A Look Into Swift’s Sleepless Thoughts

In her 10th album, Taylor Swift returns to her pop sound as she takes us through nights of her past.

By Amanda Koehler

After the announcement of Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album Midnights at the MTV Video Music Awards, fans were buzzing with questions about the new record. Swift pivoted from her usual sound with alternative-indie sister albums, Evermore and Folklore,and the star’s past is laden with pop and country smashes (and even some rap), so there wasn’t a whole lot that could be predicted about this new album, making the lead-up to it all the more exhilarating. 

The album is composed of 13 tracks from 13 sleepless nights of Swift’s rollercoaster of a life, as well as 7 additional bonus tracks. It’s an eclectic blend of the many eras of Taylor we all know and love. Though elements of 2017’s gritty Reputation and 2019’s vibrant Lover are most obvious, the album has a distinctly moody atmosphere of its own that leads us on a journey through the thoughts– past and present– of Swift in the deep of her nighttime introspection.

Midnights is filled with everything from electro-pop hits to crooning ballads; and some might argue that the wide range of themes and production choices executed in this album might distract listeners from its cohesivity; however, it wasn’t promoted to be that type of project. Midnights is an amalgam of Swift’s darkest hours wherein she grapples  with everything from lovers to rumors to feuds; and, unlike her previous two albums, it’s all about “Taylor Swift” who she truly is and who she is perceived to be. Someone of Swift’s level of starpower doesn’t need to be as vulnerable as she is on this album to garner the world’s attention, but she does anyway, and it’s one of the reasons I’m so impressed with how Midnights turned out.

With openers in the past like “...Ready For It?” and “State of Grace”, the first track “Lavender Haze” had a lot to live up to, but it kicks off the album with the rumbling bass of a house beat, and a low, menacing vocal from Swift with the lyrics “Meet me at midnight” immediately throwing you into the murky pool of her thoughts. The song proceeds to criticize the unrealistic expectations held against women, particularly Swift in her current relationship, with lines like “the only kinda girl they see is one night or a wife” and “No deal, that 1950s shit they want from me”. Despite how personal the lyrics are, Antonoff’s production makes this the type of track I wouldn’t be surprised to hear at a nightclub.

“Maroon” provides us with vivid descriptions of a past relationship with bouncy vocals and a sensual feel, and the riveting “You’re On Your Own, Kid” takes us back to the beginning of Swift’s career as she navigates love and fame, and reflects on the toll they’ve taken. In its transcendent bridge, she sings “You’ve got no reason to be afraid” conveying a sense of empowerment despite hardships and making this deeply intimate song a favorite of mine off of the album. Though the tease of a feature from the legendary Lana Del Rey on “Snow On The Beach” had fans expecting a lot more from the track than what was delivered, I was pleased with how it turned out. Del Rey’s light vocals weaved throughout the chorus in tandem with the plucky wintery instrumental mirror the effect of snowflakes drifting down onto sand.

“Anti-Hero”, as the title suggests, is the first of many tracks on the album where Swift paints herself as the villain in her story, and despite having a playful melody, is a hard-hitting piece rife with self-scrutiny, describing herself as both a problem and a monster. This was a single off the album, which included a self-directed music video featuring Taylor, two of her clones, and a comical scene at her own funeral during the bridge.

Swift continues to villainize herself on “Midnight Rain”, in heavily distorted vocals stating that “He was sunshine I was midnight rain” and going on to describe an instance where she sabotaged a relationship with someone who deserved better from her. She ties back in this idea of herself as the antagonist in the closing track “Mastermind” even providing her villain origin story in the bridge as she softly explains “No one wanted to play with me as a little kid, so I’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since.” 

This idea of Swift as “the bad guy” is thrown out the window in tracks like “Vigilante Shit”, a song that sounds like it could’ve been the work of fellow pop star Billie Eilish, full of distaste and vengeance as the booming bassline carries her message, and Karma, a playful diss to those in her life who have done her wrong where, in Taylor Swift fashion, she compares the idea of karma to “a cat purring in my lap cause it loves me”.

Beyond the 13 tracks released at Midnight, we were gifted 7 more bonus tracks three hours later in what is known as Midnights (3am Edition). These include the lyrically grandiose “The Great War”, the breathtakingly powerful “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”, the melancholy “Bigger Than The Whole Sky'', and four more additions to this already diverse tracklist.

In the Cinderella-style music video released recently for the twinkly song “Bejeweled” there were hints of an upcoming rerecording of Swift’s 2010 album and the third in her 16 year discography, Speak Now. Between an instrumental of “Enchanted” in the beginning of the video, as well as the 13th elevator button being the same color as the 3rd (if you want context, Tiktok theories will explain it better than I could), it seems inevitable that Speak Now will be joining previous rerecordings Red and Fearless very soon. 

As if this all isn’t exciting enough, tickets are now on sale for “The Eras Tour” which will be her first time touring since Reputation in 2018. US dates have already been released, with international dates coming soon. Considering that so many of the songs off of Midnights sound like they were designed for live performance, I for one can’t wait to hear them in person alongside thousands of other ecstatic fans.