Spotlight on “Midnights”
Taylor Swift, multi Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, released her highly anticipated 10th studio album titled “Midnights” on Oct. 21 at 12 a.m. ET (The Cut). After re-recording her older music due to conflicts with her former manager Scooter Braun, this is her first new album since “folklore” and “evermore,” which were released in 2020. “Midnights” has 13 tracks telling the story of 13 sleepless nights throughout her life, 13 being her lucky number. For this album, she includes repeating symbolism of time and midnight, which serve as the hallmarks of her most recent era. When Swift first started in the music industry, she was a young country singer. Then, as she continued to alter her image in what came to be known as her different “eras,” each album came with a bolder iconography and a significantly evolved sound from her previous years. “Midnights” was first announced on Aug. 28 following Music Television’s (MTV) Video Music Awards (VMAs), where the “All Too Well” short film written and directed by Swift won “Best Longform Video,” “Video of the Year” and “Best Direction.” During her acceptance speech for “Video of the Year”, she announced the release date of “Midnights” and later posted the album art on her Instagram. Junior Alyson Matsumiya describes the appeal of Swift’s music to her audience.
“I was super shocked in a good way when I found out [about Midnights because] I felt like she would put everything on the table,” Matsumiya said. “As she has been finding herself, her music gets more mature; it is not like country or basic pop songs. [Instead,] they have more symbolism and a deeper meaning. I think her music resonates with a lot of her fans because she has such a variety of songs for every occasion.”
Since the beginning of her career, a tactic Swift has used is implementing Easter eggs and clues to keep observant fans invested. “Midnights” is no different, because Swift was just as clever with her marketing. An example of this is that throughout her entire discography, she has said the word “midnight” in six of her songs, and the phrase “middle of the night” in seven. These numbers add up to her special number 13, and the total number of songs on “Midnights,” as pointed out by talk show host Jimmy Fallon. Another revelation that left Swift fans in awe is that on Oct. 21, when the album released, she was 12,000 days old, which corresponds with how the album was released at 12:00 a.m. “Midnights” also comes in four different styles of vinyl covers, and if arranged properly, the back covers form a clock. To further the anticipation prior to releasing the album, Swift also posted videos on TikTok in a series called “Midnights Mayhem With Me” from Sept. 21 to Oct. 7 where she announced the names of the tracks using ping pong balls and a bingo cage. In each episode, she spun the bingo cage and when a ping pong ball emerged, Swift announced the track title that matched the number labeled on the ball. Junior Chloe Sohngen appreciates how Swift’s tactics keeps fans engaged and on their toes.
“I think [Taylor’s marketing style] is very effective because it gets people excited for the album,” Sohngen said. “A lot of her fans are [clever and] go very deep into theories. [Because she is aware of this,] she adds some Easter eggs for them. I think it is a fun little game for her [because] she enjoys seeing us try to figure out her cryptic messages and hints. I feel like she is smart, and everyone knows [her cleverness], so at this point she is just having fun with her intelligence.”
Swift has experienced her fair share of hate and controversy after being in the public eye for so long, being painted as a villainess and getting into feuds with celebrities. One of the most well known feuds began at the 2009 VMAs where 19-year-old Swift was giving her acceptance speech for winning Best Video by a Female Artist for “You Belong With Me.” Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, got on stage mid-speech and stated that Beyoncé should have won instead. Most people were immediately angry at Ye, but the tables eventually turned and after a few years people started to call Swift a “snake.” This was due to Swift’s reaction to a lyric about herself in Ye’s song “Famous,” that she expressed disapproval toward Kim Kardashian, the now former wife of Ye, came to his defense with doctored evidence of a phone call where Swift allegedly approved of the song lyrics. After being the subject of public backlash for a period of time, Swift returned with the album “Reputation,” released in 2017, which satirically played into the public’s negative image of her as a “snake,” addressing the Ye feud and the media’s criticisms of her for writing songs about her personal life. This album was her official transition from country to the world of pop. In “Midnights,” several years later, many speculated that she would address the Ye feud once again. This is because on the day she announced the album, Taylor was wearing a dress reminiscent of the one she was wearing at the 2009 VMAs, representing how she was taking back the show and once again entering a new era of her life. Junior Hillary Kchao describes Swift’s personal transformation throughout the years in relation to her music.
“[Fans] can see the development of her identity throughout the years in her music,” Kchao said. “The need to reinvent herself stemmed from the fear that she would not remain relevant in the music industry, and as she transitioned from country to pop to alternative and indie, [people] can see how her perspectives changed on everything from love to politics. [Midnights] definitely went beyond my expectations and did not disappoint.”
