Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album, “Midnights,” has been greatly anticipated since its release announcement Aug 29. Described by Swift as a compilation of “stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life,” the album pairs her notoriously crafted lyrics with 1980s inspired synth-pop music.
“This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams, the floors we pace and the demons we face,” Swift said upon announcing the release, “[‘Midnights’ is] for all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit – hoping that just maybe, when the clock strikes twelve, we’ll meet ourselves.”
The album’s tracklist was revealed through Swift’s video series, “Midnight’s Mayhem With Me.” In each edition, Swift discussed the significance of her songs and their titles. In these videos, she revealed the authenticity of the album, as the majority of songs are based on Swift’s own experiences. The first installment of the series deals with the album’s most streamed song, “Anti-Hero.”
“Track 3, ‘Anti-Hero’ is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. I really don’t think I have delved this far into my insecurities in this detail before,” Swift stated in her first installment of the series, “[‘Anti-Hero’ represents] all of those aspects that we either like or hate about ourselves, but regardless, we have to come to terms with. I like ‘Anti-Hero’ a lot. I think it’s really honest.”
The album’s dreamy indie counterpart, “Snow On The Beach,” was another fan-favorite, partly due to fellow artist Lana Del Rey’s contribution. The song’s soft and contemporary nature set it apart from the majority of the album’s tracks. Rumored to be inspired by Swift’s partner of six years, Joe Alwyn, “Snow On The Beach” captures the essence of a relationship’s first stage.
“‘Snow On The Beach’ featuring Lana Del Rey is Track 4 of ‘Midnights,’ and I cannot get through that sentence without grinning,” Swift said, “The song is about falling in love with someone at the same time as they are falling in love with you, in this sort of cataclysmic, fated moment. You look around asking ‘Is this real? Is this a dream?’ sort of like you would if you saw snow falling on a beach,”
Upon its release Oct 21, “Midnights” quite literally broke streaming platforms, with millions of eager listeners causing Spotify to glitch and shut down for a short period of time. The album has received extremely positive reviews, including a perfect score of 100 from The Independent. “Midnights,” in its entirety, is available on all music platforms as well as on YouTube.
