Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album, “Midnights,” was released this past Friday at midnight (Oct. 21), launching her into a new era of her career. This album is a venture back into pop after her last two records delivered a far more indie-folk vibe, and has been dominating the charts since its release. Already it has sold over one million units, making “Midnights” the top-selling album of 2022 and it reached this achievement in just three days. Needless to say, Swift’s latest work has solidified itself as an instant classic in not only her personal discography, but in the modern music scene as well.
"Midnights" also marks Swift's sixth studio album produced by Jack Antonoff, her close friend and a major name in the music production industry. Antonoff has worked closely with other artists as well, including The 1975, Lana del Rey (who does backing vocals on track 4, "Snow on the Beach"), Lorde, Olivia Rodrigo as well as for his own project, Bleachers. Bleachers is known for a synth-pop, new-age sound which was a clear and direct influence on the creation of "Midnights." The album features many synth sounds that are reminiscent of 80s club music and are an exciting new direction for Swift after focusing on the folk genre for her last two albums. Antonoff's influence and signature are apparent but give Swift a compelling edge.
Three hours after the album released, Swift unveiled an extended "3am Edition" of the record which contained seven additional songs that were written during the creation of "Midnights".
As Swift herself described when announcing the record on Instagram this past August, "Midnights" is the stories of 13 sleepless nights over the course of her life. This melancholic approach to creating the tracks gives the album a moody tone as she examines past relationships, ambition and the expectations of femininity, such as marriage and motherhood.
In the title track Lavender Haze, Swift sings, "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." Swift's lyrics parallel her comfort in her long-term relationship with British actor, Joe Alwyn, and her disinterest in a formal marriage despite pressures from the press. This directly contrasts themes from Swift's earlier music, singing about her desire for a wedding and to be a bride. These displays of personality growth and raw emotion are present throughout the full record as Swift reflects on her past relationships and fears that keep her up at night.
Swift revealed this album is to be a visual album that will have multiple music videos to act as a vessel to depict the music, two of which have already been released. The video for the third song, "Anti-Hero", shows the nightmares Swift deals with surrounding self-loathing and insecurities as she admits a feeling of arrested development, singing "I’ve got this thing where I get older but just never wiser..." The video is comedic yet filled with stunning imagery, setting the tone for any visuals to follow.
The second video was released at midnight on October 25th, with a retelling of Cinderella featuring Swift, Antonoff, actress Laura Dern and the Haim sisters. This video is for the ninth song on the album, "Bejeweled", in which Swift sings about a partner taking her for granted and disregarding her feelings as a new love interest starts to give her the attention she deserves. Could this be a reflection of the alleged 2016 Met Gala meeting between Swift and Alwyn while she was ending a different relationship? Potentially; fans can only speculate. The whimsical imagery and biting humor from the supporting cast demand attention alongside the upbeat song about Swift "shimmering" in the spotlight. More videos are set to be coming soon.
Upon the release of "Midnights", the 32-year-old singer began a press campaign that landed her an interview on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on October 24. There, she discussed her songwriting process, her love of cats, getting an honorary degree from New York University but most importantly, teased an upcoming tour announcement, saying, "I think I should do it. When it’s time, we’ll do it. I miss it." Swift has not been on tour since 2018 after her planned tour for "Lover," her seventh album, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The "Midnights" era evokes a feeling of change for her career as it shows growth and maturity with her voice and lyrics, dismantling the image of the curly-haired, country-twang-speaking teenager that took the music industry by storm over 15 years ago. "Midnights" showcases Swift's mastery of storytelling, maturation of perspective and her fulfilling romance with Alwyn that mirrors the types of love she pined for in the lyrics of her early work. Swift has been regarded widely as an artist known for evolution and "Midnights" has cemented this position in place, leaving fans excited to see where her voice will go next.