fan base Taylor Swift

[Solaria]

 

I really do want a rock album from her full of songs like this, State of Grace, Holy Ground.. it’s absolutely time for her. It would be an instant legendary album

[Steve Johnson]

9 minutes ago, Love Again said:

 

I really do want a rock album from her full of songs like this, State of Grace, Holy Ground.. it’s absolutely time for her. It would be an instant legendary album

I'm so here for arena-rock, U2 inspired album. 

[Klein]

With all the rumors about TS11 going around, I wanted to share a review of Midnights, what I think of it, the themes, the songs, etc…

 

The revelation that You’re Losing Me was written as far back as late 2021 made me re-consider the entirety of the album and its story because I was convinced that she wrote it right after the break-up earlier this year. Turns out it was not the case

 

The Swiftologist has a series of videos on his Youtube channel where he re-organizes the track-lists of her albums, because he thinks they are mostly extremely messy (and I share this sentiment). So, for this review of my opinions of Midnights, I also decided to reshuffle the tracklist to make a cohesive story that is my own interpretation of the album.

 

I think Midnights was prompted/inspired from a very public endeavor (the re-recording process, that made her go back in her past life) and a very private situation (her rocky relationship with Joe). I do not think it is a break-up album, but the way I see it, it was a commentary on how the relationship made her feel, and how she felt kinda lost in it. Then the re-recordings came into play and helped her reminiscing on who she was, and that helped her find herself back.

 

Since it’s pretty long, I’m putting it in spoilers. I hope some Swifties will care about it and share their opinions on the general storyline I drew for the Midnights album.

 

Spoiler

Opening – Someone who’s falling apart

Dear Reader

I think this is a statement song. “Never take advice from someone who’s falling apart” as she said. The Midnights album will be about showing how she herself but also her relationship with Joe has been falling apart (“To a house, not a home, all alone 'cause nobody's there”), and how she built it (and herself) back up. I also think it’s overall a perfect opening track with such a title “Dear Reader”, it’s almost like a note before going into the book.

Personally, I really really like this song. The atmosphere is amazing, the lyrics are great, the production is great. A home-run in my opinion. The theme of falling apart and not feeling legitimate to give advice makes the song fit right in the theme of Midnights.

 

 

Chapter 1 – So in love, the first part of their relationship

Snow On The Beach

Taylor is being a little skeptical that something so amazing is coming to her, and afraid of falling for someone else after so many disappointments. This is perfectly illustrated in the bridge “I can't speak afraid to jinx it. I don't even dare to wish it […] Can this be a real thing? Can it?” or “You, wanting me tonight, feels impossible”. But you know, just like snow on the beach, it’s weird but fuckin’ beautiful. This for me is the beginning of Taylor and Joe’s relationship.

As for my opinion on the song, that’s not my favorite. It’s kind of nothing, and I don’t really like the Christmas-like sounds throughout. That said, it’s great lyrically and even if I don’t particularly like it, it serves as a great first glimpse into Joe and Taylor’s relationship.

 

Paris

This song is when Taylor is surrendering to Joe and is not afraid anymore. “I'm so in love that I might stop breathing”. Our girl is living the perfect romance with her boyfriend. Living outside of the noise of the world and in their little bubble. After all these years of scrutiny, she knows that “Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours”. They are enjoying their life together outside of the public eyes, or at least, without caring about the public opinion.

Song wise, I think it’s a cute bop. I don’t like the “And not the kind that's thrown, I mean the kind under where a tree has grown” line because it’s just too silly. Also, the rime between “Paris” and “somewhere else” doesn’t work and is kinda lazy writing. Still, I like the song, it’s fun and enjoyable, but the lyrics could have been better.

I’d say it doesn’t perfectly fit with the theme of “midnights throughout my life” as I don’t think that’s the kind of things that would keep her awake at night, except maybe in a “I finally found something good” kind of way. But again, it was added as a bonus track so it’s understandable. Taylor herself said that these songs didn’t really fit on the original album. But I didn’t want to exclude any tracks so here we go.

 

Sweet Nothing

In appearance this is a lovely love song, but I think it reveals something deeper that would soon make Taylor shift. She needs attention, she needs to be shown she’s loved. She needs to be challenged by her boyfriend. While it’s sweet that Joe is treating her like a normal person, I think if it goes too far, it starts looking like indifference. And I think this lack of attention to her and her need and her thoughts is what prompted the next song on my tracklist.

Sonic wise, I think it fits perfectly with the song. It’s cute, and simple. A little too simple for me? Maybe. But that’s basically the whole point of what I think this song is about. A love song masking some cracks in the glass that Taylor was probably barely even aware of… until the situation drags on long enough for her to fully realize what was happening.

 

 

Chapter 2 – The Fight and break up

You’re Losing Me

This is a cry for help. The song that completely switches the narrative of the album, and actually the entire relationship. She’s still in love but cannot decide what she is supposed to do with this fading and stalling relationship. It gives us such a strong insight on the dynamic between the two and it ends with their (first) break-up.

I love the song. The lyrics, especially on the bridge, are hurting me to my core. “Do I throw out everything we built or keep it? I’m getting tired even for a phoenix”- I interpret this line as a way of saying she’s tired that even when she thinks she found “the one”, he might actually not be, and I can feel the desperation and the thought that she’ll never find the big true love. The “and I wouldn’t marry me either” line gives us a glimpse that Taylor wanted to marry Joe, but this feeling was likely not reciprocated, which must be heartbreaking.

I also love the heartbeat-based production, which disappears at the end of the song to signify that this is the end of the relationship.

I also like that with my new track-list, it ended up being a track 5. It switches the narrative about their relationship, and it feels like the reason why Midnights came to fruition, making it a perfect track 5.

 

Maroon

Joe didn’t try to give Taylor everything she was asking for in the You’re Losing Me bridge (“Do something, babe, say something […] I got nothing to believe unless you’re choosin’ me”), and instead, just left. “that’s a real ******* legacy to leave”. I always loved the double entendre of that line, because you can read it either as a “he left a legacy” or “leaving was his legacy”, I think that’s smart writing.

The song starts as a love song and evolves into this break-up song from the second verse onward. This is a moment of reminiscing, of hurt, and of not understanding why. “The rust that grew between telephones” is a fantastic metaphor to signify that the communication between the two was getting worse and worse, which ultimately led to the break up.

If I was to talk about the song specifically, I first LOVE the production. It’s somber, it really takes you in, and perfectly fits with the message of this song. This longing, and silent hurt.

Lyrically, I find the chorus beyond impressive. She managed to stay in a vocabulary focused on the red color, but also painting the story of a fading relationship, from “how the blood rush into my cheeks” to “the rust that grew between telephones” to “the lips I used to call home”. This is excellent imo. One of my absolute favorite song on the album.

Just to sum up relating to the album’s storyline, this is the song where she reminisces on the break-up. Mostly the losses, but also the good times at the beginning of the song.

 

Vigilante ****

I gotta say, this one is a wild card. I don’t think it fits anywhere in this storyline and kinda wanted to get rid of it, but as I already said, I wanted to include every song. So, I decided to include it here. Why? Because maybe an argument could be made that lingering in her sadness, she started fantasizing about her revenge on the people that wronged her to keep her mind off of the break up (if anyone has any idea how it could fit better in the storyline, let me know).

I like the song. It’s neither amazing nor bad. I used to dislike the song, but the tour performance changed my mind on it somehow. Now I enjoy listening to it, I don’t skip it anymore. It just doesn’t bring anything new to the table. “Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man” is campy though and I love that line.

Nonetheless, after trying to repress her emotions by being on her “vigilante **** again”, miss Swift can only escape her emotions for so long.

 

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

This is the moment when the sadness of the break up REALLY kicks in. “Salt streams out my eyes and into my ears” is a line I absolutely love because it perfectly paints the picture of someone laying down and crying. “Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness” -> Taylor is being consumed that she can’t make any relationship work, that she always has to find something that doesn’t work. There’s a desperation, a feeling that she’s never going to find real love.

“I'm never gonna meet what could've been, would've been, what should've been you” paints another picture of what Joe could have been. There’s almost a feeling that maybe she should have given more time to the relationship to see if Joe would have changed.

Yet “Every single thing to come has turned into ashes, 'Cause it's all over, it's not meant to be”. She’s realizing in this instant that maybe there probably wasn’t anything she could have done.

Personally, I’m going back and forth with this song. I think it’s really sad in a way that’s really relatable, so I don’t often listen to it. Production-wise, it’s not my favorite, but the lyrics are very powerful.

 

Hits Different

After crying hard about it, she now shows that she’s trying to move on from this relationship “I washed my hands of us at the club. You made a mess of me”. But no matter how hard she tries; her mind is still stuck on him “Each bar plays our song” “Why the wound is still bleeding?”. “You were the one that I loved. Don't need another metaphor, it's simple enough” speaks for itself. Taylor is not over him even if she knows it’s in the past.

I love this song. It’s a sad bop and I’m living for it. The delivery in the bridge is amazing, the lyrics are great, the production is great. All around banger. I love it. Everyone loves it.

“I heard your key turn in the door down the hallway. Is that your key in the door? Is it okay? Is it you?”- she clearly hopes he will come back and is ready for it. Will he?

 

 

Chapter 3 – The reconciliation

The Great War

This song is the return of Joe after the break-up. Him and Taylor are ready to give the relationship a second chance. The lines “You drew up some good faith treaties” and “My hand was the one you reached for” show that he ended up fighting for this relationship, which is exactly what she was asking for in You’re Losing Me. This might have motivated her to give another try to this relationship. This is also re-inforced with “I vowed not to fight anymore, if we survived the Great War”.

“And maybe it’s the past that’s talkin’ […] tellin’ me to punish you for things you never did, so I justified it”: she’s trying to understand why it might not have worked the first time around by putting blame on herself, slightly gaslighting her in a way. If it didn’t work the first time, maybe it’s because she didn’t believe in it enough.

Finally, with the line “Cause we survived the Great War, I vowed I would always be yours”, she officially says that they are back together.

This song is one of my favorites on Midnights. It’s spacious, grand, lyrically amazing, production-wise perfect. I don’t have much else to say, an all around home-run. It also is the second turning point of their relationship. The point where things are slowly getting back on track.

 

Glitch

She’s comparing their break-up to a glitch: “I was supposed to sweat you out, in search of glorious happenings of happenstance on someone else's playground”. They are back together “A brief interruption, a slight malfunction […] I thought we had no chance”. But despite that, she’s ready to try and make this relationship work again “Five seconds later, I'm fastening myself to you with a stitch”

Sonic-wise, I think this is one of the most interesting song on the album. I love the melody, the lyrics, everything. It’s not one of my favorites because there are multiple exceptional songs on Midnights, but it certainly keeps my attention.

 

Labyrinth

“Uh oh, I’m falling in love again”. Our girl is scared of falling for him again, as naturally she’s afraid she’s going to be hurt again. But she’s still a hopeless romantic. “I thought the plane was going down, how'd you turn it right around?” “You would break your back to make me break a smile”. It’s clear that despite being afraid of falling in love again, it appears Joe is fighting for this relationship and that makes her feel great and ready to give her all again.

I personally don’t care too much for the song. It’s great, but nothing amazing. It’s good, great gown beautiful gown. The labyrinth metaphor could have been exploited much more brilliantly. It’s a bit of a lazy writing on her hand.

 

Karma

Ok, our girl is back. Feeling strong because she has it all again. She trusts her boyfriend again, she is feeling great again. Nothing can stop her. “Karma is my boyfriend, karma is a god”. There’s really not much else to say about this song and the storyline. She’s just in it and feels great about herself. Maybe to the point it’s suspicious she seems to feel that great about it all?

The song also tackles a lot of other subject matters of her life. It’s a huge take down of everyone that ever wronged her.

I think it’s a brilliant song. This is Midnights’ Blank Space. It truly takes one of the narratives surrounding her (that she’s this vengeful person) and takes it on its head. She’s playing this character (that is still partly true, just not to the extent she is portrayed) and it’s deliciously excellent. The song is infectious, one of the most addictive pop songs she’s ever written to be honest. And you can’t tell me the chorus of the song isn’t putting a smile on your face from the sheer amount of joy it’s exhibiting. A moment.

 

Lavender Haze

This song, despite drawing a picture of a happy couple that wants to be out of media scrutiny, starts painting a picture that the relationship is in fact not foolproof. “I just wanna stay in that lavender haze” shows that she’s not as involved in it as she once was. Remember when she was saying “I wouldn’t marry me either” on You’re Losing Me? Well, here she is saying that’s not what she wants. There’s not the same degree of love and devotion compared to what it once was.

Despite the overwhelming joy of Karma previously, Lavender Haze start painting a picture that the relationship between the two is not as exceptional as one might think (probably even her was unaware of this). And I think the line that perfectly illustrates that is the “you don’t really read into my melancholia”. This also prompts what I think is the next chapter discussed on the album: the lingering obsession of Taylor with her past. That’s the point where I think the re-recordings come into play, as they’ve helped Taylor relive her past experiences and potentially started help her find herself again. And since Joe won’t read into her melancholia, she might as well dive into it.

 

 

Chapter 4 – Taylor’s melancholia

In this chapter, Taylor is going back in time through different relationships that have animated here one way or another. From the ones that never truly were, the ones that should’ve been, the ones that should’ve never been, and finally the ones that resemble the most what she has with Joe and makes her realize she needs to change her ways and make herself her priority again.

 

High Infidelity

Of course, she would go back to the relationship that was right before she met Joe. It’s a stunning song, but also a threatening one. “Do you really wanna know where I was April 29th?”. It also adds the context that Taylor and Joe’s relationship had a rocky start, because it came from infidelity. Maybe that tainted their relationship a little?

“You know there's many different ways that you can kill the one you love. The slowest way is never loving them enough” this is, in my opinion, one of the strongest lines in the song, and I think it applies for both relationships, the one before, and Joe’s (as is alluded in Sweet Nothing and You’re Losing Me). Maybe this song made her realize that maybe something was missing in her relationship with Joe.

I love this song, it’s amazing. 10s across the board sonically and lyrically.

 

Question…?

The next song of this chapter is the one that refers to a relationship that was never truly over. This song also strongly reveals that despite being together again, Taylor is already one foot out the door. She’s not going to fall deeply in love with Joe again, even if she doesn’t realize it yet.

I mean, the line “Does it feel like everything's just like second-best after that meteor strike?” is pretty damning. And the worst thing is that I don’t think this question is aimed at Joe, considering the song starts with an ‘Out Of The Woods’ interpolation. It also refers to my comment on High Infidelity, supporting the idea that something is missing in her relationship with Joe because it is only “second best”.

Honestly, looking back on it, I don’t understand how this song didn’t immediately concern me or the rest of the Swifties because damn, poor Joe was really being shitted on.

But anyway, this song also shows that Taylor loves some drama in a relationship. “It’s just a question” is such a sneaky way of saying “but I didn’t do anything, just asking”, while knowing she is being messy. It calls for a reaction of the other party. She realizes she needs that kind of things in her relationships.

I personally don’t really like this song. It’s meh at best. The messiness doesn’t really make up for the lack of clear message or strong lyrics. It’s kinda being messy for the sake of being messy. And the production is basic. I wouldn’t skip it but wouldn’t play it.

 

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

As she keeps going back on her previous relationship, it brings her back to the one with John Mayer. This is possibly the most devastating song on the record, and “Give me back my girlhood it was mine first” one of the most devastating lines. I don’t think I have to go on and on about this song, everyone is pretty much aware of its perfection and importance. This could have made a fantastic track 5 on the original album (with the messy tracklist) as it is both emotionally hitting like a truck, and encapsulate the theme of being written at midnight, because that’s the kind of things that only comes back to haunt you at night.

It’s a song that clearly shift something about the narrative, because it shows that despite the cracks in the relationship with Joe, it was never as dire. There’s something that could be saved, because Joe remains a good guy.

 

Midnight Rain

Going further in the past, we reach the relationship between the two Taylors (Swift and Lautner). In this song, TS draws a very good picture of TL. Saying he was amazing, but it just wasn’t the right man at the right time. She wasn’t ready for the kind of life he was offering “he wanted it comfortable I wanted that pain”. And ultimately, she says, “I broke his heart 'cause he was nice”.

This song also draws parallels between the relationship she once had with Taylor Lautner and now with Joe. She knows how it ended. This must have revealed to her that if her relationship was going to work, he needed to be ok with her being the popstar that she is at her core. She wants the attention. Maybe she doesn’t need to end her current relationship like she did before, maybe Joe can handle her “making her own name” and get back in the spotlight. At least she’s willing to give it a chance.

 

 

Chapter 5 – She found herself again

This detour in the past was essential to make her get back in touch with who she was. And who she is, at least partly, is a fame-hungry popstar that wants to “make the whole place shimmer” …

 

Bejeweled

He was sunshine, she was midnight rain and she’s going to step back into the spotlight, because that is her calling. She might fantasize about the simple life, but she is made for superstardom, as she enjoys the attention way too much.

I think Bejeweled is one of the most important of the record in terms of how and why the relationship was rocky, which is why I put it near the end of the record. She’s tired of being isolated with Joe, she thinks she compromised too much on who she was and is now making it very clear that he better be ok with that “Baby love, I think I've been a little too kind. Didn't notice you walking all over my peace of mind”.

In terms of production, it’s delicious. Perfectly fits the song, it’s a bop. Not much else to say about it. Our girl is just being clear: she is the moment and she’s going to remind us of that. She missed it after all these years making herself small to accommodate Joe.

“What's a girl gonna do? A diamond's gotta shine” is the statement of the song. Our queen is gonna do what our queen wants to do, no more concession of her fame to accommodate someone else who wasn’t willing to compromise on his part.

 

Mastermind

What’s best after being back to yourself than gloat? In this song, Taylor is saying that everything that happened was planned all along, and that she has done everything to obtain what she wanted. “So I've been scheming […] To make them love me”, she’s telling us that nothing she does is random, everything has a purpose. There might be some delusion about the peak and valleys of her relationship with Joe but making it like it was the plan all along might re-assure her that she’s giving it a true chance.

“You knew that I'm a mastermind, and now you're mine. Yeah, all you did was smile, cause I'm a mastermind”. This is really the last line that shows that the relationship is back on track. Will it last, she doesn’t know at this point, but at least, they are both comfortable in this position at this time.

 

Anti-Hero

Second to last song on the album. Our girl is back to being herself and doesn’t want to compromise as much as she had previously, as we can see with Bejeweled. Nonetheless, she recognizes that her insecurities might end up getting the best of her and her life, and that’s why she’ll still remain careful.

“Someday I’ll watch as you’re leaving ‘cause you got tired of my scheming”, this line can work both about Joe, and actually anyone in her life (friends, family, fans…). She’s acknowledging that she’s calculated, and that it can potentially hurt people.

Maybe it’s also, unconsciously, admitting that the relationship is not meant to be forever. As evidenced on Lavender Haze, she no longer wants to marry him, unlike what’s been revealed in You’re Losing Me, which is a sign that she’s not as invested as she once was, despite giving it a true shot.

In this song she is mostly taking blame for everything that happened, both in the relationship, but it is also a wider commentary of who she is in life, not just with Joe but with anyone. At the beginning of the relationship, she was not taking blame, it was all on Joe not giving her what she wanted despite her giving him what he needed (or what she thought he needed). Now, at this point, she’s like “ok, maybe I’m also the problem in this relationship”. We already got glimpses of that in The Great War, but she’s fully acknowledging it now.

This song discusses more than their relationship obviously, it’s also a wider commentary of Taylor relationship with others but also with herself. She’s aware of how difficult it might be to be around her.

I think it’s an earworm. You can’t have the song stuck in your head after listening to it. The vocal production is brilliant. The lyrics not so much, even if they sound good if that makes sense. It was obviously written to be a Tik Tok smash, but I still love it for the reliability of the verses and the (strategic) vulnerability.

Nonetheless, it clearly reveals to Taylor that she has to stay grounded and true to herself, because in the end, everyone around her could turn their back on her at some point in life.

 

 

Closing song – I can always count on me

You’re On Your Own, Kid

I’m not sure this one needs a lot of explanation. Taylor finally found herself back, and this song is a recollection of her entire life and career. There has always been only one person on whom she could actually rely on: herself. This song is a love letter to herself and to her fans who have always been there for her. It opens a new chapter of her life, which I think is exciting both for us and for her. Nobody really knows what’s next, but we’re all very excited to see it. And even if the relation with Joe ends up failing, she can still rely on herself to jump back.

I love that the song touches on a both the good and the bad, because every aspects of her life have made her who she is today. The production is amazing, and the build-up really takes you in. The bridge is perfect. A true gem in her discography.

To sum-up, here is my new Midnights track-list:

 

Spoiler

Dear Reader

 

Snow On The Beach

Paris

Sweet Nothing

 

You're Losing Me

Maroon

Vigilante ****

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

Hits Different

 

The Great War

Glitch

Labyrinth

Karma

Lavender Haze

 

High Infidelity

Question...?

Would've Could've Should've

Midnight Rain

 

Bejeweled

Mastermind

Anti-Hero

 

You're On Your Own, Kid

Overall, I really like this re-shuffling of the track-list because the songs still fall under the umbrella of “midnights throughout my life”, but they now also tell a compelling story about Taylor and Joe’s relationship, and more specifically on what was going on in Taylor's mind.

 

And I obviously couldn’t finish this without a ranking of the songs (otherwise @wastedpotential would have requested it ). They are not really ranked though, just put in tiers.

 

Spoiler

God Tier songs

You’re Losing Me

Maroon

The Great War

Karma

High Infidelity

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

You’re On Your Own, Kid

 

Great songs

Dear Reader

Hits Different

Glitch

Midnight Rain

Bejeweled

Anti-Hero

 

Good/Okay songs

Paris

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

Vigilante ****

Labyrinth

Lavender Haze

Mastermind

 

Don’t like it

Snow On The Beach

Sweet Nothing

Question…?

And with all that… I think Midnights would be worthy of Album Of The Year at the Grammy Awards. 

 

I will now leave and reflect on why Taylor is making me do things like this. 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Klein

[G.U.Y_Del_Rey]

I like the dark moody vibe of this photo, the Midnights photoshoot was actually pretty good

 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by G.U.Y_Del_Rey

[Dear Reader]

16 minutes ago, Klein said:

With all the rumors about TS11 going around, I wanted to share a review of Midnights, what I think of it, the themes, the songs, etc…

 

The revelation that You’re Losing Me was written as far back as late 2021 made me re-consider the entirety of the album and its story because I was convinced that she wrote it right after the break-up earlier this year. Turns out it was not the case

 

The Swiftologist has a series of videos on his Youtube channel where he re-organizes the track-lists of her albums, because he thinks they are mostly extremely messy (and I share this sentiment). So, for this review of my opinions of Midnights, I also decided to reshuffle the tracklist to make a cohesive story that is my own interpretation of the album.

 

I think Midnights was prompted/inspired from a very public endeavor (the re-recording process, that made her go back in her past life) and a very private situation (her rocky relationship with Joe). I do not think it is a break-up album, but the way I see it, it was a commentary on how the relationship made her feel, and how she felt kinda lost in it. Then the re-recordings came into play and helped her reminiscing on who she was, and that helped her find herself back.

 

Since it’s pretty long, I’m putting it in spoilers. I hope some Swifties will care about it and share their opinions on the general storyline I drew for the Midnights album.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Opening – Someone who’s falling apart

Dear Reader

I think this is a statement song. “Never take advice from someone who’s falling apart” as she said. The Midnights album will be about showing how she herself but also her relationship with Joe has been falling apart (“To a house, not a home, all alone 'cause nobody's there”), and how she built it (and herself) back up. I also think it’s overall a perfect opening track with such a title “Dear Reader”, it’s almost like a note before going into the book.

Personally, I really really like this song. The atmosphere is amazing, the lyrics are great, the production is great. A home-run in my opinion. The theme of falling apart and not feeling legitimate to give advice makes the song fit right in the theme of Midnights.

 

 

Chapter 1 – So in love, the first part of their relationship

Snow On The Beach

Taylor is being a little skeptical that something so amazing is coming to her, and afraid of falling for someone else after so many disappointments. This is perfectly illustrated in the bridge “I can't speak afraid to jinx it. I don't even dare to wish it […] Can this be a real thing? Can it?” or “You, wanting me tonight, feels impossible”. But you know, just like snow on the beach, it’s weird but fuckin’ beautiful. This for me is the beginning of Taylor and Joe’s relationship.

As for my opinion on the song, that’s not my favorite. It’s kind of nothing, and I don’t really like the Christmas-like sounds throughout. That said, it’s great lyrically and even if I don’t particularly like it, it serves as a great first glimpse into Joe and Taylor’s relationship.

 

Paris

This song is when Taylor is surrendering to Joe and is not afraid anymore. “I'm so in love that I might stop breathing”. Our girl is living the perfect romance with her boyfriend. Living outside of the noise of the world and in their little bubble. After all these years of scrutiny, she knows that “Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours”. They are enjoying their life together outside of the public eyes, or at least, without caring about the public opinion.

Song wise, I think it’s a cute bop. I don’t like the “And not the kind that's thrown, I mean the kind under where a tree has grown” line because it’s just too silly. Also, the rime between “Paris” and “somewhere else” doesn’t work and is kinda lazy writing. Still, I like the song, it’s fun and enjoyable, but the lyrics could have been better.

I’d say it doesn’t perfectly fit with the theme of “midnights throughout my life” as I don’t think that’s the kind of things that would keep her awake at night, except maybe in a “I finally found something good” kind of way. But again, it was added as a bonus track so it’s understandable. Taylor herself said that these songs didn’t really fit on the original album. But I didn’t want to exclude any tracks so here we go.

 

Sweet Nothing

In appearance this is a lovely love song, but I think it reveals something deeper that would soon make Taylor shift. She needs attention, she needs to be shown she’s loved. She needs to be challenged by her boyfriend. While it’s sweet that Joe is treating her like a normal person, I think if it goes too far, it starts looking like indifference. And I think this lack of attention to her and her need and her thoughts is what prompted the next song on my tracklist.

Sonic wise, I think it fits perfectly with the song. It’s cute, and simple. A little too simple for me? Maybe. But that’s basically the whole point of what I think this song is about. A love song masking some cracks in the glass that Taylor was probably barely even aware of… until the situation drags on long enough for her to fully realize what was happening.

 

 

Chapter 2 – The Fight and break up

You’re Losing Me

This is a cry for help. The song that completely switches the narrative of the album, and actually the entire relationship. She’s still in love but cannot decide what she is supposed to do with this fading and stalling relationship. It gives us such a strong insight on the dynamic between the two and it ends with their (first) break-up.

I love the song. The lyrics, especially on the bridge, are hurting me to my core. “Do I throw out everything we built or keep it? I’m getting tired even for a phoenix”- I interpret this line as a way of saying she’s tired that even when she thinks she found “the one”, he might actually not be, and I can feel the desperation and the thought that she’ll never find the big true love. The “and I wouldn’t marry me either” line gives us a glimpse that Taylor wanted to marry Joe, but this feeling was likely not reciprocated, which must be heartbreaking.

I also love the heartbeat-based production, which disappears at the end of the song to signify that this is the end of the relationship.

I also like that with my new track-list, it ended up being a track 5. It switches the narrative about their relationship, and it feels like the reason why Midnights came to fruition, making it a perfect track 5.

 

Maroon

Joe didn’t try to give Taylor everything she was asking for in the You’re Losing Me bridge (“Do something, babe, say something […] I got nothing to believe unless you’re choosin’ me”), and instead, just left. “that’s a real ******* legacy to leave”. I always loved the double entendre of that line, because you can read it either as a “he left a legacy” or “leaving was his legacy”, I think that’s smart writing.

The song starts as a love song and evolves into this break-up song from the second verse onward. This is a moment of reminiscing, of hurt, and of not understanding why. “The rust that grew between telephones” is a fantastic metaphor to signify that the communication between the two was getting worse and worse, which ultimately led to the break up.

If I was to talk about the song specifically, I first LOVE the production. It’s somber, it really takes you in, and perfectly fits with the message of this song. This longing, and silent hurt.

Lyrically, I find the chorus beyond impressive. She managed to stay in a vocabulary focused on the red color, but also painting the story of a fading relationship, from “how the blood rush into my cheeks” to “the rust that grew between telephones” to “the lips I used to call home”. This is excellent imo. One of my absolute favorite song on the album.

Just to sum up relating to the album’s storyline, this is the song where she reminisces on the break-up. Mostly the losses, but also the good times at the beginning of the song.

 

Vigilante ****

I gotta say, this one is a wild card. I don’t think it fits anywhere in this storyline and kinda wanted to get rid of it, but as I already said, I wanted to include every song. So, I decided to include it here. Why? Because maybe an argument could be made that lingering in her sadness, she started fantasizing about her revenge on the people that wronged her to keep her mind off of the break up (if anyone has any idea how it could fit better in the storyline, let me know).

I like the song. It’s neither amazing nor bad. I used to dislike the song, but the tour performance changed my mind on it somehow. Now I enjoy listening to it, I don’t skip it anymore. It just doesn’t bring anything new to the table. “Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man” is campy though and I love that line.

Nonetheless, after trying to repress her emotions by being on her “vigilante **** again”, miss Swift can only escape her emotions for so long.

 

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

This is the moment when the sadness of the break up REALLY kicks in. “Salt streams out my eyes and into my ears” is a line I absolutely love because it perfectly paints the picture of someone laying down and crying. “Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness” -> Taylor is being consumed that she can’t make any relationship work, that she always has to find something that doesn’t work. There’s a desperation, a feeling that she’s never going to find real love.

“I'm never gonna meet what could've been, would've been, what should've been you” paints another picture of what Joe could have been. There’s almost a feeling that maybe she should have given more time to the relationship to see if Joe would have changed.

Yet “Every single thing to come has turned into ashes, 'Cause it's all over, it's not meant to be”. She’s realizing in this instant that maybe there probably wasn’t anything she could have done.

Personally, I’m going back and forth with this song. I think it’s really sad in a way that’s really relatable, so I don’t often listen to it. Production-wise, it’s not my favorite, but the lyrics are very powerful.

 

Hits Different

After crying hard about it, she now shows that she’s trying to move on from this relationship “I washed my hands of us at the club. You made a mess of me”. But no matter how hard she tries; her mind is still stuck on him “Each bar plays our song” “Why the wound is still bleeding?”. “You were the one that I loved. Don't need another metaphor, it's simple enough” speaks for itself. Taylor is not over him even if she knows it’s in the past.

I love this song. It’s a sad bop and I’m living for it. The delivery in the bridge is amazing, the lyrics are great, the production is great. All around banger. I love it. Everyone loves it.

“I heard your key turn in the door down the hallway. Is that your key in the door? Is it okay? Is it you?”- she clearly hopes he will come back and is ready for it. Will he?

 

 

Chapter 3 – The reconciliation

The Great War

This song is the return of Joe after the break-up. Him and Taylor are ready to give the relationship a second chance. The lines “You drew up some good faith treaties” and “My hand was the one you reached for” show that he ended up fighting for this relationship, which is exactly what she was asking for in You’re Losing Me. This might have motivated her to give another try to this relationship. This is also re-inforced with “I vowed not to fight anymore, if we survived the Great War”.

“And maybe it’s the past that’s talkin’ […] tellin’ me to punish you for things you never did, so I justified it”: she’s trying to understand why it might not have worked the first time around by putting blame on herself, slightly gaslighting her in a way. If it didn’t work the first time, maybe it’s because she didn’t believe in it enough.

Finally, with the line “Cause we survived the Great War, I vowed I would always be yours”, she officially says that they are back together.

This song is one of my favorites on Midnights. It’s spacious, grand, lyrically amazing, production-wise perfect. I don’t have much else to say, an all around home-run. It also is the second turning point of their relationship. The point where things are slowly getting back on track.

 

Glitch

She’s comparing their break-up to a glitch: “I was supposed to sweat you out, in search of glorious happenings of happenstance on someone else's playground”. They are back together “A brief interruption, a slight malfunction […] I thought we had no chance”. But despite that, she’s ready to try and make this relationship work again “Five seconds later, I'm fastening myself to you with a stitch”

Sonic-wise, I think this is one of the most interesting song on the album. I love the melody, the lyrics, everything. It’s not one of my favorites because there are multiple exceptional songs on Midnights, but it certainly keeps my attention.

 

Labyrinth

“Uh oh, I’m falling in love again”. Our girl is scared of falling for him again, as naturally she’s afraid she’s going to be hurt again. But she’s still a hopeless romantic. “I thought the plane was going down, how'd you turn it right around?” “You would break your back to make me break a smile”. It’s clear that despite being afraid of falling in love again, it appears Joe is fighting for this relationship and that makes her feel great and ready to give her all again.

I personally don’t care too much for the song. It’s great, but nothing amazing. It’s good, great gown beautiful gown. The labyrinth metaphor could have been exploited much more brilliantly. It’s a bit of a lazy writing on her hand.

 

Karma

Ok, our girl is back. Feeling strong because she has it all again. She trusts her boyfriend again, she is feeling great again. Nothing can stop her. “Karma is my boyfriend, karma is a god”. There’s really not much else to say about this song and the storyline. She’s just in it and feels great about herself. Maybe to the point it’s suspicious she seems to feel that great about it all?

The song also tackles a lot of other subject matters of her life. It’s a huge take down of everyone that ever wronged her.

I think it’s a brilliant song. This is Midnights’ Blank Space. It truly takes one of the narratives surrounding her (that she’s this vengeful person) and takes it on its head. She’s playing this character (that is still partly true, just not to the extent she is portrayed) and it’s deliciously excellent. The song is infectious, one of the most addictive pop songs she’s ever written to be honest. And you can’t tell me the chorus of the song isn’t putting a smile on your face from the sheer amount of joy it’s exhibiting. A moment.

 

Lavender Haze

This song, despite drawing a picture of a happy couple that wants to be out of media scrutiny, starts painting a picture that the relationship is in fact not foolproof. “I just wanna stay in that lavender haze” shows that she’s not as involved in it as she once was. Remember when she was saying “I wouldn’t marry me either” on You’re Losing Me? Well, here she is saying that’s not what she wants. There’s not the same degree of love and devotion compared to what it once was.

Despite the overwhelming joy of Karma previously, Lavender Haze start painting a picture that the relationship between the two is not as exceptional as one might think (probably even her was unaware of this). And I think the line that perfectly illustrates that is the “you don’t really read into my melancholia”. This also prompts what I think is the next chapter discussed on the album: the lingering obsession of Taylor with her past. That’s the point where I think the re-recordings come into play, as they’ve helped Taylor relive her past experiences and potentially started help her find herself again. And since Joe won’t read into her melancholia, she might as well dive into it.

 

 

Chapter 4 – Taylor’s melancholia

In this chapter, Taylor is going back in time through different relationships that have animated here one way or another. From the ones that never truly were, the ones that should’ve been, the ones that should’ve never been, and finally the ones that resemble the most what she has with Joe and makes her realize she needs to change her ways and make herself her priority again.

 

High Infidelity

Of course, she would go back to the relationship that was right before she met Joe. It’s a stunning song, but also a threatening one. “Do you really wanna know where I was April 29th?”. It also adds the context that Taylor and Joe’s relationship had a rocky start, because it came from infidelity. Maybe that tainted their relationship a little?

“You know there's many different ways that you can kill the one you love. The slowest way is never loving them enough” this is, in my opinion, one of the strongest lines in the song, and I think it applies for both relationships, the one before, and Joe’s (as is alluded in Sweet Nothing and You’re Losing Me). Maybe this song made her realize that maybe something was missing in her relationship with Joe.

I love this song, it’s amazing. 10s across the board sonically and lyrically.

 

Question…?

The next song of this chapter is the one that refers to a relationship that was never truly over. This song also strongly reveals that despite being together again, Taylor is already one foot out the door. She’s not going to fall deeply in love with Joe again, even if she doesn’t realize it yet.

I mean, the line “Does it feel like everything's just like second-best after that meteor strike?” is pretty damning. And the worst thing is that I don’t think this question is aimed at Joe, considering the song starts with an ‘Out Of The Woods’ interpolation. It also refers to my comment on High Infidelity, supporting the idea that something is missing in her relationship with Joe because it is only “second best”.

Honestly, looking back on it, I don’t understand how this song didn’t immediately concern me or the rest of the Swifties because damn, poor Joe was really being shitted on.

But anyway, this song also shows that Taylor loves some drama in a relationship. “It’s just a question” is such a sneaky way of saying “but I didn’t do anything, just asking”, while knowing she is being messy. It calls for a reaction of the other party. She realizes she needs that kind of things in her relationships.

I personally don’t really like this song. It’s meh at best. The messiness doesn’t really make up for the lack of clear message or strong lyrics. It’s kinda being messy for the sake of being messy. And the production is basic. I wouldn’t skip it but wouldn’t play it.

 

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

As she keeps going back on her previous relationship, it brings her back to the one with John Mayer. This is possibly the most devastating song on the record, and “Give me back my girlhood it was mine first” one of the most devastating lines. I don’t think I have to go on and on about this song, everyone is pretty much aware of its perfection and importance. This could have made a fantastic track 5 on the original album (with the messy tracklist) as it is both emotionally hitting like a truck, and encapsulate the theme of being written at midnight, because that’s the kind of things that only comes back to haunt you at night.

It’s a song that clearly shift something about the narrative, because it shows that despite the cracks in the relationship with Joe, it was never as dire. There’s something that could be saved, because Joe remains a good guy.

 

Midnight Rain

Going further in the past, we reach the relationship between the two Taylors (Swift and Lautner). In this song, TS draws a very good picture of TL. Saying he was amazing, but it just wasn’t the right man at the right time. She wasn’t ready for the kind of life he was offering “he wanted it comfortable I wanted that pain”. And ultimately, she says, “I broke his heart 'cause he was nice”.

This song also draws parallels between the relationship she once had with Taylor Lautner and now with Joe. She knows how it ended. This must have revealed to her that if her relationship was going to work, he needed to be ok with her being the popstar that she is at her core. She wants the attention. Maybe she doesn’t need to end her current relationship like she did before, maybe Joe can handle her “making her own name” and get back in the spotlight. At least she’s willing to give it a chance.

 

 

Chapter 5 – She found herself again

This detour in the past was essential to make her get back in touch with who she was. And who she is, at least partly, is a fame-hungry popstar that wants to “make the whole place shimmer” …

 

Bejeweled

He was sunshine, she was midnight rain and she’s going to step back into the spotlight, because that is her calling. She might fantasize about the simple life, but she is made for superstardom, as she enjoys the attention way too much.

I think Bejeweled is one of the most important of the record in terms of how and why the relationship was rocky, which is why I put it near the end of the record. She’s tired of being isolated with Joe, she thinks she compromised too much on who she was and is now making it very clear that he better be ok with that “Baby love, I think I've been a little too kind. Didn't notice you walking all over my peace of mind”.

In terms of production, it’s delicious. Perfectly fits the song, it’s a bop. Not much else to say about it. Our girl is just being clear: she is the moment and she’s going to remind us of that. She missed it after all these years making herself small to accommodate Joe.

“What's a girl gonna do? A diamond's gotta shine” is the statement of the song. Our queen is gonna do what our queen wants to do, no more concession of her fame to accommodate someone else who wasn’t willing to compromise on his part.

 

Mastermind

What’s best after being back to yourself than gloat? In this song, Taylor is saying that everything that happened was planned all along, and that she has done everything to obtain what she wanted. “So I've been scheming […] To make them love me”, she’s telling us that nothing she does is random, everything has a purpose. There might be some delusion about the peak and valleys of her relationship with Joe but making it like it was the plan all along might re-assure her that she’s giving it a true chance.

“You knew that I'm a mastermind, and now you're mine. Yeah, all you did was smile, cause I'm a mastermind”. This is really the last line that shows that the relationship is back on track. Will it last, she doesn’t know at this point, but at least, they are both comfortable in this position at this time.

 

Anti-Hero

Second to last song on the album. Our girl is back to being herself and doesn’t want to compromise as much as she had previously, as we can see with Bejeweled. Nonetheless, she recognizes that her insecurities might end up getting the best of her and her life, and that’s why she’ll still remain careful.

“Someday I’ll watch as you’re leaving ‘cause you got tired of my scheming”, this line can work both about Joe, and actually anyone in her life (friends, family, fans…). She’s acknowledging that she’s calculated, and that it can potentially hurt people.

Maybe it’s also, unconsciously, admitting that the relationship is not meant to be forever. As evidenced on Lavender Haze, she no longer wants to marry him, unlike what’s been revealed in You’re Losing Me, which is a sign that she’s not as invested as she once was, despite giving it a true shot.

In this song she is mostly taking blame for everything that happened, both in the relationship, but it is also a wider commentary of who she is in life, not just with Joe but with anyone. At the beginning of the relationship, she was not taking blame, it was all on Joe not giving her what she wanted despite her giving him what he needed (or what she thought he needed). Now, at this point, she’s like “ok, maybe I’m also the problem in this relationship”. We already got glimpses of that in The Great War, but she’s fully acknowledging it now.

This song discusses more than their relationship obviously, it’s also a wider commentary of Taylor relationship with others but also with herself. She’s aware of how difficult it might be to be around her.

I think it’s an earworm. You can’t have the song stuck in your head after listening to it. The vocal production is brilliant. The lyrics not so much, even if they sound good if that makes sense. It was obviously written to be a Tik Tok smash, but I still love it for the reliability of the verses and the (strategic) vulnerability.

Nonetheless, it clearly reveals to Taylor that she has to stay grounded and true to herself, because in the end, everyone around her could turn their back on her at some point in life.

 

 

Closing song – I can always count on me

You’re On Your Own, Kid

I’m not sure this one needs a lot of explanation. Taylor finally found herself back, and this song is a recollection of her entire life and career. There has always been only one person on whom she could actually rely on: herself. This song is a love letter to herself and to her fans who have always been there for her. It opens a new chapter of her life, which I think is exciting both for us and for her. Nobody really knows what’s next, but we’re all very excited to see it. And even if the relation with Joe ends up failing, she can still rely on herself to jump back.

I love that the song touches on a both the good and the bad, because every aspects of her life have made her who she is today. The production is amazing, and the build-up really takes you in. The bridge is perfect. A true gem in her discography.

To sum-up, here is my new Midnights track-list:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Dear Reader

 

Snow On The Beach

Paris

Sweet Nothing

 

You're Losing Me

Maroon

Vigilante ****

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

Hits Different

 

The Great War

Glitch

Labyrinth

Karma

Lavender Haze

 

High Infidelity

Question...?

Would've Could've Should've

Midnight Rain

 

Bejeweled

Mastermind

Anti-Hero

 

You're On Your Own, Kid

Overall, I really like this re-shuffling of the track-list because the songs still fall under the umbrella of “midnights throughout my life”, but they now also tell a compelling story about Taylor and Joe’s relationship.

 

And I obviously couldn’t finish this without a ranking of the songs (otherwise @wastedpotential would have requested it ). They are not really ranked though, just put in tiers.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

God Tier songs

You’re Losing Me

Maroon

The Great War

Karma

High Infidelity

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

You’re On Your Own, Kid

 

Great songs

Dear Reader

Hits Different

Glitch

Midnight Rain

Bejeweled

Anti-Hero

 

Good/Okay songs

Paris

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

Vigilante ****

Labyrinth

Lavender Haze

Mastermind

 

Don’t like it

Snow On The Beach

Sweet Nothing

Question…?

And with all that… I think Midnights would be worthy of Album Of The Year at the Grammy Awards. 

 

I will now leave and reflect on why Taylor is making me do things like this. 

Such a great analysis on the album, sis! I never really thought about this album the way you did. How it can be her reflecting on her relationship with Joe through ups and downs. 

I think she might do a messy track list on purpose at this point, to make us go and rearrange it in order for it to make sense and build a narrative. 

Also, I love the Karma and Dear Reader () stanning  

[Klein]

13 minutes ago, Dear Reader said:

Such a great analysis on the album, sis! I never really thought about this album the way you did. How it can be her reflecting on her relationship with Joe through ups and downs. 

I think she might do a messy track list on purpose at this point, to make us go and rearrange it in order for it to make sense and build a narrative. 

Also, I love the Karma and Dear Reader () stanning  

Thank you! 

 

I don't even think she does messy track list on purpose, I think she doesn't even think about it outside track 5 and, when she feels like it, the first and last track. All 'feels and vibes' in her head. 

 

I seriously considered also putting Dear Reader in my god tier songs. I really enjoy it, but never really go out of my way to listen to it. That's why I left it at "great". 

[Dear Reader]

 

[liam13]

2 minutes ago, Dear Reader said:

 

i was about to thread this but then i had second thought

[Klein]

4 minutes ago, Dear Reader said:

 

This is amazing. 

[wastedpotential]

1 hour ago, Klein said:

And I obviously couldn’t finish this without a ranking of the songs (otherwise @wastedpotential would have requested it ). They are not really ranked though, just put in tiers.

 

You know, I was going to compliment you on your excellent taste once again (and I must admit that your ranking is pretty much spot on and your analysis is excellent) but for this, I hope you stub your toe, watch every bus you wanted to get on pull away in front of you, get an unfair WP from everyone's favorite mod, or get compared to a dirty toenail by a stranger online or something 

 

Spoiler

lysm  

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by wastedpotential

[Maroon legacy]

1 hour ago, Klein said:

With all the rumors about TS11 going around, I wanted to share a review of Midnights, what I think of it, the themes, the songs, etc…

 

The revelation that You’re Losing Me was written as far back as late 2021 made me re-consider the entirety of the album and its story because I was convinced that she wrote it right after the break-up earlier this year. Turns out it was not the case

 

The Swiftologist has a series of videos on his Youtube channel where he re-organizes the track-lists of her albums, because he thinks they are mostly extremely messy (and I share this sentiment). So, for this review of my opinions of Midnights, I also decided to reshuffle the tracklist to make a cohesive story that is my own interpretation of the album.

 

I think Midnights was prompted/inspired from a very public endeavor (the re-recording process, that made her go back in her past life) and a very private situation (her rocky relationship with Joe). I do not think it is a break-up album, but the way I see it, it was a commentary on how the relationship made her feel, and how she felt kinda lost in it. Then the re-recordings came into play and helped her reminiscing on who she was, and that helped her find herself back.

 

Since it’s pretty long, I’m putting it in spoilers. I hope some Swifties will care about it and share their opinions on the general storyline I drew for the Midnights album.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Opening – Someone who’s falling apart

Dear Reader

I think this is a statement song. “Never take advice from someone who’s falling apart” as she said. The Midnights album will be about showing how she herself but also her relationship with Joe has been falling apart (“To a house, not a home, all alone 'cause nobody's there”), and how she built it (and herself) back up. I also think it’s overall a perfect opening track with such a title “Dear Reader”, it’s almost like a note before going into the book.

Personally, I really really like this song. The atmosphere is amazing, the lyrics are great, the production is great. A home-run in my opinion. The theme of falling apart and not feeling legitimate to give advice makes the song fit right in the theme of Midnights.

 

 

Chapter 1 – So in love, the first part of their relationship

Snow On The Beach

Taylor is being a little skeptical that something so amazing is coming to her, and afraid of falling for someone else after so many disappointments. This is perfectly illustrated in the bridge “I can't speak afraid to jinx it. I don't even dare to wish it […] Can this be a real thing? Can it?” or “You, wanting me tonight, feels impossible”. But you know, just like snow on the beach, it’s weird but fuckin’ beautiful. This for me is the beginning of Taylor and Joe’s relationship.

As for my opinion on the song, that’s not my favorite. It’s kind of nothing, and I don’t really like the Christmas-like sounds throughout. That said, it’s great lyrically and even if I don’t particularly like it, it serves as a great first glimpse into Joe and Taylor’s relationship.

 

Paris

This song is when Taylor is surrendering to Joe and is not afraid anymore. “I'm so in love that I might stop breathing”. Our girl is living the perfect romance with her boyfriend. Living outside of the noise of the world and in their little bubble. After all these years of scrutiny, she knows that “Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours”. They are enjoying their life together outside of the public eyes, or at least, without caring about the public opinion.

Song wise, I think it’s a cute bop. I don’t like the “And not the kind that's thrown, I mean the kind under where a tree has grown” line because it’s just too silly. Also, the rime between “Paris” and “somewhere else” doesn’t work and is kinda lazy writing. Still, I like the song, it’s fun and enjoyable, but the lyrics could have been better.

I’d say it doesn’t perfectly fit with the theme of “midnights throughout my life” as I don’t think that’s the kind of things that would keep her awake at night, except maybe in a “I finally found something good” kind of way. But again, it was added as a bonus track so it’s understandable. Taylor herself said that these songs didn’t really fit on the original album. But I didn’t want to exclude any tracks so here we go.

 

Sweet Nothing

In appearance this is a lovely love song, but I think it reveals something deeper that would soon make Taylor shift. She needs attention, she needs to be shown she’s loved. She needs to be challenged by her boyfriend. While it’s sweet that Joe is treating her like a normal person, I think if it goes too far, it starts looking like indifference. And I think this lack of attention to her and her need and her thoughts is what prompted the next song on my tracklist.

Sonic wise, I think it fits perfectly with the song. It’s cute, and simple. A little too simple for me? Maybe. But that’s basically the whole point of what I think this song is about. A love song masking some cracks in the glass that Taylor was probably barely even aware of… until the situation drags on long enough for her to fully realize what was happening.

 

 

Chapter 2 – The Fight and break up

You’re Losing Me

This is a cry for help. The song that completely switches the narrative of the album, and actually the entire relationship. She’s still in love but cannot decide what she is supposed to do with this fading and stalling relationship. It gives us such a strong insight on the dynamic between the two and it ends with their (first) break-up.

I love the song. The lyrics, especially on the bridge, are hurting me to my core. “Do I throw out everything we built or keep it? I’m getting tired even for a phoenix”- I interpret this line as a way of saying she’s tired that even when she thinks she found “the one”, he might actually not be, and I can feel the desperation and the thought that she’ll never find the big true love. The “and I wouldn’t marry me either” line gives us a glimpse that Taylor wanted to marry Joe, but this feeling was likely not reciprocated, which must be heartbreaking.

I also love the heartbeat-based production, which disappears at the end of the song to signify that this is the end of the relationship.

I also like that with my new track-list, it ended up being a track 5. It switches the narrative about their relationship, and it feels like the reason why Midnights came to fruition, making it a perfect track 5.

 

Maroon

Joe didn’t try to give Taylor everything she was asking for in the You’re Losing Me bridge (“Do something, babe, say something […] I got nothing to believe unless you’re choosin’ me”), and instead, just left. “that’s a real ******* legacy to leave”. I always loved the double entendre of that line, because you can read it either as a “he left a legacy” or “leaving was his legacy”, I think that’s smart writing.

The song starts as a love song and evolves into this break-up song from the second verse onward. This is a moment of reminiscing, of hurt, and of not understanding why. “The rust that grew between telephones” is a fantastic metaphor to signify that the communication between the two was getting worse and worse, which ultimately led to the break up.

If I was to talk about the song specifically, I first LOVE the production. It’s somber, it really takes you in, and perfectly fits with the message of this song. This longing, and silent hurt.

Lyrically, I find the chorus beyond impressive. She managed to stay in a vocabulary focused on the red color, but also painting the story of a fading relationship, from “how the blood rush into my cheeks” to “the rust that grew between telephones” to “the lips I used to call home”. This is excellent imo. One of my absolute favorite song on the album.

Just to sum up relating to the album’s storyline, this is the song where she reminisces on the break-up. Mostly the losses, but also the good times at the beginning of the song.

 

Vigilante ****

I gotta say, this one is a wild card. I don’t think it fits anywhere in this storyline and kinda wanted to get rid of it, but as I already said, I wanted to include every song. So, I decided to include it here. Why? Because maybe an argument could be made that lingering in her sadness, she started fantasizing about her revenge on the people that wronged her to keep her mind off of the break up (if anyone has any idea how it could fit better in the storyline, let me know).

I like the song. It’s neither amazing nor bad. I used to dislike the song, but the tour performance changed my mind on it somehow. Now I enjoy listening to it, I don’t skip it anymore. It just doesn’t bring anything new to the table. “Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man” is campy though and I love that line.

Nonetheless, after trying to repress her emotions by being on her “vigilante **** again”, miss Swift can only escape her emotions for so long.

 

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

This is the moment when the sadness of the break up REALLY kicks in. “Salt streams out my eyes and into my ears” is a line I absolutely love because it perfectly paints the picture of someone laying down and crying. “Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness” -> Taylor is being consumed that she can’t make any relationship work, that she always has to find something that doesn’t work. There’s a desperation, a feeling that she’s never going to find real love.

“I'm never gonna meet what could've been, would've been, what should've been you” paints another picture of what Joe could have been. There’s almost a feeling that maybe she should have given more time to the relationship to see if Joe would have changed.

Yet “Every single thing to come has turned into ashes, 'Cause it's all over, it's not meant to be”. She’s realizing in this instant that maybe there probably wasn’t anything she could have done.

Personally, I’m going back and forth with this song. I think it’s really sad in a way that’s really relatable, so I don’t often listen to it. Production-wise, it’s not my favorite, but the lyrics are very powerful.

 

Hits Different

After crying hard about it, she now shows that she’s trying to move on from this relationship “I washed my hands of us at the club. You made a mess of me”. But no matter how hard she tries; her mind is still stuck on him “Each bar plays our song” “Why the wound is still bleeding?”. “You were the one that I loved. Don't need another metaphor, it's simple enough” speaks for itself. Taylor is not over him even if she knows it’s in the past.

I love this song. It’s a sad bop and I’m living for it. The delivery in the bridge is amazing, the lyrics are great, the production is great. All around banger. I love it. Everyone loves it.

“I heard your key turn in the door down the hallway. Is that your key in the door? Is it okay? Is it you?”- she clearly hopes he will come back and is ready for it. Will he?

 

 

Chapter 3 – The reconciliation

The Great War

This song is the return of Joe after the break-up. Him and Taylor are ready to give the relationship a second chance. The lines “You drew up some good faith treaties” and “My hand was the one you reached for” show that he ended up fighting for this relationship, which is exactly what she was asking for in You’re Losing Me. This might have motivated her to give another try to this relationship. This is also re-inforced with “I vowed not to fight anymore, if we survived the Great War”.

“And maybe it’s the past that’s talkin’ […] tellin’ me to punish you for things you never did, so I justified it”: she’s trying to understand why it might not have worked the first time around by putting blame on herself, slightly gaslighting her in a way. If it didn’t work the first time, maybe it’s because she didn’t believe in it enough.

Finally, with the line “Cause we survived the Great War, I vowed I would always be yours”, she officially says that they are back together.

This song is one of my favorites on Midnights. It’s spacious, grand, lyrically amazing, production-wise perfect. I don’t have much else to say, an all around home-run. It also is the second turning point of their relationship. The point where things are slowly getting back on track.

 

Glitch

She’s comparing their break-up to a glitch: “I was supposed to sweat you out, in search of glorious happenings of happenstance on someone else's playground”. They are back together “A brief interruption, a slight malfunction […] I thought we had no chance”. But despite that, she’s ready to try and make this relationship work again “Five seconds later, I'm fastening myself to you with a stitch”

Sonic-wise, I think this is one of the most interesting song on the album. I love the melody, the lyrics, everything. It’s not one of my favorites because there are multiple exceptional songs on Midnights, but it certainly keeps my attention.

 

Labyrinth

“Uh oh, I’m falling in love again”. Our girl is scared of falling for him again, as naturally she’s afraid she’s going to be hurt again. But she’s still a hopeless romantic. “I thought the plane was going down, how'd you turn it right around?” “You would break your back to make me break a smile”. It’s clear that despite being afraid of falling in love again, it appears Joe is fighting for this relationship and that makes her feel great and ready to give her all again.

I personally don’t care too much for the song. It’s great, but nothing amazing. It’s good, great gown beautiful gown. The labyrinth metaphor could have been exploited much more brilliantly. It’s a bit of a lazy writing on her hand.

 

Karma

Ok, our girl is back. Feeling strong because she has it all again. She trusts her boyfriend again, she is feeling great again. Nothing can stop her. “Karma is my boyfriend, karma is a god”. There’s really not much else to say about this song and the storyline. She’s just in it and feels great about herself. Maybe to the point it’s suspicious she seems to feel that great about it all?

The song also tackles a lot of other subject matters of her life. It’s a huge take down of everyone that ever wronged her.

I think it’s a brilliant song. This is Midnights’ Blank Space. It truly takes one of the narratives surrounding her (that she’s this vengeful person) and takes it on its head. She’s playing this character (that is still partly true, just not to the extent she is portrayed) and it’s deliciously excellent. The song is infectious, one of the most addictive pop songs she’s ever written to be honest. And you can’t tell me the chorus of the song isn’t putting a smile on your face from the sheer amount of joy it’s exhibiting. A moment.

 

Lavender Haze

This song, despite drawing a picture of a happy couple that wants to be out of media scrutiny, starts painting a picture that the relationship is in fact not foolproof. “I just wanna stay in that lavender haze” shows that she’s not as involved in it as she once was. Remember when she was saying “I wouldn’t marry me either” on You’re Losing Me? Well, here she is saying that’s not what she wants. There’s not the same degree of love and devotion compared to what it once was.

Despite the overwhelming joy of Karma previously, Lavender Haze start painting a picture that the relationship between the two is not as exceptional as one might think (probably even her was unaware of this). And I think the line that perfectly illustrates that is the “you don’t really read into my melancholia”. This also prompts what I think is the next chapter discussed on the album: the lingering obsession of Taylor with her past. That’s the point where I think the re-recordings come into play, as they’ve helped Taylor relive her past experiences and potentially started help her find herself again. And since Joe won’t read into her melancholia, she might as well dive into it.

 

 

Chapter 4 – Taylor’s melancholia

In this chapter, Taylor is going back in time through different relationships that have animated here one way or another. From the ones that never truly were, the ones that should’ve been, the ones that should’ve never been, and finally the ones that resemble the most what she has with Joe and makes her realize she needs to change her ways and make herself her priority again.

 

High Infidelity

Of course, she would go back to the relationship that was right before she met Joe. It’s a stunning song, but also a threatening one. “Do you really wanna know where I was April 29th?”. It also adds the context that Taylor and Joe’s relationship had a rocky start, because it came from infidelity. Maybe that tainted their relationship a little?

“You know there's many different ways that you can kill the one you love. The slowest way is never loving them enough” this is, in my opinion, one of the strongest lines in the song, and I think it applies for both relationships, the one before, and Joe’s (as is alluded in Sweet Nothing and You’re Losing Me). Maybe this song made her realize that maybe something was missing in her relationship with Joe.

I love this song, it’s amazing. 10s across the board sonically and lyrically.

 

Question…?

The next song of this chapter is the one that refers to a relationship that was never truly over. This song also strongly reveals that despite being together again, Taylor is already one foot out the door. She’s not going to fall deeply in love with Joe again, even if she doesn’t realize it yet.

I mean, the line “Does it feel like everything's just like second-best after that meteor strike?” is pretty damning. And the worst thing is that I don’t think this question is aimed at Joe, considering the song starts with an ‘Out Of The Woods’ interpolation. It also refers to my comment on High Infidelity, supporting the idea that something is missing in her relationship with Joe because it is only “second best”.

Honestly, looking back on it, I don’t understand how this song didn’t immediately concern me or the rest of the Swifties because damn, poor Joe was really being shitted on.

But anyway, this song also shows that Taylor loves some drama in a relationship. “It’s just a question” is such a sneaky way of saying “but I didn’t do anything, just asking”, while knowing she is being messy. It calls for a reaction of the other party. She realizes she needs that kind of things in her relationships.

I personally don’t really like this song. It’s meh at best. The messiness doesn’t really make up for the lack of clear message or strong lyrics. It’s kinda being messy for the sake of being messy. And the production is basic. I wouldn’t skip it but wouldn’t play it.

 

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

As she keeps going back on her previous relationship, it brings her back to the one with John Mayer. This is possibly the most devastating song on the record, and “Give me back my girlhood it was mine first” one of the most devastating lines. I don’t think I have to go on and on about this song, everyone is pretty much aware of its perfection and importance. This could have made a fantastic track 5 on the original album (with the messy tracklist) as it is both emotionally hitting like a truck, and encapsulate the theme of being written at midnight, because that’s the kind of things that only comes back to haunt you at night.

It’s a song that clearly shift something about the narrative, because it shows that despite the cracks in the relationship with Joe, it was never as dire. There’s something that could be saved, because Joe remains a good guy.

 

Midnight Rain

Going further in the past, we reach the relationship between the two Taylors (Swift and Lautner). In this song, TS draws a very good picture of TL. Saying he was amazing, but it just wasn’t the right man at the right time. She wasn’t ready for the kind of life he was offering “he wanted it comfortable I wanted that pain”. And ultimately, she says, “I broke his heart 'cause he was nice”.

This song also draws parallels between the relationship she once had with Taylor Lautner and now with Joe. She knows how it ended. This must have revealed to her that if her relationship was going to work, he needed to be ok with her being the popstar that she is at her core. She wants the attention. Maybe she doesn’t need to end her current relationship like she did before, maybe Joe can handle her “making her own name” and get back in the spotlight. At least she’s willing to give it a chance.

 

 

Chapter 5 – She found herself again

This detour in the past was essential to make her get back in touch with who she was. And who she is, at least partly, is a fame-hungry popstar that wants to “make the whole place shimmer” …

 

Bejeweled

He was sunshine, she was midnight rain and she’s going to step back into the spotlight, because that is her calling. She might fantasize about the simple life, but she is made for superstardom, as she enjoys the attention way too much.

I think Bejeweled is one of the most important of the record in terms of how and why the relationship was rocky, which is why I put it near the end of the record. She’s tired of being isolated with Joe, she thinks she compromised too much on who she was and is now making it very clear that he better be ok with that “Baby love, I think I've been a little too kind. Didn't notice you walking all over my peace of mind”.

In terms of production, it’s delicious. Perfectly fits the song, it’s a bop. Not much else to say about it. Our girl is just being clear: she is the moment and she’s going to remind us of that. She missed it after all these years making herself small to accommodate Joe.

“What's a girl gonna do? A diamond's gotta shine” is the statement of the song. Our queen is gonna do what our queen wants to do, no more concession of her fame to accommodate someone else who wasn’t willing to compromise on his part.

 

Mastermind

What’s best after being back to yourself than gloat? In this song, Taylor is saying that everything that happened was planned all along, and that she has done everything to obtain what she wanted. “So I've been scheming […] To make them love me”, she’s telling us that nothing she does is random, everything has a purpose. There might be some delusion about the peak and valleys of her relationship with Joe but making it like it was the plan all along might re-assure her that she’s giving it a true chance.

“You knew that I'm a mastermind, and now you're mine. Yeah, all you did was smile, cause I'm a mastermind”. This is really the last line that shows that the relationship is back on track. Will it last, she doesn’t know at this point, but at least, they are both comfortable in this position at this time.

 

Anti-Hero

Second to last song on the album. Our girl is back to being herself and doesn’t want to compromise as much as she had previously, as we can see with Bejeweled. Nonetheless, she recognizes that her insecurities might end up getting the best of her and her life, and that’s why she’ll still remain careful.

“Someday I’ll watch as you’re leaving ‘cause you got tired of my scheming”, this line can work both about Joe, and actually anyone in her life (friends, family, fans…). She’s acknowledging that she’s calculated, and that it can potentially hurt people.

Maybe it’s also, unconsciously, admitting that the relationship is not meant to be forever. As evidenced on Lavender Haze, she no longer wants to marry him, unlike what’s been revealed in You’re Losing Me, which is a sign that she’s not as invested as she once was, despite giving it a true shot.

In this song she is mostly taking blame for everything that happened, both in the relationship, but it is also a wider commentary of who she is in life, not just with Joe but with anyone. At the beginning of the relationship, she was not taking blame, it was all on Joe not giving her what she wanted despite her giving him what he needed (or what she thought he needed). Now, at this point, she’s like “ok, maybe I’m also the problem in this relationship”. We already got glimpses of that in The Great War, but she’s fully acknowledging it now.

This song discusses more than their relationship obviously, it’s also a wider commentary of Taylor relationship with others but also with herself. She’s aware of how difficult it might be to be around her.

I think it’s an earworm. You can’t have the song stuck in your head after listening to it. The vocal production is brilliant. The lyrics not so much, even if they sound good if that makes sense. It was obviously written to be a Tik Tok smash, but I still love it for the reliability of the verses and the (strategic) vulnerability.

Nonetheless, it clearly reveals to Taylor that she has to stay grounded and true to herself, because in the end, everyone around her could turn their back on her at some point in life.

 

 

Closing song – I can always count on me

You’re On Your Own, Kid

I’m not sure this one needs a lot of explanation. Taylor finally found herself back, and this song is a recollection of her entire life and career. There has always been only one person on whom she could actually rely on: herself. This song is a love letter to herself and to her fans who have always been there for her. It opens a new chapter of her life, which I think is exciting both for us and for her. Nobody really knows what’s next, but we’re all very excited to see it. And even if the relation with Joe ends up failing, she can still rely on herself to jump back.

I love that the song touches on a both the good and the bad, because every aspects of her life have made her who she is today. The production is amazing, and the build-up really takes you in. The bridge is perfect. A true gem in her discography.

To sum-up, here is my new Midnights track-list:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Dear Reader

 

Snow On The Beach

Paris

Sweet Nothing

 

You're Losing Me

Maroon

Vigilante ****

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

Hits Different

 

The Great War

Glitch

Labyrinth

Karma

Lavender Haze

 

High Infidelity

Question...?

Would've Could've Should've

Midnight Rain

 

Bejeweled

Mastermind

Anti-Hero

 

You're On Your Own, Kid

Overall, I really like this re-shuffling of the track-list because the songs still fall under the umbrella of “midnights throughout my life”, but they now also tell a compelling story about Taylor and Joe’s relationship, and more specifically on what was going on in Taylor's mind.

 

And I obviously couldn’t finish this without a ranking of the songs (otherwise @wastedpotential would have requested it ). They are not really ranked though, just put in tiers.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

God Tier songs

You’re Losing Me

Maroon

The Great War

Karma

High Infidelity

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

You’re On Your Own, Kid

 

Great songs

Dear Reader

Hits Different

Glitch

Midnight Rain

Bejeweled

Anti-Hero

 

Good/Okay songs

Paris

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

Vigilante ****

Labyrinth

Lavender Haze

Mastermind

 

Don’t like it

Snow On The Beach

Sweet Nothing

Question…?

And with all that… I think Midnights would be worthy of Album Of The Year at the Grammy Awards. 

 

I will now leave and reflect on why Taylor is making me do things like this. 

You did an amazing job. wow. Btw, YLM being a track 5 is hot
Also the fact that she didn't include YLM on the original album, cause she doubted that this is truly the end and was searching for a reason to hold on. And I have NEVER thought about Labyrinth being a "back together after a pause/break song and not just ''I met a stranger, now I'm in love with him'' That's so clever.

[Solaria]

2 hours ago, Klein said:

With all the rumors about TS11 going around, I wanted to share a review of Midnights, what I think of it, the themes, the songs, etc…

 

The revelation that You’re Losing Me was written as far back as late 2021 made me re-consider the entirety of the album and its story because I was convinced that she wrote it right after the break-up earlier this year. Turns out it was not the case

 

The Swiftologist has a series of videos on his Youtube channel where he re-organizes the track-lists of her albums, because he thinks they are mostly extremely messy (and I share this sentiment). So, for this review of my opinions of Midnights, I also decided to reshuffle the tracklist to make a cohesive story that is my own interpretation of the album.

 

I think Midnights was prompted/inspired from a very public endeavor (the re-recording process, that made her go back in her past life) and a very private situation (her rocky relationship with Joe). I do not think it is a break-up album, but the way I see it, it was a commentary on how the relationship made her feel, and how she felt kinda lost in it. Then the re-recordings came into play and helped her reminiscing on who she was, and that helped her find herself back.

 

Since it’s pretty long, I’m putting it in spoilers. I hope some Swifties will care about it and share their opinions on the general storyline I drew for the Midnights album.

 

  Hide contents

Opening – Someone who’s falling apart

Dear Reader

I think this is a statement song. “Never take advice from someone who’s falling apart” as she said. The Midnights album will be about showing how she herself but also her relationship with Joe has been falling apart (“To a house, not a home, all alone 'cause nobody's there”), and how she built it (and herself) back up. I also think it’s overall a perfect opening track with such a title “Dear Reader”, it’s almost like a note before going into the book.

Personally, I really really like this song. The atmosphere is amazing, the lyrics are great, the production is great. A home-run in my opinion. The theme of falling apart and not feeling legitimate to give advice makes the song fit right in the theme of Midnights.

 

 

Chapter 1 – So in love, the first part of their relationship

Snow On The Beach

Taylor is being a little skeptical that something so amazing is coming to her, and afraid of falling for someone else after so many disappointments. This is perfectly illustrated in the bridge “I can't speak afraid to jinx it. I don't even dare to wish it […] Can this be a real thing? Can it?” or “You, wanting me tonight, feels impossible”. But you know, just like snow on the beach, it’s weird but fuckin’ beautiful. This for me is the beginning of Taylor and Joe’s relationship.

As for my opinion on the song, that’s not my favorite. It’s kind of nothing, and I don’t really like the Christmas-like sounds throughout. That said, it’s great lyrically and even if I don’t particularly like it, it serves as a great first glimpse into Joe and Taylor’s relationship.

 

Paris

This song is when Taylor is surrendering to Joe and is not afraid anymore. “I'm so in love that I might stop breathing”. Our girl is living the perfect romance with her boyfriend. Living outside of the noise of the world and in their little bubble. After all these years of scrutiny, she knows that “Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours”. They are enjoying their life together outside of the public eyes, or at least, without caring about the public opinion.

Song wise, I think it’s a cute bop. I don’t like the “And not the kind that's thrown, I mean the kind under where a tree has grown” line because it’s just too silly. Also, the rime between “Paris” and “somewhere else” doesn’t work and is kinda lazy writing. Still, I like the song, it’s fun and enjoyable, but the lyrics could have been better.

I’d say it doesn’t perfectly fit with the theme of “midnights throughout my life” as I don’t think that’s the kind of things that would keep her awake at night, except maybe in a “I finally found something good” kind of way. But again, it was added as a bonus track so it’s understandable. Taylor herself said that these songs didn’t really fit on the original album. But I didn’t want to exclude any tracks so here we go.

 

Sweet Nothing

In appearance this is a lovely love song, but I think it reveals something deeper that would soon make Taylor shift. She needs attention, she needs to be shown she’s loved. She needs to be challenged by her boyfriend. While it’s sweet that Joe is treating her like a normal person, I think if it goes too far, it starts looking like indifference. And I think this lack of attention to her and her need and her thoughts is what prompted the next song on my tracklist.

Sonic wise, I think it fits perfectly with the song. It’s cute, and simple. A little too simple for me? Maybe. But that’s basically the whole point of what I think this song is about. A love song masking some cracks in the glass that Taylor was probably barely even aware of… until the situation drags on long enough for her to fully realize what was happening.

 

 

Chapter 2 – The Fight and break up

You’re Losing Me

This is a cry for help. The song that completely switches the narrative of the album, and actually the entire relationship. She’s still in love but cannot decide what she is supposed to do with this fading and stalling relationship. It gives us such a strong insight on the dynamic between the two and it ends with their (first) break-up.

I love the song. The lyrics, especially on the bridge, are hurting me to my core. “Do I throw out everything we built or keep it? I’m getting tired even for a phoenix”- I interpret this line as a way of saying she’s tired that even when she thinks she found “the one”, he might actually not be, and I can feel the desperation and the thought that she’ll never find the big true love. The “and I wouldn’t marry me either” line gives us a glimpse that Taylor wanted to marry Joe, but this feeling was likely not reciprocated, which must be heartbreaking.

I also love the heartbeat-based production, which disappears at the end of the song to signify that this is the end of the relationship.

I also like that with my new track-list, it ended up being a track 5. It switches the narrative about their relationship, and it feels like the reason why Midnights came to fruition, making it a perfect track 5.

 

Maroon

Joe didn’t try to give Taylor everything she was asking for in the You’re Losing Me bridge (“Do something, babe, say something […] I got nothing to believe unless you’re choosin’ me”), and instead, just left. “that’s a real ******* legacy to leave”. I always loved the double entendre of that line, because you can read it either as a “he left a legacy” or “leaving was his legacy”, I think that’s smart writing.

The song starts as a love song and evolves into this break-up song from the second verse onward. This is a moment of reminiscing, of hurt, and of not understanding why. “The rust that grew between telephones” is a fantastic metaphor to signify that the communication between the two was getting worse and worse, which ultimately led to the break up.

If I was to talk about the song specifically, I first LOVE the production. It’s somber, it really takes you in, and perfectly fits with the message of this song. This longing, and silent hurt.

Lyrically, I find the chorus beyond impressive. She managed to stay in a vocabulary focused on the red color, but also painting the story of a fading relationship, from “how the blood rush into my cheeks” to “the rust that grew between telephones” to “the lips I used to call home”. This is excellent imo. One of my absolute favorite song on the album.

Just to sum up relating to the album’s storyline, this is the song where she reminisces on the break-up. Mostly the losses, but also the good times at the beginning of the song.

 

Vigilante ****

I gotta say, this one is a wild card. I don’t think it fits anywhere in this storyline and kinda wanted to get rid of it, but as I already said, I wanted to include every song. So, I decided to include it here. Why? Because maybe an argument could be made that lingering in her sadness, she started fantasizing about her revenge on the people that wronged her to keep her mind off of the break up (if anyone has any idea how it could fit better in the storyline, let me know).

I like the song. It’s neither amazing nor bad. I used to dislike the song, but the tour performance changed my mind on it somehow. Now I enjoy listening to it, I don’t skip it anymore. It just doesn’t bring anything new to the table. “Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man” is campy though and I love that line.

Nonetheless, after trying to repress her emotions by being on her “vigilante **** again”, miss Swift can only escape her emotions for so long.

 

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

This is the moment when the sadness of the break up REALLY kicks in. “Salt streams out my eyes and into my ears” is a line I absolutely love because it perfectly paints the picture of someone laying down and crying. “Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness” -> Taylor is being consumed that she can’t make any relationship work, that she always has to find something that doesn’t work. There’s a desperation, a feeling that she’s never going to find real love.

“I'm never gonna meet what could've been, would've been, what should've been you” paints another picture of what Joe could have been. There’s almost a feeling that maybe she should have given more time to the relationship to see if Joe would have changed.

Yet “Every single thing to come has turned into ashes, 'Cause it's all over, it's not meant to be”. She’s realizing in this instant that maybe there probably wasn’t anything she could have done.

Personally, I’m going back and forth with this song. I think it’s really sad in a way that’s really relatable, so I don’t often listen to it. Production-wise, it’s not my favorite, but the lyrics are very powerful.

 

Hits Different

After crying hard about it, she now shows that she’s trying to move on from this relationship “I washed my hands of us at the club. You made a mess of me”. But no matter how hard she tries; her mind is still stuck on him “Each bar plays our song” “Why the wound is still bleeding?”. “You were the one that I loved. Don't need another metaphor, it's simple enough” speaks for itself. Taylor is not over him even if she knows it’s in the past.

I love this song. It’s a sad bop and I’m living for it. The delivery in the bridge is amazing, the lyrics are great, the production is great. All around banger. I love it. Everyone loves it.

“I heard your key turn in the door down the hallway. Is that your key in the door? Is it okay? Is it you?”- she clearly hopes he will come back and is ready for it. Will he?

 

 

Chapter 3 – The reconciliation

The Great War

This song is the return of Joe after the break-up. Him and Taylor are ready to give the relationship a second chance. The lines “You drew up some good faith treaties” and “My hand was the one you reached for” show that he ended up fighting for this relationship, which is exactly what she was asking for in You’re Losing Me. This might have motivated her to give another try to this relationship. This is also re-inforced with “I vowed not to fight anymore, if we survived the Great War”.

“And maybe it’s the past that’s talkin’ […] tellin’ me to punish you for things you never did, so I justified it”: she’s trying to understand why it might not have worked the first time around by putting blame on herself, slightly gaslighting her in a way. If it didn’t work the first time, maybe it’s because she didn’t believe in it enough.

Finally, with the line “Cause we survived the Great War, I vowed I would always be yours”, she officially says that they are back together.

This song is one of my favorites on Midnights. It’s spacious, grand, lyrically amazing, production-wise perfect. I don’t have much else to say, an all around home-run. It also is the second turning point of their relationship. The point where things are slowly getting back on track.

 

Glitch

She’s comparing their break-up to a glitch: “I was supposed to sweat you out, in search of glorious happenings of happenstance on someone else's playground”. They are back together “A brief interruption, a slight malfunction […] I thought we had no chance”. But despite that, she’s ready to try and make this relationship work again “Five seconds later, I'm fastening myself to you with a stitch”

Sonic-wise, I think this is one of the most interesting song on the album. I love the melody, the lyrics, everything. It’s not one of my favorites because there are multiple exceptional songs on Midnights, but it certainly keeps my attention.

 

Labyrinth

“Uh oh, I’m falling in love again”. Our girl is scared of falling for him again, as naturally she’s afraid she’s going to be hurt again. But she’s still a hopeless romantic. “I thought the plane was going down, how'd you turn it right around?” “You would break your back to make me break a smile”. It’s clear that despite being afraid of falling in love again, it appears Joe is fighting for this relationship and that makes her feel great and ready to give her all again.

I personally don’t care too much for the song. It’s great, but nothing amazing. It’s good, great gown beautiful gown. The labyrinth metaphor could have been exploited much more brilliantly. It’s a bit of a lazy writing on her hand.

 

Karma

Ok, our girl is back. Feeling strong because she has it all again. She trusts her boyfriend again, she is feeling great again. Nothing can stop her. “Karma is my boyfriend, karma is a god”. There’s really not much else to say about this song and the storyline. She’s just in it and feels great about herself. Maybe to the point it’s suspicious she seems to feel that great about it all?

The song also tackles a lot of other subject matters of her life. It’s a huge take down of everyone that ever wronged her.

I think it’s a brilliant song. This is Midnights’ Blank Space. It truly takes one of the narratives surrounding her (that she’s this vengeful person) and takes it on its head. She’s playing this character (that is still partly true, just not to the extent she is portrayed) and it’s deliciously excellent. The song is infectious, one of the most addictive pop songs she’s ever written to be honest. And you can’t tell me the chorus of the song isn’t putting a smile on your face from the sheer amount of joy it’s exhibiting. A moment.

 

Lavender Haze

This song, despite drawing a picture of a happy couple that wants to be out of media scrutiny, starts painting a picture that the relationship is in fact not foolproof. “I just wanna stay in that lavender haze” shows that she’s not as involved in it as she once was. Remember when she was saying “I wouldn’t marry me either” on You’re Losing Me? Well, here she is saying that’s not what she wants. There’s not the same degree of love and devotion compared to what it once was.

Despite the overwhelming joy of Karma previously, Lavender Haze start painting a picture that the relationship between the two is not as exceptional as one might think (probably even her was unaware of this). And I think the line that perfectly illustrates that is the “you don’t really read into my melancholia”. This also prompts what I think is the next chapter discussed on the album: the lingering obsession of Taylor with her past. That’s the point where I think the re-recordings come into play, as they’ve helped Taylor relive her past experiences and potentially started help her find herself again. And since Joe won’t read into her melancholia, she might as well dive into it.

 

 

Chapter 4 – Taylor’s melancholia

In this chapter, Taylor is going back in time through different relationships that have animated here one way or another. From the ones that never truly were, the ones that should’ve been, the ones that should’ve never been, and finally the ones that resemble the most what she has with Joe and makes her realize she needs to change her ways and make herself her priority again.

 

High Infidelity

Of course, she would go back to the relationship that was right before she met Joe. It’s a stunning song, but also a threatening one. “Do you really wanna know where I was April 29th?”. It also adds the context that Taylor and Joe’s relationship had a rocky start, because it came from infidelity. Maybe that tainted their relationship a little?

“You know there's many different ways that you can kill the one you love. The slowest way is never loving them enough” this is, in my opinion, one of the strongest lines in the song, and I think it applies for both relationships, the one before, and Joe’s (as is alluded in Sweet Nothing and You’re Losing Me). Maybe this song made her realize that maybe something was missing in her relationship with Joe.

I love this song, it’s amazing. 10s across the board sonically and lyrically.

 

Question…?

The next song of this chapter is the one that refers to a relationship that was never truly over. This song also strongly reveals that despite being together again, Taylor is already one foot out the door. She’s not going to fall deeply in love with Joe again, even if she doesn’t realize it yet.

I mean, the line “Does it feel like everything's just like second-best after that meteor strike?” is pretty damning. And the worst thing is that I don’t think this question is aimed at Joe, considering the song starts with an ‘Out Of The Woods’ interpolation. It also refers to my comment on High Infidelity, supporting the idea that something is missing in her relationship with Joe because it is only “second best”.

Honestly, looking back on it, I don’t understand how this song didn’t immediately concern me or the rest of the Swifties because damn, poor Joe was really being shitted on.

But anyway, this song also shows that Taylor loves some drama in a relationship. “It’s just a question” is such a sneaky way of saying “but I didn’t do anything, just asking”, while knowing she is being messy. It calls for a reaction of the other party. She realizes she needs that kind of things in her relationships.

I personally don’t really like this song. It’s meh at best. The messiness doesn’t really make up for the lack of clear message or strong lyrics. It’s kinda being messy for the sake of being messy. And the production is basic. I wouldn’t skip it but wouldn’t play it.

 

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

As she keeps going back on her previous relationship, it brings her back to the one with John Mayer. This is possibly the most devastating song on the record, and “Give me back my girlhood it was mine first” one of the most devastating lines. I don’t think I have to go on and on about this song, everyone is pretty much aware of its perfection and importance. This could have made a fantastic track 5 on the original album (with the messy tracklist) as it is both emotionally hitting like a truck, and encapsulate the theme of being written at midnight, because that’s the kind of things that only comes back to haunt you at night.

It’s a song that clearly shift something about the narrative, because it shows that despite the cracks in the relationship with Joe, it was never as dire. There’s something that could be saved, because Joe remains a good guy.

 

Midnight Rain

Going further in the past, we reach the relationship between the two Taylors (Swift and Lautner). In this song, TS draws a very good picture of TL. Saying he was amazing, but it just wasn’t the right man at the right time. She wasn’t ready for the kind of life he was offering “he wanted it comfortable I wanted that pain”. And ultimately, she says, “I broke his heart 'cause he was nice”.

This song also draws parallels between the relationship she once had with Taylor Lautner and now with Joe. She knows how it ended. This must have revealed to her that if her relationship was going to work, he needed to be ok with her being the popstar that she is at her core. She wants the attention. Maybe she doesn’t need to end her current relationship like she did before, maybe Joe can handle her “making her own name” and get back in the spotlight. At least she’s willing to give it a chance.

 

 

Chapter 5 – She found herself again

This detour in the past was essential to make her get back in touch with who she was. And who she is, at least partly, is a fame-hungry popstar that wants to “make the whole place shimmer” …

 

Bejeweled

He was sunshine, she was midnight rain and she’s going to step back into the spotlight, because that is her calling. She might fantasize about the simple life, but she is made for superstardom, as she enjoys the attention way too much.

I think Bejeweled is one of the most important of the record in terms of how and why the relationship was rocky, which is why I put it near the end of the record. She’s tired of being isolated with Joe, she thinks she compromised too much on who she was and is now making it very clear that he better be ok with that “Baby love, I think I've been a little too kind. Didn't notice you walking all over my peace of mind”.

In terms of production, it’s delicious. Perfectly fits the song, it’s a bop. Not much else to say about it. Our girl is just being clear: she is the moment and she’s going to remind us of that. She missed it after all these years making herself small to accommodate Joe.

“What's a girl gonna do? A diamond's gotta shine” is the statement of the song. Our queen is gonna do what our queen wants to do, no more concession of her fame to accommodate someone else who wasn’t willing to compromise on his part.

 

Mastermind

What’s best after being back to yourself than gloat? In this song, Taylor is saying that everything that happened was planned all along, and that she has done everything to obtain what she wanted. “So I've been scheming […] To make them love me”, she’s telling us that nothing she does is random, everything has a purpose. There might be some delusion about the peak and valleys of her relationship with Joe but making it like it was the plan all along might re-assure her that she’s giving it a true chance.

“You knew that I'm a mastermind, and now you're mine. Yeah, all you did was smile, cause I'm a mastermind”. This is really the last line that shows that the relationship is back on track. Will it last, she doesn’t know at this point, but at least, they are both comfortable in this position at this time.

 

Anti-Hero

Second to last song on the album. Our girl is back to being herself and doesn’t want to compromise as much as she had previously, as we can see with Bejeweled. Nonetheless, she recognizes that her insecurities might end up getting the best of her and her life, and that’s why she’ll still remain careful.

“Someday I’ll watch as you’re leaving ‘cause you got tired of my scheming”, this line can work both about Joe, and actually anyone in her life (friends, family, fans…). She’s acknowledging that she’s calculated, and that it can potentially hurt people.

Maybe it’s also, unconsciously, admitting that the relationship is not meant to be forever. As evidenced on Lavender Haze, she no longer wants to marry him, unlike what’s been revealed in You’re Losing Me, which is a sign that she’s not as invested as she once was, despite giving it a true shot.

In this song she is mostly taking blame for everything that happened, both in the relationship, but it is also a wider commentary of who she is in life, not just with Joe but with anyone. At the beginning of the relationship, she was not taking blame, it was all on Joe not giving her what she wanted despite her giving him what he needed (or what she thought he needed). Now, at this point, she’s like “ok, maybe I’m also the problem in this relationship”. We already got glimpses of that in The Great War, but she’s fully acknowledging it now.

This song discusses more than their relationship obviously, it’s also a wider commentary of Taylor relationship with others but also with herself. She’s aware of how difficult it might be to be around her.

I think it’s an earworm. You can’t have the song stuck in your head after listening to it. The vocal production is brilliant. The lyrics not so much, even if they sound good if that makes sense. It was obviously written to be a Tik Tok smash, but I still love it for the reliability of the verses and the (strategic) vulnerability.

Nonetheless, it clearly reveals to Taylor that she has to stay grounded and true to herself, because in the end, everyone around her could turn their back on her at some point in life.

 

 

Closing song – I can always count on me

You’re On Your Own, Kid

I’m not sure this one needs a lot of explanation. Taylor finally found herself back, and this song is a recollection of her entire life and career. There has always been only one person on whom she could actually rely on: herself. This song is a love letter to herself and to her fans who have always been there for her. It opens a new chapter of her life, which I think is exciting both for us and for her. Nobody really knows what’s next, but we’re all very excited to see it. And even if the relation with Joe ends up failing, she can still rely on herself to jump back.

I love that the song touches on a both the good and the bad, because every aspects of her life have made her who she is today. The production is amazing, and the build-up really takes you in. The bridge is perfect. A true gem in her discography.

To sum-up, here is my new Midnights track-list:

 

  Hide contents

Dear Reader

 

Snow On The Beach

Paris

Sweet Nothing

 

You're Losing Me

Maroon

Vigilante ****

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

Hits Different

 

The Great War

Glitch

Labyrinth

Karma

Lavender Haze

 

High Infidelity

Question...?

Would've Could've Should've

Midnight Rain

 

Bejeweled

Mastermind

Anti-Hero

 

You're On Your Own, Kid

Overall, I really like this re-shuffling of the track-list because the songs still fall under the umbrella of “midnights throughout my life”, but they now also tell a compelling story about Taylor and Joe’s relationship, and more specifically on what was going on in Taylor's mind.

 

And I obviously couldn’t finish this without a ranking of the songs (otherwise @wastedpotential would have requested it ). They are not really ranked though, just put in tiers.

 

  Hide contents

God Tier songs

You’re Losing Me

Maroon

The Great War

Karma

High Infidelity

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

You’re On Your Own, Kid

 

Great songs

Dear Reader

Hits Different

Glitch

Midnight Rain

Bejeweled

Anti-Hero

 

Good/Okay songs

Paris

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

Vigilante ****

Labyrinth

Lavender Haze

Mastermind

 

Don’t like it

Snow On The Beach

Sweet Nothing

Question…?

And with all that… I think Midnights would be worthy of Album Of The Year at the Grammy Awards. 

 

I will now leave and reflect on why Taylor is making me do things like this. 

Great analysis! I was always very surprised when Swifties said there was no way the album was about her and Joe’s breakup, because it’s very clear in a lot of the songs that are lot of obstacles in their relationship. She contiously hints to not being ready for marriage, self doubt, the only person she can count on is herself, etc. I think the songs that are about past relationships are obvious but most of these are definitely about Joe imo

[Klein]

38 minutes ago, Maroon legacy said:

You did an amazing job. wow. Btw, YLM being a track 5 is hot
Also the fact that she didn't include YLM on the original album, cause she doubted that this is truly the end and was searching for a reason to hold on. And I have NEVER thought about Labyrinth being a "back together after a pause/break song and not just ''I met a stranger, now I'm in love with him'' That's so clever.

Thank you. Yeah, You're Losing Me being a track 5 is an idea I really love. It's such a masterpiece and emotionally hits like a truck. 

 

18 minutes ago, Love Again said:

Great analysis! I was always very surprised when Swifties said there was no way the album was about her and Joe’s breakup, because it’s very clear in a lot of the songs that are lot of obstacles in their relationship. She contiously hints to not being ready for marriage, self doubt, the only person she can count on is herself, etc. I think the songs that are about past relationships are obvious but most of these are definitely about Joe imo

I don't think it's a break-up album per say. But I agree that it links a lot to their relationship and how they navigated through ups and downs, as well as Taylor's emotions and psyche through all this. 

 

I also think the "midnights throughout my life" theme (being potentially prompted by the re-recording process) was a way for her to sent us (or at least the media) off tracks, similarly to what she did with folklore/evermore saying "this is fictional". 

[Kyle-x]

Honestly, women tend to break-up with a man slowly in their mind months before the relationship actually comes to a definitive end dddd. Midnights being in memoriam of her relationship months ahead of time makes so much sense for me honestly. The themes of feeling stifled and having constant miscommunications and upheaval really track, as does the dichotomy between the love songs and the more emotionally tense songs. You're Losing Me being recorded so long ago is a perfect reflection of that whew. I feel like everyone was like "this album doesn't match the direction she was posting about" when it first came out but the events that followed kind of pulled everything into focus and it makes so much more sense.

[fridayteenage]

maybe she can get a few more weeks with 50%+ of the top 10 albums 

[GoatGly]

10 hours ago, Dear Reader said:

not really sure if I can post the image itself, but here’s the link to the post

https://atrl.net/forums/topic/460517-deuxmoi-responds-to-tree-pain-taylor-swift-with-low-blow-references-deceased-fan/page/4/#comment-24968040

 

it’s the first image on that post

I think I’m gonna be sick

[Dear Reader]

1 minute ago, GoatGly said:

I think I’m gonna be sick

I suspect they were reveuse’s dupe. Their writing style is very similar 

[Steve Johnson]

5 minutes ago, Dear Reader said:

I suspect they were reveuse’s dupe. Their writing style is very similar 

Or cml. They logged in once that account got banned. 

[Enrique523]

On 12/1/2023 at 10:22 PM, Holiest Dreams said:

I truly do think TS11 is finished and is coming sooner rather than later. TS11 in 2024 (hopefully in the Spring, please no Q4 release fighting with holiday flooding again) and Rep/Debut in 2025. Bookmark me.

I really hope that's not gonna happen, it's WAY to soon for TS11. I'd love new music but i want her to let people breathe for a little while.

[Enrique523]

12 hours ago, Cleanromantic said:

Taylor haters are a special breed. Every girl has trolls but the Taylor haters legitimately hate her like she personally ruined their lives. It's truly weird. 

THANK YOU. I also noticed it for a long time now and i still don't understand how we got to this point. Taylor has been extremely successful for over 15 years but only in the last few years have things gotten INCREDIBLY worrying and ****** up when it comes to her haters. No other pop star on this site is as viciously hated as she is for no real reason. And a lot of mods are letting it slide, which makes things even worse.

 

Her haters are so DEEP into their hate that i fear one of them will try to do something to her at some point 

[GoatGly]

56 minutes ago, Enrique523 said:

THANK YOU. I also noticed it for a long time now and i still don't understand how we got to this point. Taylor has been extremely successful for over 15 years but only in the last few years have things gotten INCREDIBLY worrying and ****** up when it comes to her haters. No other pop star on this site is as viciously hated as she is for no real reason. And a lot of mods are letting it slide, which makes things even worse.

 

Her haters are so DEEP into their hate that i fear one of them will try to do something to her at some point 

I genuinely think that this form of deep rooted hatred comes from jealousy over her success manifesting as anger. Really disturbing especially the post in there.

[GoatGly]

6 hours ago, Maroon legacy said:

You did an amazing job. wow. Btw, YLM being a track 5 is hot
Also the fact that she didn't include YLM on the original album, cause she doubted that this is truly the end and was searching for a reason to hold on. And I have NEVER thought about Labyrinth being a "back together after a pause/break song and not just ''I met a stranger, now I'm in love with him'' That's so clever.

Okay so I don’t know if this theory has been discussed before but I kind of wonder if the thirteen tracks shared on the original edition of Midnights were what she felt comfortable sharing regarding her relationship/ personal life, etc. at the time and the reason why the 3AM tracks exist is because it was already too late to change the physical copies. 

[IBeMe]

plz Taylor one more single from Midnights once Is It Over Now is done its single run by like end of February  I want YOYOK to have its cute moment tbh even if it doesnt do much it still needs to become a single and represent the other side of Midnights tbh. All the singles é songs that got videos were the more bombastic tracks. I want something like YOYOK to showcase the other vibe of Midnights :(  

[MatiRod]

I feel like we will get Reputation in February, self-titled in May, and TS11 in October, with the Eras Tour starting up again in spring/summer 2025 for another round of North American and European dates.

[fridayteenage]

no