By Maddie Bimonte
Midnights marks Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album as she revisits her pop roots and weaves together inspiration from past albums. Upon first listen, it truly wasn’t in my top favorite albums by Swift, and I struggled to enjoy certain songs on the album. Yet, upon multiple re-listens, I can say that this album might be one of her most clever projects to date.
After the transition to folk music on the albums Folklore and Evermore, Swift grew her ever massive fan base even further, and it seemed tremendously difficult for her to gravitate back into the pop world. However, Swift did what she does best, using a collage of her most recent albums to create this new sound. Hints of Lover are evident in the album opener “Lavender Haze,” while spots of the Grammy-winning album 1989 shine through on “Question…?”. The album is written as an homage to old Swift fans, and many can appreciate the parallels drawn.
Some of the highlights of the album have to be “Anti-Hero,” the bouncy and strut-able chorus of “Karma,” the tension building on the bridge of “Mastermind,” and the storytelling and drums on “The Great War.” Even further, the 3am extension of the tracklist features seven more songs, even bringing up topics like the dysfunctional relationship between Swift and John Mayer on “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve.”
All in all, the album has a very nostalgic feel, and—while the lyrics may not have the same depth as prevalent on her previous folk albums—it retains that pop feel that we’re so used to with Swift. Pop at its core is supposed to be digestible, fun, and relaxing, something Swift knows “all too well.”
For Swift fans, it’s hard to dislike an album made by the pop icon. Now, we just wait for the next inevitable re-release to enjoy Swift once again.
