When Taylor Swift surprise announced her tenth studio album, “Midnights,” while accepting the Video of the Year award at the VMAs, I knew I was going to love every single song and make it my whole personality. Swift released “folklore” and “evermore” in 2020, and both were drastic shifts from the sounds and lyrics of previous albums. These two albums were extremely successful because of the new “folk era” of Taylor Swift, so when some listeners heard “Midnights,” they were shocked by the more pop sound and production. I am always blown away by Swift’s ability to perfectly execute any genre of music while still achieving her poetic lyricism. When I first listened to “Midnights” in the stairwell of my dorm hall, I was fully prepared for a new musical era.
Music can have such a significant impact on people’s lives and one song can take one back to a single moment or feeling. Thinking back on childhood memories with my neighborhood friends, Taylor Swift’s old music always plays in my head. Her songs “I Knew You Were Trouble.” and “We Are Never Getting Back Together” were at peak popularity when I was young. When I hear these songs today, I am immediately transported to the past and every emotion that lives there. Swift’s album “1989” was released when I had just moved houses and I was no longer living right next to my best friend. I felt like I was starting everything over in a new home with new friends, but I found comfort in the music of “1989.” Listening to the album today causes me to reminisce on this journey, and I am so thankful I had Swift’s music to guide and comfort me through it.
“Midnights” was released at the perfect time for me because, as a freshman in college, I am learning new things and trying to figure out where life will take me. I know in the future I will hear some of my favorite songs off the album and remember the memories I am currently making. Many of her new lyrics are beginning to make me reflect about who I am and what my future looks like. You could say these “Midnights” are keeping me up.
For example, in her song “Anti-Hero,” she states: “Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby/And I’m a monster on the hill.” I relate to this lyric because in college I feel like I am out of place and that I stick out like a sore thumb. It is nice to know that someone I look up to, and have for years, understands what many young women feel. In “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” Swift says: “So make the friendship bracelets/Take the moment and taste it/You’ve got no reason to be afraid.” I have a difficult time letting go and living in the moment, scared of what lies in the future. I need her words of wisdom to remind me that life is a journey and there really is no reason to be afraid.
Taylor Swift has significantly impacted my life, and I think of her music often when I look back at my past experiences and memories. I cannot wait to listen to “Midnights” in a few years and reminisce on these college memories and compare my life and feelings to Swift’s lyrics at that point and time. Do you have a certain artist or song that brings up similar feelings? Having one that can take you back to one moment or feeling is unique to the human experience and makes music extremely special.