Taylor Swift has done it again. Midnights is compiled of ‘the stories of 13 sleepless nights’ scattered throughout her life, but is the album, released amidst her re-recording her first 6 studio albums, set to be a smash hit like the rest? Let’s find out.
It would not be a Taylor Swift album without the inclusion of references to older albums - Easter eggs are scattered throughout Midnights as she unpacks her darkest dreams, in what feels like a sleepover setting. In May 2022 Swift received an honorary doctorate from New York University, and in her heartwarming speech she stated ‘the scary news is, you’re on your own now.’ Could this be paying homage to track five, ‘You’re On Your Own, Kid’? If you think that’s impressive, think again, as Swift continues to litter Easter eggs hinting towards the Midnights album throughout all the things she does. In the cover of the jade green edition of the vinyl, there is another vinyl on the floor, and its cover is a labyrinth, hinting towards track ten, ‘Labyrinth’. Not only this, but there is a lavender version of the vinyl, which hints towards track one, ‘Lavender Haze’. The biggest Easter egg of them all has to be hidden within the music video of ‘The Man’, a song from her Lover album. On the wall of the 13th Street Station, karma is graffitied over the wall, which of course hints to track eleven, ‘Karma’. You could even say that she gave so many signs.
The actual album itself is stripped back pop music, with subtle melodies and electronic notes. The melodies themselves take time to sink in, but when they do, you are immediately hooked by Swift’s captivating lyrics and soft tone. She starts the album with the song ‘Lavender Haze’, which is a soft-pop song with electronic undertones. It seems to address the misogynistic obsession that the media has with Swift marrying her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. She sings: “All they keep asking me / is if I’m going to be your bride / The only kinda girl they see / is a one night or a wife.” Swift explained that the title of the song appeared to her while she was watching ‘Mad Men’, and soon found out that it was slang for being in love. Next up we have slower, and more melancholic ‘Maroon,’ where she reminisces on a relationship gone cold. She sings: “The rust that grew between telephones / The lips I used to call home / so scarlet, it was maroon.” The image of rust growing between telephones, and subsequently their relationship, is powerful, and encourages listeners to reflect alongside Swift. She also sings: “And I lost you / the one I was dancing with / in New York, no shoes,” which mirrors her song ‘Cornelia Street’, in which she sings: “Barefoot in the kitchen / sacred new beginnings / that became my religion, listen / I hope I never lose you.”
Speaking of crossovers, next up we have ‘Anti-Hero’, a song brimming with self loathing and self reflection. She sings: “It’s me / hi / I’m the problem, it’s me.” This line appears to hint at a crossover between ‘Anti-Hero’ and ‘Afterglow’ from her album Lover. In ‘Afterglow’ she sings: “Hey / it’s all me, in my head / I’m the one who burned us down.” The uncanny similarity is no doubt another one of Blondie’s Easter eggs. Following ‘Anti-Hero’ we have ‘Snow On The Beach’, featuring Lana Del Rey. This song is a soft song, packed full of sentiments of wistfulness and longing. She sings: “And it’s like snow on the beach / weird, but fuckin’ beautiful / flying in a dream / stars by the pocketful.” The song feels light and airy and elevates the listener to a new dimension with each word sung. ‘You’re On Your Own, Kid’ is next. With a catchy guitar melody and punchy lyrics, this song is set to be a fan favourite. Reminiscent of her early music, she sings: “I search the party for better bodies / just to learn that my dreams aren’t rare / you’re on your own, kid / You always have been.” The softness of this song is balanced by ‘Midnight Rain’. She sings: “He wanted it comfortable / I wanted that pain / He wanted a bride / I was making my own name.” Here we can see Swift take on the role of a heartbreaker, and she does it well. Swift then proceeds to hammer into us, but don’t worry - “it’s just a question.” ‘Question…?’ feels like a gentle interrogation and an internal monologue all wrapped up into one heart-wrenching song, as she sings: “Can I just ask you a question / Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room / and every single one of your friends were making fun of you?”
Track eight is ‘Vigilante Shit’. She carries on the dark and self assured theme of ‘Midnight Rain’ as she sings, “I don’t dress for women / I don’t dress for men / Lately I’ve been dressing for revenge.” This song gives us a hint of the Reputation era that we’ve all been missing so deeply. As expected, Swift includes enough details in her music to conjure up a whole new world in which we are watching her stories play on a huge screen in our minds. ‘Bejeweled’ is a beautiful contrast to some of the songs in the album, such as ‘Anti-Hero’, which is packed with self doubt and confessions. Here we can see Swift admit that when she walks into a room, it shimmers. She sings: “Diamonds in my eyes / I polish up real / I polish up real nice.” ‘Labyrinth’ is a slow, and introspective song about falling in love while being lost in the labyrinth of your mind. She sings: “Break up, break free, break through, break down / You would break your back to make me break a smile.” The repetition of the word ‘break’ is enough to make anyone see the emotional turmoil that is being described within this song.
There has been a lot of excitement around track eleven, ‘Karma’, with many thinking it would address her public feud with Kanye West. However, the song makes reference to “spider boy, king of thieves,” so could this song be about Jake Gyllenhaal? Is this song about Swift finally watching karma come around for her ex? She sings, “Karma’s a relaxing thought / Aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?” Taylor Swift’s use of questioning cuts right through you like a knife, and has you waiting for her next move. A powerful tactic from Swift. Track twelve is ‘Sweet Nothing’. Another self-examining song featured on the album. It almost sounds like a lullaby being sung about Swift’s life. She sings: “And the voices that implore / ‘You should be doing more’ / To you I can admit / that I’m just too soft for that.” The album ends with the track ‘Mastermind’, which once again seems to reference her current relationship. She sings, “Once upon a time, the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned / You and I ended up in the same room at the same time.” This track is a beautiful way to tie together such a powerful album.
Overall, Taylor Swift has produced yet another hit with the album Midnights. Packed with self reflection, sass, and melodies that will have captured even the most passive of listeners - a masterpiece has been born.
Image courtesy of Alexandru Vicol via Unsplash. Image license can be found here.