Introspection, Re-Invented: A Review of Taylor Swift’s “Midnights”
Taylor Swift’s Midnights released October 21, 2022
by Linh ‘26
Filtering through the lavender haze of time in Midnights, musician Taylor Swift guides us into a dimension that is innocently nostalgic yet emotionally mature. Through 13 tracks, we journey “through terrors and sweet dreams,” as Swift describes, and witness the turbulence, fragility, and beauty that comes with reflection.
Building on the colourful synth pop backbone that nods to the Lover and Reputation melodies, Swift incorporates the subdued sparkles and emotional maturity that came with folklore and evermore’s storytelling in every line. Mixing the two through the consistent storyline of “13 sleepless nights,” Swift’s latest release emulates an echo chamber in which listeners are trapped to face the fear of what’s happened and the uncertainty of what’s to come.
For many, Midnight’s drop was like a surprise. I mean, if you know Swift, you know we’re all playing the worst game of checkers and she’s playing six-dimensional chess. Regardless, we (and by we I mean all of Swift-tok, my little sisters, and I) have been hyperfixating on her re-recording releases since Fearless TV. And if you ask me, Speak Now TV is definitely up next, but maybe I’ll save that for next week’s blog post. Anyhow, perhaps this distraction is what Swift’s wanted all along—afterall, she is a ‘mastermind.’ While we were pondering on the old her, from the soft (and arguably unhinged) country debut days to what album would be re-recorded next, we lost track of the present; Midnights came in order to reel us back to the ‘now.’
The reverb in the starting line, “Meet me at midnight,” from “Lavender Haze” sets the scene of anticipation, softly followed by the wistful nostalgia of references to the melody of Lover’s “I Think He Knows.” Pondering the apprehension of what would happen after we leave the lavender haze, Swift takes us to “Maroon,” where conceptually, lyrically and vocally, we are overwhelmed. From the shades of love now being deeper—grander—than burning red, but no longer being golden like daylight, Swift opens the door of vulnerability while in love. This same vulnerability is emulated in the fan-favourite (and by fan I mean me), “Labyrinth.”. In capturing the stages of falling in love in the chorus, it’s as if we’re back to the grey area after Reputation’s “Delicate” and before “Afterglow,” only this time, it works out – as enhanced in her stacked vocals and slight change in the last lines of the chorus.
Taylor Swift lounges in a promotional photo for Midnights (image courtesy Beth Garrabrant)
In the same realm of love, Swift segues into “Snow on the Beach.” The rumbling warmth and glimmering melodies take us to wonderland, where guest artist Lana Del Rey’s soft harmonies emulate the rays of sunshine that glisten. This love and light is emulated in Swift’s co-creation with William Bowery, the penname of her long-term boyfriend Joe Alwyn, “Sweet Nothing.” Highlighting the simplicity of love, “Mastermind” reminds us of “The Archer” and the fear of being caught putting on an alternate persona – except this time, we are seen for who we really are. This song’s conceptual and metaphorical beauty places it on par with “Question…?,” where Swift introduces the following dilemma: to regret the words we’ve said, or to regret the words unsaid?
While you ponder on that question, it’s time to get to the hard part—the criticisms. But would it really be a Linh piece if there weren’t unhinged hot takes? ;)
As we leave the state of ecstasy Swift has built in prior songs, Swift teleports us to, arguably, her most susceptible state yet—the reminder that “You’re On Your Own, Kid.” While adorable for its sweet nostalgic lines, the art of lyricism that she’s been known for, is lost. If anything, it feels lackluster. On the stark contrary, “Midnight Rain” introduces a much more complex topic: it acknowledges the love that exists between people, all while recognizing when it doesn’t work out. While the metaphors that we previously missed out on are reintroduced, the distracting electronic tones took away from what could’ve been a stunning kaleidoscope.
As for the really hot takes, “Bejewelled” is only not receiving hate due to strut-ability. “Vigilante Shit” was giving wannabe Reputation-bad bitch but replaced the iconic black jumpsuit and snake rings with a Junior Jewels T-Shirt and the number 13 drawn on the back of your hand. “Anti-Hero” felt like you took screenshots of my 14 year old self’s coquette-themed tumblr and mashed them up with my angsty teenage journal entries (which, in Swift’s defense, was mostly also written at ungodly hours of the night). The result? A word vomit that doesn’t quite make sense. “Karma” was a mix of the previous two. Take that as you will.
But the good, the bad, and the (lyrically) ugly aside, Midnights was aurora borealis green—filled with light and wonder. And all I’ve really done in the past week is appreciate it in awe.
