含羞草研究社淎ll of me changed like midnight,含羞草研究社� confesses halfway through her latest album, the aptly named and moody 含羞草研究社淢idnights.含羞草研究社�
It含羞草研究社檚 a moment on the electric 含羞草研究社淢idnight Rain含羞草研究社� that finds lyricist Swift at her best, reminding you of her unparalleled ability to make any emotion feel universal.
The song含羞草研究社檚 chorus begins: 含羞草研究社淗e was sunshine, I was midnight rain.含羞草研究社� And continues: 含羞草研究社淗e wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain. He wanted a bride, I was making my own name. Chasing that fame. He stayed the same.含羞草研究社� Then, that lyric: 含羞草研究社淎ll of me changed like midnight.含羞草研究社�
The sound feels experimental for Swift, opening with her own vocals artificially pitched down to an almost-unrecognizable tone. It含羞草研究社檚 among the album含羞草研究社檚 most sonically interesting, an indie-pop beat that feels reminiscent of her producer Jack Antonoff含羞草研究社檚 work on Lorde含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淢elodrama,含羞草研究社� but also fresh and captivating.
The song含羞草研究社檚 words, by Swift and Antonoff, are steady and detailed, but not distracting 含羞草研究社� allowing you to sink into the rhythm, flowing and feeling it with her.
On a self-aware Swift shows off her ability to evolve again. And in typical Swift fashion, she had more surprises up her sleeve 含羞草研究社� dropping and after 含羞草研究社淢idnights含羞草研究社� released.
For her 10th original album, the 32-year-old pop star approaches the themes she含羞草研究社檚 grown up writing about 含羞草研究社� love, loss, childhood, fame 含羞草研究社� with a maturity that comes through in sharpened vocals and lyrics focused more on her inner-life than external persona.
含羞草研究社淢idnight Rain含羞草研究社� could be a thesis statement for the project she含羞草研究社檚 described as songs written during 含羞草研究社�13 sleepless nights,含羞草研究社� an appropriate approach to the concept album for someone who has long had a lyrical appreciation for late nights (think 含羞草研究社淪tyle含羞草研究社�: 含羞草研究社渕idnight, you come and pick me up, no headlights含羞草研究社卟菅芯可鐫). Of course, she含羞草研究社檚 centered her work around themes before 含羞草研究社� on 含羞草研究社淩ed,含羞草研究社� an ode to the color and the emotions it stands for, 含羞草研究社渞eputation,含羞草研究社� a vindictive reconfiguring of her own, and most recently on 含羞草研究社渇olklore含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社渆vermore,含羞草研究社� quarantine albums that expressed vulnerability in ways only isolation could.
But Swift presents 含羞草研究社淢idnights含羞草研究社� as something different: a collection of songs that don含羞草研究社檛 necessarily have to go together, but fit together because she has declared them products of late night inspiration. Positioning listeners situationally 含羞草研究社� in the quiet but thoughtful darkness of night 含羞草研究社� instead of thematically, feels like a natural creative experiment for a songwriter so prolific that her albums have become synonymous with the pop culture zeitgeist.
And with that, comes a tone that is just a little darker, a little more experimental, and always electric.
Track one, 含羞草研究社淟avender Haze,含羞草研究社� pairs a muffled club beat and high-pitched backing vocals from Antonoff with stand-out, beckoning melody from Swift. 含羞草研究社淢aroon含羞草研究社� is a grown-up and weathered version of 含羞草研究社淩ed,含羞草研究社� a dive into lost love with rich descriptions of rust, spilled wine, red lipstick 含羞草研究社� images Swift is reconjuring with more bite.
含羞草研究社淟abyrinth含羞草研究社� makes clear she含羞草研究社檚 carried the best of her previous pop experiments with her 含羞草研究社� the synth of 含羞草研究社�1989含羞草研究社� and the softer alternative sounds of 含羞草研究社渇olklore含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� as she admits as only a songwriter can that a heartbreak 含羞草研究社渙nly feels this raw right now, lost in the labyrinth of my mind,含羞草研究社� on top of a track featuring Bon Iver-esque electronic trills.
Swift shines when she is able to marry her signature lyrical musings with this new arena of electronic beats. And while this isn含羞草研究社檛 another album of acoustic indie sounds like 含羞草研究社渇olklore,含羞草研究社� it is clear that Swift has taken a step forward in the indie-pop genre 含羞草研究社� even if it含羞草研究社檚 a step in a different direction.
The album含羞草研究社檚 weaker moments are the ones where that balance feels off. 含羞草研究社淏ejeweled含羞草研究社� is a bit too candy sweet, with lyrics that feel like an updated, glittery take on 含羞草研究社淢E!含羞草研究社� The much anticipated 含羞草研究社淪now On The Beach,含羞草研究社� featuring Lana Del Rey, is poetic, pretty, and at times cheeky, but not as emotionally deep as the lyricists含羞草研究社� combined power suggests it could be.
Even in those moments, 含羞草研究社淢idnights含羞草研究社� finds Swift comfortable in her musical skin, revealing the strengths of a sharp and ever-evolving artist who can wink through always-cryptic allusions to her very public life or subtle self-owns dispersed amidst lyrical confessions (see: 含羞草研究社淎nti-Hero含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淢astermind含羞草研究社�) and hook even the casual listener with an alluring, and maybe surprising, beat.
But like the love-soaked 含羞草研究社淟over,含羞草研究社� and and 含羞草研究社渆vermore,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淢idnights含羞草研究社� feels like both a confessional and a playground, crafted by all the versions of Taylor Swift we含羞草研究社檝e gotten to know so far for a new Taylor Swift to shine. And like always, we含羞草研究社檙e just along for the thrilling late-night ride.
含羞草研究社擡lise Ryan, The Associated Press
