Identifying with music can sometimes feel like baring your soul to the world. It’s vulnerable, candid, and often reveals aspects of your character that you’d like to keep buried. Art tends to do this whether we acknowledge it or not. The kind of music we listen to informs others how we see the world. Through the years, Taylor Swift has discovered how to use her own vulnerability to elicit genuine responses from super-fans and casual listeners alike. Her greatest demonstration of this is found within her latest album that was released on Oct. 21, “Midnights.”
The album “Midnights” stands in stark contrast to other albums, being Swift’s most personal work yet. The concept for this collection is that each song was written during a different time in Swift’s life; however, they all revolve around anxious overthinking and sleepless nights.
Swift writes in “Mastermind” how she used scheming and planning to make it seem like her relationship with her boyfriend began by accident. She then highlights her insecurities that bare their ugly face under the cloak of night in “Anti-Hero.” In another fan favorite, “Midnight Rain,” she relives her decision to take the career-oriented path instead of becoming someone’s bride.
While her 2008 album “Fearless” is a field of daisies and 2012’s “Red” is the lingering sting of deep heartbreak, “Midnights” reaches the same demographic but this time with a mature edge. Swift is much more critical of herself in “Midnights” compared to other albums. She approaches the root of her problems by stating them clearly for all the world to see. Her honesty allows readers to identify with her even more.
If the album “1989” is a rooftop party in New York City, “Midnights” is what’s left when everyone goes home. Swift creates in our minds an apartment bathed in deep violet, no other sound present than the thoughts she allows to run rampant in her mind. Her writing emphasizes just how frightening it can be to leave the busy day behind and face the night.
“Midnights” is for the listeners who don’t sleep, those who stay up beyond reasonable hours contemplating the fact they might be the evil in their own narrative. These hours make way for regret, an emotion that has been highlighted in Swift’s discography many times before.
One thing I noticed during my first listen is how easy it is to pinpoint when the songs were written. “Midnight Rain” was likely written during “1989’s” time. The storyline of the song clings to the theme of “high class independence” that is so prevalent in “1989.” “High Infidelity” would fit in perfectly with either “Folklore” or “Evermore.” It carries a melancholy tune with lyrics that encourage listeners to elaborate on the story in their minds.
In “Karma,” Swift references her past experiences of doing good and receiving good in return. This song meditates on repercussions, both for Swift and for those who have wronged her in the past. The stories found in “Midnights” are narratives that Swift fans are well informed of and allow further clarity about her life.
Swift is good at incorporating just enough fiction into her works to allow a semblance of privacy. By writing tales of revenge and adventure, she maintains enough embellishment so fans aren’t able to assume they know every detail. This is an important part of living a healthy life, and is something I respect and admire about her.
While Swift released “Midnights” at 32 years old, I would dare to say that this album can be remarkably relatable for the college scene. We are discovering who we are, and as we do this we can identify more with each lyric written. As college students, we understand that sleepless hours are inevitable, but filling them with good company makes all the difference.
With songs such as “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” we can feel like Swift is an older friend or sibling giving us advice and telling us how she would do things differently. In a way, it feels as if she is looking to our generation and telling us not to waste our youth on what doesn’t matter. She acknowledges that there will be those who tear you down regardless of how you present yourself. “Midnights” applauds living originally and staying true to your character.
The entirety of the song “Dear Reader” focuses on how to navigate relationships with people we encounter in everyday life. Swift advises us to “bend when you can” and only “snap when you have to.” She then finishes out the song by letting the listener, or “reader,” know that she might not be the best “guiding light” to follow. Even so, we know through her previous works that she has some credibility since she has faced many relatable difficulties. She had to discover who she was, and is now able to steer us past unnecessary trials on our way to character growth.
In college, we sometimes struggle to maintain identity while creating the person we aspire to be. Change is necessary, but pretending to be someone else never ends well. We should work towards building the best version of ourselves without destroying the progress our past mistakes created. Learning from things past is the only way to move forward.
Every time I listen to this album, I feel proud. I listen to the songs and can think back to moments in my life that contributed to who I am today. The songs Taylor has written in reflection are a gift. They allow me and numerous others to see our progress toward who we want to be.
To me, “Midnights” is art, but it is also hope for the future.
Well written and insightful