‘Midnights’: Taylor Swift releases album recounting her sleepless nights
Taylor Swift releases her 10th studio album “Midnights” on Friday. The album was released on midnight with “Midnights (3am Edition)” being released three hours after.
October 26, 2022
It’s Taylor Swift’s world, and we’re just living in it.
Right now, fans are obsessing over the pop star’s new album, “Midnights.”
The release of her 10th studio album has been quite the production. From teaser trailers during the third quarter of Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, to the release of two music videos in the span of a week, Swift has truly been giving all fans a sleepless week.
The release of “Midnights” came Oct. 21 at midnight with no less than 13 previously named tracks. Just three hours later there was another release, “Midnights (3am Edition),” with 7 additional tracks — an unexpected surprise for fans.
It wasn’t the end of that night though. A mere five hours later she released the first music video of the album for track three, “Anti-Hero,” at 8 a.m.
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The album itself is filled with stories from Taylor’s life. Starting with album opener “Lavender Haze,” we begin with a steady beat, followed by the lyrics “Meet me at midnight,” sung by Swift.
Swift originally found the term “Lavender Haze” from an episode of “Mad Men,” the television series. The term describes the feeling of being in love.
Lyrics such as “I’ve been under scrutiny / You handle it beautifully / All this shit is new to me” describe experiences she’s had in her current relationship with boyfriend Joe Alwyn and how rumors surrounding her relationship have been impacting their personal lives.
The next track, “Maroon,” takes a different turn. This song is all about the complexities and honesty associated with love and it’s been believed by fans to be a more mature version of “Red.” The emotions described in “Maroon” are deeper, not necessarily the same as the burning love described in “Red.”
In the lyrics, “We were shaking, blind and hazy / How the hell did we lose sight of us again?” Swift gives us insight to the intricacies of this relationship and how it becomes out of control.
Following “Maroon” is track 3, a fan favorite, “Anti-Hero.” Swift said it herself: This song is all about her own insecurities.
In the chorus, she literally sings, “It’s me / Hi / I’m the problem, it’s me.” The way she views herself around others speaks to a deeper level of her own inner thoughts — she even refers to herself as the “monster on the hill” while everyone else is “a sexy baby.”
However, Swift has said that this is one of her favorite songs that she’s ever written.
Next, is track 4 “Snow On The Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey).” One noticeable thing about this song is that Del Rey isn’t given much of the song’s time, instead she’s simply in the background harmonizing with Swift, unlike Phoebe Bridgers in “Nothing New,” where she had her own verse.
The following track, “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” recounts a young love. Lyrics like “I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this / I hosted parties and starved my body” give listeners a glimpse into the relationship that was one-sided love at most.
This tune gives the whole “you’re on your own” spiel, which can be viewed as a good addition to the song, but at the time feels lonely and upsetting, as detailed throughout the track.
The next track, “Midnight Rain,” has been speculated to be about Swift’s former boyfriend, Tom Hiddleston. A source claimed back in 2016 that Hiddleston wanted to propose, but this was never confirmed by the celebrity himself.
People may believe the song is about him because of the lyrics, such as “He wanted a bride / I was making my own name,” hinting at their complex relationship.
The pair were together around the same time Swift’s reputation was faltering in response to the Ye (formerly Kanye West) situation that occurred at the VMAs in 2009, when he interrupted her acceptance speech to say Beyoncé should have won instead.
The following feud then led to Ye using Swift’s name in a song, whether or not there was consent from the artist herself.
Swift was in need of a reputation rewrite soon after, which is believed to be what she was hinting at in “Midnight Rain.”
The first six tracks on “Midnights” are only the beginning of the sleepless nights in Swift’s life. To hear more of them, her album is available on all streaming services.