Back at the end of August, I had just come home from visiting Erin in Texas and wasn't feeling great. It was Sunday and I figured I'd turn on the MTV Music Video awards show since Taylor was there. I saw her win and went to bed. I woke up the following morning feeling like shit. As I waited for my COVID test results I checked my Instagram to find several messages from my fellow Swifties letting me know Taylor had indeed announced a new album. She hinted at it after winning another award, long after I had gone to bed. So the bad news is I was positive with COVID but the good news is we were getting new Taylor in less than 2 months.
The lead up to the album drop was chaotic and all over the place. She announced the name of song titles via TikTok. There was a bunch of rumors about who the hell NiceBoyEd was and I'm still confused by this weird piece of the puzzle. She never dropped A SINGLE SINGLE in all of the promotion. At least when she surprised us with Folklore and Evermore the albums were released at midnight so we waited less than 24 hours to hear what they sounded like. We didn't even get so much of a clip of what Midnights would sound like. Based on the promo photos I was almost certain it was *finally* a rock album. Have you heard Better Than Revenge? Or that bad ass live version of We Are Never Getting Back Together? Girl NEEDS an entire rock album.
I knew my elder millennial ass would not be able to stay up until midnight, especially when I had to get up and work the following day, so I went to bed at my regular ol' grandma time. This was my Christmas Eve so I already knew I'd sleep like shit and end up waking up earlier than my alarm clock. And I did. Do I know myself or what? So I took a shower a good hour before I normally get up and snuggled in on the couch to listen to Midnights for the first time. But before I listened to a single track I had to look up what her "chaotic 3am surprise" was. MORE SONGS. Of course. Some Swifties guessed it would be a double album and I guess, in a way, it kind of is. I listened to the first original 13 tracks. It was not rock at all. It was rep!! And ya girl has always been a rep stan (it's a no skip album - fight me). So although I was slightly bummed it wasn't rock I was super pumped that our rep baddie was back! I was immediately obsessed with the first 3 tracks. LOVED THEM. I didn't even want to move on to the others but I had to. That track trio was so damn solid. But then I loved the rest of the album too. Was I confused by the opening of Midnight Rain? Yes. Did I freak out at Karma especially the "Karma is a cat..."? Yes. There wasn't a single song I didn't like upon first listen. Of course some ranked much higher than others but overall I was like OK TAY. I listened to the original 13 as I got ready for work.
I left the house much earlier than usual so I could go to Target at 7 AM (5 miles in the opposite direction of my job) just so I could make sure Maggie and I had a copy with the bonus track "Hits Different" which is only available at Target. Not on streaming or anything. Muahaha.
I was a giddy mess driving to work. I was high on life. I was the best version of myself. I was HAPPY. This was the moment I was hoping for when I decided to stick around. This was the moment I was hoping for after the years of work I put in.
I tried to hold it together while at work but I was bouncing in my chair and I'm sure people could tell I was "off", but in a good way. A co-worker casually mentioned listening to Midnights and I squealed. ANOTHER SWIFTIE! I immediately showed her my Taylor earrings and we discussed our new favorites.
It was a beautiful, cool day so I ate lunch outside. I also decided this is when I would listen the the 3 AM tracks. What a lunch! If I was the main character of a movie this is when Hoku's "Perfect Day" would've started playing as the camera pans out for a wide view of Downtown Orlando and you just see me bopping my head.
Below is my song sorter results. GET YOURS. I took this a few days after the album was released but I still feel like this is pretty accurate.
Some explanation of my bottom three:
Would've, Could've Should've - An incredibly powerful song but also a really heavy one. Love the beat, love the anger, love the truth of it but not one I'm seeking out to listen to on repeat.
Sweet Nothing - This is my non-Swiftie Erin's fave song which is saying a lot because she's usually not into anything Taylor puts out (I know, we're sending her to the best doctors because clearly something isn't clicking HA!). It's so cute that she co-wrote it with Joe. It's a beautiful song but compared to the rest of the album its a little boring (for lack of a better word).
Bigger Than The Whole Sky - This is clearly about some kind of huge loss. Since she mentions "would've, could've, should've" in the lyrics I feel like it could be related to that song and the John Mayer of it all. Again, a beautiful song that I listen and sing along to but not one I'm ever going to seek out. It's how a lot of people feel about 'Soon You'll Get Better' or 'Epiphany'. It's cool to see so many relating to it but I wish they wouldn't put their own experiences onto Taylor. IYKYK.
It's a bop of an album. Truly! While the main Midnight tracks gave rep vibes the 3 AM tracks give 1989 vibes - all of which I like BUT my main criticism is the album artwork/aesthetic didn't mesh with the sound of this album for me, whereas all of her others have. The artwork screams 70s rock while the actual music is 80s synth city, which is still taking my brain some getting used to.
The album is far too new for me to know exactly where it ranks. Taylor can't make a bad album so it really just depends on my mood or my current life experiences.
Favorite lyrics:
The 1950s shit they want from me
Lavender Haze
I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser
Midnights become my afternoon
When my depression works the graveyard shift
All of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room
Anti-Hero
Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man
You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them
Vigilante Shit
Break up, break free, break through, break down
You would break your back to make me break a smile
Labyrinth
Karma is a cat
Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat
Me and karma vibe like that
Karma
You know there are many different ways that you can kill the one you love
The slowest way is never loving them enough
High Infidelity
Burn all the files, desert all your past lives
And if you don't recognize yourself
That means you did it right
Dear Reader