Is Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” Worth The Listen?
November 4, 2022
Taylor Swift has just released a new album and I feel like no one truly knows how to feel.
In my opinion, I love her music but really her old songs from when she was younger. “Folklore” and “Evermore” have slowly crawled up my list of my favorites of her albums. But “Reputation” threw me for a loop. I have waited so long for another Taylor album and if I am being honest, I was a bit disappointed to say the least.
The first song, “Lavender Haze” sets the mood for the rest of the album. At first listen, I thought it was a little boring. It sounds like most of the songs already on the radio. In this song she tries to use excellent lyrics to cover a beat that sounds too pop. In my opinion, the first song of any album needs to stand out to set the tone for the rest of the album. I would rate “Lavender Haze” a 7/10 at best. It is higher because Swift’s song writing skills are beautiful, but it doesn’t sound very original.
Moving swiftly through the album, I want to talk about the last song, “Mastermind.” This song is beautifully written. The lyrics are amazing but again, I feel like the beat takes away from what she is trying to say. It seems like she is trying to write a tune that is extremely catchy, but in doing that she took away from the meaning behind the words. I would rate this song a solid 7.5/10 again because of the lyricism.
My favorite song from her new album has to be the second one, “Maroon.” I think this song was beautifully written. It has just enough of a depressing note where people will want to listen to it on those bad days where they don’t know what to do. But, it also has an fast paced under beat for people who have their life together and just ant to listen to some Taylor Swift.
Swift came out that same night with the album “Midnights (3am Edition)” which was so much better than the original album. This edition added seven songs to the album. These songs were her best ones, in my opinion. They felt more raw and it felt like she was just writing for her and not to try and get listens.
Getting into more detail about the “Midnights” album as a whole, I think it could have used a bit more pizazz. By this I mean it feels like there is lost meaning behind the words. I think that Swift should have added a bit more meaning so it could be related more to the people who really were listening.
Swift has come a long way from her first few albums. But, in my opinion, the first were the best. Her new songs don’t have as much feel to them. They are less tapped into a teenagers life and more adult sounding. Which makes sense, because she is now older and has adult issues and problems. But if she is targeting a large audience, she needs to have a range of the music she is singing.
Albums like “Red”, “1989”, “Speak Now”, and “Fearless” have a sense of teen drama and a youthfulness the newer songs are missing. Although some of her music now is on the heavier side emotionally, it is still hard for teenagers to relate to or truly get a feel for the music. The two more recent albums, “Evermore” and “Folklore”, are very heartfelt pieces of music. Her song “this is my trying” is one of my favorite songs at the moment. From the album “Folklore”, has a beautiful under-beat. It is a very acquired taste of music though. I love music that can be felt on an emotional level, something that I could scream in the car.
Recently, Taylor Swift has announced she will be going on tour. I have been anxiously awaiting by my laptop to be the first to get tickets. You may be wondering, if I didn’t like the album, why am I going? Well, her tour is called an Eras Tour. She will be performing music from all of her past albums and Midnights.
Although her new album is not my favorite, I strongly encourage everyone to go to her tour either in Philadelphia on May 12 and 13, or in East Rutherford New Jersey on May 26 and 27.