Midnights makes its mark as Taylor Swift’s tenth album, and the first new music since she began rerecording her previous works in 2021. This is huge news for Swifties, since there hasn’t been anything new since the releases of Folklore and Evermore in 2020. Swift describes this album as being autobiographical, showcasing her deepest insecurities, all the while bringing back the lively air of her chart-topping love songs of the 2010s.
Midnights is coined as “a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams,” which consists of thirteen tracks. Track by track, anticipation built, and on October 7th the tracklist was completed:
- Lavender Haze
- Maroon
- Anti-Hero
- Snow on the beach (ft. Lana Del Rey)
- You’re on Your Own Kid
- Midnight Rain
- Question…?
- Vigilante Sh*t
- Bejeweled
- Labyrinth
- Karma
- Sweet Nothing
- Mastermind
Fans around the world eagerly awaited for midnight on October 21st, wanting to be the first to indulge in Swift’s creative talents. After that very first listen, people went online to post opinions, song rankings, their favorite lyrics, and then likely retired to bed. The truly dedicated Swifties who stayed up until 3 am, were met with a very chaotic surprise, as promised by Swift herself. Seven new songs were released three hours after the original thirteen.
- The Great War
- Bigger Than The Whole Sky
- Paris
- High Infidelity
- Glitch
- Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve
- Dear Reader
These songs, although not on the original tracklist, still follow the theme of self-reflection and contemplation. Similar to the “From the Vault” tracks featured in her rerecordings, these songs are extra content which were likely too extensive to add onto the official list. With the original tracklist taking up forty-eight minutes, the additional songs would make the total tracklist over an hour long.
Although Midnights was an amazing album, there have been more than a few online criticisms. Many thought that this album would be like her previous two, which were very lofty, whimsical, and showed us a side to Swift’s music we hadn’t seen before. But people were surprised to hear the bouncy pop opening of Lavender Haze. Not to mention the noticeable lack of Lana Del Rey in Snow On The Beach, which was a critical factor as to why the song was heavily promoted. Fans had been anticipating a collaboration between the two, and were severely disappointed when all that was heard was faint whispers behind Swift’s vocals. But then again, don’t let the negative reviews stop you from enjoying the album. Listen for yourself, and let the haters hate.
Despite fan speculations, there will probably be a long period of time before we hear anything new from Taylor again. With four rerecordings still outstanding and hopes of a tour, it seems like this artist has a lot on her plate. Until then, Swifties should appreciate the twenty new songs and appreciate Swift’s dedication to her art, her fans as well as reflect on her incredible musical career.