Much anticipated ‘Midnights’ is a Swift success

Beth Garrabrant

“Midnights” release consists of 13 tracks as well as seven additional tracks from the vault.

Throughout her career, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has found success in a wide array of genres. Following the re-release of 2012 album “Red” last year, Swift returned with yet another powerful album on the midnight of Thursday, October 21: “Midnights.”

The tracks begin with a bold, electric-like song that takes direction into modern R&B with a sweet falsetto and four-on-the-floor rhythm. Swift has taken a similar approach to this in past albums with the song, “Dress” in the 2017 album “Reputation”. Titled “Lavender Haze,” this first track brilliantly opens the album, all the rest to follow with smoother, yet just as enjoyable rhythms.

Her variety and elasticity in her wide range of music presents timelessness and allows for it to transcend among generations—something very few artists have been able to accomplish. Her lyrics are as timeless as they are clever, and in “Midnights,” they have returned to real-life ideals rather than the fantastical-like themes taken in previous studio album “Evermore.”

Such ideals are addressed in the third track, “Anti-Hero.” The celebrity discussed her ordinary, human issues—namely heartbreak, anxiety, and self-consciousness.  Lyrics such as “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism like some kind of congressman…” and “I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror” highlight the insecurity and imposterism that she struggles with.

Through a video she released on Instagram, Swift delved a bit deeper into this topic. “I just struggle with the idea of not feeling like a person,” she said. “This song is a real guided tour throughout all the things I tend to hate about myself.”

Swift’s “guided tour” provides a phenomenal lineup of versatile tracks for people of all ages and backgrounds. Each song provides something new, a different mood or energy than the tracks prior.

Swift continues the unpredictability of each new song with the release of seven tracks from the vault. These bonus tracks are made available to listeners on all major platforms, titled under “Midnights (3am Edition).” This pleasant surprise of supplemental music provided an additional plethora of satisfying and passion-rich songs for fans.

“Midnights” has already broken records. Swift advances in her trend of her albums topping the charts instantaneously as they release. According to Mashable, it broke the Spotify record for most streamed album in a day. Moreover, she broke first-day records on Apple Music as well as Amazon Music.

“Midnights is a collage of intensity, highs and lows and ebbs and flows,” Swift wrote via Twitter. “Life can be dark, starry, cloudy, terrifying, electrifying, hot, cold, romantic or lonely. Just like Midnights. Which is out now.”