-Review-

Artist of the Decade, Taylor Swift, released the 10^th album of her career on Oct. 21, and it is clear why since then, she has taken over the Billboard Top 10 on Hot 100, filling it completely with just her new songs. In the album titled “Midnights,” Swift takes her listeners along a journey of 13 sleepless nights and all the thoughts and experiences which followed. Each song is a story about one of the nights that kept Swift up thinking about what is to come.

Swift looked to advertise her new album by dropping one name of a song on the album every day before the release date. She enjoys dropping “easter eggs” or hints in these song promotions, so many fans were carefully inspecting each detail of the video for any hidden messages. Fans noticed clues that led many to believe there were going to be artists collaborating, traces of old songs inscribed, or even hints of a second album.

To get the full effect of listening to “Midnights” at midnight, I stayed up to listen to the new album the second it dropped. Clearly, I was not the only one with this idea, for both music streaming apps Spotify and Apple Music crashed due to their popular status. I turned the album on shuffle, laid in bed with my eyes closed, and let the music decide what kind of impact it would leave on me.

As a true Taylor fan, I do not think there is any album she could drop that I would not like, and “Midnights“ is no exception. The first song I listened to was “Midnight Rain,” which was the perfect way to start this journey. The subtle synth tones that highlight Swift’s calming voice pair perfectly together, leaving me in a state of comfort and clarity. The lyrics talk about her intertwining journey of fame and love, and how because of her popularity, she sometimes is the heartbreaker. This is a storyline that I cannot relate to, yet I felt a gravitation to this song. Although it is too early to tell for sure, “Midnight Rain” is my favorite song on the album. From the syncopated beats, lowered pitch, perfectly crafted plot and everything in between, I just do not see another song that can compare to all it entails.

Another song that caught my attention was “Lavander Haze.” The echoey and breathy vocals are different than what I am used to in a Taylor Swift song, yet I really enjoyed it. Swift is known for her hard-hitting and playful songs, but “Lavander Haze” is anything but. It is refreshing and light with hints of synths that echo like a tunnel. It is an amazing song to listen to at midnight, for it puts you in a pace of slow motion where everything is still.

Although I did really like the album, there were a few disappointments along the way. Since I like Lana Del Ray, I was really excited to see her name featured in “Snow on the Beach.” However, I was disappointed when listening to the track because you could barely hear her, and she hardly had any of her own lyrics to sing. I am giving Swift the benefit of the doubt on this, for she normally does an excellent job featuring artists that complement the song, but this duet did not do the song justice.

Many fans are starting to take note of Swift’s innovative writing style, or “era” as they like to call it. “Folklore,” “Evermore” and “Midnights” all share the same thought-provoking lyrics. There is a reasoning behind every single word used in each song that ties up the entirety of the story. The maturity of her lyrics is probably owed to the maturity of her age and personality, but it is also linked to a new-found confidence in her writing abilities. In past albums such as “1989” and “Reputation,” fans believe Swift was writing music she thought we wanted to hear, not music she wanted to make. Now that Swift owns her own music and has full creative control over what she writes, a sudden spark has been ignited in Swift, allowing her to produce whatever she wants.

Swift’s new album absolutely swept the global music charts on the first day of its release. The apparent success is very telling of the demanding work and dedication put towards the making of the album. Fans, including myself, are very appreciative of her for giving us something we can fully submerge in during the prolonged day or the peak of the night.