On Midnights, Taylor Swift again shows her ability to refine and adapt over time, honing her craft yet further.
Given that this is her tenth studio album and she has become more than just an artist but an enigma and brand, almost separate to the name Taylor. In the pandemic, Swift released her two phenomenal albums folklore and evermore that saw her dive into different sounds and new genres, arm in arm with The National and Bon Iver. Given her ability to pivot and reinvent, there is a huge amount of mystery and intrigue around every release – no more so than for Midnights. This record, released blind in its entirety is a concept record – on the 13 songs, Swift creates “a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams.” The thoughts are no huge departure from what has kept the songwriter up at night for her previous nine albums, but there is an increasing degree of vulnerability into Swift’s own psyche, rather than just drawing upon the emotions caused by her break-ups, in isolation.
On the record, Swift – for the first time – recorded the entire project with her long-time collaborator, Jack Antonoff and his production is evident throughout, as the duo explore moodier tones and sounds for her musings at this late hour, exploring interesting and sounds and atmospheres – from the moody ‘Midnight Rain’ to the celestial ‘Labyrinth’ and a return to her pop sensibilities on ‘Anti-Hero.’ More than anything, the record is immense fun with many references to her earlier tracks – ‘Vigilante Shit’ could have fallen off the pages of Reputation, ‘Sweet Nothings’ from Lover and ‘Snow on the Beach’ from evermore. Midnights is a sonic indulgence from start to finish, a record to live with and a love letter to fans – none more so than on Mastermind, where the line, “I swear/I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian ’cause I care,” could be the leading line for Swift and her brand itself. It will be interesting to see in which direction Swift will now pivot, and whether this is the culmination of her work with Antonoff or just the stepping point to further entire collaborations.
