It seems like 2022 has Taylor Swift engraved on it, and not just because of her hit song, “22”.
Midnights, Swift’s 10th studio album, recently released in October, has shattered record after record, amassed more digital and physical sales than any other album of the year, dominated all top 10 spots of the Billboard Hot 100, effortlessly picked up rave reviews from critics and further solidified her massive fanbase; all before the Grammy season had even started.
Inspired by 13 “sleepless nights”, the album centers around self hatred, plotting of revenge, circulating about what ifs, falling in love and mutual collapse. Swift and her long-time collaborator, Jack Antonoff, perfectly encapsulated the dark and moody hour with muted synths, shimmering chords and touches of ambiance with vocal effects; pairing a woozy sound with Swift’s soothing vocals at the center of the revel.
As Swift described herself, Midnights, is about, “reflection, not reinvention”. Swift profits from her long career by unifying different facets into a joint concept. Maroon, for example, takes off where she left off from her previous album, Red(Taylor’s Version) by introducing a richer hue, highlighting the depth of newfound maturity.
Midnights seamlessly explores Swift’s alter egos, most notably shown in her single Antihero, the alluring side that she flaunts in front of cameras, and her own fallible mortality; proving that the icon is as human as the rest of us: prone to mistakes and vulnerability. Swift’s transparency is most commendable when she shows us her old battle scars: in You’re On Your Own, Kid, she croons about her previous eating disorders and her reliance on approval from others.
Her newest album may be the lushest and most sophisticated yet; Swift’s genuine honesty and self reflection produces a refreshing glimpse away from celebrity glamorization and settles into the cozy warmth of home. As a young female adolescent myself, Swift offers solace to fans all over the world that femininity doesn’t necessarily mean cruising into relationships and acting “sexy”, as she penned in Midnight Rain, where Swift chooses her career over a possible love interest.
Swift masterfully rakes through impressive storylines with vivid imagery and poetically candid lyrics. Gems like Bejeweled inspire us to be our own diamonds, Karma displays the sweetness of settling into a peaceful mindset and Sweet Nothing demonstrates that true intimacy stems from the courage to be yourself.
No one but Swift knows what the Mastermind has in store for 2023. Either way, Taylor Swift has her name written in the history books, and the music industry enthralled in her Lavender Haze.
- Photo Credit to Taylor Swift Official Store
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