Taylor Swift shook the nation with the release of her tenth studio album, Midnights. Midnights was released on October 21, 2022, at midnight with an extended version, Midnights (3am Edition), that was released at 3 a.m. the same morning. Swift announced her new album at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, giving her fans nearly two months of preparation and anticipation for the new album. I am glad to say that Midnights was worth the wait.
My initial reaction when I first listened to the album was that it sounded like a mix of Swift’s albums reputation and Lover. The album carries that same angst as reputation, along with a mix of Lover’s wonderstruck vibe which equals the self-loathing, vengeful, curious, pop album that covers topics of falling in love and falling apart.
“Midnights is a collage of intensity, highs and lows and ebbs and flows,” Swift wrote on Instagram. “Life can be dark, starry, cloudy, terrifying, electrifying, hot, cold, romantic or lonely. Just like Midnights.”
“Lavender Haze is track 1 on Midnights,” Swift stated on Instagram. “I happened upon the phrase ‘lavender haze’ when I was watching Mad Men. I looked it up because I thought it sounded cool. And it turns out that it’s a common phrase used in the ’50s where they would describe being in love. If you’re in the ‘lavender haze,’ then that meant you were in that all-encompassing love glow. And I thought that was really beautiful.”
Based off of Swift’s words, “really beautiful” is a perfect way to describe Midnights’ opening track “Lavender Haze.” The song has an airy, infatuated feel to it. It is the perfect opening track as it sets the mood for the entire album.
Topics of the album range between love, loss, revenge and doubt. The songs are seemingly based on real experiences in Swift’s life, which is a direct contrast to her previous album, Folklore, which followed a fictional love story.
Midnights even covers the topic of cheating on your significant other; however, it takes a new stance on the topic of infidelity. In Swift’s previous albums, she has exposed her ex-boyfriends for mistreating her, but in her song “High Infidelity,” Swift allegedly admits to being unfaithful in her relationship to Calvin Harris and not regretting it.
Swift, once again, led her listeners on a goose hunt with sly references and secret messages. The first time I listened to the album was an interesting experience in itself. Along with trying to enjoy the new music, I was also trying to decipher the hidden messages within the lyrics. It allowed me to play detective and created a sense of accomplishment when I was able to decipher the messages.
To no one’s surprise, Swift was able to hook her fans and wow them with another beautiful album. Midnights was definitely worth the wait, heartbreak and exhaustion.
