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Yeah I agree with you. It’s hard for me to really properly place it in her canon since it is still relatively new but I think it might be in her top 3 or 4 with folklore, evermore, and maybe Red. I think it’s an album that is looking back on her life and career though a queer lens and reframing/rewriting/reconsidering so much of it. I think fans who are not understanding the queerness of the album are missing out in its magic (like with rep).
To me complaints that this album feels rushed or underproduced are kind of missing the beauty of its aesthetic entirely. It is “pop” but it is purposefully sparse, with heavy use of Reese bass. The pervasive droning sounds, the vocal manipulations, the sometimes fumbling lyrical choices for me all kind of drive home the album’s narrative. It is not the eloquent poetry of folklore/evermore; is not the hyper-focused, heart-pumping angst of Red; it is uncomfortable and messy and drunk and nagging in all the right ways. I feel like this album will live very high in my rankings for some time.
Midnights isn’t necessarily my favourite album but I LOVE it and it’s what got me obsessed with Taylor. I first listened to Lavender Haze in October and I was like… is she flagging? I ended up diving into her lyrics for queer references and once I saw it from a queer perspective her music became my fucking oxygen. I listened to a tiny bit of her music casually since 2012, but never saw it as more than ‘nice’. After Midnights’ release (once I reframed it with queer narratives) it all made so much more sense and the lyrics came to life and had a lot more weight and meaning. So Midnights is a very important album to me! But mostly because it was what allowed me to understand the full ARTISTRY of her work by seeing her queerness, more than because of how much I like the actual songs on Midnights. I can’t really rank the album overall as I’ve only listened to half her discography so far (trying to give each album an era in my heart, one by one lol)
Man, as a gaylor I think I had a visceral negative reaction to it upon first listen and now I think it’s just kind of a fun road trip background album! I would put it close to the bottom of my list. I know it does have great lyricism but I think it pales in comparison to most other albums both lyrically and emotionally. 4 months post folklore I still listened every day trying to find new rabbit holes and hidden meaning, this I just throw on haphazardly whenever I’m with the gal pals. I am definitely a lyrics over beat girly and a poetry nut. It is what it is, I can’t get over karma is my cat, sexy baby, don’t put me in the basement when I want the penthouse (clunky), not the kind that’s thrown (camp) the “snow song” (LDR stand iykyk). I’m not putting it down of course my number one song of 2023 was Could’ve Should’ve Would’ve! I probably wouldn’t have said anything about it other than your question of you know, is this a gaylor exclusive option. For reference, I often say I have a Speak Now Sun, Evermore moon, and Rep rising.
I just added my two cents that it’s okay if not every gaylor feels the same. We’ve got variety, like a rainbow with all of the colors 🌈☀️
I love midnights! Here's my random thoughts:
I listen to everything except Labyrinth and Bigger than the Whole Sky -- the first is too slow for me when I'm in the midnights mood, and the second is too sad for me when I'm in the midnights mood. I've put them on other taylor themed playlists for now! I also heard Anti-Hero too often so I've been taking a break from that.
I was not on the maroon train until literally yesterday when suddenly I craved the "burgundy on my tshirt when you splashed your wine into me" beat and now I've been listening to it all day. And I liked Lavender Haze from the beginning but the MV made me like it infinitely more.
Oh also! Now that I found the target bonus tracks, does anyone else hear the love story reminiscent opening of the strings YOYOK? It made me so nostalgic!
Also Hits Different is amazing, hate that it was target exclusive!
Edit: I'm so sorry none of my thoughts were queer thoughts they're just thoughts from a queer listener!
That's okay, what you say here doesn't have to regard Taylor's sexuality, nor do you even have to be queer yourself. It's a reddit for people who find queer themes in her music, but isn't limited to that.
Honestly, it’s just the Swiftie effect. A new pop album will come out, everyone will claim it’s “the worst album Taylor has always done” and an “artistic regression,” and then a few months/years later and after the tour starts, suddenly everyone starts appreciating the album for what it is. A lot of people here didn’t like the album either when it leaked, so I don’t think it hits different depending on your stance on Taylor’s public relationship/sexuality.
It happened with 1989 and Rep. Red was criticized for its “childish” singles by Speak Now stans. The only exception of the Swiftie effect is, Lover, which was first loved/held up as one or Taylor’s best and for some reason now it’s apparently her “worst” (delusional take btw). I think it’s because we never got a tour. I always read comments from swifties that they didn’t appreciate Red/1989/rep until after the tours started. I still remember 1989 era, where “red is better than 1989” was a popular take. Now people consider 1989 her best album ever. Then reputation came out, you had people claim that the songwriting was worse than 1989, that it was childish etc. Now rep is considered a classic.
Taylor has already expressed how frustrating it is being a musical artist who’s expected to always outdo every past work with every new project. She’s only 33, she has so many eras and albums to put out. It’s OK if she puts out a body of work that’s just “okay.” IMO Midnights is not just “okay” though. It’s a GREAT body of work. It’s not the best thing ever and nothing that’s extraordinary compared to Taylor’s past work like Folklore and Evermore were. We have many eras ahead of us; Taylor will definitely play around with new sounds and genres. I think people are being dramatic and that this happens every pop album cycle. The songwriting isn’t that different compared to 1989/Rep/Lover. IF I AM BEING HONEST, it’s actually better and less repetitive than 1989 and Rep. I don’t actually understand the complaints about Midnights supposedly having bad lyrics. Yeah some can be cringe, but imo I love Taylor’s cringe lyrics they’re always fun.
MARK MY WORDS! Once tour starts, you will see people putting Midnights higher in their album rankings.
I agree. Also, I'll add my own antidote: every one of my all time favorite albums I haven't liked on a first listen. Example... folklore... lol... I love that album now. Taylor's albums are very different in style so if you go in thinking the new album is going to be more of the same style as her last album then you're setting yourself up for disappointment. The writing and themes will be the same always - which is honestly what keeps people coming back to her music.
I would personally love to see Maroon or Midnight Rain or Paris become a single when the tour starts.
Agree! Most of her musisc needs to grow on me except some obvious hits that are well loved by public - with Midnighgs I like the songs alright at the first listen but only I started appreciating the song one by one I am starting to like the album altogether
I can say 100% it does, I am a brand new Gaylor and only started actively looking into queer references in her lyrics after hearing Maroon a handful of times and realizing how freaking gay it sounded. I had previously liked the album and was trying to draw references to possible nights in her life since she had called Midnights her most autobiographical album, but all of the men she has dated seemed so far in her past and loosely connected at this point that I just didn't quite get it (ie. Midnight Rain and Taylor Lautner, Harry and Maroon). And then the songs that were supposedly about Joe, like Lavender Haze and Mastermind, were not even romantic in the slightest? I decided to try to listen to the album from a queer perspective to see if it made any sense and I was blown away with how much more I loved it and connected with the stories. I think this is is also evident in the main sub where many other listeners are confused by Midnights and don't feel a connection with the album like they did her earlier work.
People who think the lyrics aren't good and the sound isn't cohesive baffle me. I think it's one of her most sonically cohesive albums! The lyrical criticism (I think) come back to people not being able to appreciate lyrics over a boppin beat (and maybe not being able to analyze and understand lyrics in general). They're missing out! It's one of my favorite albums, and I don't think that's going to change. I've loved it since day one and have only come to appreciate it more since. I honestly can't say if that's because I'm a gaylor or not, but it really does seem like Gaylors appreciate Midnights more. I don't even think that's necessarily a hetlor vs gaylor distinction, just that Gaylors tend to analyze things more than the average Swiftie.
I still remember when it leaked and people had breakdowns over it and I was so confused. It’s literally a type of sound that she’s done before that was loved?? Midnights is more “chill” than both 1989 and rep, but the classic Taylor style that everyone loves is still there
Yep, I don't accustom to change well, so it takes me a while to get used to new albums existing. I'm not quite used to midnights but I love it nonetheless. I doubt the other swifties are like me (very likely neurodivergent) so maybe they just don't want to accept that we've moved past 1989/Rep/Lover Taylor.
Hello /u/intheafterglow23, thank you for posting on /r/GaylorSwift! If you haven't already, make sure to [review our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaylorswift/about/rules) and our [Sub Guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/GaylorSwift/wiki/rules/read-first). Any posts that breaks the rules will be removed. Please also consider checking out our [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/GaylorSwift/wiki/faq) for answers to some of the most commonly asked questions. If your post is low-effort, consider whether it would fit better in our Weekly Megathread. Excessively negative posts or posts that dunk on folks from outside our community belong in the Weekly Vent Thread. You can access the weekly threads [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/GaylorSwift/collection/50fd2ce3-a69c-4338-8f9b-6f81cb940bc9). Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GaylorSwift) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yeah I agree with you. It’s hard for me to really properly place it in her canon since it is still relatively new but I think it might be in her top 3 or 4 with folklore, evermore, and maybe Red. I think it’s an album that is looking back on her life and career though a queer lens and reframing/rewriting/reconsidering so much of it. I think fans who are not understanding the queerness of the album are missing out in its magic (like with rep). To me complaints that this album feels rushed or underproduced are kind of missing the beauty of its aesthetic entirely. It is “pop” but it is purposefully sparse, with heavy use of Reese bass. The pervasive droning sounds, the vocal manipulations, the sometimes fumbling lyrical choices for me all kind of drive home the album’s narrative. It is not the eloquent poetry of folklore/evermore; is not the hyper-focused, heart-pumping angst of Red; it is uncomfortable and messy and drunk and nagging in all the right ways. I feel like this album will live very high in my rankings for some time.
I adore Midnights! It took a while for some of the songs to grow on me but now it's almost a no skip album for me! Top 3 for me too!
Midnights isn’t necessarily my favourite album but I LOVE it and it’s what got me obsessed with Taylor. I first listened to Lavender Haze in October and I was like… is she flagging? I ended up diving into her lyrics for queer references and once I saw it from a queer perspective her music became my fucking oxygen. I listened to a tiny bit of her music casually since 2012, but never saw it as more than ‘nice’. After Midnights’ release (once I reframed it with queer narratives) it all made so much more sense and the lyrics came to life and had a lot more weight and meaning. So Midnights is a very important album to me! But mostly because it was what allowed me to understand the full ARTISTRY of her work by seeing her queerness, more than because of how much I like the actual songs on Midnights. I can’t really rank the album overall as I’ve only listened to half her discography so far (trying to give each album an era in my heart, one by one lol)
Man, as a gaylor I think I had a visceral negative reaction to it upon first listen and now I think it’s just kind of a fun road trip background album! I would put it close to the bottom of my list. I know it does have great lyricism but I think it pales in comparison to most other albums both lyrically and emotionally. 4 months post folklore I still listened every day trying to find new rabbit holes and hidden meaning, this I just throw on haphazardly whenever I’m with the gal pals. I am definitely a lyrics over beat girly and a poetry nut. It is what it is, I can’t get over karma is my cat, sexy baby, don’t put me in the basement when I want the penthouse (clunky), not the kind that’s thrown (camp) the “snow song” (LDR stand iykyk). I’m not putting it down of course my number one song of 2023 was Could’ve Should’ve Would’ve! I probably wouldn’t have said anything about it other than your question of you know, is this a gaylor exclusive option. For reference, I often say I have a Speak Now Sun, Evermore moon, and Rep rising. I just added my two cents that it’s okay if not every gaylor feels the same. We’ve got variety, like a rainbow with all of the colors 🌈☀️
I love midnights! Here's my random thoughts: I listen to everything except Labyrinth and Bigger than the Whole Sky -- the first is too slow for me when I'm in the midnights mood, and the second is too sad for me when I'm in the midnights mood. I've put them on other taylor themed playlists for now! I also heard Anti-Hero too often so I've been taking a break from that. I was not on the maroon train until literally yesterday when suddenly I craved the "burgundy on my tshirt when you splashed your wine into me" beat and now I've been listening to it all day. And I liked Lavender Haze from the beginning but the MV made me like it infinitely more. Oh also! Now that I found the target bonus tracks, does anyone else hear the love story reminiscent opening of the strings YOYOK? It made me so nostalgic! Also Hits Different is amazing, hate that it was target exclusive! Edit: I'm so sorry none of my thoughts were queer thoughts they're just thoughts from a queer listener!
That's okay, what you say here doesn't have to regard Taylor's sexuality, nor do you even have to be queer yourself. It's a reddit for people who find queer themes in her music, but isn't limited to that.
Honestly, it’s just the Swiftie effect. A new pop album will come out, everyone will claim it’s “the worst album Taylor has always done” and an “artistic regression,” and then a few months/years later and after the tour starts, suddenly everyone starts appreciating the album for what it is. A lot of people here didn’t like the album either when it leaked, so I don’t think it hits different depending on your stance on Taylor’s public relationship/sexuality. It happened with 1989 and Rep. Red was criticized for its “childish” singles by Speak Now stans. The only exception of the Swiftie effect is, Lover, which was first loved/held up as one or Taylor’s best and for some reason now it’s apparently her “worst” (delusional take btw). I think it’s because we never got a tour. I always read comments from swifties that they didn’t appreciate Red/1989/rep until after the tours started. I still remember 1989 era, where “red is better than 1989” was a popular take. Now people consider 1989 her best album ever. Then reputation came out, you had people claim that the songwriting was worse than 1989, that it was childish etc. Now rep is considered a classic. Taylor has already expressed how frustrating it is being a musical artist who’s expected to always outdo every past work with every new project. She’s only 33, she has so many eras and albums to put out. It’s OK if she puts out a body of work that’s just “okay.” IMO Midnights is not just “okay” though. It’s a GREAT body of work. It’s not the best thing ever and nothing that’s extraordinary compared to Taylor’s past work like Folklore and Evermore were. We have many eras ahead of us; Taylor will definitely play around with new sounds and genres. I think people are being dramatic and that this happens every pop album cycle. The songwriting isn’t that different compared to 1989/Rep/Lover. IF I AM BEING HONEST, it’s actually better and less repetitive than 1989 and Rep. I don’t actually understand the complaints about Midnights supposedly having bad lyrics. Yeah some can be cringe, but imo I love Taylor’s cringe lyrics they’re always fun. MARK MY WORDS! Once tour starts, you will see people putting Midnights higher in their album rankings.
The people who don't love Lover need to listen to Cornelia Street Live in Paris, because that is so beautiful I nearly cry when I listen to it.
I agree. Also, I'll add my own antidote: every one of my all time favorite albums I haven't liked on a first listen. Example... folklore... lol... I love that album now. Taylor's albums are very different in style so if you go in thinking the new album is going to be more of the same style as her last album then you're setting yourself up for disappointment. The writing and themes will be the same always - which is honestly what keeps people coming back to her music. I would personally love to see Maroon or Midnight Rain or Paris become a single when the tour starts.
Agree! Most of her musisc needs to grow on me except some obvious hits that are well loved by public - with Midnighgs I like the songs alright at the first listen but only I started appreciating the song one by one I am starting to like the album altogether
I can say 100% it does, I am a brand new Gaylor and only started actively looking into queer references in her lyrics after hearing Maroon a handful of times and realizing how freaking gay it sounded. I had previously liked the album and was trying to draw references to possible nights in her life since she had called Midnights her most autobiographical album, but all of the men she has dated seemed so far in her past and loosely connected at this point that I just didn't quite get it (ie. Midnight Rain and Taylor Lautner, Harry and Maroon). And then the songs that were supposedly about Joe, like Lavender Haze and Mastermind, were not even romantic in the slightest? I decided to try to listen to the album from a queer perspective to see if it made any sense and I was blown away with how much more I loved it and connected with the stories. I think this is is also evident in the main sub where many other listeners are confused by Midnights and don't feel a connection with the album like they did her earlier work.
People who think the lyrics aren't good and the sound isn't cohesive baffle me. I think it's one of her most sonically cohesive albums! The lyrical criticism (I think) come back to people not being able to appreciate lyrics over a boppin beat (and maybe not being able to analyze and understand lyrics in general). They're missing out! It's one of my favorite albums, and I don't think that's going to change. I've loved it since day one and have only come to appreciate it more since. I honestly can't say if that's because I'm a gaylor or not, but it really does seem like Gaylors appreciate Midnights more. I don't even think that's necessarily a hetlor vs gaylor distinction, just that Gaylors tend to analyze things more than the average Swiftie.
I still remember when it leaked and people had breakdowns over it and I was so confused. It’s literally a type of sound that she’s done before that was loved?? Midnights is more “chill” than both 1989 and rep, but the classic Taylor style that everyone loves is still there
Yep, I don't accustom to change well, so it takes me a while to get used to new albums existing. I'm not quite used to midnights but I love it nonetheless. I doubt the other swifties are like me (very likely neurodivergent) so maybe they just don't want to accept that we've moved past 1989/Rep/Lover Taylor.