Following two stellar offerings as a timeless folk songwriter, role model to self-loathing white girls everywhere, Taylor Swift, returns wearing her pop star hat, to mixed results. Olivia Hannant picks the album apart track by track.
On the most significant release day of the year, Swift released her 10th studio album, Midnights, described by herself as, ‘snapshots of thirteen sleepless nights throughout her life’. The project reverts back to her electronic pop style and steers away from what was referred to as the folkloric woods of her past two releases. Although calculated and mature, whilst still possessing an aura of folklore and evermore, I cannot help but feel somewhat underwhelmed by this offering.
As someone with a significant relationship with Swift’s discography, a selection of songs from this project were enjoyable but overall it lacked substance and, in places, the lyricism was nonsense and not to Swift’s usual standard. However, it is clear producer Jack Antonoff had a field day on this project as the production is crisp and excellently executed, as he excels, as usual.
"Although calculated and mature, whilst still possessing an aura of folklore and evermore, I cannot help but feel somewhat underwhelmed"
We open with Lavender Haze, (a phrase that was often used when referring to being in love in the 50s). An airy and fresh synth-pop track full of vengeance and a desire to revolt, this track is a strong start. The second track, titled Maroon, lacks comparatively, whilst being a clever twist on Swift’s ongoing colour theory about love throughout her work, possessing an aura of her ‘Reputation era’. In terms of melody, it felt repetitive and nothing of notable quality.
Anti-Hero, underneath the glockenspiel and synths, is nuanced and possesses some poignant lines but also some questionable lyricism. ‘Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby’ stumped listeners and has proved very divisive among fans.
This is followed by a much-anticipated collaboration with Lana Del Rey. Snow on the beach was a track that presented Swift the opportunity to write the magnum opus sad girl songs, and though wintery, this song drags, especially when you're waiting for Lana’s verse that just does not come.
The emerging fan favourite, You’re On Your Own Kid, a self-proclaimed ‘eldest daughter anthem’, possesses a bridge which can only be described as the feeling of driving with the windows down. The clarity of Swift’s vocals really stand out on this track and her vivid storytelling is highlighted throughout. The almost-title-track, Midnight rain, seems a strange choice for this album, with the use of distorted vocals making Swift sound androgynous and unrecognisable. The main chorus is lyrically basic and somewhat cliche, whilst the sonic jump just seems out of place and an odd choice for the track.
Seventh track, Question..?, is a personal highligh. With the interpolation of the opening line to Out Of The Woods, (taken from 2014's 1989), with ‘I remember’ and the further reference to Style, ‘good girl, sad boy’, this track is laced with references to previous album 1989. This syrupy pop offering feels the most cohesive yet and fits well into the rest of Swift’s discography.
In contrast, the crazed revenge fantasy that is Vigilante Shit feels arrogant and is by far my least favourite track off the album. Many believe Swift has already perfected her brooding female rage song in the form of Mad Woman, so an odd approach to almost weaponize femininity. Followed up by Bejeweled, which feels as if she dismembered her previous release Mirrorball, the lyricism throughout is hugely cliche and unrefined, lacking in structure with the same repeated drum machine throughout and the random placement of the lyric ‘Nice!’ feeling unnecessary and callow.
"Followed up by Bejeweled, which feels as if she dismembered her previous release Mirrorball, the lyricism throughout is hugely cliche and unrefined"
The harmonious vocals of Labyrinth were enjoyable, paired with dreamy synths yet the same basic lyricism proved disappointing. Karma presented an infectious energy with Swift creating a catchy melody which shows off her higher range excellently. Although soft-sounding, Sweet Nothing is devoid of catharsis and, again, basic, both instrumentally and lyrically. Swift closes the album with Mastermind which was mostly underwhelming, finding her retreating to empty metaphors and more of the underdog narrative. Disappointing, to say the least.
Overall, unfortunately, this album possesses an air of disappointment. The potential for another excellent pop album was present from Swift but only certain tracks fulfilled that quota. Otherwise, the album as a whole lacked cohesion and complexity. This feels like an album of extreme highs and lows that doesn’t match the quality of her previous work lyrically, or in terms of her storytelling ability, which is usually well-constructed and significantly more refined.
Olivia Hannant
Edited by: Ewan Samms
Cover image and in-article image courtesy of Taylor Swift via instagram. In article video courtesy of Taylor Swift via YouTube
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