Midnight saw the drop of 16 songs but by the time kids got me up in the morning, it was up to 31. I learned my lesson from Midnights and waited to download it.
It took a while for me to give it a close listen but here are my thoughts.
Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
Telling a bit of a messy story. It hovers somewhere between her cottage core era of telling other stories and her own heartbreak. It’s giving Revolutionary Road vibes.
The Tortured Poet’s Department
Any song about self-sabotage I assume is about Matt Healy. Catchy and clever.
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
Catchy. Similar vibes to Bad Blood. Not lyrically her best work but fun.
Down Bad
Meh. Would have been a vault track another time. Lots of women will be blasting this during their gym workouts though.
So Long, London
I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free
The peril of dating a musician? You will end up in their songs.
But Daddy, I Love Him
Returning to her country roots and calling out Hypochristians. I didn’t like this much initially but it’s grown on me.
Fresh Out of the Slammer
I gave this another listen and it still didn’t make much of an impression on me.
Florida!!! (feat. Florence + the Machine)
My friends all smell of weed or little babies
I was holding my 4 month old when I heard this lyric. Excellent vibes. Welch’s entire verse is fantastic. Very fun.
Guilty as Sin?
Interesting, poetic, and curious. I wonder who inspired it.
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
I LOVE this one. Ominous and creepy.
I Can Fix Him (No, Really I Can)
Fun and messy. I’m a fan.
loml
A sad love song. Not a standout.
I Can Do It with a Broken Heart
The lyric video is all footage from the Eras tour. Anymore shade on Joe, he’ll need a flashlight. Her work ethic and ambition is indefatigable.
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
I just want to know if rusting my sparkling summer was the goal
A revenge ballad. I live for calling out bad men.
The Alchemy
A love song with some not so subtle nods to Kelce.
Clara Bow
The perils of being an it girl. I like it
The Black Dog
Old habits die screaming
Solid song about heartbreak.
Imgonnagetyouback
Fun plays on words. Similar attitude to Blank Space but not as good.
The Albatross
Devils that you know raise worse hell than a stranger
A ‘loving me is complicated’ song. Not bad but not memorable.
Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
Decent sad song. Not bad but not great. I suspect it’s about Matt Healy.
How Did It End?
Another sad song about the demise of a relationship. Good but it sort of fades into all the others.
So High School
Cute song about falling in love. Lyric video has arena lights. Giving Kelce vibes.
I Hate It Here
Meh. Would have been a vault track another time.
thanK you aIMee
Telling your bully to suck it. Makes me think of Fearless and Speak Now. The nod to Kim Kartrashian is the kind of petty I love.
I Look in People’s Windows
Enjoyable song about heartbreak. Bit of a filler track.
The Prophecy
The frustrations of being single again. I like it.
Cassandra
Very interesting. I wonder what the inspiration was for this one. I have some guesses but it’s hard to say.
Peter
The boy who never grew up. She’s know Healy for 10 years so I suspect this one is for him.
The Bolter
Harkening back to the cottage core era telling another story.
Robin
Childhood innocence on a track that would have gone into the vault.
The Manuscript
It’s giving Jake Gyllenhaal and All Too Well. Interesting place to come back to at the very end.
“And so I enter into evidence my tarnished coat of arms my muses, acquired like bruises my talismans and charms. The tick, tick, tick of love bombs. My veins of pitch black ink. All’s fair in love and poetry”
Critics have called this raw and unpolished. I can agree it’s not her best work. Many tracks are lyrically underwhelming and forgettable. I found Midnights underwhelming too but some songs eventually grew on me. I’m sure that will happen where too.
With such a rabid and devoted fan base, I worry there will come a time when people won’t be critical or she won’t hear it. She’s not at this place yet. I hope it never comes. She’s a smart woman. As long as she pays attention, she should avoid this trap.
If this is the music she needed to release, I can respect that. 2023 and 2024 were big years for Swift personally and professionally. After the content machine she’s been the last few years, she’s earned some mess and chaos.
I’d give this a 3/5. It’s not great, not terrible and enough tracks are winners that I’m not mad.
JesseJaneReads 