Taylor Swift- Midnights
Label: Republic
Producers: Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet, Keanu Beats
The release of Taylor Swift’s tenth studio record is a monumental event for far more than the obvious fact that it’s the latest release from the biggest pop star and most prolific mainstream songwriter of the current moment. Midnights also represents a pivotal and anticipatory moment in the creative arc of the icon’s career thus far. Her next stylistic direction is a major question mark as she follows up her twin set of pandemic albums (2020’s Folklore and Evermore), which saw the inspiration of quarantine shift her away from her more recent bedazzled pop past toward a spectacularly gloomy alternative sound. The overall tone of Midnights doesn’t really sway that aggressively back in either direction, but rather paves down a new path that splits the difference, while also exploring another mix of stylistic tricks. This record is without question her moodiest to date, as she and co-producer Jack Antonoff soak these mysteriously introspective tunes in heavy layers of synth and a coat of R&B inspired bedroom pop. It proves to be a sound very well suited to Swift at this point in her narrative and sonic journey. Her vocals are divine throughout, and the night-struck tone of the production is the perfect setting for her unpacking of all the topics that keep one up at night. This exercise finds her exploring everything from general anxiety and the self-destruction of our own value (“Anti-Hero”) and reckoning with the end of one’s youth (“You’re On Your Own, Kid”) to the refuge we find in our current relationships (“Lavender Haze”, “Snow On the Beach”, and “Sweet Nothing”) and of course, the regrets we’re left with in the aftermath of our past ones (“Question…?” and “Midnight Rain”). And while the moody tones and muted tempos of the record may make the ear-worm moments less obvious, rest assured that they’re here. They’re just more subtle and sly in presentation and sequence, which ultimately makes them all the more rewarding. For instance, the hook of “Anti-Hero” is in all actuality one of the most infectiously biting of Swift’s entire canon, a fact that only grows over time. Meanwhile, the sparkling “Bejeweled” and brash “Karma” up the pop bark of the album considerably, tipping its hat to the 1989 glory of the past, while remaining ever-present in the atmospheric theme of the overall album. And ultimately, it’s that key ingredient that continues to make each progressive entry in Swift’s catalog so continually satisfying: her unmitigated and masterful ability to continually evolve stylistically while still keeping her keen pop charisma and her sharp lyrical craft front and center, regardless of the sonic trappings that surround them. Midnights is another impressive entry in what continues to prove itself as one of the most captivating and vital album catalogs across any era or genre.
Track Listing:
- “Lavender Haze” (Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Zoe Kravitz, Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet, Sam Dew)
- “Maroon” (Swift, Antonoff)
- “Anti-Hero” (Swift, Antonoff)
- “Snow on the Beach” featuring Lana Del Rey (Swift, Antonoff, Lana Del Rey)
- “You’re On Your Own, Kid” (Swift, Antonoff)
- “Midnight Rain” (Swift, Antonoff)
- “Question…?” (Swift, Antonoff)
- “Vigilante Shit” (Swift)
- “Bejeweled” (Swift, Antonoff)
- “Labyrinth” (Swift, Antonoff)
- “Karma” (Swift, Antonoff, Spears, Sweet, Keanu Torres)
- “Sweet Nothing” (Swift, William Bowery)
- “Mastermind” (Swift, Antonoff)
The 706 
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