Each decade of music of the rock-n-roll/pop epoch has been defined, in part, by a particular musical artist or group. In the 1950s, it was Elvis; in the ‘60s, we met the Beatles; the Rolling Stones rocked the ‘70s; U2 conquered the ‘80s; the ‘90s brought Nirvana’s turn; next was Beyoncé in the 2000s. Then, came Taylor Swift. Her music dominated popular music in the 2010s and now, with the release of Midnights last month, after the release in 2021 of two re-recorded albums, Swift is threatening to define a second decade.
The first nine of Swift’s ten chart-topping albums are characterized by young love and heartbreak. Longing ballads are followed by songs of betrayal and remorse. While those themes resonate through every release, her body of work can be divided into distinct eras that each reveal another side to the singer-songwriter. Swift’s ‘Eras,’ also the name of her upcoming tour to promote Midnights, coincide with each album launch. Her debut era was marked by jumpy hits from her eponymously named, debut album. Then came her “Fearless” era of a wise-beyond-her-years 19-year-old woman coming of age. “1989” tells the story of high-profile, failing relationships. And on it went through the decade to the 2020 quarantine inspired release of twin records Folklore and Evermore, in which Swift plays the part of a wizened storyteller.
This year’s release begins the Midnights Era. However, the album is a full shift away from the earlier nine. Swift has finally come to terms with her past, her friends and enemies, her faults, and her love. While some critics have described certain tracks as “Reputation”-like, alluding to the 2017 album, and reminiscent of 2019’s “Lover,” most of the Midnights numbers are unique in both sound and style. Many of the tracks are deeply introspective.
“Antihero,” the most listened to track on Spotify and number one on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time this article was written, is Swift at her most raw self-examination. A lively beat is juxtaposed with a chorus that is a self-chastisement of her self-described “narcissism”: “It’s me/Hi!/I’m the problem, it’s me.”
“You’re On Your Own, Kid,” however, makes no pretense of being lively. A downbeat tale of one-sided teenage love, the narrator comes to realize, over the course of the song, that “he loves me not.” She “search[ed] the party of better bodies/Just to learn that my dreams aren’t rare.” Swift criticizes her own ways of going about finding love, but likewise criticizes, even more deeply, the indifference she receives. Her teenage dream of “sprinkler splashes” and “fireplace ashes” never materialize. Instead, the young, struggling, naive Swift that the song describes finds herself alone.
Each of “Question,” “Maroon,” and “Midnight Rain” are a little closer to Swift’s earlier music. They tell stories of the failed love that Swift is famous for. “Question” has a similar beat and “feel” to 1989’s “I Wish You Would.” It sends a round of questions at a former lover, seeking his motives for “leav[ing] her house in the middle of the night.”
“Maroon” takes a sadder tone. Swift describes a perfect love at the start of the song: “Laughing with my feet in your lap/Like you were my closest friend.” However, we soon learn that the affection is in the past: “And I lost you/The one I was dancing with in New York.”
“Midnight Rain” portrays Swift as the villain in a failed relationship. “I broke his heart ‘cause he was nice/He was sunshine, I was midnight rain.” This is no tear-jerker though. She sings about her faults casually. While her self-inspection here does not sting as badly as it does on “Antihero,” “Midnight Rain” is a testament to Swift’s lack of arrogance. She sings plainly and bluntly about her faults.
Many of Swift’s albums have included one “revenge track.” On 1989, that track was “Bad Blood;” on Red, it was “I Knew You Were Trouble;” Reputation gave listeners “Look What You Made Me Do.” On Midnights, Swift includes two: “Vigilante Shit” and “Karma.” The latter is almost a happy song. Contrary to her other “revenge tracks,” “Karma” is not a discussion of Swift overcoming the pain caused to her by others, but rather a celebration of the downfall of those who have put themselves in her way. “Karma’s a relaxing thought/Aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?” she asks in the chorus.
“Vigilante Shit” takes on a darker shade more like “Look What You Made Me Do” and “Speak Now’s” “Better Than Revenge.” The advice Swift offers to her listeners in the song is at best sinister: “Don’t get sad, get even.” Also, like many of her previous “revenge tracks,” Swift places the focus on herself and her motives. “I don’t dress for women/I don’t dress for men/Lately, I’ve been dressing for revenge.” These two tracks are among the most memorable of the entire album - and of all of Swift’s music.
“Lavender Haze”, “Mastermind”, “Sweet Nothing”, “Labyrinth”, “Bejeweled”, and “Snow On The Beach ft. Lana Del Rey” comprise the largest category of songs on Midnights: that of hope. Each one of these songs, though different in the ways they achieve it, share an uplifting mood. “Lavender Haze” is the LP’s first track and presents a picture of Swift finding solace from the media and public life by spending time with Joe Alwyn, her long-time boyfriend. “I been under scrutiny (yeah, oh, yeah)/You handle it beautifully (yeah, oh, yeah).”
“Mastermind” reflects on Swift’s entire life. “What if I told you/None of it was accidental,” Swift muses while reflecting on her own brilliant planning.
“Sweet Nothing” and “Labyrinth” are the calmest songs on the new album. The former celebrates Swift’s version of simple love, in which neither lover wants anything of their partner, while the latter describes falling in love unexpectedly– and a little hesitantly.
In “Bejeweled,” Swift, who is almost 33, enjoys her nights out. She can “still make the whole place shimmer” because she can “polish up real nice.”
“Snow On The Beach ft. Lana Del Rey,” a highly anticipated duet, is the only song on the album that fell short of expectations. Though a beautifully written story of falling in love at the perfect time, Del Rey is barely featured as a backup singer. One must work hard even to hear her.
The album's biggest surprise, however, did not come from any of the songs on the album, but from those not on it. Midnights 3am Edition, released at 3:00 a.m. EST on October 21st - Midnights itself having been released on the same day at midnight - includes seven extra tracks available only on digital and streaming platforms, including the notables “The Great War,” “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” and “Dear Reader.”
Midnights took all ten of the ten top spots on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of its premier - the only time in Billboard’s history that has been done by an album or artist. The LP set a record for the most streams on Spotify of any album in one day. In 2022, lyrics from Swift’s song have been shared 1.7 million times and counting.
Now, Swift has announced her “Eras” tour, and tickets have gone on sale. So many people tried to purchase them through Swift’s vendor, Ticketmaster, that the site crashed, and sales had to be postponed. Senior Zoey Sheffield recounted feeling “scared” and “stress[ed]” while “fighting for [her] life on Ticketmaster.” CHS junior Maddy Black, while describing her favorite Midnights song, “Antihero,” may have inadvertently also described the feelings of so many would be “Eras” ticket buyers: “It’s a good song to make you feel that other people ‘get it.’ It’s normal to feel like you don’t belong.”
Once the ticket sales mess is sorted and Swift hits the road in 2023, she will be taking the next step toward being the only music artist to define two decades, having already dominated 2021 and 2022.
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