THE ALBUM & THE ERA
Midnights’ “Anti-Hero” is the first single of a new era defined by a period of sleepless nights. Swifties have been awake past the witching hour because of the magic of new music. We stay up because of the exhilaration of an album release and wait in anticipation as each song washes over us like waves, soon to be the soundtrack we memorize, love, and cherish. One of my favourite parts of being a Swiftie is feeling connected to others in the fandom. I believe Swift actively champions this sense of belonging and collectivity by inviting us to participate in her music.
Leading to her twelfth studio album, Midnights, Taylor Swift gradually revealed the names of each track, one by one, through her “Midnights Mayhem with Me” episodes on TikTok and Instagram. Finally, Swift neatly outlined her promotional plans for Midnights when she posted a calendar of what to look forward to, dubbing it the “Midnights Manifest.” On October 20, 2022, during the third quarter of the Thursday Night Football game, as promised on the calendar, a teaser trailer for the Midnights music videos was released on Amazon Music and Swift’s social media. This trailer featured a montage of several scenes from various music videos to the instrumentation of what we would soon recognize as “Mastermind.”
THE “ANTI-HERO” MUSIC VIDEO
The first music video of this era was released on October 21, 2022, at 8 a.m. EST. “Anti-Hero” quickly became a Swiftie anthem and an instant hit with the broader public. The video, like the song, is based on the premise of being an anti-hero—a figure who is doomed to fail, but who we root for anyways. If you’ve got main character energy in your life right now, and you see yourself failing despite your best efforts, “Anti-Hero” is for you.
The music video has a warm atmosphere of orange and brown tones with dim lighting. The visuals are reminiscent of the 1970s, as the opening scene echoes episodes of Stranger Things. Swift finds herself surrounded by ghosts. Screaming in terror, she runs throughout the house to find a different version of herself who sings, “It’s me, hi. I’m the problem, it’s me.” I read this scene as a way of Swift blaming this other version of herself for conjuring her worst demons in her home.
I interpret the video as Swift is constantly in conversation with herself throughout the song. According to Taylor Swift Style, a Swiftie fashion blog, we see two of her personas emerge: “the almost ‘homely’ cozy and hair back, comfy sneakers [Anti-Hero] in direct contrast to the almost caricatured glam manifestation of her greatest insecurities.” These two personas exist in subtle tension with one another as the glammed-up Swift implores the Anti-Hero to behave according to societal expectations of Swift as a celebrity. For instance, the Anti-Hero learns the lesson that “everyone will betray her.”
At the dinner table scene, Swift scares everyone off chiefly because of her size: “too big to hang out.” I think this scene highlights how fame alienates her as a human being and, instead, simply paints her with the brushstroke of being a “villain,” or as the lyrics say, “a monster on the hill / Slowly lurching toward your favourite city / Pierced through the heart but never killed.” Swift is struck with an arrow, and a glittery purple fluid oozes out of the injury, again emphasizing her infinitude, her monstrosity, and her lack of being human.
The song pauses to realize a nightmare of Swift’s, where she’s the problem even after her passing. Chaos ensues at her funeral when her children realize they’ve been left out of the will. The humour helps to ease the sadness of the song and makes the song more memorable.
The two personas engage in self-destructive behaviours like drinking frequently and the deep self-examination of Swift’s weight in the washroom. The glammed-up Swift shakes her head, agreeing that Swift is the problem.
Towards the end of the video, a new Swift appears. As her fame grows, so does her next persona. Her physical size mirrors her likelihood of being an Anti-Hero, like a giant that is too visible, too humongous, and too obvious to be hidden.
Fans were invited to share their anti-heroic traits using the #TSAntiHeroChallenge on YouTube Shorts to participate in the meaning-making of this song. The interactive nature of Swift’s album promotion lends itself to a fandom where songs truly become your own. When fans participate, they alter the meaning of the song. Swift’s willingness to make space for this fan participation demonstrates her sharp ability to connect with Swifties.
WHAT’S NEXT
The second music video, for “Bejeweled,” came out shortly after the first music video. And yet, there still remains to be at least one more music video as some scenes from the Teaser Trailer haven’t been placed in their contexts. Solely based on the colour scheme and aesthetics, I predict the next single will be “Lavender Haze.” We’ll just have to wait and see!
Until then, I’m listening to Midnights non-stop, on repeat. I hope you are, too!