In a 180-degree turn, Taylor Swift has returned to pop music on Oct. 21 with the release of her newest album, “Midnights (3am edition).” The album, co-produced and co-written by Jack Antonoff, was given a historic welcome.
It sold more albums in one day than any other album in 2022 and broke Spotify’s record for the most streams in one day. Swift also surprised fans with additional content, with seven unannounced bonus tracks released three hours after “Midnights.” With “Anti-Hero” already becoming a TikTok anthem, the album is an undeniable feat.
The original “Midnights” album consists of 13 songs with each one representing one of “13 sleepless nights” according to Swift’s explanation on social media. Song after song, “Midnights” does not disappoint.
Every track is pure poetry. With a melodic, dreamy sound and vocals that combine meaning, tone and rhyme as precisely as puzzle pieces, it’s hard not to fall in love with the album. Taylor Swift confidently displays her strengths, from her vivid storytelling in “Maroon” to her unmatched ability to recreate a moment in “Question…?”
Swift further evolved her sound for “Midnights.” Pop has changed since the release of “Lover,” her last pop album from three years ago, and Swift has changed with it. However, it has been left unclear as to why the artist has made the switch. This album is very on trend with its voluminous 80s-synth trope. Top artists like Dua Lipa, The Weeknd and Harry Styles all have hit songs, featuring 80s-synth instrumentals. This sound is new in Swift’s music and it remains a main element of the album. It is highly likely that this was a choice made by Antonoff, who has recently produced an album with The 1975, which also maintained an 80s-synth-pop sound.
This is also Swift’s first post-pandemic album. Her last two albums were made during a time of isolation. It’s possible that reintegrating into the world inspired Swift to make more energetic music. This shift could also be a strategy to firmly establish Swift as a multi-genre artist. She has now flipped from country to pop, then back to folk and now back to pop.
Whatever her reasoning, Swift’s music flourishes in this new sound. Her songs have a new calmness and flow that is very pleasing to the ear. This move has confirmed that Swift can write in either genre in the future and that she is no longer restricted in any way to one genre, nor is there any pressure for her to stay within the boundaries of one genre or another.
The album reads like a poetic diary, brimming with Swift’s insecurities, secrets and joys. During an interview on “The Tonight Show,” Swift claims “Midnights” is her “first directly autobiographical album in a while.” Swift uses her innermost demons as inspiration that infuses each song with an aura of captivating vulnerability.
For example, “Anti-Hero” dives deep into the darkness of Swift’s mind. She writes about feelings of alienation, singing “Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby / and I’m a monster on the hill.” The term “sexy baby” feels like it was written in a struggle to pinpoint one’s own feelings. The awkward phrase might catch listeners off guard at first, but it speaks true to the nature of the album. The term may stem from the feeling of reaching 30 years old, or the feeling that those without Swift’s worldwide fame retain an innocence she can never regain. Either way, the lyric is still relatable, as isolation is a common experience.
Although the song’s theme is serious, there is a spirited tone that invites listeners to joke around with lyrics like “It’s me / Hi / I’m the problem, it’s me.” Swift balances darkness and humor through playful self-deprecation and listener engagement, in order to make a complex, enjoyable song.
Other tracks like “Snow on the Beach,” featuring Lana Del Rey, and “Sweet Nothings” bring a softer energy to the album that is very welcoming. Lana Del Rey’s voice in “Snow on the Beach” is beautiful in the background. Even though it only floats in the background, her voice serves an important role in the song’s vocal balance. Lana’s voice has a bit more depth than what Swifts’ bell-like voice is capable of communicating. Her voice adds a morose tone that parallels the main line, “weird but fucking beautiful.”
“Sweet Nothings” is the only track not co-written by Antonoff. Instead, the song is a collaboration between Swift and her partner, William Bowery. This song is a slight deviation from the album’s main focus of recollection on the past to honor the present. She writes, “Outside they’re push and shoving / You’re in the kitchen humming / All that you ever wanted from me was / sweet nothing.” Swift depicts a calm, peaceful life next to soft piano and humming that leaves listeners focusing on the little pleasures of life.
“Midnights (3am edition)” offers a new approach to the pop genre. Swift has managed to balance relaxed dreamy instrumentals with bone-chilling poetic accounts of pain, insecurities, and the best and worst parts of relationships, all while keeping her songs fun to listen. It’s beautifully written and emotionally complex, and it is an album that will come to define music for this moment in time.
Emma McCandless is an Entertainment Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. She can be reached at emccandl@uci.edu.