Taylor Swift is a musical genius; she continues to stay popular through controversy and multiple romances, though her love interests may have caused some bumps in her career. Swift has continually taken the music world by storm dating back to 2007 when her first single came out. Now, in 2022, she continues to reign supreme, her album “Midnights” was released in late October, and I have some things to say about it.
I would like to say that I absolutely love this album, similar to how I love everything Swift does. My favorite track comes off of “Midnights (3am Edition)”, it is track number 19, “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve.” The song is speculated to be about her previous relationship with John Mayer, one in which Swift was treated horribly.
At the age of 19, Swift dated a 32-year-old Mayer. In this song, she sings about how he has stolen her childlike innocence. By far, the best lyric in this song is “give me back my girlhood, it was mine first,”as this lyric fits so perfectly in this situation. The way it is worded highlights her immaturity at the time, as it is childlike to ask for something back in such a manner, while it simultaneously exemplafies how Mayer robbed her of her first real “adult relationship”.
“Midnights” has 13 tracks in total, the 3am edition has seven more tracks included, making the grand total of Swift’s new songs 20. In this article, I will only be reviewing the first 13.
Track one: “Lavender Haze.” The song is assumed to be about the current relationship between Swift and Joe Alwyn. The track name is derived from the 1950’s slang term lavender haze, meaning the feeling of being in love and being totally encompassed with one person. The song has a nice upbeat feeling to it and sounds similar to some of her previous works.
Track two: “Maroon.” The song has been left to many interpretations, but I believe this song is about a toxic relationship that has many alarming things occuring, but in the end, those involved in the relationship still believe they love each other. This is one of the best songs on this album due to its simple yet beautiful lyrics.
Track three: “Anti-Hero.” This song hits where it hurts. At first, the song seems as though it is just another one of Swift’s upbeat songs due to the poppy feel; however, after listening to the lyrics, I wanted to cry my eyes out. The song talks about struggling with your self-image and constantly having to play the villain character in your life.
Track four: “Snow On The Beach (featuring Lana Del Rey).” The only problem I have with this song is that it barely even features Del Rey. The track should just say that Del Rey has background vocals and beautiful melodies featured, but has little singing in the song. Regardless, the track is absolutely gorgeous, as the song has outstanding vocals and melodies that separate it from the others.
Track five: “You’re On Your Own Kid”. This is another one that gets me in my feels’, the lyrics are absolutely gutwrenching and a little too relatable for those who grew up yearning for someone they never got. This song is also extremely emotional for those who, for any reason, always felt alone even if they grew up surrounded by people.
Track six: “Midnight Rain.” This beautiful song is assumed to be about Twighlight star Taylor Lautner. The song talks about how Lautner just wanted to have an easygoing relationship, but Swift wanted something more passionate and was not ready to settle down In the lyric, “He wanted a bride, I was making my own name,” Swift expresses how she was not ready to marry Lautner at the time. She also comments on how if she were to marry him, they would both be known as Taylor Lautner, but she was still trying to make her name as an individual.
Track seven: “Question…?”. Although I think this track is absolutely wonderful, it is not my favorite from this album. This song is very similar to her previous albums that are super poppy, one of those songs where fans do not really know who Swift is talking about. I believe that this song is about the one and only, Harry Styles. Swift and Styles dated during the 1989 era. “Question…?” is very similar to another one of Swift’s songs that is about Styles, “Out of the woods”. These songs have similar cadences and melodies, plus, both tracks usage the phrase, “I remember,” the resemblance between the lyrics has caused many fans, myself included, speculate that Swift is singing about ex-lover Styles.
Track eight: “Vigilante Sh*t”. This track is very reflective of arguably one of Swift’s most iconic eras: Reputation, when she finally responded to backlash she was receiving from Kanye West. This song is assumedly about Swift’s previous manager, Scooter Braun. Braun is notoriously known for owning Swift’s old albums and not giving her any of the profit he made from her success. This track highlights the revenge ploy that she used on Scooter: telling his wife that he had been cheating on her. Right as the song kicks off, Swift sings “I don’t dress for women, I don’t dress for men, lately I’ve been dressing for revenge” this lyric shows off Swift’s disdain for when men do bad things and how she plans to get back.
Track nine: “Bejeweled.” This song is so fun and makes me want to strut down a runway. “Bejeweled” has just become my new favorite song of Swifts to hot girl walk to. It has an amazing beat that just makes you want to let loose and have fun. The upbeat song is about how Swift has stayed positive and “bejeweled” through all the controversies that she has gone through.
Track 10, “Labyrinth;” “Labyrinth” is one of the best tracks from this album. The song is assumed to be about Swift’s doubts about finding love again after going through so many manipulative and toxic relationships. However, that is not where the song ends, the song continues to talk about how she has now gotten over that fear and is now happily with Alywn, her long time boyfriend.
Track 11: “Karma.” This song was by far the most anticipated song from the album for me, it was worth the wait. This song is assumed to touch on the situation between Swift and West. In this song, Swift talks about how she has kept her name clear and is just waiting for karma to come and get West which, has finally happened.
Track 12: “Sweet Nothings.” This song is so cute, it makes me want to experience love and sing this song with that person. This song highlights how content Swift is with the simplicity of her relationship with Alywn, contrasting that of “Midnight Rain.” The opposition of these songs shows the growth of Swift throughout the years.
Track 13: “Mastermind.” This song is absolutely perfect. Swift uses hints and similar lyrics from her previous works in this song, showcasing how much of a lyrical mastermind she is. In “Mastermind,” Swift seems to argue that for women, being overly calculating is the only way to win in a cutthroat world. This song shows how her role in both pop culture and society as a whole has changed. In this song, it is noticeable that she is pointing out the fact that everything she does is deliberate.
My final rating of “Midnights” is a 9/10. This album has beautiful lyrics paired with all the feels. The tracks are all diverse and each shows a separate side of Swift.
