Cabrini students are in that lavender haze since Taylor Swift’s new album was released on Oct. 21. During the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, Swift announced her plans to release album number 10. Since August, the hype and speculation of what the new era would sound like have flooded social media.
The short wait is over. “Midnights” is here, and fans are happy.
Allison Wojton, senior accounting major, called “Midnights” jaw-dropping. “It’s nothing like she’s released before because it seems more about the lyrics than just a catchy tune. It’s brilliant,” she said.
New era calls for new sound
“Midnights” favors past albums “Reputation” and “1989” rather than Swift’s most recent albums, “Folklore,” and “Evermore.” It is filled with moody indie pop vibes, a stark contrast to how her music has sounded for the past two years.
The past two albums were filled with songs based on fictional characters and scenarios. They were more whimsical rather than the dark mood of “Midnights.” The new album is based on 13 sleepless nights from Swift’s life.
Jamie Falgie, senior biology major, said, “When I first listened to it, I was expecting another genre. I was ready for indie music, like ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore.’ Once I listened to it more, I really enjoyed the album.”
Fans met at midnight, then surprised at 3 a.m.
Eager Swifties stayed up all night to be among the first to hear “Midnights.” As the clock struck midnight, 13 new songs were released. Then, at 3 a.m., a surprise release of seven more songs arrived. Swift called these new bonus tracks, “3 a.m. edition.”
Swift broke Spotify for a short time when the site crashed. There were over 8,000 outages early Friday morning.
Jo Wallace, senior business major, stayed up until midnight to catch the new album drop. On early Friday morning, she had mixed feelings, but the album is now a personal favorite.
Wallace said, “I had to really listen to the album more to understand the lyrics better. Afterward, I understood the meaning. I loved the whole album.”
Staying up late to listen to the album seemed to impact fans’ reactions. Each time they listened to the album the more they picked up its deeper messages. Many listeners speculated about the songs’ subjects and which sleepless nights they was based on. Some of the speculations include the night after the infamous VMAs moment where Kanye jumped on stage to steal her award and spotlight.
“I definitely had to listen to it more. After listening to it again on my morning commute I found a new love for the album,” Wojton said.
“Midnights” is not only jaw-dropping but record-breaking
For the first time ever in 64 years, a male artist is absent from the top 10 on the Billboard charts. Swift surpassed artists like the Beatles and Drake for the most songs in the top 100 in a week. “Anti-Hero” sits in the number one spot; this is Swift’s ninth song to peak at number one.
To quote Swift, “That’s a real legacy to leave.”
Eras Tour
Taylor Swift has not gone on tour since before COVID-19. Since then, she has released four new albums and re-released two. She will return to the stage in March 2023, for the “Eras Tour.” The tour will play songs from every album she has produced. This is something Swift has never done before, as her tours usually focus on just one album.
Swift described the tour as “a journey through the musical eras of my career.”
Swift will return to her home state on May 12 and 13, 2023, where she will perform in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field.
Pre-registration for tour tickets are on sale Nov. 9. If interested, register here.
