Midnights

 

Taylor Swift's new album, Midnights, was released on 21 October and has been met with glowing praise and impressive chart success, breaking records including some of her own.  It has sold over 3 million copies worldwide, making it the best debut of her career so far.  The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and Taylor became the first artist in history to occupy all top 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 with a single album release.  According to Entertainment Weekly, on 22 October, just one day after release, "the album had already notched the single-largest sales week for a vinyl album since Luminate began tracking such sales in 1991" and ended the week "with a record-breaking 575,000 units sold".

There are four versions of the album on vinyl, namely mahogany, jade green, moonstone blue and blood moon, each of which has a beautiful color and unique cover art and booklet.  I opted for the mahogany edition in addition to the deluxe lavender edition CD which includes three bonus tracks, including the Strings Remix of You're On Your Own, Kid and a Piano Remix of Sweet Nothing.   But if I'm totally honest, I'm probably going to collect all four editions.

Taylor has described the album as “the story of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life,” and “a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams.” I wasn't sure what to expect and, while I loved folklore and evermore, I was concerned that it would be an extension of those nostalgic and at times somber ballads.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the return of pop Taylor (experimenting with dream pop, electronica and synth pop) but storytelling Taylor is still very much present - and that combination is what makes her music so appealing.

Here is my ranking of the 13 tracks from the album:

13.  Sweet Nothing (my least favorite track on the album - not because it's bad; it just doesn't grab me as much as the others do)

12.  Labyrinth (a soft and breathy ballad about finding love after heartbreak)

11. Question...? (a catchy song about a "good girl, sad boy" and "wrong choices" and "miscommunications" with a bridge that reminds me of Blank Space)

10.  Snow On The Beach (an understated dream pop ballad featuring vocals from Lana Del Rey)

9.  Mastermind (a fitting conclusion to the album and a track which Time Magazine says is "representative of the album overall in its whirring arpeggiator, honeyed harmonies, and expansive bass")

8.  Karma (an almost soothing yet bubbly track that explores Taylor's interpretation of Karma, including a references to Karma being a "relaxing thought" that is "sweet like honey")

7. You're On Your Own, Kid (the start of the track is lyrically and stylistically reminiscent of one of her earlier eras such as Speak Now or Red and gradually transforms to a satisfying alt-pop ballad)

6.  Maroon (Cosmopolitan points out that marron is a darker shade of red and the track appears to be a more cynical version of Taylor's Red. I also love the reference to dancing barefoot in New York and "cheap-ass screw-top rosé")

5.  Midnight Rain (I love Taylor's pitched down voice at the beginning of the song and in the chorus)

4.  Bejeweled (a sparkly synth-pop track about Taylor reaffirming her self-worth with the fantastic anthemic lines: "Best believe I'm still bejeweled / When I walk in the room I can still make the whole place shimmer")

3.  Lavender Haze (the brilliant uptempo opening track that references an "all-encompassing love glow" and an introductory invitation to meet Taylor at midnight)

2.  Vigilante Shit (I was hooked from the opening line "Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man" and I am obsessed with Taylor speaking her dark narrative of revenge over a heavy bass and trap beat)

1.  Anti-Hero (the lead single from the album featuring the iconic line "It's me.  Hi.  I'm the problem", the song is a poignant exploration of anxiety and insecurities with a catchy rhythm)