Personally, I will be including the 3 a.m. tracks in this ranking. I am a firm believer that any Taylor Swift fan – new or old – listens to all her work, all the time.
I will be the first to admit that I was nervous to hear Midnights for the first time! Although I loved the idea of 13 sleepless nights, not knowing the vibe of the songs had me skeptical. Foolish of me, I know, because Taylor Swift simply doesn’t disappoint.
Onto the ranking! I am going to list these top 5 tracks of mine in order, but I truly believe Midnights may be a no-skip album…
- Karma
If you know me in real life, this is no surprise. I absolutely love the lyrics, the beat and the overall message that Karma is this elusive thing that will right your wrongs so you don’t have to worry about doing it yourself. I love how personal the lyrics are to her, yet still so applicable to anyone who has been wronged. The personification of Karma makes for a unique song that will make you want to jam out like you are dancing with an old friend.
Best Lyric:
“Cause karma is the thunder
Rattling your ground
Karma’s on your scent like a bounty hunter
Karma’s gonna track you down
Step by step from town to town”
- Mastermind
Where do I even start? I feel like the whole vibe of Midnights is quite forward pop, but not in a cheery way like Taylor has explored in her past. As a meticulous planner, I not only relate to Mastermind, but I also believe this is a play on the media’s perception of Taylor as always being calculated or scheming about something. The song gives a peak into Taylor’s thought process in regard to love and her career, which I think many of us more anxious and previously betrayed people will understand.
Best Lyric:
“No one wanted to play with me as a little kid
So I’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since
To make them love me and make it seem effortless
Is this the first time I feel the need to confess?
And I swear, I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian ’cause I care”
- Bejeweled
This song is so FUN! Again, like many of the other songs on Midnights, it’s fun and pop and all the things that make Taylor Swift a pop star – yet it also holds a deeper meaning within the lyrics. Taylor Swift had to fight to make people recognize her as a pop star, but once they did, there was no one stopping her. Although Midnights contrasts her previous two albums – folklore and evermore – she proves she can still shine and that she deserves the spotlight.
Best Lyric:
“Best believe I’m still bejeweled when I walk in the room
I can still make the whole place shimmer
And when I meet the band, they ask, ‘Do you have a man?’
I can still say, ‘I don’t remember'”
- You’re On Your Own, Kid
This is definitely the track I had the highest hopes for when I first learned of all the track names – and it did not disappoint! Taylor Swift highlights all the times in her life when she experienced disappointment, and as a byproduct of that, realized she only has one person to rely on above all else: herself. As someone who feels like this quite often, from friendship to hopes and goals, and within most relationships I have – it feels comforting knowing I’m on my own, but I’m not the only one who feels this way.
Best Lyric:
“Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take
So, make the friendship bracelets
Take the moment and taste it
You’ve got no reason to be afraid”
- Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve
WOW! This is the song from Midnights that I scream-cried in my car since the first listen, and every listen after that. This a clear reflection of almost 32-year-old Taylor regarding her relationship with John Mayer when she was only 19. Young love is beautiful – but that is what it is – young. John Mayer was a grown, 30+-year-old man, he had no reason to pry on a 19-year-old. I’m a firm believer in the theory that Taylor was rerecording “Dear John” (Taylor’s Version) and came to a new realization of just how inappropriate of a relationship that was, and said, “You know what – I have something else to say.”
Best Lyric:
“If clarity’s in death, then why won’t this die?
Years of tearing down our banners, you and I
Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts
Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first.”
(Seriously heartbreaking!)
I am a massive fan of Midnights – more so than I ever believed I would be. I am also a big proponent of the idea that this is Taylor Swift making music that she wants to, that she loves. I think folklore and evermore are beautiful – and I know Taylor Swift is proud of that work. However, Midnights is Taylor, through and through. Laced in the lyrics, background vocals and stories of sleepless nights, Taylor Swift proves she is pop, and even beyond that, she is the Music Industry.
Stream Midnights!