“Midnights” Is it actually good or is it just Taylor Swift?

     Taylor Swift hits the charts once again with her long awaited album, Midnights. The pop album was released on October 21, 2022 and within the week, had already topped charts and broken records. Midnights, a 13 track album, marks the birth of Swift’s independence and self ownership of her discography. 

     Taylor Swift collaborated with the renowned Jack Antonoff to produce their sixth studio album together. The synthesizer was the most dominant sound on this album. Anti-Hero, is the poster child of this album for the synth-pop sound. The synth in this song gives the impression of an 80s dream pop like vibe not unfamiliar to Taylor. The synthesizer sound can be found on numerous Taylor albums such as 1989 and Reputation. Electronic drums are second in line as the first three tracks on the album open with this groovy sound. Karma combines both the synth and electric drums to create a retro yet dreamy sound. Midnight Rain opens with Taylor’s vocals sounding distorted and reverb, something new for Swift’s pop era. Alongside the futuristic vibe, Taylor’s iconic acoustic guitar still lingers on some songs. On her song featuring Lana Del Rey, Snow On The Beach is melodic and a soft guitar sound strums accompanied by pastel vocals. The production of this album sounds crisp and clean. What can one expect from Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift. 

     Taylor’s lyricism on this album is predictable and usual for her music. What’s different about Midnights’ lyrics are the themes they follow. Anti-Hero has poignant lyrics that explore mental health and isolation. The lyrics of, “When my depression works the graveyard shift/All of the people I’ve ghost stand there in the room”, reveal that Taylor’s mental health struggles have left her all alone and isolated. Taylor talks about her depression frequently on this album. This open discussion about mental health allows for listeners to relate and feel heard with their own mental health struggles. Midnights isn’t entirely about depression, Taylor also writes about her love life. Sweet Nothing is dedicated to her boyfriend Joe Alwyn. The song’s lyrics, “I find myself running home to your sweet nothings…You’re in the kitchen humming/All that you ever wanted from me was…nothing”, reveal how Taylor’s boyfriend brings peace and positivity in times of distress. Taylor Swift is notorious for writing about her relationships, but Midnights is most wholesome and heartfelt when it comes to her love life. Midnights is also remarkable in the sense that six out of the thirteen songs have an explicit language warning. All the cuss words represent liberation for Taylor as she is entering a new era in her career. 

     Midnights has received mixed reviews by Taylor Swift fans. On Twitter, reviews mostly praise the album and rave about the commercial success it has amounted. In its first week, ten of the tracks on the album have made it to the Top 100 Billboard Charts. Taylor herself even recognized this as she tweeted, “10 out of 10 on the Hot 100??? On my 10th album??? I AM IN SHAMBLES”, on October 31. According to Slate.com, 1.14 millions copies of the album were sold and vinyl record sales greatly increased. The album has also had one of, if not the biggest release on Spotify. Statistically speaking, Midnights has been successful and overall very popular since its release. However there was some discord over the song Snow On The Beach, featuring Lana Del Rey. The main issue for these people was the fact that although Lana is considered to be featured on the credits, the singer doesn’t actually have a verse. Others also argue that the album isn’t all that and that her previous albums were better. One Twitter user tweeted that the album was overrated and were confused about how that many songs reached high spots on the charts. While some may say that the album is overrated and just not that good, Midnights is made up of new synth sounds and great lyricism that deserves praise. Overall, Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album is honestly a great album that just takes time to really comprehend its amazingness.