If you haven't read any of my lifestyle posts in the past, welcome to my little diversion from book blogging. I primarily discuss Taylor Swift. So obviously, we need to talk about Midnights. First off, I want to acknowledge the absolute girlboss move of announcing a new album during an award acceptance speech. Second, I made the mistake of not watching the VMAs or being on social media that night, so basically I got the news from a frantic text from a friend something like half an hour after she put out the cover and album statement.
I meant to put out this post a few months ago, when Midnights was a thought, but now the album is out so I may as well just share my thoughts on every single song. A discussion of the Eras Tour will follow... sometime soon. I am about to have swaths of uninterrupted free time due to winter break, so hopefully I can write more. I will say I got tickets--I want to put that out there because I live tweeted my queue experience and I am so excited for the show!! Onto my track-by-track breakdown of Midnights. Album overview: I truly think this is one of Taylor's best albums to date. This is a no-skip album for me, 3am tracks included. I had my usual live-react going on Twitter at the time of release, and I was just in awe the entire time. I was exhausted in my morning classes the next day due to staying up until 3am to catch the *chaos surprise* but was delighted beyond my wildest dreams to hear the full album. I've enjoyed how Taylor has leaned into her artistry in her recent work--the fictitious tales on folkevermore, and now a concept album? I'm all in, and I love the writing on Midnights. One of the aspects I've enjoyed is how Taylor has sampled and referenced her older music on this album. It feels retrospective but also refreshing, like she's having as much fun digging into her discography as we fans do. Lavender Haze It was strange to be hearing new pop music from Taylor since her recent releases have been indie/alternative and the rerecordings of her country albums, but I can't deny that this song is catchy. I am already picturing this opening the Eras Tour (I've heard a quite catchy remix of this with I Think He Knows and I am very sold on this concept). Maroon As an artist and reader, I've always wanted to analyze Taylor's use of color in her music--this has grown over recent years (you can find it a lot on Reputation as well as her following albums) and she sometimes links back towards her own songs with these references. Maroon obviously holds connections to Red, which is all about heartbreak and love in all its forms, so this song chronicling a devolving relationship fits into that tradition, except it's a more mature song acknowledging the truth of the experience. Anti-Hero So my first instinct is to really like this song--it's bold, interesting, and takes the album in a self-reflective direction that I can appreciate. For me, Anti-Hero bringing in more of Taylor's personal fears is an expected direction--as lead single from this album and also coming back to writing personal music again after releasing two albums filled with fictional stories. I don't understand why no one is understanding the 30 Rock reference--I do get it, a lot of her fan base is too young for this show--but Taylor is the dictionary definition of a millennial and it's no surprise to me that she would have liked 30 Rock and Liz Lemon. People have also criticized the numerous remixes, and I just have to say that this isn't that many, other artists also work with different producers to remix their songs, it's just that Taylor is new to trying this and there's been backlash for the way she's capitalizing on the song. Let me note again: this is her job, and she's quite good at making money almost above all else. Again, to me the over-personalization of her music feels like an issue for the fans Snow on the Beach I was only interested in Lana Del Rey's music for a brief period of time (Born to Die Paradise Edition was my fixation for a while) so I can't really say I know how her music has evolved, but this song seems about what I'd expect of this collab. I'm a bit surprised that Taylor doesn't give her a verse, but she's never really done that with any of her collaborations on her main albums so I can't say it's too strange. Jack Antonoff must really be living the dream to be working with these women. You're On Your Own, Kid I mean… talk about monetizing pain. I feel like this one really came out of the Miss Americana movie in a way. This song makes me cry about 50% of the time I hear it, and it has one of my favorite Taylor bridges ever. I've never believed that one human being can truly understand the depths of another one's experience, but sometimes there are pieces of writing or music that come so close to delivering raw emotion straight into my brain. This is one of those songs. Midnight Rain On every album, Taylor always has at least one song that hits me right in whatever my issue du jour is. And for Midnights, it's this song. I've been struggling with my ambitions this year, feeling like I'm really hitting my stride but not sure how to manage my relationships in the middle of this. Midnight Rain speaks to that struggle for me, although I understand that the issues at hand are quite different I still think that "I broke his heart 'cause he was nice / He was sunshine, I was midnight rain / He wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain / He wanted a bride, I was making my own name / Chasing that fame, he stayed the same" encapsulates the problems I've been having. Question...? Enchanted sequel!! I would really like a video for this song. We didn't have a video for Enchanted but I think I internalized a lot of the Wonderstruck marketing material and just invented one in my head, so I need a followup for Question...? immediately please. The waiting and desperate wondering mood of this song speaks to some of the midnight anxiety themes that were teased in the album announcement. Vigilante Shit I see this as a grown-up version of no body, no crime! I enjoy how Taylor plays with the same themes across multiple points in her career, and though the production on this has been roundly critiqued as a Billie Eilish knockoff, I think it has Taylor's spin on it in a way that makes the song worth listening to in the context of the rest of her revenge discography. (insert an idea for a playlist composed of Taylor Swift revenge songs) Bejeweled Unquestionably my favorite song to get ready with. Play this before any big event in your life and you'll feel like the belle of the ball no matter who you are or where you're going. That's right, when I walk in the room I can still make the whole place shimmer! This isn't strictly Midnights related but the Bejeweled music video has informed a decent amount of the aesthetic decisions I am making for some upcoming projects, which is fun. I also appreciate her commitment to hiding clues in these videos and making some of them quite obvious--we should definitely be watching for Speak Now (Taylor's Version) sometime in the next year I think. Labyrinth On my first listen, I thought this was going to be a sad song, but it's actually a soft tune about falling in love. The production is a bit more pop-sounding, but I almost envision it on folkevermore. The writing is rather simplistic so I don't have much by way of textual analysis, but the repetition serves to emphasize the feeling. To me, this song is more about the production and writing partnership between Swift and Antonoff. The scattered lines of the synthesizer add some punch and keep this feeling like a pop song even with the light and airy vocals. Also I want to point out that Taylor has been hinting at this project for SO LONG by quoting "Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out" in the 2022 NYU commencement speech she gave. Karma I think a lot of fans had a suspicion that this song was meant for Reputation, and while I know Taylor has said all of the music on Midnights was newly written, I can see the thematic consistency. “Ask me what I learned from all those years / ask me what I earned from all those tears” feels very direct--she's continuing to write about fame and the painful experiences she's had the last few years, but acknowledging that she uses it to succeed artistically. Sweet Nothing A cute song, softer than many of the others. I love the brass line in the middle of the song. I like that Midnights feels sonically cohesive even though between songs there are these wild tone shifts--it's still a pop album, but the conceptual links are stronger than the musical links which I think works in its favor since Taylor's music has shifted many times over her career and to limit her would be a disservice to the album. Mastermind I love Mastermind as a closing song, since it highlights the way Taylor obsesses over planning every detail of her life (incredibly relatable material). This can be read in multiple directions, either as relationship planning, business strategy planning, or scheming about her music. I think all three of these are tied up in each other so I've enjoyed seeing Taylor be so newly self-referential throughout the album and tie it together with this last song. The Great War If there is one song on Midnights that I want to find a book match for, it's this one. I love the extended metaphor (which I can also see in Long Story Short's "When I dropped my sword / Threw it in the bushes and knocked at your door") and how Taylor continues her theme of characterizing love as different experiences throughout the album--a heady rush on Lavender Haze, a private moment on Sweet Nothing, and now the result of a metaphorical emotional war. Bigger Than the Whole Sky So most of the songs on the 3am version I understand--this one, I had to spend more time with before seeing how it fit with the rest of the album. The writing is vague, and I interpret it to be either about endings (generalized relationships) or endings (death). Neither interpretation drastically changes how I see the role of the song, which is to balance out the upbeat songs with quieter ones which seem more inspired by folkevermore. I do see Midnights as a transition album, because Taylor's body of work is now in this genre-crossing context that a full shift back to dance pop would seem abrupt. Paris I said it very simply in my live tweet: "Taylor honestly has put her finger on exactly what I want with this one. I do want to be in Paris. I do want to be somewhere else." I also heavily relate to wanting to keep my relationships private and out of the public eye, just so I can have a sacred space to just pretend I'm living my ideal life. Her lines "Levitate above all the messes made / Sit quiet by my side in the shade" are exactly in line with the type of environment I cultivate. High Infidelity There's been a lot of speculation about this one since it's the closest Taylor has ever gotten to writing about cheating. We're all asking the same question: what happened on April 29th? To me, it's more interesting to analyze this song in the context of the themes of celebrity/fame/scrutiny that she's been weaving through this album while also including these details that make fans curious about her life. It's a very fine line to walk, especially when trying to avoid parasocial relationships. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. Taylor has spent her whole career building personal connections with her fans, which has been very lucrative for her. Glitch This is a Paper Rings sequel to me--a little messier, a little more grown up, but just as desperate and happy. It’s cute! I like that even the bonus tracks feel sonically cohesive with the rest of the concept album. When the trailers for the music videos dropped, I thought Taylor was putting out her first visual album and honestly part of me wishes that's what she'd done with the project. Many of the tracks lend well to that adaptation. Would've, Could've, Should've We need to do something about John Mayer... that man has given this woman so much trauma that she is writing about it literally over a decade later. The devastating bridge on this song is just another one of those hallmarks of a Taylor song and the more I listen to this one, the more it hits for me. We need to start bringing the All Too Well energy to this song!! It is so deserved. Dear Reader Everyone ignores this song but I think that's bonkers because this song speaks so deeply to me--I love how Taylor has strung the concept of celebrity worship through this album and is telling her listeners that she's just a person (which has been ironically ignored, I've seen some wild things on the internet about her especially recently. If you're online please be wary of forming parasocial relationships with celebrities... they're not your friends, kids). At any rate, my favorite line from this one is "You should find another guiding light // but I shine so bright"
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To go home for Thanksgiving, I have approximately a seven hour drive. Not telling you where I live, but along the eastern seaboard I will be hit with hours worth of traffic, and irritating tolls, and many confused drivers unfamiliar with my area. And you know what? I don't have a problem with it at all. I am much more patient in traffic than most other people I know. I just roll down my windows to let in the fresh air, and crank up my music.
I am always listening to music when I'm driving, because my car is my safe space. I can enter into this near-meditative space when I drive where the only things that exist are me and the road. I make hours-long driving playlists (most of which are publicly accessible on my Spotify (@bookbaroness) composed of the songs I have on loop at the moment, the ones I love and want to sing at the top of my lungs with no one judging me. This year, I'm trying something new--I have this incredibly long drive to go home, and I solicited music recommendations from my friends to include in a playlist along with a selection of albums which I hadn't yet had the chance to hear in full, in order. I am not so good at taking recommendations, there is a whole separate post in here somewhere about that, but I have relaxed my policy a little to take in some new music. Here are the albums I listened to on the first segment of my drive:
I have eclectic taste, ranging from country to folk to pop, but there are a few artists whose music I come back to time and again because it's so significant to me. One of those artists in Sara Bareilles, and I can't believe it took me this long to listen to her new album. This was the highlight of my experience and I love the new direction her songs have taken. The album is less singer-songwriter than her previous work, and the production is smooth but subtle. I love her earlier albums for their coffee-shop-pop feel, and her powerful voice (which happens to be reasonably close to my own range, great for singing in the car or in the shower), and Amidst the Chaos elevates everything to a new level. I can't even pick a favorite song, they are all so good! Consider this my plug for this album. My other stand-out experience is Miranda Lambert's Palomino. I've been listening to Lambert for as long as I can remember, I discovered her music on the "pop country" radio I loved on Apple Music (back when it was free) and kept up with her releases until relatively recently. A busy life has left me with little time to track down new releases from my favorite artists, but I caught up with Palomino and found it full of delightful songs. She co-writes with Natalie Hemby, one of my favorite songwriters currently in the country music space, and Palomino is full of tracks about different characters and lifestyles, an ode to the wanderers and free spirited among us. In other words, perfect for a drive. Here my favorite tracks are Actin' Up, Geraldene, and Waxahachie. I'll hopefully be able to share another post after I've listened to the other two-thirds of my playlist, so I won't tell you what the other albums on it are. Feel free to suggest any in the comments that you think deserve a listen, and I'll do my best to add them all!
I was having a less-than-ideal week last week, and then on Thursday Taylor Swift announced evermore, the sister album to this summer's folklore. My skin cleared, my mood changed, and all was well in the world. I've been a Taylor Swift fan for my entire life. On a level, we've grown up together. Not to brag, but I was in the top 0.5% of Taylor Swift listeners on Spotify in 2020. (Yeah, I'm totally bragging about that)
Dropping folklore and evermore as surprise albums is just an absolute boss move, and I admire Swift's commitment to her artistry and love for her fans. I can't say at the moment how big of an impact these albums have had on my life in isolation because we're still not out, and I'm not done listening! For now, I'll tell you that every time I have a bad day, whenever I want to blast music and scream-sing alone, and all the times I want to celebrate, I put on my Taylor Swift playlist. (If you want to check out my Spotify, it's on there!) It's probably going to take me a while to create book-to-song matches for folklore and evermore, because I am determined to get them right. However, what I want to share right now is a bit of opining on both albums. My favorite songs, my least favorite songs, and which ones best display Swift remarkable songwriting talent. I'm also sharing an album ranking, because I think with 9 studio albums out, it's finally the right time. So. Let's dive into folklore. I'd name the 1, cardigan, illicit affairs, invisible string, betty, and peace as my favorite songs. An honorable mention goes to the last great american dynasty for being absolutely incredible. After listening, I looked up Rebekah Harkness and the history of Holiday House, and it's just as good as the song. Swift rarely wrote non-autobiographical songs, and her foray into storytelling is one I hope she'll continue, because these songs are so good. (Well, except for the fact that epiphany just goes on too long. My tears ricochet is emotional but I always have the urge to skip it. And mirrorball... shiny but not for me.) The love triangle trio (cardigan, august, betty) has had me hooked on conspiracy theories (yes, I *do* think it's a sapphic love triangle and you can't take that away from me!) for the past four months. Cardigan especially might be my favorite song off the whole album. I love the imagery, and watching the music video premiere just brought me so much joy that night. I put peace on my Blackstairs playlist, because... "Your integrity makes me seem small / You paint dreamscapes on the wall / I talk shit with my friends, it's like I'm wasting your honor / And you know that I'd swing with you for the fences / Sit with you in the trenches / Give you my wild, give you a child / Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other / Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother" is just the most Julian/Emma vibes ever. Okay, sorry for quoting an entire verse of peace on here but I need you all to understand how perfect these albums are for relating to books. The imagery, the metaphors, the undercurrent of acceptance and inevitability that runs through the songs?? It's just... agh!! I can't properly express how much I love folklore. That was it for me. As soon as I listened, I turned around and... heard it six more times that very same day. Nothing could compare. And then I heard evermore. I found out about Swift's ninth album last Thursday morning, like all of us, and immediately freaked out. I started planning my midnight first listen and theorizing about the song title meanings (yes, I thought dorothea, ivy, and marjorie were part of another love triangle story at first). Midnight ran around after the longest day ever, and I watched the willow music video wrapped in my favorite throw blanket. It is so very very good, and I'm glad it continues the aesthetic established by cardigan. We love continuity. I live-tweeted my first listen (just like I did with folklore) and then listened to evermore for the rest of the weekend. Okay, fine. The rest of the week. Okay, FINE! I'm listening to it as I write this and I'm not crying a little! I'm not! My favorite songs from evermore are willow; gold rush; no body, no crime (this song title having a comma forces me to use semi-colons in every list I make. I don't resent that *at all*); ivy; and evermore. Honorable mentions to champagne problems, tolerate it (those two always make me inexplicably sad), cowboy like me (Taylor *will* return to country music one day. This I believe!), and long story short (another Blackstairs song--I see them in everything!) for allllmost making my favorites list. Champagne problems in particular gets me, just because of how bittersweet it becomes. It's like Swift's earlier breakup songs, but less brash and more sympathetic. She doesn't take a side. Again, the lyrical maturity in both folklore and evermore just makes me want more. It's not that I don't like Swift's upbeat pop sound (Lover is my favorite of her albums, after all), but I do enjoy the more contemplative sounds she's chosen here. Her collaborations feel more interesting, the songwriting top notch. I have so much respect for her artistry and ambition, which is why I've remained a fan even when it wasn't "cool" to be one. Wherever she strays, I'll follow (willow reference, because I can't help myself). I don't think I could ever tire of this new style, especially because the limits of an album have become the expanse of Swift's imagination, and not the scope of her real life. So I was cool with a surprise twin album for folklore, and I'd be even cooler with a triplet. I know she debunked the woodvale theory, but I'm still holding out hope for a third album. I think Miss Swift has more stories to tell, and I'd be honored to hear any of them. Okay! Now for an album ranking, accompanied by my favorite songs from each. I left out movie soundtrack singles and her Christmas album, even though my favorite song in the world is Sweeter Than Fiction.
And because I want to plug my Spotify (which you should all totally follow for some amazing bookish playlists) I'm going to embed my blackstairs playlist, which I've mentioned a couple times here. I started this around folklore's release, and I'm really proud of it.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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