*Taylor Swift photographed by Beth Garrabrant for Midnight’s album photoshoot
On October 21st, Taylor Swift introduced the world to her brand new album Midnights. The album has broken records within its first week and become a streaming force, gaining 184 million Spotify streams in its first day, the most ever for the platform. But it's more than just numbers, with a diverse and creative musical sound it's hard not to fall in love. From the opening track, Lavender Haze to the dreamy Midnight Rain, Swift returns to groovy pop perfection after the acoustic storytelling on her last two albums Folklore and Evermore. But despite the genre change, the lyricism she was praised for is still present over pop production.
Anti-Hero, a track Swift says is “the deepest she's ever delved into her insecurities” is a perfect example of this. It’s hard not to get the catchy chorus stuck in your head and equally as difficult to not get emotional, with lyrics describing intrusive thoughts and dreams of being a burden even after death.
Jack Antonoff, who has been one of Swift’s producers for almost a decade, is her main collaborator on the album. He shows off his music making muscles with heavy synths on songs like Vigilante Shit, and addictive voice distortions on the chorus of Midnight Rain. As per usual, the melodies and lyrics tying Swift and Antonoff’s vision together make you wish you could be a fly on the wall of his studio.
Swift also brings new blood into the studio with Jahaan Sweet, who works magic on the production of Lavender Haze and Karma, and leaves you wanting more of the pairing. Sam Dew, another new collaborator, partners with Swift for the songwriting on Lavender Haze, Karma, and Glitch, another upbeat stand out.
Lana del Rey, Swift’s only feature on the album, is another new addition. Swift has praised Rey’s music and songwriting for years, stating she is “One of my favorite artists of this decade.” and “The most influential artist in pop.” in her 2019 woman of the decade speech. Lana del Rey and Swift share a mutual friend and producer in Jack Antonoff. The two women’s combined vocals on the slow soothing love song, Snow on the Beach, are a triumph.
While the album has its share of catchy pop songs, as per usual it's the deep cuts that stick with you the most. Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve, a bonus track released as a surprise 3 hours after the main album, is perhaps the most important off the whole body of work. It is a piece focused on the unbalanced power dynamics of a predatory relationship, all through the lens of a now 32 year old looking back on her own experience with grooming. With lyrics like “And if I was some paint, did it splatter/ On a promising grown man?/ and if I was a child, did it matter/ If you got to wash your hands” Swift calls out a past lover's behavior as a grown man preying on a girl barely out of high school. All building up to the last line in the bridge where she pleads to “Give me back my girlhood.” The chilling track commits to a powerful message. One long needed to be said, giving voice to a far too common experience for many young people.
Another deep cut off the album, Sweet Nothing diverges from pop for slow lullaby-like piano, warming you with its cozy lyrics about leaving it all behind for your lover humming in the kitchen. The love song is written with Swift’s now common collaborator William Bowery, the pseudonym for actor and longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn. The couple worked together on songs from Folklore and Evermore. Together they add another timeless love song to her collection of definite must plays at weddings.
The fifth track on the album, You’re On Your Own, Kid, continues Swift’s track five legacy. Since her debut album Swift has been known to put her most emotional and raw songs at number five on the tracklist. She cemented this habit with her most famous track five, All Too Well, that has now become a fan favorite in the decade after its release. You’re On Your Own, Kid is another emotional song about looking back on the ups and downs of her life and career. While tracking her life she goes from the sadness of realizing that she’s always been on her own, to understanding it means she’s been strong enough to rely on herself throughout everything. Swift closes the song by leaving her younger self with words of wisdom to “make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it/ you’ve got no reason to be afraid/ you’re on your own, kid/ ya you can face this” a message reminiscent of her 2010 song Never Grow Up, where Swift also sings to her younger self. You’re On Your Own, Kid reflects the ultimate meaning of Midnights, an album full of the realizations and understanding of past experiences that comes with maturing.
Taylor Swift has once again shown what makes her such a special artist, her ability to adapt and still continue making art that resonates with people no matter their experiences. As her career continues she is able to draw on past heartbreak or fictional stories to create songwriting just as raw as if she were experiencing it in the moment. And yet every album and song stands out as something unique that we’ve never seen from her before. It’s safe to say she was right when she sang “Ask me why so many fade, but I’m still here” on Karma. Midnights has once again proven her staying power by showing her mastery at creating cutting lyrics and pop perfection tied together perfectly.