“This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams,” Swift wrote in her Instagram post. “The floors we pace and the demons we face. For all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit and go searching — hoping that just maybe, when the clock strikes twelve… we’ll meet ourselves.”

As a big fan of Swift, especially for her unique use of lyrics, I was stoked to see what she has prepared for us all since the vibe of the album seemed different and new. After a full listen, I was absolutely amazed. Now personally, I don’t believe this is perfection tier, but the more I listen to it, the more I resonate with her lyrics.

The album’s opening track, “Lavender Haze,” sounds like the song that will get overplayed at H&M and on the radio. I do have to admit, it was a great choice for an opening track, with the echoing of “Meet me at midnight” at the start of the song. She added a lot of sound effects, which I wasn’t the biggest fan of. In fact, I think I would like the entire album more if it was less ‘pop.’

A song that stood apart and became my quick favorite would be “Karma.” The juxtaposition of the funky beat along with the deep lyrics reminded me a lot of one of her previous albums, “Reputation,” as she discusses the challenges the music industry has brought her. The change in tone in her voice also complements the song perfectly, as she frequently goes from a low to a high tone, something that takes years of practice to master. The constant change of beat reminds me, yet again, how uncertain life is and how we have to learn to navigate the labyrinthine paths.

The song I was most excited for though, was “Snow On The Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey),” since it was the only somber song on the album. Reminding me of “illicit affairs” from “folklore,” she emphasizes her anxiety about being in love and the fear that comes along with relationships. Now having been the longest Del Rey and Swift fan, I have to say the song is overrated and was overhyped. Going into the song with such high expectations, it was disappointing to find that Del Rey did not have a single verse and was barely part of the vocals. Despite that though, the gloomy ghostlike vibe made up for her absence and I would give it a listen again.

On top of the album drop, Swift also released seven bonus tracks at 3 a.m. that same day. Track 19, “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” quickly became a fan favorite and is in my personal top five songs at the moment too. Swift recalls being in a relationship with a “grown man” (John Mayer, who was 32 at the time) when she was just 19 years old. In my opinion, it should’ve earned its spot on the actual track, with the song resembling “Dear John,” on “Speak Now.” Fans have also noted how she purposefully made the song the nineteenth track, mirroring her age at the time of the relationship:

i cant stop laughing taylor really said actually i don’t want to wait for speak now taylors version to be released to drag john mayer i need him to suffer NOW

— lately i’ve been dressing for revenge. (@rippedpromdress) October 21, 2022

Swift did it once again by surprising the whole world with her words. “Midnights” was certainly a wild ride with many unexpected turning points. The album has already broken records, with it officially being “the most streamed album in a single day in Spotify history.” Even though it took me a couple of listens to digest, Swift’s new alt-pop album perfectly captivates all that she has accomplished throughout her successful career.