On October 21, 2022, there was a cultural reset. Maybe not for everyone but definitely for “Swifties.”  If you are unfamiliar with this term, you must have been living under a rock. It is Taylor Swift’s fan base and she just released her 10th album, Midnights. None of us saw a new album coming, up until she released the news back in August. Taylor Swift is known for her clever Easter eggs and usually, people catch on to them all, but not this time. Throughout her entire songwriting career, Swift included the word “Midnights” in exactly 13 of her songs. You may be wondering what the importance of the number 13 is and I’m here to inform you. It is her lucky number and tends to use it when sending out Easter eggs. It has been nearly 2 years since her last album with new music was released. She has been re-recording her own music as a part of her get-back scheme at Scooter Braun, who sold the masters of her tracks without her permission. None of us expected her to have time to write a whole new album, but the Swifties were fooled once again!

Taylor Swift is also known for her poetic lyrics. After thoroughly listening and analyzing her new lyrics, her third track on Midnights, called “Anti-Hero,” struck me the most. Swift claimed that this was one of the deepest songs she had ever written. Insecurity after insecurity is sung throughout the entirety of the song. The chorus begins with, “It’s me, Hi! I’m the problem, it’s me. At teatime, everybody agrees.” Swift is expressing her innermost thoughts, as she feels everyone has always been in agreement that she is the problem. The chorus continues with the lyrics, “I’ll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror.” This is Swift’s attempt to get listeners to understand that she would rather look right up into the powerful sun, than look at her own reflection in the mirror, as she cannot stand the person she is.” I like to think of this song as a win-win situation. What I mean by this is that when people think of celebrities, they link them to perfection, causing them to make endless attempts to meet unrealistic standards. Hearing that someone so “perfect,” like the Taylor Swift struggles too is refreshing. Swift also won in the situation because pouring her heart out into this song was most likely therapeutic, as it is never good to internally build up emotions. Every song on this album hit each spot of my body so differently and I find it amazing how lyrics can do this. Although Swift’s messages within her lyrics were brilliant, I cannot say the same for her beats. Song after song, I found myself waiting for a beat drop, and never got one. I was disappointed with how much monotone there was. Even though this specific album was not my favorite, I am still excited for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, where she will be singing all of her songs. As a swiftie, I also cannot wait to see what easter eggs she has left in store for us. 

Three hours following the release of Midnights, Taylor Swift announced the surprise release of Midnights (3am Edition). The new edition of the album consisted of the thirteen songs from Midnights, as well as seven new additional songs: “The Great War”, “Bigger Than The Whole Sky”, “Paris”, “High Infidelity”, “Glitch”, “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”, and “Dear Reader.” Swift stated in an Instagram post that these seven additional songs “were other songs [Taylor and her co-writers] wrote on our journey to find that magic 13. [Taylor’s] calling them 3am tracks.” This announcement sent Swifties into shock, including myself, trying to process this announcement. 

“The Great War”

The first 3am track is “The Great War”. “The Great War” is a four minute long song and to my interpretation, tells a story about the tension a couple can go through throughout one’s relationship. Something that stood out to me was the “Lover”-esque vibes the song imitates, the song would fit perfectly on the Lover album, which was released in 2019. The chill-pop style of “The Great War” is a prominent style shown through songs such as “Afterglow” and “It’s Nice To Have A Friend”. Notorious for writing and producing incredible bridges, Swift has done it again. The first 3am track has a bridge that is extremely captivating,  making it difficult to not belt it out whenever listening! 

Erin’s Official Rating: 3.5/5 stars

“Bigger Than The Whole Sky”

Perfect for late night sob sessions, “Bigger Than The Whole Sky” is a definite tear jerker. Swift writes about the experience of losing something one never really had, “I’m never going to meet/What could’ve been, would’ve been/What should’ve been you”. This song can be applicable to a multitude of different situations: relationships/situation-ships, the process of grief, and the future. Because it is more of a slow song, it helps to balance out the upbeat songs on the album such as “Karma” and “Lavender Haze”. Fan-page editors have already started making sad edits with “Bigger Than The Whole Sky”- every time I see one on my For You Page, I can’t help but tear up! 

Erin’s Official Rating: 4/5 stars

“Paris”

A listen to “Paris” throws you all the way back to the year of 2014, allowing you to relive the release of 1989. The song has a distinct resemblance to Swift’s most popular album. The cheerful beat of “Paris” makes one want to get up and dance! When couples travel to the city of Paris, they get caught up in the romance and have a magical time. Swift writes about that feeling, being so in love with a person that being in their presence makes all of one’s worries go away. My favorite lyric in the song is “Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours/Levitated thought, all the messes made”. Swift never fails to impress me with her riveting lyricism. “Paris” is not my favorite track, but it can definitely get a person on their feet and on the dance floor!

Erin’s Official Rating: 3/5 stars

High Infidelity 

When I first listened to “High Infidelity”, I thought I was listening to Folklore. I thought that my Spotify had glitched and queued up a song from that album. When I checked and saw that it was a track from Midnights (3am Edition), I got so excited because of the similar vibes it had to my favorite Swift album. After analyzing the song, it seems as though Swift is apologizing about something. She has written apology songs before such as, “Back to December” and “The Other Side Of The Door”. Less than a week after the release of the track, a specific lyric in the song has started a new trend on TikTok. Using the lyric “Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?”, people will show pictures of what they did on April 29th, and the videos and photos are often humorous. A funny TikTok I saw was when they showed that they were at a John Mayer concert on April 29th. Kind of ironic, considering the video was made by a swiftie (if you know, you know). 

Erin’s Official Rating: 4/5 

Glitch

Immediately after the first listen, the unique instrumentals and beats reminded me of a late night conversation. The energy that buzzes when having these deep conversations was translated into the song, “Glitch”. Swift talks about going back to the same person over again and how it is weird, sort of like a glitch in the simulation. Personally, this song wouldn’t be high on my ranking because I prefer songs that are more climactic and noteworthy. 

Erin’s Official Rating: 2.5/5

Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve

“Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” is probably my favorite song on the entire album. Every aspect of the track is mesmerizing and enthralling. I personally would rate the “scream-ability” of this song a ten out of ten. It is a sad song, Swift translates the way she felt in the relationship through the song. One can hear the raw emotion in her voice. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” also reminds me of past Swift songs such as “Dear John” and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version). Screaming these songs in a stadium filled with fellow swifties would be a therapeutic and surreal experience. Taylor better add it onto the tour setlist!

Erin’s Official Rating: 5/5

Dear Reader

Swift closes her 10th official studio album with a bittersweet song. The artist gives her fans advice through song, metaphors, and analogies. This is a perfect closing track to Midnights (3am version) because Swift described this album as a collection of “13 sleepless nights”. Swift’s career kicked off at the young age of 16, signing with her first record label and releasing her first big hit, “Tim McGraw”. Since then, she has experienced many ups and downs. So to close, she shares what she has learned from her experiences throughout her career.

Erin’s Official Career: 3/5

Erin’s Official Ranking of the 3am Additional Tracks

1. Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve
2. High Infidelity
3. Bigger Than The Whole Sky
4. The Great War
5. Paris
6. Dear Reader
7. Glitch