ranking my favorite 'midnights' tracks in order of greatness
In honor of Taylor Swift's fresh release
Every swiftie’s most anticipated day on planet earth is when Taylor Swift releases a new album that signifies a new era. The whole world just waits patiently to stop and listen! And this year, Taylor Swift yet again took us by surprise when she announced during the VMAs that a new album is on the way.
Now on its much-awaited release, we put behind us her autumnal, sad girl Red rerecords and her wistful, cottagecore folklore/evermore duology to a new crisp sound that alternately resembles between Lorde’s and Lana Del Rey’s style but completely and authentically showing Taylor’s best: her ability to vividly tell stories through sound and lyrics.
Based on my own listening party (and unsolicited opinion), here are my preferences ranked in order of greatness!
You’re On Your Own, Kid
Clearly drawing reference to Speak Now’s Never Grow Up, Taylor takes us to a mellow symbolism of adulthood a step further. She narrates the loneliness of being an adult and the feeling of singularity in the world. The want and need for a companion; of someone to coexist just right there with you; while feeling all alone, is definitely the combination that this song was going for.
12-11. Vigilante Shit and Karma
I wanted to categorize both songs because they have similar vibrations. Lyrics-wise and sound-wise, this feels like an extension of Reputation. In these two songs, Taylor winks at us that her rebellious and devil-may-care side still exist. She clearly forgives and never forgets.
Maroon
Taylor is known for her vivid songwriting. Like pictures or colors, she likens her lyrics to certain imageries and Maroon is not far from that. In here, she painted us memories and pivotal moments shared with her lover in this particular deep hue.
Question..?
Taylor’s curiosity of the delicateness of her new relationship with her lover manifests in this track. She goes from curious cat to anxiously questioning “Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room?” like she only did with him; hoping and wondering she was a brand new person and experience to her lover, unlike the ones who came before her.
Midnight Rain
At the first listen, Midnight Rain is strangely new. You can hear a reverb of Taylor murmuring or mumbling words at the majority of the track and yet as it progresses, sounds sensual to the ear. If this song had a sibling, it would be False God— her jazzy song from her Lover album.
Bejeweled
Though seemingly upbeat, we hear traces of Mirrorball in Bejeweled. Trying her best to show her best foot forward, tinged with the insecurity of her outward, performative public life, she assures she’s still in her best shape even in a crowded room.
Labyrinth
Airy and contemplative, Taylor is hyperaware of her finally falling in love and giving into it. Here, she is nervous yet willing to jump in on the kind of love she is hoping for. Is she ready or not? Only she can answer. But one thing is for sure, she’s “falling in love, oh no, falling in love again”.
Mastermind
By far one of my top favorites, Taylor’s poetry is heavily emphasized in this track. She picks metaphors from space, and the universe, and the overall serendipitous moment of having the kind of love that is meant for you. No matter how long and arduous the journey to finding love, she declares “What if I told you none of it was accidental?” The famous quote affirms with this track that what’s meant for you won’t ever miss you.
Lavender Haze
We get a glimpse of Taylor’s indie/pop side in Lavender Haze. Masked in heavy beats, her signature sighs, and sampling Lorde’s Hard Feelings/Loveless song from Melodrama, she takes us into her efforts to protecting the bubble of her private romantic relationship. There is the anxiety of maintaining and protecting its momentum but also there is the beautiful and honest admission of, “I've been under scrutiny, You handle it beautifully”. Joe Alwyn, you’re definitely the King of her heart.
Anti-Hero
The beginning beats sound closely alike to Post Malone’s and Swae Lee’s cheery Sunflower but in Anti-Hero, Taylor throws punches in the air. There is an angst and a kind of anger that she describes in this song; of her tendency to be a villain in her own story. And I think we have all been there: we’ve pushed people away, we’ve beaten ourselves up, and she’s right, these intrusive and negative thoughts of destroying ourselves can be exhausting. Anti-Hero is indeed a perfect Midnights single. The overthinking night owls do during late nights has been honestly captured in this track.
Snow On The Beach (feat. Lana del Rey)
From the get-go, we are greeted by the Christmassy tune of Snow On The Beach. This is my top second favorite because as Taylor has explained, it is a song about two people falling in love at the same moment. To have a song that catches the very moment of realizing the other person feels the same way about you too? Who would uniquely make a song like that, I won’t even know, but Taylor pulled that off. And having Lana being featured in this track is a cherry on top!
Sweet Nothing
I may be biased when I say that this is my ultimate choice in the album because William Bowery, aka, Joe Alwyn, has co-written this particular song but beyond that, I find this song to be the sweetest among all of the tracks. The song tenderly gives us a peek of what it’s like to come home to someone amidst the chaos of life. Taylor finds the sweet nothings, the simplicity and normalcy of being with Joe to be the most precious of all and I think that is just genuinely romantic and beautiful.
Taylor has definitely done it again. Her constant growth and experimentation with new sounds has taken us into a different dimension. It may sound new but that’s just because she wants to grow from her previous works. A no-brainer, this album deserves 5 shining stars.
Now I’ll have to say au revoir, brb, while I go hide in my room and dance and cry over Midnights!
Download and Save the full Midnights album on Spotify or Apple Music.