‘Midnights’ is arguably Taylor Swift’s most mature work yet
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Since the release of her debut album in 2006, Taylor Swift has revolutionized the music industry and pushed herself as an artist to continuously reinvent her sound. Swift is the only artist to win Album of the Year three times at the Grammy Awards. And she did so with three albums each in a different genre — country, pop and alternative.
But Swift didn’t change her tried and true writing process or experiment with new genres in her 10th studio album, “Midnights.” Instead, she entered into a new, more mature phase, which is reflected in her narrative style.
Swift described “Midnights” as a compilation of 13 sleepless nights throughout her life, each marked by their own emotional turmoil. Each track examines different places Swift has found herself in, from self-loathing and insecurity, to raw regret and the emotional journey of falling in love and heartbreak. And throughout it all, Swift maintains her lyricism, storytelling and sound in a matured, pensive manner.
But after setting the bar so high with previous albums such as “1989,” “Red” and “Lover,” “Midnights” fails to deliver groundbreaking content. Without much reinvention, it just reminds you of other Taylor Swift albums you’d rather listen to. Compared to other giants in Swift’s discography, “Midnights” falls in the middle of the road, neither excelling nor falling short.
The themes in “Midnights” are great — Swift reflects on her self-loathing, revenge and relationships. The hooks are strong and the writing is still top notch. But the songs don’t stay vivid in your brain. That said, maybe that’s the point of the album — the painful thoughts you have at midnight don’t stay with you after you fall asleep.
Swift curses in several songs on “Midnights,” which is a noticeable shift. Though it brings levity to tracks like “Snow on the Beach” and “Maroon,” hearing Swift curse is like hearing your fourth grade teacher curse.
“Lavender Haze” is one of her best opening songs to an album. It represents the feeling of being in a euphoric love, presumably about her long term boyfriend Joe Alwyn, who co-wrote “Sweet Nothing” with Swift. In addition to reflecting on her current, successful relationship, Swift looks back on failed relationships and the emotional turmoil associated with them in songs “Maroon” and ‘Midnight Rain.”
Another memorable track, “You’re on Your Own Kid,” examines the poignant pursuit of affection and love from herself and others. Swift describes how she made self-love an unattainable goal by constantly finding fault with who she was and how she looked, even alluding to disordered eating. In the lyrics “I hosted parties and starved my body / Like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss,” Swift faces the flaws of her past and comes to accept that she’ll never be able to change certain parts of herself.
Swift has been in the public spotlight since she was 16, and shows that she has aged alongside her listeners in “Midnights.” The album is reflective of her younger years, but doesn’t show much regret for her past, which is a healthy approach. The album also mirrors how her fanbase has grown, as many of them have grown up with her.
While “Midnights” doesn’t hit the initial expectations, it should age well over time, similar to her 2018 album, “Lover.” The story concept of “Midnights” is also executed fabulously, and the album may be interpreted differently and probably more favorably in the years to come.
