Taylor Swift is one of the most successful and popular musicians ever. A multi-Grammy winner with her last nomination for Album of the Year being Midnights. Released October 21, 2022, Midnights is Taylor’s 10th studio album and 6th Album of the Year nomination. With the help of Jack Antonoff and Republic Records, Taylor finds similar success with this album as her past. Swift described this album as a “concept album” after writing most of the songs due to her sleepless nights. The album takes a synth-pop tone along with hits of R&B, hip-hop, and alternative. Every track is led by Taylor’s powerful vocals that help strengthen her themes of revenge, insecurities, love, self-destruction, and reflecting on the past. Consisting of 13 songs and running for about 45 minutes, Taylor Swift created another stunning album that deserves all of its Grammy nominations.
Production
After the releases of Taylor’s indie-folk albums, Folklore and Evermore, many of Taylor’s fans thought she would stick to indie-pop but with this album, Taylor reverts to her pop roots with a twist. She takes a more synth-pop, electric turn on this album. Through each track, we hear heavy retro synthesizers, drums, electric guitar riffs, and piano melodies. Using all of these unique sounds, Taylor is changing what pop can and should be. The synthesizers add a creative contrast against her vocals to have it still be danceable and enjoyable but still allow you to listen to Taylor’s message. On tracks like “Lavender Haze” and “Anti-Hero”, edited and distorted instruments are played. This creates songs that feel like they would be heard late at night. You are entranced by the beat and movement of the music. These types of songs that Taylor creates make you want to stare at the ceiling and think.
We hear more traditional pop sounds on the tracks, “You’re On Your Own, Kid” and “Sweet Nothing”. On these tracks, Taylor tones the music back to truly highlight her message of growth and love. Later on, we jump right back into her electric and uplifting instrumentals. Without all of these new beats and sounds, Midnights would feel like another generic pop album but Taylor knew exactly how to take this album and evolve its sound with input from her producer and long friend, Jack Antonoff.
Vocal Performance
Unlike her other albums, Taylor’s voice is more edited and tuned to match the vibe of the music. Even though there are changes to her voice, we can still hear a dramatic and impactful performance that shines against the music. Her strong vocal performance carries the upbeat electric vibe to create a sense of harmony between the two while no instrument overpowers Taylor’s voice or vice versa. The control and range Taylor has on this album is unmatched and there is a reason she is known as one of the best modern-day musicians. She can perfectly decide when and where to change her vocals to add more interest to the music and is a generational talent.
The distortion of her voice adds to the symbolism of the theme of falling apart and self-destruction. She is breaking down and it shows in her voice. The background voices are pitched versions of Taylor’s voice that add to the layer of the track. On “Midnight Rain”, we are introduced to the track by a lower-toned Taylor who is almost creating a build-up to her song with a different version of herself. This adds to the complexity of the song and overall album that see other occurrences of this element. Lana Del Rey is also featured on the album and has always been good friends with Taylor and sings on the track, “Snow On The Beach”. Their two voices blend so well to create a calming and passionate song that can be enjoyed no matter the mood. The only criticism I have is I wish Lana could be heard more on the track. Taylor Swift is constantly coming up with new ideas that make her music more interesting and appealing.
Meaning
Taylor is often known for her amazing songwriting skills and Midnights is no different. She shows her message of insecurity, love, revenge, self-destruction, and past problems through her thought-out lyricism. On the track, “Mastermind”, Taylor tells us a story of a girl planning out occasions to see a guy she is romantically interested in, slightly stalking him. She describes herself as a “mastermind” and creates a string that is tying them together. At the end of the track, Taylor confesses her love for the guy, and he tells her that he always knew she did. She pushes us with a narrative of love having to be found not chosen. On a different note, we hear revenge on the track, “Vigilante Shit”, Taylor expresses to us how she felt mistreated by the media and her partners and has she stopped caring about what they think of her. Instead, she “dresses for herself and revenge”. She wants all that criticized her to feel how she felt.
We learn of Taylor’s insecurities in “Anti-Hero”, she expresses to us how she feels like she isn’t enough and is always disappointing someone. She believes that she is her own problem and is stopping herself from achieving greater. The song also touches on aspects of self-destruction. Taylor is setting herself up to fail in challenging situations because she wants people to know that she can’t do it all. Lastly, Taylor describes her past experiences and problems through “Karma”. She knows that she has done a lot wrong in the past but feels like others have more. Taylor believes that “karma” will come to those who deserve it and you shouldn’t dwell on the past. Midnights is another lyrical masterpiece just like its predecessors.
Conclusion
Midnights can be seen as one of Taylor Swift’s best albums. She has a very strong chance of winning Album of the Year with this powerful album. Her vocals match perfectly with the chaotic yet clean music. Taylor drives us with multiple intense messages that help deep the songs true meanings. Taylor Swift knocks it out of the park again with her album, Midnights.
Song Rankings
- “Labyrinth”
- “You’re On Your Own, Kid”
- “Sweet Nothing”
- “Snow On the Beach” (feat. Lana Del Rey)
- “Mastermind”
- “Lavender Haze”
- “Vigilante Shit”
- “Karma”
- “Bejeweled”
- “Question…?”
- “Maroon”
- “Midnight Rain”
- “Anti-Hero”
Strongest Track
“Labyrinth” tells a heartfelt story of a woman falling in love. Battling through the stress and desires of falling in love, the narrator highlights the expectations and hardships that come with it. The track has notes of electric guitar and bass that are more muted than her other tracks. These elements help amplify the overarching feel by creating a sensory listening experience. You can hear the instruments being strained and distorted to match the stress the singer is experiencing. Taylor’s voice brings it all home completing the euphoric vibe. She delivers an emotional performance that is matched with the beat. One can tell how passionate she is about making her music feel welcoming and relatable.
Final Notes
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