Midnights: Taylor Swift’s Ode to the Nuanced Party Girl
After long awaited hype, Midnights is finally here, jam packed with sparkle, synth beats, and crying in the bathroom vibes. Taylor Swift notes that the album is a collection of sleepless nights hence the title “Midnights.” Listening to the album, it’s easy to see her vision.
In an Instagram caption for the album announcement Swift wrote “We lie awake in love and fear, in turmoil and in tears” and “We stare at walls and drink until they speak back. We twist in our self-made cages and pray that we aren’t – right this minute – about to make some fateful life-altering mistake.”
The album feels like when you get home from a night out and think about your entire night and everything that has ever happened to you, the good, the terrible, everything. But none of the songs sound in-your-face, stab-you-in-the-heart emotional. They’re all wrapped up in this mod-pop ribbon that will have you asking “am I sad or do I kinda wanna dance right now?” The answer is both.
The album aesthetic is her best yet. Pulling inspo from the 70s, story books, and the twinkling night sky, Swift has entered an era that perfectly encapsulates Midnights. Her looks this era vary from sparkling event outfits to a more intimate 70s style for her day-to-day, beautifully referencing the dichotomy of the album.
Swift’s red carpet and evening looks reference the more self-confident pop songs in the album, namely Lavender Haze, Vigilante Shit, Bejeweled, and Karma.
She entered the “Midnights Era” in this opulent crystal dress at the MTV VMA’s. Dripping head to toe in jewels, she looks ready for a glamorous party. In her song Bejeweled, the chorus exudes self-confidence and her VMA outfit makes reference to it.
Best believe I’m still bejeweled
When I walk in the room
I can still make the whole place shimmer
And when I meet the band
They ask, “Do you have a man?”
I could still say, “I don’t remember”
These feminine-pop songs idealize the feeling of being out and feeling good regardless of anyone else. Her moody Reputation-esque song Vigilante Shit calls out how lately she isn’t dressing for anyone or anything, she’s “been dressing for revenge.”
With her “cat eye sharp enough to kill a man” this eras night looks show the glamour and celebrity of Taylor Swift. At the same time, listeners are reminded of their own confidence when dressing up to go out.
But the most interesting part of this era lies in the more intimate songs being represented by the moody 70s aesthetic. With muted colors, wood paneling, and retro decor and furnishings, this side of the album strips away the glamour to reveal a woman full of self loathing.
Songs like Anti-Hero and You’re on Your Own Kid are the kind of emotional tracks we’re used to from Swift. This line from the Anti-Hero chorus discusses a type of distress some of us know all too well.
I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
It seems as if Swift is peeling back the curtain on her celebrity but listeners are also reminded of their own pitfalls. It’s easy to want and to take but it’s much harder to reflect on where we go wrong and what we don’t love about ourselves.
The 70s are an important juxtaposition to the sparkly, shimmering aesthetic of the dancy songs. The 70s was a period of unknowing and transformation, filled with turmoil and reflection but also great strides in self-realization.
This album tells its listeners that you’re allowed to be many things and feel many feelings. You don’t need to shrink yourself to fit into the box that others have made for you. We all leave the house on Friday night feeling our best only to return a little let down.
You’re on Your Own Kid sums up the greatest message of the album in the bridge.
‘Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take
So, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You’ve got no reason to be afraid
Be unabashedly yourself, enjoy things, feel your feelings. Be sparkly and fun but allow yourself to be moody too, it’s okay. Taylor Swift said so.
