Midnights
Taylor Swift
2022
On her tenth studio album, the biggest pop star of media’s infatuation delivers a milestone project that ties in aspects of all her eras that only her fans will truly understand.
Bedroom Pop/dream Pop/Synth-pop
BY DA’SHAN “NIGHTSHAWN101” SMITH
JANUARY 29, 2024
If anything, 2023 had undeniably been the year of Taylor Swift– whether you wanted to admit that or not. From the stadium Eras Tour that acknowledged all ten of her studio albums– including Midnights ; to the release of two re-recordings that celebrated varying stages of her music transition of genres; to a Hollywood-meets-Barbaric-Sports showmance that might have Super Bowl viewers on more alert than the actual game. 2023 felt like the first year where Taylor Swift was the one and only pop star that got media hype adjacent to Michael Jackson levels. Even if you don’t listen to her music, you know who TF she is at this point.
But sometimes, oversaturation can be as it means: Just a bit too much! While Taylor Swift occupies her land of Swifties, her exposure is being overdone in the world at large. Personally speaking as someone that works in the music journalism field– covering primarily mainstream pop music at that– I try as hard as possible to avoid Taylor Swift. Although I engage in the discourse because she’s a trending topic (and I actually respect her artistry and have my absolute favorite gems [hello “Willow” as well as the ‘folklore’ album]) – anything that could remotely remind me of Taylor Swift is muted via social media. That even includes the words “Kansas City” and “Chiefs”...
And to be clear, it’s actually not her fault. It’s actually the media’s fault… The very field that I am a part of. Because of the media, I even felt inclined to do this review just in time for The Grammys– where she’s more than likely going to win ‘Album of the Year’ for Midnights. Potentially breaking the record as the artist with the most wins in the category, at that…
But even as I treat this as an assignment, more than a year after its October 2022 release, I can’t but help to find myself in a similar situation with Taylor Swift as a critic. Damn, she gets it again! The older and wiser she gets– and the more we grow up with her– she’s mastering her sound to the point of wondering “what will she do next?”
In their review of Midnights, ‘Pitchfork’ sub-headlined their official opinion of the album with a subjectively incorrect summarization. “More interested in setting atmosphere than chasing trends,” claimed the publication, “Taylor Swift’s 10th album pursues a newly subdued and amorphous pop sound.” The publication gave the album a 7.0, which on their scale is a rating of average without getting into too much trouble with hollering stans. And oddly enough, I find myself not only having to defend what Taylor Swift has accomplished on Midnights, but also calling out the danger of courting engagement for the sake of survival.
While the sound on Midnights is in fact atmospheric, it does indeed chase trends more than anything else. However that factor of this specific LP does feel intentional. Throughout, Midnights we’re not only greeted by the production of Jack Antonoff (who has been on her faithful team since 2014’s 1989 opus), but also the sounds of bedroom pop. Bedroom pop as a genre has been on the rise since the early 2010’s. And let’s be forreal, we’ve all probably dated or crushed on a douche, wannabe musician who felt as though bedroom pop was the answer to jumpstarting a fruitful career.
From the likes of Clairo to Broods– even trickling down to Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS – “bedroom pop” has been the sound of the previous decade into now. And you know who brought that sound to the forefront of the mainstream? Taylor Swift… (see her 2017 album, reputation )
Lo-fi in its nature– sometimes capturing the genre elements of dream pop, Midnights plays as a thirteen track endeavor of the countless, sleepless nights where Taylor Swift woke up at that quintessential time to pour her heart out. In the beginning of the album, on “Lavender Haze,” she ropes her fans into the concept by slyly saying “Meet me at midnight.” From there we’re given a post-disco-adjacent tune where she doesn’t care about the media scrutiny she receives for her hopeless romantic endeavors the paparazzi and blind-item-whispers eavesdrop on. On “Midnight Rain” there is a winding loop that ticks and tanks with off-beat clapping, as she rejects the notion of becoming a bride during a time of “chasing that fame.” The atmospheric sounds of a sparkling star glimmering can be heard in the earworm entitled, “Karma,” where she announces that the word is actually her “boyfriend.”
Midnights alludes to the morning time often– as heard on “Maroon”– but it still captures a darkness present on most of the album. “And I chose you/The one I was dancing with/In New York, no shoes,” she sings as an Easter egg she enjoys planting about her dating life throughout her discography post- 1989. In dramatic primetime TV fashion of the early 2000s, Swift captures the cosmopolitan sound of the Big Apple, describing haziness that connects back into “Lavender Haze.” Throughout the album, she remains committed to a character she’s cultivated since going full pop on her fourth studio album that garnered her much acclaim.
Throughout Midnights, we’re experiencing a Taylor Swift that knows her brand and doesn’t want to stray away from that. Bits and pieces of the album strategically tie back into her previous eras. From “Midnight Rain” having a reverb that traces back to “Babe” from the Red (Taylor’s Version Vault) re-recording; to “Vigilante Shit” bringing about her villainous qualities of reputation ; to her Lana Del Rey collab “Snow On The Beach” borderlining the sisterhood of folklore and evermore ; while “You’re On Your Own Kid” appropriately approaches the country-pop-gal innocence displayed on “You Belong With Me” from 2008’s Fearless .
While Taylor Swift immerses herself in the universe she’s crafted on Midnights, what becomes “haunting” is not the idea that she’s “oh no… fallen in love again,” as she frankly divulges on “Labyrinth.” It’s that she’s exhausted and burned out. Much of her vocal performance is dry, drawn out and monotone. In fact, she lets the production work of Jack Antonoff do the work to make her pieces of music bright. Taylor, herself, seems just about running out of steam. Probably a fatigue from having to sew down her own legacy– even if that means having to re-record six albums as a reclamation of her masters. Midnights in general feels like a “here, damn” type of project to her Swifties, who will never truly realize the album’s commentary until they themselves are burned with the consequences of staying alive in a vulturous career.
Oddly enough, the biggest hit of the album is “Anti-Hero,” where she exclaims “It’s me! Hi! I’m the problem, it's me!” The beginning of 2023– and then the MTV VMAs– experienced an obnoxious pop hit displaying her insecurities to the fullest. Taylor Swift admits that she deals with body dysmorphia as well as the anxiety of what others think of her. After hearing it a few times, it becomes a relic of what makes pop music listenable and enjoyable. Just like Rihanna’s 2016 album implies, this is the Anti-form of Taylor Swift– and she sounds her best when tapping into that spirit. Somehow, Midnights not only provides that rebellious nature, it continues the journey without ever becoming stale.
is included as one of the
“Lavender Haze” for setting the tone of the album, and for its addictive chorus. There is also a great remix by Jahaan Sweet that captures this feeling even better.
“Vigilante Shit” for being edgy and unapologetic– if anything it hints at where Taylor Swift could go next for her eleventh album.
“Snow On The Beach” for giving us a collab between Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift, which not only sounds magical, but also gives us a marriage of two “New Americana Pop” Queens.
Key Tracks
In Other News:
On the surface this may seem like any other Taylor Swift album where she discusses her romances gone right and wrong. While we’ve grown as an audience to understand that is her shtick, the musicality can still be appreciated for what it is. In her most subtle nature, Taylor Swift is still advancing her sound. However, she’s just had better than ‘Midnights,’ and any Swiftie would be able to acknowledge that. Ironically enough, even though I may not agree with how ‘Pitchfork’ got to their slightly-above-average of 7.0, it’s actually right on the money when scoring this album. A ‘B’ for this publication is considered slightly-above-average. Especially when we start comparing works within an artist’s own discography– or their relative genre. Simply put, Taylor Swift has had better in her collection.