Taylor Swift, Midnights | Album Review 💿

Grammy-winning musician extraordinaire Taylor Swift makes an epic return to pop on her tenth studio album, Midnights.   

Back in the aughts (2000s), I’m not sure I would’ve characterized 🏆 Grammy-winning artist 🎙 Taylor Swift as a versatile musician.  No shade, of course, but she seemed locked into country and country-pop solely.  However, after multiple albums, Grammys, stylistic shifts, and prudent business decisions, Swift has built an empire and proven time and time again just how versatile she is.  After dabbling in alternative and indie stylings over the course of two superb albums – 💿 folklore and 💿 evermore – Swift returns to pop on 💿 Midnights.  It’s safe to say, Swift doesn’t miss a beat back in the pop arena as Midnights is an honest, well-rounded LP from start to finish. 

“Lavender Haze” 

Taylor Swift kicks off Midnights colorfully with 🤩 🎵 “Lavender Haze.” From the onset, “Lavender Haze” is nothing short of a vibe.  It is exquisitely produced by a team including Swift, 🎛 Jack Antonoff, 🎛 Jahaan Sweet, and 🎛 Sounwave.  The sound is distinct, contrasting any and everything else that Swift has released to date.  The slickness of the backdrop is ear catching but it’s Swift’s lyrics (and hazy vocals) that make “Lavender Haze” so delightful.  She’s bothered by the noise made by others such as, “All they keep asking me / Is if I’m gonna be your bride / The only kinda girl they see / Is a one-night or a wife.” Those are mic-drop worthy lyrics right there! The chorus, of course, is where Swift’s bread is buttered:  “I feel the lavender haze creeping up on me / Surreal / I’m damned if I do give a damn what people say / No deal / The 1950s shit they want from me / I just wanna stay in that lavender haze.”

Beyond that “1950s shit,” Taylor Swift moves on to 🤩 🎵 “Maroon,” produced by Swift and Antonoff.  Obviously, forms of the color red are a BIG DEAL on this one.  So is love for that matter.  The pen game remains top-notch for Swift in the verses and of course, the centerpiece, the chorus.  “Looked up at the sky and it was / The burgundy on my t-shirt,” she sings, continuing, “When you splashed your wine into me / And how the blood rushed into my cheeks / So scarlet, it was /…So scarlet, it was maroon.” Vocally, Swift is quite effective.  She never under nor over sings.  She excels with cool energy on “Maroon.”  Of course, some aggressive f-bombs also give this red record bite (“And I wake with your memory over me / That’s a real fucking legacy to leave”). Woo!

“Anti-Hero”

“I have this thing where I get older, but never wiser,” Swift sings on the third straight gem from Midnights, 🤩 🎵 “Anti-Hero.” She continues singing in the first verse of the single, “Midnights become my afternoons.” That’s just one instance of the poetry of her pen, which seems endless on this particular record.  See the second pre-chorus where she sneaks in words like narcissism and altruism perfectly. Beyond the lyricism, Swift delivers a respectable vocal backed by sound production.  The centerpiece is the chorus, where Swift asserts, “I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror / It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero.” Woo! Her honesty is epic.

How does one follow-up something as awesome as 🎵 “Anti-Hero?” Why, the answer is 🤩 🎵 “Snow On The Beach.” Taylor Swift invites a guest for the ride, 🏆 Grammy-nominated artist, 🎙 Lana Del Rey.  Del Rey plays a supporting role, but her presence is a selling point.  The premise of the track is two people falling in love simultaneously.  It’s sort of unbelievable and weird, “Like snow at the beach / Weird, but fucking beautiful /… You wanting me / Tonight feels impossible / But it’s coming down / No wound, it’s all around.”

Midnights continues to shine, without a hitch,  on 🤩 🎵 “You’re On Your Own, Kid.” Here, Swift reflects and revisits the past, including songs and mistakes made.  Honesty and heightened maturity play sizable roles on Midnights, particularly this record. While earlier Swift seems to be skeptical regarding getting older and wiser, on “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” she does seem to exude wisdom from lessons learned.  There are no shortage of lyrical gems such as, “I search the party of better bodies / Just to learn that my dreams aren’t rare,” her transparency about body image (“I hosted parties and starved my body”), and of course, the repetition of the titular lyric.

“Midnight Rain”

“He wanted it comfortable, I wanted the pain / He wanted a bride, I was making my own name.” Interesting! 🎵 “Midnight Rain” is surprising, thanks to its use of pitch shift and its liberal use of synths. The vocal effects are ear catching, contributing to the vibe.  Once more, midnight plays a key role in the song – “And I never think of him / Except on midnights like this.”  Here, Swift seems to take responsibility for the end of a previous relationship, one where she was changing and searching for her own success and fame while he has more modest, traditional moves in mind.

On 🎵 “Question…?” Taylor Swift seems to have her fair share of questions, all reflecting on the past once again (“I remember”).  As is the case with much of Midnights, her lyrics allude to previous songs and various life events.  This starts with the opening lyrics of the first verse, where she sings, “Good girl, sad boy / Big city, wrong choices,” likely referencing both her move to NYC and the song, 🎵 “Welcome To New York” from her 2014 album, 💿 1989.  Beyond those lyrics, one that’s quite intriguing occurs on the chorus, regarding Swift’s friends’ reactions to her: “Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room / And every single one of your friends was makin’ fun of you / But fifteen seconds later, they were clappin’ too.” It’s the honesty, as well as these clever, potent lyrics that make Midnights so successful.

🤩 🎵 “Vigilante Shit” is totally uncharacteristic of Swift, which is part of the allure.  Sure, some of her past songs have some darker themes but her vigilante spirit is lit AF here. The production is minimal and moody – the perfect backdrop for a sus joint like this one.  It’s sort of surprising this is another Jack Antonoff production.  It certainly confirms he’s a producer with a wide range of abilities. Swift brings ample personality, with her subtle but sharp vocals.  Her attitude is a selling point as she asserts in the chorus, “I don’t start shit, but I can tell you how it ends.” Oh, snap! She goes on to state, “I don’t dress for friends / Lately, I’ve been dressin’ for revenge.” Woo! It doesn’t stop there as Taylor seems to challenge gender roles and how ladies are supposed to act.  The bridge is prime example: “Ladies always rise above / Ladies know what people want / Someone sweet and kind and fun / The lady simply had enough.”

“Bejeweled”

At times during Midnights, Taylor Swift has taken responsibility for her faults in various relationships and situations.  On the sparkling 🎵 “Bejeweled,” she’s upset with a lover who takes her for granted. “Didn’t notice you walkin’ all over my peace of mind / In the shoes I gave you as a present,” she asserts in the first verse. Going out to live her best life sans his unappreciative ass, she makes it crystal clear in the chorus, “Best believe I’m still bejeweled / When I walk into the room.” One of the big takeaways from a song like “Bejeweled” is how Swift empowers women not to accept less than they’re worth (“Don’t put me in the basement / When I want the penthouse of your heart”).  Of course, like much of Midnights, there’s (allegedly) an autobiographical tilt.

“You know how scared I am of elevators / Never trust it if it rises fast / It can’t last.” Thought provoking lyrics to say the least.  In this particular instance, the elevator rising fast is related to love, which plays a pivotal role on 🎵 “Labyrinth.”  Here, Swift is leery of falling in love again given heartbreak.  Despite being skeptical, this blooming romance feels right to Taylor: “How’d you turn the plane that was goin’ down / How’d you turn it right around?”

The production expands beyond Swift and Antonoff on the groovy, colorful 🤩 🎵 “Karma.” Once more, Swift brings Sounwave and Jahann Sweet onboard, alongside  🎛 Keanu Beats.  “Karma” is incredibly slick, with its bold synths and a modern, 1980s aesthetic.  The vocal production – the vocal layering – is quite impressive.  Of course, Swift continues to excel with her pen.  The crème de la crème, of course, is the chorus, where Taylor asserts, “Sweet like honey, karma is a cat / Purring in my lap ‘cause it loves me / Flexing like a goddamn acrobat / Me and karma vibe like that.”

“Sweet Nothing” 

🎵 “Sweet Nothing” is indeed a sweet penultimate track (on the standard edition of the album).  Just like sweet nothings themselves, “Sweet Nothing” finds Taylor Swift celebrating true love.  Essentially, it feels real this time and she wants nothing to destroy it.  One of my favorite moments occurs on the bridge, where Swift criticizes the industry, who are hungry for profit and disregard her as a person: “And the voices that implore, ‘You should be doing more’ / To you, I can admit that I’m just too soft for all of it.” Notably, she wrote “Sweet Nothing” with her boyfriend, actor 🎭 Joe Alwyn.

🤩 🎵 “Mastermind” proves to be a fitting closer.  Love is in the air, as Swift celebrates her relationship with Joe Alwyn: “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.” So, sweet.  Of course, being the mastermind that she is, Swift ensured she locked this relationship in; “Just like clockwork / The dominoes cascaded in a line / What if I told you I’m a mastermind.”  Regardless, as of yet, it seems to have worked out well for Swift and Alwyn.

The expanded, 3 am Edition adds seven additional songs.  While the best material of Midnights graces the standard edition, all seven songs are enjoyable.  A personal favorite from 3 am is the gorgeous 🎵 “Bigger Than The Whole Sky”. The songwriting is still top-notch, particularly on the thoughtful 🎵 “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” while the chorus of 🎵 “Paris” is utterly infectious.

Final Thoughts 💭

The return to pop is a triumphant one for Taylor Swift.  She shimmers from start to finish on 💿 Midnights.  One reason why Midnights is elite is because of how mature Swift has become as an artist.  Her songwriting was always great but she’s only improved, something that was on full display on both 💿 folklore and 💿 evermore.  Whether you opt for the standard, 13-track edition, or splurge on the 20-track, 3 am Edition, you won’t be disappointed by this authentic, honest, and well-crafted affair.

🤩 Gems 💎: “Lavender Haze,” “Maroon,” “Anti-Hero,” “Snow on the Beach,” “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” “Vigilante Shit,” “Karma” & “Mastermind”

🎙 Taylor Swift • 💿 Midnights • 🏷 Taylor Swift • 📅 10.21.22

[📷: Taylor Swift]