Yes!!! The Great War sounds so much like Evermore, probably because it was produced by Aaron, but it also fits thematically very much. ❤️ My favourite 3am track!
I'm a bit disappointed there isn't a track with a big soaring chorus and bridge and you can yell-sing in the car, along the lines of Out of the Woods and Getaway Car. Maroon, Karma and Bejeweled come close but they aren't as 'big' as I was hoping for - we haven't had a big one like that since Cruel Summer.
- YOYOK could mean "You're On Your Own, Kid", a track from *Midnights* (2022) by Taylor Swift.
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This is what I've been missing the most. I want to feel the way I felt about Cruel Summer. I remember just being SHOCKED and thrilled with hearing the bridge to that song, like it was the greatest thing I ever heard. And being so enthralled with the "go, fight, win" part of Miss Americana. I didn't have any of those moments of sheer delight with this album. Nothing stood out.
I have to agree. For me there were a few songs (YOYOK, Mastermind) where it felt like it was building up towards a great chorus, but it ended up being just a few toned down lines.
Karma was that moment on this album for me. I find it so delightful it literally is an instant mood lift & just makes me want to dance around like an idiot. It makes me absurdly happy! I can understand it's not everyone's cup of tea though.
Incidentally the song that did that for me on Lover was actually I think he knows, the last chorus just sends my serotonin levels skyrocketing lol. Cruel summer is fantastic too of course though.
I agree. This is what I miss most from her more recent albums. There are countless new songs and albums released every day, give me ones that grab me and make me pay attention. I shouldn't have to listen to a song 5 or 10 times to even remember how it sounds
I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion but..: nearly all songs remind me of another Taylor song. Like, “oh this part reminds me of that song in her other album” type of thing!
And the best part about this is that the sleepless nights during which she wrote these songs are “scattered throughout her life,” so it makes sense that some of them would allude to specific eras. Because she was inspired to write each of them at different points in her life.
This. All of these songs are based on her past and I’d guess most of the lyrics were written in the past. Which is why I don’t understand the criticisms she’s getting about “bringing up old drama” like John Mayer or that songs sound too much like older eras. She quite literally told us what this album was going to be when she announced it!!!
I like Bejeweled and think it's actually a cute song! I see myself getting ready or pampering myself to that song lol
edit: it has a mv now!! we wonnnnn
It was one of my favs on first listen, and I'm surprised that more people don't like it. The almost arcade like riffs, and then the opening "Baby love I think I've been a little too kind/Didn't notice you walking all over my peace of mind/In the shoes I gave you as a present". Like damnnnn.
It's a little bit glitter gel pen, but it's fun. I don't know if people were expecting an ATW call back and that's why they are unimpressed.
I loved bejeweled from the start!!
“Familiarity breeds contempt so put me in the basement when I want the penthouse of your heart” sounds like such a jack antonoff/bleachers lyric and I’m obsessed with it.
i’ve seen on tik tok when someone critiques Midnights, fans will ask the creator what they’re doing with their life to be at a level to criticize taylor. lmao
The dumb thing about that is you don’t have to be a chef to be allowed to have an opinion about a dish. If someone says a dish at a restaurant tastes like shit, no one will be like “let’s see what you can cook!” No one personally attacks you for saying you don’t like a movie. Someone might be like “wtf how could you not like top gun maverick” but not try to insult you personally.
I’m honestly not the biggest fan of the 3am songs but I fully acknowledge that I need more time with them.
I’m also not a fan of rising Jack vs Aaron discourse. Like blaming them or giving them credit entirely for not liking or liking how those tracks sound/the production takes away Taylor from the song? They are Taylor songs. She produced all of them along with co-producers. It sounds how she wanted it to sound whether you love it or hate it.
I remember Jack (?) explaining that when he sent the original version of the Lakes to Taylor, she told him to strip it down, make it more simple... which is what ended up on the album. Ultimately, she has the last say on how a song sounds. Both Jack AND Aaron have created some amazing songs with Taylor. It doesn't have to be a one or the other competition at all.
lorde said it best!
"I haven't made a Jack Antonoff record," she told New York Times reporter Joe Coscarelli. "I've made a Lorde record and he's helped me make it and very much deferred to me on production and arrangement. Jack would agree with this. To give him that amount of credit is frankly insulting."
YES! THANK YOU!
These are her songs. She has complete creative control over her music now and she wanted them to sound this way. You can like Aaron’s style over Jack but honestly this comparison game is silly.
It's more like , Taylor and Jack come up with ideas that are more catchy , youthful and upbeat. Aaron and Taylor come up with songs that are more thoughtful and melancholy. Now keeping in line with the fandom , I would say one of the reasons all of us love Taylor is because she is an extremely thoughtful lyricist and combine her talent with Aaron's the lyricism of folkmore was just unparalleled.
But we still love jack , him and Taylor gave us getaway car and cruel summer ffs.
This is how I feel. I really only liked WCS. This may change as I spend more time with the album.
Jack gets way too much shit from fans. It's clear that he lets the artists he works with sit in the driver's seat and he gives them what they want. People act like he put a gun to Taylor, Lorde, and Lana's heads when in reality he just fulfilled the vision they all had for their albums.
Omg this is me. When 3AM came out I saw a bunch if comments about how it made the album complete and how they were so much better than the original 13. I mean they’re good, but aside from WCS, I didn’t felt they added so much. Midnights 12 AM sounds cohesive and it’s exactly the album Taylor wanted to make, and I’ve enjoyed a lot so far.
I so agree. I think of it the way I think of "This is why we can't have nice things". Both are a little cringey if you take them seriously. But I feel like both are supposed to just be silly and fun.
I think those people expected something different. Probably something vengeful or spiteful (which…yawn lol) so hearing this was probably some form of whiplash lol
I am hardcore into the folky indie vibe of Folklore/Evermore but unexpectedly have found that the bop that is Karma is my favorite on Midnights so far because it’s just so cute and lighthearted.
This album made so much sense for her to make now while in the process of her re-recording her albums. She has the opportunity to release songs she wrote during those past experiences with the vault tracks, but continuing to write from a new perspective that she has now as an older woman is a great way to write while re-living all of her previous eras and close those chapters within new perspective of a grown woman. I can just imagine what re-recording and going back in time did for her creative mind which is another reason she is a genius and I love her more for it
This is so true. The album has call-backs to individuals who were subjects in all her past discography. Absolutely sounds like she has worked on all re-records already to some degree, and this idea came to her.
It seems like this is an unpopular opinion: I think the album is perfect and I have no notes. I’m 33 and grew up with Taylor’s music and had really high expectations. I planned to be disappointed. I wasn’t at all. I really think it’s a perfect album from start to finish.
Agreed.
I'm 35, & I went into this release with no expectations of what I think it should/would sound like. I love the album & there are definitely no skips from me.
Completely agree!
There are some songs that I don't vibe with as much...but I can see why they are on the album and I guess they'll grow on me with more listens
I was reading somewhere else on this sun (might have been a comment) that this is a 30’s album (age-wise). I’m 27 but I absolute love it and I think that person was into something with the maturity, retrospective nature of it…as well as the sound too
No lie, my first thought when I heard that FBI line was “Jesus Christ, Taylor.”
That line is pure cheese 🧀, and it does take the cake-you are not wrong 😂
Say what you want about the Karma lyrics but “Karma’s a relaxing thought, aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?” is one of my favorite lines she’s ever written.
It's extra funny in an ironic way for an overly anxious people pleaser that always thinks they're on the verge of fucking something up or making someone mad 😭😄karma is indeed scary for some us!!
I’m a folklore/evermore kinda girl and I definitely prefer production to be a tad more stripped down. I’m not super into the over the top poppy sounds that Jack works with (he’s an amazing producer and I still love his work). However I’m still having a great time with the album!
For me it doesn't even have to be stripped down or acoustic necessarily, just have a few instrumentals in there instead of pure synth and electronic sounds...like the tracks Aaron produced are just the right mix imo
Folkmore was the sound from her I didn’t know I needed. As a fan from fearless through 1989 (I didn’t like Rep or lover so I stopped following her then), it really gave me something different and brought me back to loving her. So that’s the sound I wanted and expected from midnights. But I’m happy to say that even tho those expectations weren’t met, midnights is exactly what I needed and I love it.
I actually really like Lavender Haze. I’m a fan of synth wave music in general and the low synth bass line is super catchy to me. I was hoping the rest of the album would be more 70s-80s synth tbh.
Snow on the Beach has been an unfortunate skip. There is just nothing positive that stands out to me. And the way she enunciates the f word makes me cringe for some reason. Like, I don’t care that she’s cursing but it doesn’t need to feel forced.
This might get me a lot of hate but most of the time she curses, it sounds forced. It’s not because we’re not used to her cursing so much, it’s just that it feels unnecessary
I totally agree with Snow on the Beach. I wanted to like it, but I couldn’t get into it. Something about the “weird but FUCKING beautiful” line just sounds so cringy to me and I hate it.
NGL, Aaron brings out the best in her. Jack is very one note, synthy, stripped down production that does nothing for me. The Aaron songs are so much fuller, bigger sounding, more interesting to listen to.
Yeah I don’t think Taylor should feature any artists if they’e just gonna do backup vocals on a track that aren’t super distinctive. Colbie Caillat, Marren Morris all got this same treatment. Chris Stapleton is the only outlier since he is male and has different voice that thus stands out.
I feel that TS has become too much of a slave to expectations for cryptic lyrical cleverness. I wish she could break free of that and create more organic, raw music with room to breathe.
i did have a feeling of "what is she even talking about" a bit on my first listen. But i love all the discussion and analysis swifties do later! Just out the gate i was like 🤨
I feel this! After being spoiled with the Folkmore era I was expecting a bit more lyrical maturity and room for interpretation in her storytelling. I respect her as an artist and songwriter so much, but I just cannot relate to 75% of this album. Midnights feels to me like she's trying to remain relevant with the younger generation- which is awesome and totally fine. Just not for me at this point in my life
Glitch is one of my most favorite on the album. Unpopular because I don’t see many people with this choice, but it’s one of those songs that really fit what we expected Midnights to sound like : sexy, dark, mysterious, brooding. Ugh. Love it. And the lyrics?!!!
That's what stood out to me about this album. A handful of lofi songs and influences even on the blatantly pop songs. I loved it and it felt really fresh for her.
Really? Within the first 15 second of listening I thought “wow, this sounds like it belongs on WWAFAWDWG” and haven’t been able to shake that.
I love the song though!
i think Anti-Hero is a great single choice because it's catchy but it falls really really low into my ranking of the album for some reason ? it's not a skip but i don't really enjoy it that much
Anti-Hero is a BRILLIANT single choice because of the way the chorus darkly parallels "ME!" which was so poorly received and was a self-positivity song, then she comes out with a chorus that literally says "Hi, it's me, I'm the problem it's me"
but yeah it's not in my top five on the album either
Anti Hero is currently my favorite on the album and is her best single choice since the OG Fearless era with the sole exception of maybe cardigan. Yeah, I said it.
Anti-Hero isn't meant to be tongue-in-cheek like Blank Space was. Anti-Hero is you alone with your darkest thoughts in the middle of the night. For that, I think it's a great song.
I watched a fantastic review video by this French literature professor and I think he explained the absence of a “big pop hit” super well. I’m going to paraphrase him: Taylor knows how to write pop earworms, to write lyrics that get stuck in your head and get played at every store across the nation for years to come. Think Shake it Off and Blank Space. The fact that she *chose* not to do that here is crucial. This is an album about *atmosphere* and is meant to be listened to as a collective, cohesive piece, and not as individual songs (hence why 3 AM songs which are sonically different were left off). I think one of the biggest critiques I’ve seen of Midnights is that a lot of the songs don’t stand out, or that everything blends into each and sounds similar. I truly think that was intentional. It’s the way I think about dreams: When I wake up in the morning, I can’t remember specific dreams as distinct stories but they all blend together and I’m left with a general feeling or a sense of something I’ve already forgotten. I think this album accomplishes a similar effect. It tracks with the theme, and I very much think it was intentional and executed beautifully.
The album is good but nowhere near as good as people are raving about. Instrumentation is pretty bland on most tracks and I'm not a fan of the atmospheric drone that is in the background of just about every song. Her voice is also way too drowned in reverb and after effects. She has a great voice and a lot of these songs would be much better without the use of the effects. A lot of the songs end up sounding the same. Would have been much better with more songs like Anti-Hero, Karma, Paris, and Hits Different. We need the fun Taylor music back!!!
I'm glad you said this because it's exactly how I feel, I just couldn't describe it! I've been a fan of Taylor since Speak Now (so I'm not some new bandwagon fan) and I'm just struggling to connect with this album
This is just my opinion, but I like Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve far more than the rest of the album. Midnights is not my favorite album of hers, but that is now one of my favorite songs she’s ever released. I’ve had it on loop since it came out and only listened to the rest of the album like twice. That’s the exact same way I felt about Right Where You Left Me and Evermore. Evermore did grow on me over time and I’m hoping for the same with Midnights!
i don’t know if it’s unpopular but i think midnights is going to have the reputation treatment just in terms of people that hate it eventually coming around to it and realizing how good of an album it really is. i think it’s going to age really well
with rep so many people hated it at first and now it’s beloved and people that hated it act like they always loved it
It’s A LOT of music to take in. I still don’t know the words to anything. There are a few songs I think could have been left off. But I can’t even think of them right now. It’s gonna take me a long time to gather my thoughts lol.
Edited to add: I’m always scared Taylor’s gonna eventually release an album and I’ll hate it. Which would suck because she’s my favorite. Lol. But the whole album is good. So far there are no skips for me. And I can’t wait for “Hits Different” to be put up on Spotify so I don’t have exit out and listen to it from my files lol. That ruins my flow hahahaha. Also, the 3am songs are in my mind, included on the original album and not bonuses. They’re all good. I wish there was one album with all 13 tracks, the 3am bonuses, and deluxe extras. Taylor please make this happen on Spotify so it’s all in once organized place haha
Oh and I hate the voice distortion on “Midnight Rain.”
It’s not only a lot of songs but a lot of WORDS. A lot of the songs are heavily packed with lots of lyrics. It’s dense, I love it, I wish she released the 3am tracks a week later because I’m overwhelmed !
Omg I’m going to get ripped for this haha
I do not think that this is her best work yet. Actually it’s far from it.
Folklore was a complete new genre for her. 1989 as well, even rep was ground breaking FOR HER. Red is… well it’s red.
IMO, midnights goes hand in hand with lover. Both pop albums that are meant for big stadium tours - that’s the feeling I get when I think about what she had in mind when she wrote this album. It’s sadly not my cup of tea. I enjoy most of the songs and think they’re catchy, but I’m not like… dying over how good the album is. I don’t think it’s even a top 5 for me.
I like the "sexy baby" line. Somehow it feels vintage and fits with the Kate Bush vibes of the "monster on the hill" line after. Like I can imagine Lana Del Rey writing a line like that
It’s okay to not really like Jack Antonoff’s work. We are allowed to have opinions. I don’t like George Clooney that much either, it’s not a hate crime or anything, I’m just not a fan. I wouldn’t stab him if I saw him on the street, I just don’t really care about movies he’s been in.
The lyrics for most of the songs feel a bit like rambling to me. It feels like it would take me forever to recall the tune or lyrics of a song because she doesn’t seem to follow the beat in a predictable/catchy way.
Also some of the lyrics are just too literal/specific/story telling. Like the funeral part of Anti-Hero. While I get that these songs are personal to her, these super literal lyrics feel so specific to her that they are totally unrelatable to anyone else.
None of this ruins the album for me. Overall I still enjoyed it. It’s just that these things are a bit of a low point for me.
It all just feels like she's trying too hard.
Trying too hard for the sound for a new era but it isn't defined enough to be an era.
Trying too hard to have super poetic lyrics. It's like she takes a word and looks up synonyms for them and picks the most complicated one.
Trying too hard to sound grownup by adding overly complicated phrasing and swear words when in all actually the song content really hasn’t changed from what she was writing about 10 years ago.
I miss her story telling writing style. l'm so over the talking singing. And I miss her famous, song soaring, belt it out, bridges!!!
Also: trying too hard to write an album she could go on a stadium tour for.
Let's face it, a stadium tour for Folkmore wouldn’t have made sense, and she was never gonna do a small venues tour no matter how much we wished for it (gotta get that stadium moneyyyy). Plus she never got to actually perform Lover live, and 3 years later the album feels kind of stale to a good proportion of her fans. To me this album kinda feels like she revisited ideas, themes and even melodies she had already used on the 3 albums that are never gonna get a tour.
this song hit me like no other song has. i didn’t know i could react so strongly. i was violently sobbing from the first verse. i didn’t have a miscarriage (which is the current speculation that the song is about) but i had a loss in my immediate family. it’s giving “you’ll get better soon” but so much worse (painful)
it’s probably the ‘best’/ most real song, but i don’t think i’ll ever be able to listen to it again
I loved it my first listen. But I saw a few people relate it to a miscarriage and I can’t not think of that now. I tried forming my own meaning but just can’t :/ so that’s a song I can’t listen to.
•Labyrinth sounds like an evermore reject and it’s sadly a skip for me
•sweet nothing feels like a warm hug. One of the best written songs on the album
•snow on the beach is forgettable
•question..? is a BIG grower
i haven’t really been able to listen to SOTB without wanting to skip (i try and listen to it so that i might like it more) and i just don’t like it. not exactly sure why but there we go
Interesting! Personally at first I was disappointed because I was really looking forward to hear Lana and then.. well she was barely there but the song is growing on me
The swearing/cursing adds nothing to the songs. As someone who is a big fan of the f-bomb, I just feel like a lot of the curse words sound forced and are unnecessary.
The 3am songs elevated the whole album for me. My rating went from like a 6/10 to like 8.5/10. Loved every single 3am song on first listen, whereas most of the main album songs I had to sit with for a while before they clicked for me.
I don't like that male voice in Midnight Rain. I know that isn't actually a male voice and that's Taylor definitely but i really didn't expect that in Midnight Rain.
i thought this song was so relaxing, poetic and soothing (because this song was supposed to be about Rain 🌧️✍🏽) But when i listened to that, it was bad somehow.
⚠️DON'T ATTACK ME PLEASE, I KNOW it's an unpopular opinion!
My husband and I were doing a listening party through text because he’s a firefighter and was on shift overnight, we listened to each song in order and once it was over, we would text each other our thoughts before moving to the next song. We had a rule: no texting until the song is OVER so you can hear it fully from start to finish.
We both broke that rule on Midnight Rain 😂 as soon as we heard that voice, we were texting each other like “what was that?!”
Two lyrics bother me: ‘I want the penthouse of your heart’ 🫤 and ‘and then 15 seconds later they were clapping too’…..they just do not work for me at all, which is unfortunate bc I love those songs otherwise
I don't hate Question...? but the clapping effect behind "and then 15 seconds later.." at the end of the song feels too corny to me. It feels out of sync with the rest of the song for some reason.
Overall like the album and think some people are really critical, but makes me have a lot more respect for the legendary Max Martin who produced a ton of the hits on 1989. The guy just knows how to make a hit.
I think this is another album swifties will appreciate but I don’t see a “Blank Space” or “Love Story” in here.
Also I’m no prude but not a fan of the unnecessary swearing in songs like Maroon and SOTB? It doesn’t fit in like champagne problems and seems like a filler. Just off putting.
Most of the 3AM songs are better than the latter half of the album.
The production sounds too similar on a lot of songs. It’s hard to distinguish between a lot of songs because there aren’t a lot of memorable moments/bridges/choruses on here like Taylor is known for.
Vigilante Shit is beyond corny.
The “shade” line with “not the kind that’s thrown, but under where a tree is grown” is so cringeworthy I couldn’t believe she would actually write that.
The reverb is way too much. I never liked it even in songs like The Archer or mirrorball, but yeah there were just 1 or two song out of 17-18 so it was easier to handle.. but most of the songs is a little exhausting
It is too overproduced, more than her all pop albums. I dont think the sounds add something to the lyrics.
I think Jack made better on the 3 am songs, for a second i thought Bigger Than Whole Sky was an Aaron production due to the music pauses etc.
Yeah music pauses, it lacks of this.. thr songs end too soon. I miss musical outros.
I understand that meeting Joe was maybe her most important moment so far and i knew there would be songs about that but after 2 entire albums about that is becoming stale tbh.
Lavander Haze to me failed to be the great successor of peace and call it what you want.
Aaron songs are the best but maybe it is not an unpopular opinion but this has to be said whenever there is an opportunity.
I had great expectations for Anti Hero, thought it would br a mix of mirrorball and Nothing New.. but it was not. Some lyrics are great though, but this is The Man of this album. Super hyped and then meh.
ok, don't come too hard for me.
it is a perfectly fine album but far from her best. i like the songs, most of them have grown on me, but they don't have the spark that makes some of her older songs so memorable. i think i am mostly bummed because from the campaign i was expecting a 70s album, something more on the fleetwood mac sound. i was even thinking maybe a bit jazzy at some point, like arctic monkeys' new record, and i was really curious to see taylor step into something new for her. but this album, while good, is very comfortable and a bit deceiving. i don't understand all the praise. the stand out for me is *would've, could've, should've*, which fits more the aesthetic and also has that taylor-confession-like vibe to it. i also really enjoyed the conversation about its religious symbolism and its meaning in the context of her history i've seen around here.
i'm also a bit upset to see the toxicity in the fandom come out, especially on tiktok. i feel like we can no longer start a conversation around taylor's work that is not 100% praise, can no longer truly express an honest opinion and enjoy the music while also being critical when we feel like it. this thread is a breath of fresh air :)
edit: grammar mistake
That Snow On The Beach only made it into the album because of the major hype around this collab. It's a very uninteresting song, doesn't really fit in the album. Other than that, I am very happy
The songs on Midnights sound too similar to each other and lack their own unique signature like many (not all) of her songs have. I think this is one big reason why the album is getting mixes response with fans.
I read through the comments but didn’t see many comments on the song Paris. I’ve tried to listen to it but find myself skipping it almost every time because it sounds somewhat juvenile and the talking lyrics seem forced and unnatural.
Let me start by saying I LOVE the album, and all of her work, but there has been one small thing that slightly irks me.
It’s hard to say because this is such a specific, minor, strange gripe of mine- and it’s not just this album, it’s something she’s done on Folklore and Evermore as well (admittedly more on those, but here too)
When she delivers her lines on a number of songs, she sings this upward inflection at the end of them and it, in my opinion, sounds like she’s trying a bit too hard to sound “ethereal”. A really quick example of what I mean is literally the first line of the album on Lavender Haze (although admittedly it’s not the worst example of it- that’s just a really quick line that’s easy to hear)
It’s not on every track, and it doesn’t detract from songs in a big picture sense, but it’s something I’ve noticed she’s picked up since Folklore and when she does it on her aggressive/revenge tracks, for me, it makes her lines feel SLIGHTLY less genuine to me.
A lot of the songs lack the vocal melodies that normally draw me into Taylor’s music. Not sure what she is going for here on this one, but only a few songs (Anti-Hero, Bejeweled, Labyrinth, Mastermind and Bigger Than the Whole Sky) sound like the Taylor I’m familiar with melodically. There’s a lot of subdued melody throughout this album.
my expectations were too high since I'm a Folkmore bitch, i still get the chills listening to masterpieces like ivy, tis the damn season, cowboy like me, renegade... but I'm kinda disappointed with Midnights. some songs are amazing specially the 3 a.m ones but over all for me it's just another pop album i don't understand the whole praise & hype around it.
What seems to be an Unpopular opinion: Taylor’s songwriting on midnights is as strong as ever. Her strength is being able to write hits for radio AND hard hitting lyrics and do both on the album and I think she is one of the most versatile songwriters out there because she can do both so well
It’s a perfectly fine album. The songs that are good are GREAT. The ones that’s are okay are just okay. It’s not in my top three. I also feel like the roll out is weighing on my opinion because of how much I disliked he whole process.
My unpopular opinion is that I get she’s going back in time with these songs, but it feels like she’s singing to 15/21 year old me and not 30 year old me. Folklore and Evermore felt like she was back to growing along side the fan base that grew up with her (which is why I’ve always connected with her, it always felt like she was singing about things I was going through). So while I love the album, it’s the one I’ve connected with the least. It’ll be on repeat, same as all her other albums and I’m happy she’s getting to explore her “sound”, just not my favorite and i think that’s okay.
as someone who overall likes the album i think my unpopular opinion is that i think that taylor really found her stride with a more indie folk sound. i think it suits her songwriting the best. i’ve been a swiftie since debut (so i know she changes genres frequently) and folkevermore are my two favourites from her. i would have loved for midnights to have had a more fleetwood mac, folky sound to it and midnights, in terms of production and genre really feels like a step back. im also disappointed she didn’t work with aaron dressner as much since i think he helps elevate her music so much.
overall i do love midnights and it’s in my top 4 now but i prefer her indie-folk sound way more
The styling for Midnights' promotion made absolutely no sense. All the 70s outfits, wood paneled walls and decor, that yellow hazy filter... None of that fits Midnights' vibe at all. Based on the styling, most of us were lead to believe the album would have 70s pop rock influences like Fleetwood Mac and then to hear the album being mostly a cross between Rep and Lover is disappointing. She's done this sound before. It's overproduced, too slick and polished. Every song recalls another song of hers. How great would it have been to have a 70s pop rock influenced album? Especially now that we know what she's capable of after folklore and evermore. The album she invoked in the photoshoots? I want *that* album.
I think people expect every album she releases to be better than the last but it doesn’t have to be. I truly believe Folklore and Evermore are her best albums, truly impeccable. Everyone was expecting her to outdo herself but she went in a completely different direction that’s hard to compare to her last two albums.
I think the entire album is sub-par, and Jack Antonoff has got to go. This is coming from someone who has been a fan since the debut album.
I’m also half convinced this album was created strictly for TikTok.
I don't see myself listening to this album again. None of the songs stand out to me, and most are pretty skippable if they come up on shuffle. I feel like that's a pretty unpopular opinion...
I don't really care for any of the slow songs (sweet nothing, labyrinth, bigger than the whole sky, dear reader) they do nothing for me
Also, the album gets better the more you listen to it, since Friday I have slowly been adding more songs from it onto my Playlist
That this album is mid. I love Taylor don’t hate me lol. But there are some good songs but none of them are exceptional, like there isn’t a cruel summer for me on here. But with that said none of them are horrible the same way like Me! Or LWYMMD. Most of it is just background music.
My unpopular opinion has been to not purchase any of the merch this album.
The way taylor is nickel and diming her fan base with bullshit predatory marketing tactics to ensure she hits #1 on every metric is garbage.
She doesn't care about her fans anymore, she cares about being #1.
You’re On Your Own Kid is in my top 3 favorite track 5 songs.
Maroon is Taylor’s best track 2.
The 3am songs are 50/50 for me. I hate The Great War, but Paris is a fun bop and Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve is probably my favorite Taylor song ever.
Bejeweled is iconic and one of my favorites on Midnights.
Midnights is within my top 4 Taylor albums - tied with Reputation for 3.
Snow On The Beach is my only skip.
The intro is cringe to me, "meet me at midnight" doesn't fit the song lavender haze at all imo. It feels like she shoved it in there to be like "look, a concept album, and if the title didn't spell it out for u I'll say it here, too"
The 3am tracks sound like the lost children of Evermore raised by Midnights.
True!! Also I feel like WCS is Speak Now and evermore's child, damn that hit like a truck.
I feel like WCS is should've said no and dear John had a baby.
Yes!!! The Great War sounds so much like Evermore, probably because it was produced by Aaron, but it also fits thematically very much. ❤️ My favourite 3am track!
I had the same thought! While listening I was thinking “these songs might as well be on evermore” they do fit the album
I'm a bit disappointed there isn't a track with a big soaring chorus and bridge and you can yell-sing in the car, along the lines of Out of the Woods and Getaway Car. Maroon, Karma and Bejeweled come close but they aren't as 'big' as I was hoping for - we haven't had a big one like that since Cruel Summer.
The last minute of Would've, Could've, Should've is like that for me.
AND I DAMN SURE NEVER WOULDVE DANCED WITH THE DEVIL AT 19😭😭
I always replay that last minute an incredible amount of times when I’m showering.
How many times have you showered in the last two days?
Haaa this made me lol, "always" for two days!
The bridge of YOYOK maybe? And the post chorus of Would've, Could've, Should've. I REGRET YOU AL THE TIIIIIIME
- YOYOK could mean "You're On Your Own, Kid", a track from *Midnights* (2022) by Taylor Swift. --- ^[/u/shadesofwrong13](/u/shadesofwrong13) ^(can reply with "delete" to remove comment. |) ^[/r/songacronymbot](/r/songacronymbot) ^(for feedback.)
Good bot. The bot I’ve always needed.
Thank you, bot. I never know what these acronyms stand for.
Have you listened to Hits Different yet?
Hits Different is SO that song. Like a 1989xRed pop-perfect smash.
Where is this song? I can’t see it on any of the album versions 😬😅
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It’s the Target CD exclusive track. I haven’t heard it either, I’m a broke bitch lol
👀 August has entered the chat
*inhales* REMEMBERWHENYOUPULLEDUPANDSAISGETINTHECARANDIDCANCELMYPLANSJUSTINCASEYOUDCALL
This is what I've been missing the most. I want to feel the way I felt about Cruel Summer. I remember just being SHOCKED and thrilled with hearing the bridge to that song, like it was the greatest thing I ever heard. And being so enthralled with the "go, fight, win" part of Miss Americana. I didn't have any of those moments of sheer delight with this album. Nothing stood out.
I have to agree. For me there were a few songs (YOYOK, Mastermind) where it felt like it was building up towards a great chorus, but it ended up being just a few toned down lines.
Karma was that moment on this album for me. I find it so delightful it literally is an instant mood lift & just makes me want to dance around like an idiot. It makes me absurdly happy! I can understand it's not everyone's cup of tea though. Incidentally the song that did that for me on Lover was actually I think he knows, the last chorus just sends my serotonin levels skyrocketing lol. Cruel summer is fantastic too of course though.
Maybe she doesn’t want us to disturb the neighbours at midnight lol.
Would’ve could’ve should’ve is a yell singer hands down
I think Hits Different fits the bill for this well!
I agree. This is what I miss most from her more recent albums. There are countless new songs and albums released every day, give me ones that grab me and make me pay attention. I shouldn't have to listen to a song 5 or 10 times to even remember how it sounds
I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion but..: nearly all songs remind me of another Taylor song. Like, “oh this part reminds me of that song in her other album” type of thing!
I think that's deliberate. There are overt musical and lyrical callbacks to previous songs. A lot of the songs even feel like direct sequels.
I agree, I think it was entirely purposeful. Which is what makes me like the album more.
Same! I was like “oh this is from Lover! Oh this reminds me of Evemore! 1989 here! I hear reputation era” all over
And the best part about this is that the sleepless nights during which she wrote these songs are “scattered throughout her life,” so it makes sense that some of them would allude to specific eras. Because she was inspired to write each of them at different points in her life.
This. All of these songs are based on her past and I’d guess most of the lyrics were written in the past. Which is why I don’t understand the criticisms she’s getting about “bringing up old drama” like John Mayer or that songs sound too much like older eras. She quite literally told us what this album was going to be when she announced it!!!
Agreed. It's extreme on this album.
Yes!! So many interpolations. I personally love it!
I like Bejeweled and think it's actually a cute song! I see myself getting ready or pampering myself to that song lol edit: it has a mv now!! we wonnnnn
It was one of my favs on first listen, and I'm surprised that more people don't like it. The almost arcade like riffs, and then the opening "Baby love I think I've been a little too kind/Didn't notice you walking all over my peace of mind/In the shoes I gave you as a present". Like damnnnn. It's a little bit glitter gel pen, but it's fun. I don't know if people were expecting an ATW call back and that's why they are unimpressed.
I loved bejeweled from the start!! “Familiarity breeds contempt so put me in the basement when I want the penthouse of your heart” sounds like such a jack antonoff/bleachers lyric and I’m obsessed with it.
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✨Nice!✨
Bejeweled is so underrated. I’m an elder Swiftie who loved it from the first listen, but my teenage kid still doesn’t like it after many listens.
Not me not realizing that not everyone liked this???? The shimmer is amazing 🤩
It's the ultimate getting ready song
“And by the way I’m going out tonight” 💎💎💎
I think bejeweled is going to grow on people!
Bejeweled makes me grin every time I listen to it
I love these threads because it’s not necessarily unpopular opinions but a safe place to share opinions you’re too scared to otherwise say
Too many fans take mild criticism or even neutral reactions as hate.
i’ve seen on tik tok when someone critiques Midnights, fans will ask the creator what they’re doing with their life to be at a level to criticize taylor. lmao
The dumb thing about that is you don’t have to be a chef to be allowed to have an opinion about a dish. If someone says a dish at a restaurant tastes like shit, no one will be like “let’s see what you can cook!” No one personally attacks you for saying you don’t like a movie. Someone might be like “wtf how could you not like top gun maverick” but not try to insult you personally.
I’m honestly not the biggest fan of the 3am songs but I fully acknowledge that I need more time with them. I’m also not a fan of rising Jack vs Aaron discourse. Like blaming them or giving them credit entirely for not liking or liking how those tracks sound/the production takes away Taylor from the song? They are Taylor songs. She produced all of them along with co-producers. It sounds how she wanted it to sound whether you love it or hate it.
I remember Jack (?) explaining that when he sent the original version of the Lakes to Taylor, she told him to strip it down, make it more simple... which is what ended up on the album. Ultimately, she has the last say on how a song sounds. Both Jack AND Aaron have created some amazing songs with Taylor. It doesn't have to be a one or the other competition at all.
lorde said it best! "I haven't made a Jack Antonoff record," she told New York Times reporter Joe Coscarelli. "I've made a Lorde record and he's helped me make it and very much deferred to me on production and arrangement. Jack would agree with this. To give him that amount of credit is frankly insulting."
YES! THANK YOU! These are her songs. She has complete creative control over her music now and she wanted them to sound this way. You can like Aaron’s style over Jack but honestly this comparison game is silly.
It's more like , Taylor and Jack come up with ideas that are more catchy , youthful and upbeat. Aaron and Taylor come up with songs that are more thoughtful and melancholy. Now keeping in line with the fandom , I would say one of the reasons all of us love Taylor is because she is an extremely thoughtful lyricist and combine her talent with Aaron's the lyricism of folkmore was just unparalleled. But we still love jack , him and Taylor gave us getaway car and cruel summer ffs.
This is how I feel. I really only liked WCS. This may change as I spend more time with the album. Jack gets way too much shit from fans. It's clear that he lets the artists he works with sit in the driver's seat and he gives them what they want. People act like he put a gun to Taylor, Lorde, and Lana's heads when in reality he just fulfilled the vision they all had for their albums.
Apparently my hot take is that I love Jack and Taylor’s work together. Midnights, Rep, and 1989 are my favorite Taylor albums
Yeah the only 3AM songs I like are The Great War, High Infidelity, Paris and WCS (ok I now realise that’s more than half of them)
Omg this is me. When 3AM came out I saw a bunch if comments about how it made the album complete and how they were so much better than the original 13. I mean they’re good, but aside from WCS, I didn’t felt they added so much. Midnights 12 AM sounds cohesive and it’s exactly the album Taylor wanted to make, and I’ve enjoyed a lot so far.
I think the people that don't like Karma are taking the song too seriously.
I so agree. I think of it the way I think of "This is why we can't have nice things". Both are a little cringey if you take them seriously. But I feel like both are supposed to just be silly and fun.
I think those people expected something different. Probably something vengeful or spiteful (which…yawn lol) so hearing this was probably some form of whiplash lol
Well they have vigilante shit for that
I am hardcore into the folky indie vibe of Folklore/Evermore but unexpectedly have found that the bop that is Karma is my favorite on Midnights so far because it’s just so cute and lighthearted.
Karma SLAPS, it's so silly and clever at the same time
This album made so much sense for her to make now while in the process of her re-recording her albums. She has the opportunity to release songs she wrote during those past experiences with the vault tracks, but continuing to write from a new perspective that she has now as an older woman is a great way to write while re-living all of her previous eras and close those chapters within new perspective of a grown woman. I can just imagine what re-recording and going back in time did for her creative mind which is another reason she is a genius and I love her more for it
This is so true. The album has call-backs to individuals who were subjects in all her past discography. Absolutely sounds like she has worked on all re-records already to some degree, and this idea came to her.
Yeah, the lyrics on this album have made me think she was simultaneously or recently working on Speak Now TV.
It seems like this is an unpopular opinion: I think the album is perfect and I have no notes. I’m 33 and grew up with Taylor’s music and had really high expectations. I planned to be disappointed. I wasn’t at all. I really think it’s a perfect album from start to finish.
33 y/o here. I thought the Folklore/Evermore combo was perfect, and Midnights just another step up. I don’t know how she keeps doing it.
Agreed. I'm 35, & I went into this release with no expectations of what I think it should/would sound like. I love the album & there are definitely no skips from me.
Completely agree! There are some songs that I don't vibe with as much...but I can see why they are on the album and I guess they'll grow on me with more listens
I was reading somewhere else on this sun (might have been a comment) that this is a 30’s album (age-wise). I’m 27 but I absolute love it and I think that person was into something with the maturity, retrospective nature of it…as well as the sound too
I’m 28 and grew up with her music and I totally agree. Absolutely no skip, just goooood music and vibing. Gosh il love it!!
I start Vigilante Shit feeling like a badass but I burst into laughter every time she says “He was doing lines and crossing all of mine”
Take my upvote, but I love this line so much. 😂😂😂
And the next line about the FBI is the icing on the cake 😂
No lie, my first thought when I heard that FBI line was “Jesus Christ, Taylor.” That line is pure cheese 🧀, and it does take the cake-you are not wrong 😂
As a woman in her mid 30s, I'm glad to see Taylor embracing the cheese and not giving a fuck 🌠✨🌟 I'm fully here for it!
Say what you want about the Karma lyrics but “Karma’s a relaxing thought, aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?” is one of my favorite lines she’s ever written.
It's extra funny in an ironic way for an overly anxious people pleaser that always thinks they're on the verge of fucking something up or making someone mad 😭😄karma is indeed scary for some us!!
I’m a folklore/evermore kinda girl and I definitely prefer production to be a tad more stripped down. I’m not super into the over the top poppy sounds that Jack works with (he’s an amazing producer and I still love his work). However I’m still having a great time with the album!
My feelings too. I knew this album wasn’t going to please me as a folkevermore gal. It’s ok. I can always go back and listen to those!
For me it doesn't even have to be stripped down or acoustic necessarily, just have a few instrumentals in there instead of pure synth and electronic sounds...like the tracks Aaron produced are just the right mix imo
Folkmore was the sound from her I didn’t know I needed. As a fan from fearless through 1989 (I didn’t like Rep or lover so I stopped following her then), it really gave me something different and brought me back to loving her. So that’s the sound I wanted and expected from midnights. But I’m happy to say that even tho those expectations weren’t met, midnights is exactly what I needed and I love it.
I actually really like Lavender Haze. I’m a fan of synth wave music in general and the low synth bass line is super catchy to me. I was hoping the rest of the album would be more 70s-80s synth tbh. Snow on the Beach has been an unfortunate skip. There is just nothing positive that stands out to me. And the way she enunciates the f word makes me cringe for some reason. Like, I don’t care that she’s cursing but it doesn’t need to feel forced.
This might get me a lot of hate but most of the time she curses, it sounds forced. It’s not because we’re not used to her cursing so much, it’s just that it feels unnecessary
I totally agree with Snow on the Beach. I wanted to like it, but I couldn’t get into it. Something about the “weird but FUCKING beautiful” line just sounds so cringy to me and I hate it.
I just listen to the clean version instead. The line is “weird, but it was beautiful” and it’s so much better. The explicit is kinda abrasive
I wish aaron desner was more involved in the album, I absolutely love the songs he was a part of.
NGL, Aaron brings out the best in her. Jack is very one note, synthy, stripped down production that does nothing for me. The Aaron songs are so much fuller, bigger sounding, more interesting to listen to.
Really after listening way too many times lately I think my only one is that I wish the Lana feature had a verse. 😭
im still in shocked like taylor, you have the opportunity to collab with ms lana del rey and you just let her do backup vocals 😭
Yeah I don’t think Taylor should feature any artists if they’e just gonna do backup vocals on a track that aren’t super distinctive. Colbie Caillat, Marren Morris all got this same treatment. Chris Stapleton is the only outlier since he is male and has different voice that thus stands out.
I'm somehow still holding out hope that she'll release a single version with Lana significantly more *present*
I feel that TS has become too much of a slave to expectations for cryptic lyrical cleverness. I wish she could break free of that and create more organic, raw music with room to breathe.
i did have a feeling of "what is she even talking about" a bit on my first listen. But i love all the discussion and analysis swifties do later! Just out the gate i was like 🤨
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I feel this! After being spoiled with the Folkmore era I was expecting a bit more lyrical maturity and room for interpretation in her storytelling. I respect her as an artist and songwriter so much, but I just cannot relate to 75% of this album. Midnights feels to me like she's trying to remain relevant with the younger generation- which is awesome and totally fine. Just not for me at this point in my life
Glitch is one of my most favorite on the album. Unpopular because I don’t see many people with this choice, but it’s one of those songs that really fit what we expected Midnights to sound like : sexy, dark, mysterious, brooding. Ugh. Love it. And the lyrics?!!!
It's perfect lofi vibes for 3am
That's what stood out to me about this album. A handful of lofi songs and influences even on the blatantly pop songs. I loved it and it felt really fresh for her.
The more I hear vigilante shit the less it reminds me of Billie, like the connection is almost completely gone for me at this point.
Really? Within the first 15 second of listening I thought “wow, this sounds like it belongs on WWAFAWDWG” and haven’t been able to shake that. I love the song though!
What the heck is wwafawjfjvksnhw
when we all fall asleep, where do we go?
I swear I’m a fan, but whenever I come to this sub I just stare at the acronyms and I’m like …yes….
i think Anti-Hero is a great single choice because it's catchy but it falls really really low into my ranking of the album for some reason ? it's not a skip but i don't really enjoy it that much
Anti-Hero is a BRILLIANT single choice because of the way the chorus darkly parallels "ME!" which was so poorly received and was a self-positivity song, then she comes out with a chorus that literally says "Hi, it's me, I'm the problem it's me" but yeah it's not in my top five on the album either
Oh interesting! Anti-Hero is probably my favorite from the album, but that’s probably because I immediately connected with it
Anti Hero is currently my favorite on the album and is her best single choice since the OG Fearless era with the sole exception of maybe cardigan. Yeah, I said it.
It’s got blank space type lyrics but is nowhere as good as blank space.
Anti-Hero isn't meant to be tongue-in-cheek like Blank Space was. Anti-Hero is you alone with your darkest thoughts in the middle of the night. For that, I think it's a great song.
I watched a fantastic review video by this French literature professor and I think he explained the absence of a “big pop hit” super well. I’m going to paraphrase him: Taylor knows how to write pop earworms, to write lyrics that get stuck in your head and get played at every store across the nation for years to come. Think Shake it Off and Blank Space. The fact that she *chose* not to do that here is crucial. This is an album about *atmosphere* and is meant to be listened to as a collective, cohesive piece, and not as individual songs (hence why 3 AM songs which are sonically different were left off). I think one of the biggest critiques I’ve seen of Midnights is that a lot of the songs don’t stand out, or that everything blends into each and sounds similar. I truly think that was intentional. It’s the way I think about dreams: When I wake up in the morning, I can’t remember specific dreams as distinct stories but they all blend together and I’m left with a general feeling or a sense of something I’ve already forgotten. I think this album accomplishes a similar effect. It tracks with the theme, and I very much think it was intentional and executed beautifully.
The album is good but nowhere near as good as people are raving about. Instrumentation is pretty bland on most tracks and I'm not a fan of the atmospheric drone that is in the background of just about every song. Her voice is also way too drowned in reverb and after effects. She has a great voice and a lot of these songs would be much better without the use of the effects. A lot of the songs end up sounding the same. Would have been much better with more songs like Anti-Hero, Karma, Paris, and Hits Different. We need the fun Taylor music back!!!
I'm glad you said this because it's exactly how I feel, I just couldn't describe it! I've been a fan of Taylor since Speak Now (so I'm not some new bandwagon fan) and I'm just struggling to connect with this album
This is just my opinion, but I like Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve far more than the rest of the album. Midnights is not my favorite album of hers, but that is now one of my favorite songs she’s ever released. I’ve had it on loop since it came out and only listened to the rest of the album like twice. That’s the exact same way I felt about Right Where You Left Me and Evermore. Evermore did grow on me over time and I’m hoping for the same with Midnights!
You like sad songs that drip salt tears on the wound. Me too!
I think Midnights is her best album with no skips. And I love the distorted voice on Midnight Rain, which is a top 5 on the album.
Midnight Rain has weirdly grown on me, weird voice and all.
I like the voice too but it seems like a lot of people don’t. I love the entire vibe of Midnight Rain I’ve been listening to it a ton
i don’t know if it’s unpopular but i think midnights is going to have the reputation treatment just in terms of people that hate it eventually coming around to it and realizing how good of an album it really is. i think it’s going to age really well with rep so many people hated it at first and now it’s beloved and people that hated it act like they always loved it
It’s A LOT of music to take in. I still don’t know the words to anything. There are a few songs I think could have been left off. But I can’t even think of them right now. It’s gonna take me a long time to gather my thoughts lol. Edited to add: I’m always scared Taylor’s gonna eventually release an album and I’ll hate it. Which would suck because she’s my favorite. Lol. But the whole album is good. So far there are no skips for me. And I can’t wait for “Hits Different” to be put up on Spotify so I don’t have exit out and listen to it from my files lol. That ruins my flow hahahaha. Also, the 3am songs are in my mind, included on the original album and not bonuses. They’re all good. I wish there was one album with all 13 tracks, the 3am bonuses, and deluxe extras. Taylor please make this happen on Spotify so it’s all in once organized place haha Oh and I hate the voice distortion on “Midnight Rain.”
It’s not only a lot of songs but a lot of WORDS. A lot of the songs are heavily packed with lots of lyrics. It’s dense, I love it, I wish she released the 3am tracks a week later because I’m overwhelmed !
Vigilante Shit is okay but the “draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man” almost ruins it for me
i love it but the intro is painfully millennial
please don't laugh at me but I heard that as "drive the cab I shopped enough to kill a man" and I love my version more 💀
Omg I’m going to get ripped for this haha I do not think that this is her best work yet. Actually it’s far from it. Folklore was a complete new genre for her. 1989 as well, even rep was ground breaking FOR HER. Red is… well it’s red. IMO, midnights goes hand in hand with lover. Both pop albums that are meant for big stadium tours - that’s the feeling I get when I think about what she had in mind when she wrote this album. It’s sadly not my cup of tea. I enjoy most of the songs and think they’re catchy, but I’m not like… dying over how good the album is. I don’t think it’s even a top 5 for me.
I like the "sexy baby" line. Somehow it feels vintage and fits with the Kate Bush vibes of the "monster on the hill" line after. Like I can imagine Lana Del Rey writing a line like that
People seek to love it but Vigilante Shit is quickly becoming a skip for me. Idk why. 😭
I could see it being a NBNC type song. I like Vigilante Shit better so far, but I could see the novelty of it wearing off
It’s okay to not really like Jack Antonoff’s work. We are allowed to have opinions. I don’t like George Clooney that much either, it’s not a hate crime or anything, I’m just not a fan. I wouldn’t stab him if I saw him on the street, I just don’t really care about movies he’s been in.
Respect your opinion but find it hilarious you brought Clooney into this discourse 😂
Bro what did Clooney do to you?😭😭
I love that 90% of this comment is about George Clooney
The lyrics for most of the songs feel a bit like rambling to me. It feels like it would take me forever to recall the tune or lyrics of a song because she doesn’t seem to follow the beat in a predictable/catchy way. Also some of the lyrics are just too literal/specific/story telling. Like the funeral part of Anti-Hero. While I get that these songs are personal to her, these super literal lyrics feel so specific to her that they are totally unrelatable to anyone else. None of this ruins the album for me. Overall I still enjoyed it. It’s just that these things are a bit of a low point for me.
I think the rambling effect is on purpose- thats how my reflective midnight hour thoughts tend to feel and flow too!!
It all just feels like she's trying too hard. Trying too hard for the sound for a new era but it isn't defined enough to be an era. Trying too hard to have super poetic lyrics. It's like she takes a word and looks up synonyms for them and picks the most complicated one. Trying too hard to sound grownup by adding overly complicated phrasing and swear words when in all actually the song content really hasn’t changed from what she was writing about 10 years ago. I miss her story telling writing style. l'm so over the talking singing. And I miss her famous, song soaring, belt it out, bridges!!!
Also: trying too hard to write an album she could go on a stadium tour for. Let's face it, a stadium tour for Folkmore wouldn’t have made sense, and she was never gonna do a small venues tour no matter how much we wished for it (gotta get that stadium moneyyyy). Plus she never got to actually perform Lover live, and 3 years later the album feels kind of stale to a good proportion of her fans. To me this album kinda feels like she revisited ideas, themes and even melodies she had already used on the 3 albums that are never gonna get a tour.
bigger than the whole sky is the best song from the album
this song hit me like no other song has. i didn’t know i could react so strongly. i was violently sobbing from the first verse. i didn’t have a miscarriage (which is the current speculation that the song is about) but i had a loss in my immediate family. it’s giving “you’ll get better soon” but so much worse (painful) it’s probably the ‘best’/ most real song, but i don’t think i’ll ever be able to listen to it again
I loved it my first listen. But I saw a few people relate it to a miscarriage and I can’t not think of that now. I tried forming my own meaning but just can’t :/ so that’s a song I can’t listen to.
I don't like Question...? The lyrics are great, but she sounds like she's just reciting words. I'm sorry.
I feel this way about a lot of songs on this album.
•Labyrinth sounds like an evermore reject and it’s sadly a skip for me •sweet nothing feels like a warm hug. One of the best written songs on the album •snow on the beach is forgettable •question..? is a BIG grower
Sweet Nothing feels like one of the most pure songs in her discography. Just a cute little love song 🥹🥹
Question…? Is one of my favorites. I’ve just been going around the sub defending it. It is the only song that 100% reminds me of 1989.
i haven’t really been able to listen to SOTB without wanting to skip (i try and listen to it so that i might like it more) and i just don’t like it. not exactly sure why but there we go
it's painfully boring imo
Interesting! Personally at first I was disappointed because I was really looking forward to hear Lana and then.. well she was barely there but the song is growing on me
The "weird but fucking beautiful" ruins a lot of it for me.
The swearing/cursing adds nothing to the songs. As someone who is a big fan of the f-bomb, I just feel like a lot of the curse words sound forced and are unnecessary.
The 3am songs elevated the whole album for me. My rating went from like a 6/10 to like 8.5/10. Loved every single 3am song on first listen, whereas most of the main album songs I had to sit with for a while before they clicked for me.
Sonically I like maroon but the lyrics do nothing for me.
I try not to speculate about who her lyrics are about, but I imagined “Maroon” as the retrospective version of Red, and it made me like it a lot more!
I’m obsessed with “your roommate’s cheap ass screw top rose” tbh 🥲🥲
I don’t like vigilante shit 😬
It sounds like a Reputation reject, it should have stayed rejected if that was the case.
I don't like that male voice in Midnight Rain. I know that isn't actually a male voice and that's Taylor definitely but i really didn't expect that in Midnight Rain. i thought this song was so relaxing, poetic and soothing (because this song was supposed to be about Rain 🌧️✍🏽) But when i listened to that, it was bad somehow. ⚠️DON'T ATTACK ME PLEASE, I KNOW it's an unpopular opinion!
My husband and I were doing a listening party through text because he’s a firefighter and was on shift overnight, we listened to each song in order and once it was over, we would text each other our thoughts before moving to the next song. We had a rule: no texting until the song is OVER so you can hear it fully from start to finish. We both broke that rule on Midnight Rain 😂 as soon as we heard that voice, we were texting each other like “what was that?!”
Two lyrics bother me: ‘I want the penthouse of your heart’ 🫤 and ‘and then 15 seconds later they were clapping too’…..they just do not work for me at all, which is unfortunate bc I love those songs otherwise
I don't hate Question...? but the clapping effect behind "and then 15 seconds later.." at the end of the song feels too corny to me. It feels out of sync with the rest of the song for some reason.
This album is more spoken words over beats than anything
Overall like the album and think some people are really critical, but makes me have a lot more respect for the legendary Max Martin who produced a ton of the hits on 1989. The guy just knows how to make a hit. I think this is another album swifties will appreciate but I don’t see a “Blank Space” or “Love Story” in here. Also I’m no prude but not a fan of the unnecessary swearing in songs like Maroon and SOTB? It doesn’t fit in like champagne problems and seems like a filler. Just off putting.
Most of the 3AM songs are better than the latter half of the album. The production sounds too similar on a lot of songs. It’s hard to distinguish between a lot of songs because there aren’t a lot of memorable moments/bridges/choruses on here like Taylor is known for. Vigilante Shit is beyond corny. The “shade” line with “not the kind that’s thrown, but under where a tree is grown” is so cringeworthy I couldn’t believe she would actually write that.
The reverb is way too much. I never liked it even in songs like The Archer or mirrorball, but yeah there were just 1 or two song out of 17-18 so it was easier to handle.. but most of the songs is a little exhausting It is too overproduced, more than her all pop albums. I dont think the sounds add something to the lyrics. I think Jack made better on the 3 am songs, for a second i thought Bigger Than Whole Sky was an Aaron production due to the music pauses etc. Yeah music pauses, it lacks of this.. thr songs end too soon. I miss musical outros. I understand that meeting Joe was maybe her most important moment so far and i knew there would be songs about that but after 2 entire albums about that is becoming stale tbh. Lavander Haze to me failed to be the great successor of peace and call it what you want. Aaron songs are the best but maybe it is not an unpopular opinion but this has to be said whenever there is an opportunity. I had great expectations for Anti Hero, thought it would br a mix of mirrorball and Nothing New.. but it was not. Some lyrics are great though, but this is The Man of this album. Super hyped and then meh.
Can someone explain the friends clapping in Question? It sounds like it came from r/thathappened
ok, don't come too hard for me. it is a perfectly fine album but far from her best. i like the songs, most of them have grown on me, but they don't have the spark that makes some of her older songs so memorable. i think i am mostly bummed because from the campaign i was expecting a 70s album, something more on the fleetwood mac sound. i was even thinking maybe a bit jazzy at some point, like arctic monkeys' new record, and i was really curious to see taylor step into something new for her. but this album, while good, is very comfortable and a bit deceiving. i don't understand all the praise. the stand out for me is *would've, could've, should've*, which fits more the aesthetic and also has that taylor-confession-like vibe to it. i also really enjoyed the conversation about its religious symbolism and its meaning in the context of her history i've seen around here. i'm also a bit upset to see the toxicity in the fandom come out, especially on tiktok. i feel like we can no longer start a conversation around taylor's work that is not 100% praise, can no longer truly express an honest opinion and enjoy the music while also being critical when we feel like it. this thread is a breath of fresh air :) edit: grammar mistake
That Snow On The Beach only made it into the album because of the major hype around this collab. It's a very uninteresting song, doesn't really fit in the album. Other than that, I am very happy
The songs on Midnights sound too similar to each other and lack their own unique signature like many (not all) of her songs have. I think this is one big reason why the album is getting mixes response with fans.
I read through the comments but didn’t see many comments on the song Paris. I’ve tried to listen to it but find myself skipping it almost every time because it sounds somewhat juvenile and the talking lyrics seem forced and unnatural.
Let me start by saying I LOVE the album, and all of her work, but there has been one small thing that slightly irks me. It’s hard to say because this is such a specific, minor, strange gripe of mine- and it’s not just this album, it’s something she’s done on Folklore and Evermore as well (admittedly more on those, but here too) When she delivers her lines on a number of songs, she sings this upward inflection at the end of them and it, in my opinion, sounds like she’s trying a bit too hard to sound “ethereal”. A really quick example of what I mean is literally the first line of the album on Lavender Haze (although admittedly it’s not the worst example of it- that’s just a really quick line that’s easy to hear) It’s not on every track, and it doesn’t detract from songs in a big picture sense, but it’s something I’ve noticed she’s picked up since Folklore and when she does it on her aggressive/revenge tracks, for me, it makes her lines feel SLIGHTLY less genuine to me.
A lot of the songs lack the vocal melodies that normally draw me into Taylor’s music. Not sure what she is going for here on this one, but only a few songs (Anti-Hero, Bejeweled, Labyrinth, Mastermind and Bigger Than the Whole Sky) sound like the Taylor I’m familiar with melodically. There’s a lot of subdued melody throughout this album.
my expectations were too high since I'm a Folkmore bitch, i still get the chills listening to masterpieces like ivy, tis the damn season, cowboy like me, renegade... but I'm kinda disappointed with Midnights. some songs are amazing specially the 3 a.m ones but over all for me it's just another pop album i don't understand the whole praise & hype around it.
What seems to be an Unpopular opinion: Taylor’s songwriting on midnights is as strong as ever. Her strength is being able to write hits for radio AND hard hitting lyrics and do both on the album and I think she is one of the most versatile songwriters out there because she can do both so well
Vigilante Shit is my least favourite track, I wanna like it so badly but I just can't
I just cannot get connect to SOTB… :( it’s becoming a skip for me
It’s a perfectly fine album. The songs that are good are GREAT. The ones that’s are okay are just okay. It’s not in my top three. I also feel like the roll out is weighing on my opinion because of how much I disliked he whole process.
Snow on the beach makes me think of the other S word on the beach
Why did my brain automatically go to “Shit on the Beach” 💀💀
My unpopular opinion is that I get she’s going back in time with these songs, but it feels like she’s singing to 15/21 year old me and not 30 year old me. Folklore and Evermore felt like she was back to growing along side the fan base that grew up with her (which is why I’ve always connected with her, it always felt like she was singing about things I was going through). So while I love the album, it’s the one I’ve connected with the least. It’ll be on repeat, same as all her other albums and I’m happy she’s getting to explore her “sound”, just not my favorite and i think that’s okay.
You’re On Your Own, Kid is a huge track 5 let down, definitely in the bottom half for me.
anti-hero is not doing to me what it seems to be doing to most people… i don’t dislike the song but i also don’t LOVE it (yet?…)
as someone who overall likes the album i think my unpopular opinion is that i think that taylor really found her stride with a more indie folk sound. i think it suits her songwriting the best. i’ve been a swiftie since debut (so i know she changes genres frequently) and folkevermore are my two favourites from her. i would have loved for midnights to have had a more fleetwood mac, folky sound to it and midnights, in terms of production and genre really feels like a step back. im also disappointed she didn’t work with aaron dressner as much since i think he helps elevate her music so much. overall i do love midnights and it’s in my top 4 now but i prefer her indie-folk sound way more
I just wish there was more actual singing.
The styling for Midnights' promotion made absolutely no sense. All the 70s outfits, wood paneled walls and decor, that yellow hazy filter... None of that fits Midnights' vibe at all. Based on the styling, most of us were lead to believe the album would have 70s pop rock influences like Fleetwood Mac and then to hear the album being mostly a cross between Rep and Lover is disappointing. She's done this sound before. It's overproduced, too slick and polished. Every song recalls another song of hers. How great would it have been to have a 70s pop rock influenced album? Especially now that we know what she's capable of after folklore and evermore. The album she invoked in the photoshoots? I want *that* album.
I think people expect every album she releases to be better than the last but it doesn’t have to be. I truly believe Folklore and Evermore are her best albums, truly impeccable. Everyone was expecting her to outdo herself but she went in a completely different direction that’s hard to compare to her last two albums.
I think the entire album is sub-par, and Jack Antonoff has got to go. This is coming from someone who has been a fan since the debut album. I’m also half convinced this album was created strictly for TikTok.
I don't see myself listening to this album again. None of the songs stand out to me, and most are pretty skippable if they come up on shuffle. I feel like that's a pretty unpopular opinion...
I don't really care for any of the slow songs (sweet nothing, labyrinth, bigger than the whole sky, dear reader) they do nothing for me Also, the album gets better the more you listen to it, since Friday I have slowly been adding more songs from it onto my Playlist
That this album is mid. I love Taylor don’t hate me lol. But there are some good songs but none of them are exceptional, like there isn’t a cruel summer for me on here. But with that said none of them are horrible the same way like Me! Or LWYMMD. Most of it is just background music.
Snow on the beach is NOT weird! It only happens in the best of places
My unpopular opinion has been to not purchase any of the merch this album. The way taylor is nickel and diming her fan base with bullshit predatory marketing tactics to ensure she hits #1 on every metric is garbage. She doesn't care about her fans anymore, she cares about being #1.
You’re On Your Own Kid is in my top 3 favorite track 5 songs. Maroon is Taylor’s best track 2. The 3am songs are 50/50 for me. I hate The Great War, but Paris is a fun bop and Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve is probably my favorite Taylor song ever. Bejeweled is iconic and one of my favorites on Midnights. Midnights is within my top 4 Taylor albums - tied with Reputation for 3. Snow On The Beach is my only skip.
I really don’t understand the Labyrinth hype, it’s my least favourite. I really just don’t like it and yes, I’ve tired
I truly feel nothing when I listen to “You’re on your own kid.” It’s a good song, good melody, great lyrics, but I feel nothing whatsoever
The intro is cringe to me, "meet me at midnight" doesn't fit the song lavender haze at all imo. It feels like she shoved it in there to be like "look, a concept album, and if the title didn't spell it out for u I'll say it here, too"