Midnights Review
Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album was finally released to the public on the 21st of October. The album, Midnights, includes 13 songs describing different sleepless moments throughout the singer’s eventful life. That isn’t even including the bonus tracks titled the 3am Edition, a collection of seven songs with a variety of sounds that come together in a tasteful way.
The first track off the album, “Lavender Haze,” gives us insight into the pop tone that is prevalent in the entirety of Midnights. “Lavender Haze” brings a feeling of excitement that only intensifies as the song progresses. The song emits an energy that is perfectly expressed by singing along and dancing. It is the perfect opening song that brings a feeling of anticipation for the rest of the album. This mood is encapsulated within the next three songs up until her collaboration with Lana Del Rey.
“Snow On The Beach” featuring Lana Del Rey was not the type of song expected when word of the collab first came out, but after further listening, it comes together in a way that works best for the song. Lana Del Rey does not have a full verse to herself in this song: shockingly, she is only featured in the background vocals to this serene ballad. Her consistent background singing plays a major part in the calming sensation the song gives off. Taylor Swift made the creative decision to not give Lana Del Rey a full verse and in Snow On The Beach it works in her favor.
“You’re On Your Own, Kid” is a song that can only be described as nostalgia. It shows flashbacks to uniting childhood moments. It has an upbeat spirit to it while still incorporating a feeling of immense sadness. It also expresses the singer owning up to past memories and vowing to grow and become better with or without certain people’s influence in life. It is a true musical representation of both the good and bad sides of growing up, something everyone eventually has to experience.
Upon reaching the later tracks on Midnights, the album’s vibe switches from a lighter pop to a darker version of this that is executed in an intriguing way. The song that can be used as an example for the vibe these songs exude is “Karma”. “Karma” shows how Taylor Swift uses upbeat backing music with contrasting lyrics describing deeply personal experiences. Her song “Bejeweled” follows this pattern but with lighter lyrics describing her growth in confidence.
In the album she presents many songs with the ideal karaoke vibe, but also has songs that are sweet and slow that hit certain emotions the happier songs on Midnights don’t reach. One of these songs is “Labyrinth”, a song encapsulating the multitude of feelings that go into falling in love. She uses metaphors and her lyrical talent to put together a melancholy masterpiece. “Labyrinth” is the song for nighttime car rides with headphones on full blast. This is not the only song that presents a similar musical environment off the album. The last track off the album “Mastermind” follows a close beat with sweeter lyrics describing a happier alternative than “Labyrinth”. It is the opposite of the starting track “Lavender Haze” but provides a comforting conclusion to the album in contrast to the exciting beginning, an example of how her placement of songs in the album affects the listening experience. Every aspect of the album was thoughtfully constructed by Taylor Swift to create a new hit album.