from the present tense to the past, showing the ending of the relationship and how much of a legacy it left in her life. The vocals of this track are not quite like anything she has released before and give off a darker energy than the previous track. This song is an incredible example of the imagery and metaphors she uses to convey such specific emotions to the listener.
Favorite lyric: “The rust that grew between telephones”
Track #3: Anti-Hero
This lead single delves deep into the fears and insecurities of Taylor Swift, as she exposes her thoughts to her listeners and lets herself be vulnerable. In an Instagram post where she explains the thought process behind the song, Taylor describes it as “a guided tour of the things I hate about myself.” This track disguises hard-hitting lyrics with fun, upbeat vocals, but upon carefully listening, fans can realize how broken down she really feels. She sings about the fear of being left alone and not being good enough, while feeling sorry for those who support her since she doesn’t think she deserves it.
Favorite lyric: “I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror”
Track #4: Snow on the Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)
On her Instagram, Taylor describes this song as benign about “falling in love with someone at the same time as they’re falling in love with you.” She sings about this feeling as being “Weird but…beautiful” and how the realization of someone feeling exactly as you do feels. However, this song revived the criticism the artist often receives for barely involving female artists in collaborations. Even on this track, Lana Del Rey was solely used as a backing vocal and many believe she could’ve brought a unique take on the song, since this was the two artists’ first collaboration together.
Favorite lyric: “Flying in a dream / Stars by the pocketful”
Track #5: You’re on Your Own, Kid
Throughout her entire career, Taylor Swift has been known to intentionally place her most emotional, heart-wrenching songs as the fifth track of each album. This trend continues with Midnights, as this track dives into the relatable narrative of an adolescent love, as the girl spends all her time contemplating whether he will ever love her and placing all of her own worth on someone else. Swift sings about the struggle of leaving a hometown, growing up, wondering if you’re enough, and feeling lost. This song is a reminder about realizing you always have yourself and ends with a hopeful note of not being afraid of being alone or changing. As the backing track continued to build and finally resolved as Taylor belted the last verse, this song truly became a personal favorite off the album.
Favorite lyrics: “So make the friendship bracelets / Take the moment and taste it” and “From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes / I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this”
Track #6: Midnight Rain
Though this track is rumored to be about her famous past relationship with actor Tom Hiddleston, there is no valid evidence that would confirm the fact. Unlike many of Taylor’s songs, she is the one who seems to be the heartbreaker this time. She explains how she felt stuck, since she had changed and no longer wanted the same things she used to. She sings about the stark contrast between the two partners, like how “he was sunshine, [she] was midnight rain.” The two still hold regard for each other, but are no longer compatible. Swift plays around with pitch and voice changers to make the chorus of the song especially stand out.
Favorite lyrics: “And I never think of him / Except on midnights like this” and “All the love we unravel / And the life I gave away”
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