Midnights Album Review
- Donnut Moonyap
- Jul 21, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 18
Midnights holds a special place in my heart because I experienced it during a listening party with my cousins when it first came out. We were in Bacolod at the time, and we ended up celebrating the album together in the most memorable way possible! It was one of those nights that didn’t need anything extravagant to feel special–just music and that shared excitement with fellow swifties for the new Taylor Swift era.
So I’ve decided to memorialize that experience here in my blog and do a full album review of Midnights! It’s been almost a year since its release, but it’s still been on constant replay in my room ever since.
So grab your comfiest blankets, and meet me at midnight.. we’ve got a whole album to talk about!
Midnights
Artist: Taylor Swift
Year: 2022
Lavender Haze
I was actually surprised when this first track opened the album with such a bright synth-pop sound. Based on the promo, I expected something more melancholic.. almost like a reminiscing, late-night kind of record with that depressed Taylor in a 70s-esque motel aesthetic.
But it did set a tone for the album! It felt fresh, modern, and distinct from her previous eras in a way that was exciting (for me). And I gotta be honest, this was my most-played song in my 2022 Spotify Wrapped.. mostly because I replayed the entire album in order.. repeatedly.
Maroon
We had Red.. now we have Maroon!
Taylor, taking one of her most iconic metaphors and reworking it into something more mature and introspective, is quintessentially her! Genius!
The imagery alone is so vivid: Burgundy. Wine. Blood. Scarlet. Rust. Lips. Rubies. Everything feels deeper, darker, and more lived-in. Oh, how I love her brain!
Anti-Hero
Of course I love Anti-Hero. Are we really surprised?
The song is incredibly catchy, but also, lyrically intriuiging. I mean, who casually puts a line like “covert narcissism I disguise as altruism” into a pop song and somehow makes it work?
The part that always gets me is the: “It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me.” And especially the way she follows “everybody agrees” with that exhausted sigh. It perfectly captures that spiraling moment where you've spent so much time overanalyzing yourself that you just throw your hands up and go, “Fine. I'm the problem!”
There's humor in it, but also a lot of sadness. And I think that's why so many people connected with it. Beneath the memes and the TikTok audios of this, there's a very real anxiety about being your own worst critic
Snow On The Beach (ft. Lana Del Rey)
My sister actually attended the listening party with us mainly for this track because she’s a huge Lana Del Rey fan. So imagine our reaction when we found out Lana was mostly doing backing vocals haha! Looking back, it’s still funny seeing everyone's reactions to that!
Still, there's something about their voices together that works so well. Even with Lana in the background, her presence is felt throughout the track, adding to that dreamy, hazy atmosphere that makes the song very much hers too.
You’re Your Own, Kid
I interpreted this song as Taylor reflecting on her journey through fame, ambition, and everything she had to sacrifice to get where she is. But at the same time, even though it may come from that specific experience of hers, it still speaks to anyone who has ever felt alone while trying to become the person they want to be.
Because oh boy, this song is personal for me.
And that bridge? It went straight through my heart!
Midnight Rain
This track opening with a distorted voice definitely caught me off guard!
This song very much feels like it was written from one of Taylor’s sleepless nights, which I think is the central premise of this album. You can really feel that late-night reflection vibe throughout the track.
“He wanted a bride. I was making my own name.” Oh. Just stab me in the heart, why don't you?
Question…?
Taylor often hides questions in metaphors and flowery language, but in this song, she asks them directly, which feels very different. Definitely a new experience for us Swifties!
This song is good! Not my favorite on the album.. but still really solid. It has its own quiet charm, even if it doesn’t stand out as much for me personally.
Vigilante Shit
Oh, this was my favorite after my first listen of the whole album because it gives very much Reputation vibes!
Opening with “Draw a cat-eye sharp enough to kill a man,” I was like, okay woah.. baddie, we love that!
They say this is about Scooter Braun, and if it is, she definitely just dug up his corpse just to bury him again.. and that is delightful to witness as a Swiftie!
Bejeweled
Glitter pen track!
I love this break from the dusky atmosphere of the album, like a sudden burst of sparkle in the middle of all the midnight overthinking, and of course, it’s a bop.. nothing more to say but it’s a bop!
Labyrinth
Oh, I love this song with all of my heart (I know, I love everything.. but still!)
It feels like anxiety and falling in love too many times rolled into this one track.. that fear, that spiral, that sudden realization, that moment of bracing for impact–all because of love.
It’s like your thoughts running faster than your feelings can keep up, but somehow still soft and beautiful at the same time. I love it!
Karma
We all love a fun song, and this is exactly that!
Every listen is such a fun time, such a delight!
I giggle every time I hear “karma is a cat purring in my lap because it loves me”
Sweet Nothing
Oh, this is such a cute love song, and of course, I fell in love with it. I’m such a sucker for love.. I love love!
Imagine someone loving you and all your “sweet nothings,” and all they want from you is nothing? Nothing but you? Oh, be still my heart!
It’s such a quiet kind of love, but in a way that feels grounding, like being fully accepted without having to perform or prove anything.
Mastermind
Onto the last track from the first release!
Of course, Taylor is a mastermind! Everything is by design, and now you’re mine?! If there’s anyone who can pull that off, it’s her!
I love how the story unfolds in this track; it really just goes to show Taylor’s writing prowess.
Thanks for dropping by! What are your favorite songs from Midnights? I’d love to hear your thoughts, takes, and theories about it too!
D.
Stream it here: SPOTIFY I APPLE MUSIC I YOUTUBE
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