What keeps you up at night? Taylor Swift attempts to answer this question in her new album released on Oct. 21 called “Midnights.” “Midnights” is Swift’s 10th LP Album and contains 13 tracks and 7 bonus “3 am edition” tracks. Because of Swift’s long-standing role in the music industry, millions of people awaited the release and managed to break the Spotify Record for the most streamed album in one day.
Taylor Swift has a long history of changing her music style to create new, interesting sounds. Her latest album is no exception. While some expected an album similar to her predecessors with a folksy sound, “Midnights” diverged into more of a pop album. “Midnights” is more replicable to Swift’s earlier albums – “1989” and “Reputation.” The entirety of the album attempts to portray different feelings of midnight. Swift tackles “13 sleepless nights” through her wide range of emotions while reflecting and reminiscing on her past.
Best Song: “Bejeweled”
Now for a lot of “Swifties,” this song may come as a surprise as my pick for Best Song. But this song perfectly encapsulates Taylor Swift conquering people that have dragged her down. Whether in romantic relationships or in the music industry (Scooter Braun), Swift utilizes the upbeat synthesizer and powerful drums to give the album the perfect comeback anthem. While “Bejeweled” might not have as powerful lyrics as other songs in the LP, I wholeheartedly believe this song should have been a single.
Second Place: “You’re On Your Own, Kid”
This song was so close to first place for me. It has the right balance of classic Swift lyricism and reminds me of songs from her past. Not only does the song have good instrumentals, but the message behind this song is very impactful. It recounts her stories as a young person, dreaming of falling in love, but realizing she is on her own. This isn’t a sad realization in the song, but rather an exciting understanding that there is love all around her in different forms.
Third Place: “Karma”
Another pop hit, this song talks about how satisfying it is that Taylor Swift’s good intentions have been rewarded. Swift has had several celebrity feuds, one of the most notable being Kanye West. This song isn’t necessarily a “revenge” song like in “Reputation,” but is more so acknowledging that Swift endured a lot of ill intent, and has come out the other side better for it.
“Worst” Song: “Labyrinth”
I want to preface this by saying, I don’t think there is a worst song on “Midnights.” Each song has different elements that make it unique and perfect for the album. But if I had to pick one… it would be “Labyrinth.” This song is slow and boring. Nothing attempts to balance out the melodic tones of Swift’s voice, leading to a lullaby-sounding track. It isn’t until the bridge that there is a slight difference in instruments/vocals, but it is not nearly enough to save the song for me.
Although this album isn’t necessarily as black and white as “best” and “worst” songs, these songs are some of the highlights of “Midnights” for me. While this album for the most part lacked the creative wordplay and lyrics featured in “Folklore” and “Evermore,” it does contain pop songs that are overall more upbeat and positive.
Rating: 9/10
