On October 21, 2022 Taylor Swift dropped her tenth album, “Midnights.” Fans were ecstatic to see that this album came out so swiftly after her release of “Red (Taylor’s Version).”

This album features 13 songs and runs at a total of 44 minutes and 8 seconds. The track list is as follows:

• Lavender Haze
• Maroon
• Anti-Hero
• Snow on the Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)
• You’re on Your Own, Kid
• Midnight Rain
• Question…?
• Vigilante S**t
• Bejeweled
• Labyrinth
• Karma
• Sweet Nothing
• Mastemind   

“Midnights” broke records and secured the whole top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. She became the first artist in 64 years to hold all of the top ten spots. In the first week of release, the album hit 1.578 million streams, breaking all of her previous album’s records. Swift sold 1.14 million copies of this album. The album also broke the record of streams on Apple Music.

This first song on her album “Lavender Haze” sets the scene with the first lyrics being: “meet me at midnight.” This  kickoff for the album is extremely fitting based on the title of the album.

Fans were also shocked to see that Lana Del Rey was featured in the song, “Snow on the Beach.” However, a majority of fans were disappointed that Del Rey’s background vocals were all that were featured. 

Her song, “Vigilante S**t” also spiked up conversation. Looking back at Swift’s previous albums, swearing was uncommon; however, it has started to become a common trend in her music, but never this bluntly. 

The song “Lavender Haze” details the experiences of a friend or lover that provides her with a sense of euphoria and deep connections to help her escape the problems of the real world. Swift has stated that this song is about her long time boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. She states that she got this title from an episode of Mad Men and liked it due to its relation of love.

Taylor Swift has stated that all of the songs in this album correlate to her real life, including the song “Maroon.” This fact has students questioning the meaning behind this song. Fans have speculated that this song could have something to do with Jake Gyllenhaal. This is a popular opinion because this song was released a decade after “Red.” Maroon is also a deeper shade of red, leading to more speculation.

“Anti-Hero” is another track on the album to have lyrics that feature the title: “Midnights.” The lyrics featuring the title are: “midnights become my afternoons.” Swift had stated that although many of the songs in this album are about her relationship with Alwyn, this one is about herself. She has said that this song in particular highlights her insecurities. Swift has also mentioned that she believes this is one of her favorite songs she has ever written.

Swift said that the song “Snow on the Beach” song elaborates how it feels to fall in love. “And time can’t stop me quite like you did.”, “this scene feels like what I once saw on a screen, I searched aurora borealis green, I’ve never seen someone lit from within.” These are just some of the lyrics that highlight the meaning of the song. This track also is the one that features Lana Del Rey.

 The lyrics, “we’re the best of friends,” parallel the song “You’re On Your Own, Kid” with her previous song, “You Are in Love.” This new song is about longing to further a connection with someone that you love. It is also revealed that the song highlights staying in a town for the sole purpose of being with someone you love. 

This song “Midnight Rain” is yet another one that features the use of the word “midnight.” This song features an unfamiliar lower voice in the beginning of the song. After much speculation, it has been proven that this is just her voice but with added effects. Fans think that this song is about ex, Tom Hiddleston. 

“Question..?” is about Swift’s rocky past. Swift states that she was the good girl who met the bad boy and made the wrong choices. Fans believe that this song is about ex Harry Styles, because the lyrics relate to her previous Times Square kiss with him.  Fans also believe this because the song is similar to a previous track by her, “Out of the Woods.”

The song, Vigilante S**t, is about getting revenge on someone who has done them wrong. This song is believed to be about Kanye West. When Swift won one of her first awards, Kanye objected and caused a scene. This was a low point in her career so naturally revenge may be what is on her mind. 

 Swift has stated that “Bejeweled” is one of her sassier love songs. This song analyzes her dance with Tom Hiddleston right before her breakup with ex Calvin Harris. This dance occurred at the Met Gala which is where she met her current boyfriend of six years. 

“Labyrinth” analyzes Swift’s past relationships and the struggle of finding love after past heartbreaks. The lyrics in this song explain how difficult it is to keep living with heartbreak and having to face the day to day struggles. Swift revealed that she has a fear of elevators and used that to symbolize her apprehension of love. 

“Karma” is also believed to be about Swift’s rough past with rapper Kanye West. Swift’s previous song “Look What You Made Me Do” (from the 2017 album “Reputation”) has some similarities with “Karma.” The similarities are what lead fans to believe that this is another song about revenge against West. 

Taylor Swift is a huge name amongst many households. This song, “Sweet Nothing,” highlights her personal struggles of always being in the public eye. While that is the main meaning of this song, the underlying meaning is about the love of partner Alwyn. 

“Mastermind” is the final song on the “Midnights” album. This song is about the story of how she met Joe Alwyn. It highlights how she knew she immediately wanted to be with him after the first glance and how she planned their relationship every step of the way.

You can listen to these 13 new songs by Swift on streaming apps and services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and more! Don’t forget to pick up the physical CD at Target to hear an exclusive bonus track, “Hits Different.”