It’s common knowledge that there are different phases of going through a breakup, and Taylor Swift’s Midnights album just so happens to represent those exact phases. We’re about to take a dive into this album and find out why Midnights is in fact a breakup album. As different songs are discussed, feel free to give them a listen and see if you agree!
To start off, we’ll first take a look at track two on the album: “Maroon”. When it comes to this song, we are painted a clear picture of Taylor remembering a past relationship and how it ended. When we think of the lyric “the rust between telephones”, we think of communication with another person dying down until there’s no communication at all. Throughout the song there are different shades of red mentioned such as: maroon, burgundy and scarlet. There are also various objects mentioned that serve as a symbol of a shade of red such as wine, roses and rubies. The different shades of red and different objects could represent the different emotions one must feel when remembering the good and bad moments in a past relationship.
Next, I’m going to be taking a look at one of my personal favorites on the album which is “Glitch”. Based on some of the lyrics I do believe that this song is about Taylor’s ex, Joe Alwyn. I believe the lyrics “it’s been two thousand one hundred and ninety days of our love blackout” represent how long Taylor and Joe’s relationship lasted. 2,190 days is in fact equal to 6 years, which was the duration of their relationship.
Finally, the song “You’re On Your Own Kid”, appears to represent Taylor’s journey through life up until her Midnights album was released. In fact, towards the end of the song different moments in Taylor’s life are referenced. For example, the lyrics: “I took the money” could be related to Taylor’s Reputation era when she sings “put the money in the bag and I stole the keys” in “Getaway Car”. The lyrics “you’re on your own kid, you always have been,” could represent how Taylor has felt throughout her various breakups. This entire song reflects what a person’s thought process might be similar to when coping with a breakup or even just remembering both the good and bad moments throughout their life.