Taylor Swift, singer-songwriter, 11-time Grammy winner, and global Superstar, released a new album entitled Midnights. She described it as a “journey through terrors and sweet dreams” during a few “sleepless nights.” She also released an extended version, Midnights: 3am Edition, with seven additional songs. Fans are ecstatic over the release, with some saying it is one of her best albums yet.

Backstory

In the last few years, Taylor Swift has been re-releasing her previous music. Her music producer sold the rights to the original masters after they had a public feud. With all of the Bad Blood between them, she just had to move on and Begin Again. That’s When she decided to re-record her music. Her new re-releases allow her to have complete executive control over her music, making it exactly in her Style. This album acts as a break between her re-releases, the most recent of which featured the record-breaking ten minute version of “All Too Well.”

She announced the new album at the 2022 VMAs. Fans were anxiously awaiting the October 12st midnight release, staring at the screen. They were Ready For It.

Midnights quickly became the album with the most streams on its first day in Spotify history. She had 88 millions streams in the US and 185 million streams across the world, but this level of success is Nothing New for her. In just a few days, she sold over 1.2 million copies of Midnights, breaking the previous record, her own album Reputation. Whether you are a fan of her music or not, it is clear she is a marketing Mastermind.

Taylor Swift has been known to drop hints about her upcoming albums. She released multiple video clips and posts with hints about the contents and aesthetic of the album, leading fans to theorize. Some have taken note of the date of the album, the dress she wore to the announcement, and her multiple references to prior songs. Taylor Swift fan, Delainey Barnett, 11, described the experience.

“It’s fun finding Easter eggs in her posts. It’s like a treasure hunt,” she explains.

Other fans are solely in it for the music. Scarlett Mallory, 11, tries to ignore all of the theories.

“I don’t really care about who she writes about, exes or boyfriends, as long as she’s happy. She did such a good job with this album,” Mallory comments.

Long Story Short, Midnights is a major success.

The Album 

The thirteen songs on her Midnights album are:

“Lavender Haze” (E) :  A song about love and how it can dull the negative feelings she has. She describes her experience with the paparazzi and tabloids, explaining how when she is with the right person none of it matters.

“Maroon” (E) : A Haunted song about the loss of her love. She describes the issues in her relationship and how it left a stain on her forever.

“Anti-Hero” : This song is about living with the feeling of self-hatred and inadequacy. She describes how she sometimes feels like a monster in her own story.

“Snow on the Beach” (E) : Swift sings with artist Lana Del Rey, making it the only collaboration on the album (although she does work with other writers). She describes how her relationship feels unreal and amazing at the same time.

“You’re On Your Own, Kid” : It begins as a description of young love but morphs into a discussion about the consequences of her career. She details losing friends and feeling alone in her new life.

“Midnight Rain” : It opens with distorted vocals and warped music in the background. She details how she feels she ruined her relationship by Change-ing and focus on her career.

“Question…?” (E) : She describes a whirlwind relationship which leaves her unaware of her past self. She feels confused about their relationship, its future, and what happened to it.

“Vigilante —-” (E) :  Taylor describes weaponizing her femininity and dealing with drama. Fans have theorized who the song focuses on, but Taylor claims it is not about any individual.

“Bejeweled” : This song focuses on how she has felt dulled in past relationships. She makes it clear in this new relationship, she will be herself. She wants to be herself and let Sparks Fly.

“Labyrinth” : She describes love as getting lost in the labyrinth of her own mind. It feels encompassing and almost impossible to get out of.

“Karma” (E) : This song digs at her long list of enemies. Bad things have happened to her, but she is still standing, waiting for their karma to kick in. Fans also have many theories about the target of the song, but Swift keeps her true feelings hidden All Too Well.

“Sweet Nothing” : This Delicate song is reminiscent of childhood and innocence. She describes how her love is so pure, she feels it protects her from the world.

“Mastermind” : She details how she took control in her life and pursued someone, defying the pressure she felt to act as a damsel in distress.

So, what do fans think? Barnett loves the first song, whereas Mallory prefers the second track. Either way, they are huge fans.

“This album sounds a lot like Lorde’s music, and I like Lorde a lot,” Barnett continues, “”Lavender Haze” is my favorite. She talks about how the media is pressuring her about relationships, but she just wants to enjoy it.”

“I love Midnights,” explains Mallory, “It’s like a combination of 1989 and Folklore, and I love both of those albums. She did such a good job. “Maroon” is probably the best song. I like the flow of it. It’s calming.”

Midnights is available to stream everywhere, and she has already released a few music videos on Youtube, for “Anti-Hero” and “Bejeweled.”