Taylor Swift, the singer-songwriter, released a new album as of Oct. 21, 2022 titled “Midnights.” This album is one hour and nine minutes long on Apple Music, with 20 songs in total. I was very excited to listen when I heard it came out, and it truly was executed well. I’ve been a fan for years so I thought I knew what I was expecting, but I didn’t. I normally listen to more happier songs, so I was certainly thrown off when I first listened to this album. It was slightly darker than what I’m used to, but this album was very well done.

Swift’s “Midnights” has already broken a record in the short amount of time that it has been released, having all songs from her new album at top 10 on Billboard 100. She also hit a record for vinyl sales, selling around 500,000. Her inspiration for the album was her “13 sleepless nights.” Swift says, “This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams.”

This album begins with “Lavender Haze,” starting out with a slow to fast beat. This makes the vibe of the song play out. I think this is interesting because people can make a personal connection to the lyrics and can connect this statement to her previous songs about men using her. I thought it began weird because she starts out with one sentence, saying “meet me at Midnight”, then taking a long pause. but as the song went through I liked it more and more.

I’d like to mention ”Snow on a Beach,” as I honestly began not enjoying it. It had a 17 second music intro, which feels slightly dragged out. After the intro music, the song starts very slow, with her mentioning “I saw flecks of what could’ve been lights.” This lyric part is interesting to me because I indeed like the lyric choice and how she drags out the words “I” and “Lights.” This song slowly speeds up, and it gets even better with the vocals in the chorus. I recommend listening to this song. 

“You’re On Your Own, Kid” is a great song, starting faster than the previous songs, but it is really good. The chorus is nice, containing a soft beat in the background. I like her voice so much in this song and a lot of the lyrics are relatable, which I enjoy. For example, “I didn’t choose this town, I dream of getting out.” It’s great when people can connect to a song. I think this may be my favorite song on this album so far. 

This album ends with “Dear Reader” which I also really thought was one of her better songs. Swift is giving some of her own guidance through the lyrics, like saying “Never take advice from someone who’s falling apart.” This song has a much slower beat, but it follows the whole vibe of the song, since it’s not supposed to be all bright. I really enjoy how she made it seem like she was talking to the listeners. 

I knew I had to listen to this album and was excited about it, and it met my expectations. Overall I really enjoyed this album, with mostly lower vocal parts. The songs were upbeat and dark, but they clash really well together, making this album a splendid listen.