#TPFEATURES
TP-approved Tracks from Taylor’s Latest Album, Midnights
By Alexa Viray, Jewel Kirsten Enriquez, and Trinity Pauline Pablo | November 22, 2022
Last month, exactly on this date, midnights have never felt so bright when Taylor Swift released her new album called “Midnights”. It was everything we ever wanted. A concept album of 13 songs plus the 7 bonus tracks filled with her sleepless night stories — new songs to scream at the top of our lungs, with lyrics tapping into the hearts of her fans with lyrics to ponder on how she’s able to write songs tailor-fitted just for us. Listening to the album is a rollercoaster of emotions with the lingering thought of choosing your favorite Midnights track.
Have you picked yours yet? Well, fear not because we’re here to share what we think you’d be rooting for!
TRACK #3: Anti-Hero
Starting off with Track #3. We can never escape a point in our lives where self-hatred is present. The burden of having to feel that you’re the problem weighs like the Earth. It’s as devastating as being a monster. “It’s me, hi. I’m the problem, it’s me!” The line that dominated TikTok comes from this song. It’s tiring to be someone who’s programmed to be the villain, when in fact, you’re just a normal person making mistakes. Having to care about what other people will say without even knowing if it’s true screams self-loathing. Taylor just became the spokesperson for our struggle with self-hatred and insecurities as the most daunting phase in our lives.
If this will be your favorite track, hugs with consent! No one deserves to stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror, choosing to be blind than to look at yourself. You’re more amazing than what you think. It may be exhausting to root for an anti-hero, but just like ordinary people, you’re trying your best to survive.
TRACK #5: You’re on Your Own, Kid
Life inevitably greets us with solitary during our best times and worst moments. When fame, romance, and friendships break through, we are surrounded by the presence of everyone else–yet at the end of the day, we are on our own. She wrote this song in relation to the phases of her life where she felt that all she had was no one but herself.
The song’s flow has its own story that follows various points in a young girl’s life where she experiences the pain of loving a boy, bearing eating disorders that has physically and mentally disrupted her entirety, and having to swallow the pill that the goals and dreams she once made are a far reach.
“I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this” depicts the lengths someone would go to just to pursue their dreams. “So, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it, you’ve got no reason to be afraid” styles up as more of an encouragement for the listeners, because when you’re so sure that you’ve got your own back, there’s no other reason to be afraid.
Finally, the last line “You’re on your own kid, you always have been.” are deemed as the lines that hit too close to home. It is the heart and soul of the song, and the clear meaning of what Taylor wants to express. During our highs and lows, we will inevitably end up alone and on our own. That’s how it’s always been, and how it always will be.
TRACK #6: Midnight Rain
The strongly induced pitch in the opening of this song may have scared us, but just a reminder, it was Taylor Swift all along! What’s interesting about this track is that most of her songs talk about her heartbreaks throughout her life. But this came from a different angle because she was singing from her perspective as the heartbreaker.
We are all aware that love isn’t the only thing in this world. Sometimes, other priorities will hinder us from the happy ever after we want. “He wanted a bride, I was making my own name, chasing that fame.” To compare and contrast love and career, both can give us satisfaction and contentment. But nothing compares to self-made accomplishments and wanting to achieve more. In this song, Taylor Swift was telling a story about how she gave up on someone to choose her dream because, like what she sang, “He was sunshine, I was Midnight Rain.”
She may have regrets on midnights like this, but at least her dedication to her career made her younger self proud. If you’re in the same situation and you have to pick between love and career, what will you choose?
TRACK #9: Bejeweled
Have you ever felt unappreciated by someone who was once the person of your dreams? And have you ever realized that you are worth more than what this person makes you out to be? If you’ve experienced this, Bejeweled is the one for you!
It sports a much more lively, entrancing vibe than the other songs. The song’s lyrics present metaphorical yet straightforward messages that showcase an empowering stance for people who need to hear more about their worth and how they should properly be treated by anyone else.
“Best believe I’m still bejeweled, when I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer” immensely stating how confidence is still and will always be a part of Taylor, despite being unappreciated by someone who she expects to make her feel like she shines.
“Familiarity breeds contempt, don’t put mе in the basement, whеn I want the penthouse of your heart” is a reminder that familiarity can and could be the start of unappreciativeness. Taylor states that she doesn’t want to settle being in the basement–or in simpler words, being looked at in a boring manner. She relays that what she deserves is the penthouse. It pertains to the glam, the assurance, and the acknowledgement that she is worth more than all the diamonds and jewels combined.
TRACK #10: Labyrinth
This song is an emotional and love ballad that talks about finding genuine love after experiencing countless heartbreaks. After a breakup, we all walk through a labyrinth in our minds. It’s filled with “what ifs” and worries that this newfound love might be just like the others, but this time, it finally isn’t. You’ve finally found someone who genuinely cares about you and would “break their back just to see you break a smile”.
“Uh oh, I’m falling in love.”, the realization that you’re starting to like someone new, thinking will it last? Is this finally the kind of love that you’ve been hoping for? “Oh no, I’m falling in love again” That sinking feeling is starting to begin. You’re worried about getting into the same situation and conscious about letting your guard down easily.
“Oh, I’m falling in love. I thought the plane was going down. How’d you turn it right around.” The midnight rain finally stopped. You’ve finally seen daylight in a person. After all the anxieties, we’ve come to the conclusion that love can still feel like peace.
Labyrinth is for the people who are finally in healthy relationships and are still trying to heal from the trauma and anxiety. We all deserve a kind of love that brings us happiness and reminds us that we matter. It’s time to say goodbye to all red flags, so let’s “breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, and breathe out”. Don’t turn your midnights into afternoons for they’ll meet you at the other side of the labyrinth.
Now that you’ve read the meaning behind some of the tracks and how it can be the candidate of your favorite one, have you picked any? No pressure! Just listen to the Midnights track all over again, feel the emotions present, and do not be scared to be vulnerable. It may be difficult to be the anti-hero and midnight rain after experiencing a labyrinth, but since you’re on your own kid, always believe that you’re bejeweled.
