OMG, same! I was expecting some dark, mysterious, and slightly mystical vibes from the album (while also being an alt pop album). Songs like Vigilante Shit, Bejeweled, and Karma remind me more of loud parties or action scenes than sleepless nights. I mean, I still love Karma ā and most of the album ā but none of it really matches the concept to me.
i think thatās a fairly popular opinion. mine is rather the opposite: i was secretly hoping for another pop album full of bops and bangers. iām just a bigger fan of that sound and had been missing that during folklore/evermore. i still love both those albums but i grew up on high energy taylor and missed her
her photoshoots have been very casual 70s themed while her going out looks (red carpet, etc) have been very glamorous and iconic. i think that itās supposed to represent the difference between how she views herself and who she is at home VS how the public views her and who she is at award shows and stuff.
thereās a lot of discussion about how genius the marketing/promotion for this album was but i found it really misleading. ultimately it made midnights more disappointing to me than it couldāve been if it had been marketed differently
Agreed, it seems like she knew people wanted a 70ās soft rock inspired album from her and she played into that before the release only to have the album be something completely different
I feel like Midnights is a bit more mid. After getting her magnum opus with Folklore and Evermore, I feel like people wouldāve been tired of her continuing on with that kind of music. She read the room well with the pandemic and how people needed a cozy, comforting album. And now that the pandemic has died down, sheās ready to party and āgo out tonight.ā Folklore and Evermore are her quill pen albums. Itās to show what she is actually made of for people to take her seriously. Now that people do take her seriously, sheās ready to whip her Glitter Pen out again with this album. To me, itās not a critically acclaimed darling. Itās more of a dreamy, dance party.
Based on her first description, I really thought it was going to be like an album to listen to when youāre tossing and turning in bed at midnight from stress induced insomnia - like a collection of Nothing New but I guess what keeps her up at night is nothing like what keeps me up at night haha
A podcast said that this album was supposed to deliver deep and dark tea that Taylor has been holding on to. I wish that were the case. Even without revealing personal info I thought this album would be significantly more scathing.
I feel like the newness wore off quickly for me and I went back to her old albums because I wanted to hear that music instead. I like some of the songs on Midnights, but there are a lot of skips, and if I want to listen to pop, I prefer tracks off 1989, Reputation, and Lover.
Same. As a whole, I donāt care for the album and I quit listening to it weeks ago. There are about two songs I like, the rest all sound the same to me.
Totally agree - was my top fave on first listen but does start to get stale. I feel similar about NB,NC - it was high on everyoneās lists at first listen but the farther out weāve gotten from evermore and the novelty wears off, the more it just falls down
I lost interest in it when someone pointed out that nothing that she does/describes in the song would be considered āvigilante shitā. She saw evidence of someone committing a crime and turned them into the proper authorities. Thatās being a good citizen not a vigilante Taylor!! Also she keeps talking about dressing for revenge but never talks about actually getting revenge!
For Vigilante Shit I really expected her to list more "vigilante shit" I guess you could say. She really only mentions one instance. I wouldn't really call that a vigilante. I guess two if you count the white collar crimes but still....
I love alot of the songs but as a whole the album just feels incomplete, like there's something missing, and I think for that reason the hype around it won't hold up once new music comes out.
Eeep I havenāt dared to say it out loud but I also strongly feel that the album feels incomplete and most songs sound kind of unfinished to me in some way. Like they put in 70 or 80 percent effort and figured people would eat it up anyway. Just feels like a lot of moments where youāre waiting for the good part of the song and wondering why they didnāt dig in and put more oomph into the rest of it.
Although I LOVE the album, the whole āconcept albumā of it all was loosely put together and needed more due diligence in the planning. Marketing it as an album for midnight wonders would have been more effective than the whole āmidnights that have kept me upā routeā¦ especially since a lot of the songs donāt really match that theme IMO
I like Midnights, but if COVID never happened and she released Midnights straight after Lover I think it would be the start of the decline of her career
100% true, but I donāt think Taylor couldāve made Midnights without the experience of making folklore and evermore. I mean, some of the best 3am tracks wouldnāt exist without folkmore because thatās how she met Aaron, but I can still hear a little bit of folkmore on songs like Snow On The Beach, YOYOK and Labyrinth
Yessss I sometimes feel like lately sheās been doing the speak/singing and basing the meter of the lyrics around what she wants to say instead of crafting the lyrics to fit into a set rhythm and melody like she used to. Question and the beginning of WCS are good examples of what Iām talking about but YOYOK is more traditionally structured/melodic if that makes sense?
I miss her Joseph Kahn directed music videos š¬ I think Taylor is a genius, but Iām not quite sure sheās fully there with directing and writing. At least, I think she should collaborate.
Anti-hero was a fantastic music video. It did such a perfect job visually portraying the song while staying grounded, but not taking itself too seriously at the same time.
I agree. I think sheās a talented director, and I think she manages to mix whimsy and drama very well in her work. With that in mind, I feel the strongest criticism I have is that sometimes it feels like the videos donāt serve the songs as effectively as they probably could.
I'm not sure if this is unpopular, but I think Kahn's videos for Rep (aside from LWYMMD) were a step down from 1989. Even before that, Out of the Woods just felt like a string of glamour shots of her getting chased by bad CGI. Blank Space, Bad Blood and Wildest Dreams will always be some of her best MVs, but imo that was his peak.
I completely agree with this. The 1989 and reputation music videos felt so much more polished. Some of the videos from the last few eras have felt very stagey
I miss the Joseph Kahn videos too. The only Taylor directed video I really liked was Cardigan (I liked Lover too, but she had a co-director so I think itās a bit different). Most of her directed videos feel too on the nose and kind of expected, in my opinion. Iām sure thatās an unpopular opinion, but I think Taylor should use highly regarded directors who are willing to take her ideas and turn them into unique concepts.
I noticed that Anti-Hero and Bejeweled (minus the skit) both start centered on her and she starts singing from there. Willow starts centered on her but it makes sense with the ending of Cardigan. I Bet You Think About Me has a lot of centered shots. There's nothing wrong with it, but I notice because it's repetitive.
I think she lost the plot of āsongs that represent a sleepless nightā concept. The first part of the album sounds pretty dreamy but it veers off course after āmidnight rainā.
Songs that actually fit that concept: dear John, all too well, the archer, clean, last kiss... Those songs, and situations they tell about, clearly come from sleepless nights. And you're on your own kid, right where you left me...
In general sometimes Taylorās descriptions of the themes in her own albums confuse me. Like when she said folklore was about the start of relationships and evermore was about the endsā¦ huh?
The 3 am tracks sound like what the actual album should have been. Theyāre all so much more mysterious than the cookie cutter pop songs on the album. Glitch, dear reader, the Great War, all are sonically unique and darker songs. Idk why they werenāt on the original album.
Wouldāve, Couldāve, Shouldāve really exemplifies this too, the song in terms of raw lyricism is what I was hoping for from the rest of the tracks on Midnights.
i love this thread. when i go crazy reading the blind worshiping that goes on on twitter, coming here and seeing people critically engage with art is such solace.
3/4s of the album is skippable for me, in all honesty. I'm in no way trashing anyone who really loves it, but I only actively listen to maaaaybe 4 songs on the regular.
Not necessarily an unpopular opinion but I think the only reason midnights is so damn popular is because itās more accessible to everyone (the music style, pop, etc), not because itās actually genius or Taylorās best work.
Another unpopular opinion is that Midnights has hardly any good stadium tour songs. I can somewhat see Anti-Hero and Bejeweled and theyāre really the only two other than Karma. I donāt know how she wouldāve ever done a stadium tour based on this album (but I feel like evermore and folklore arenāt stadium tour albums either) and Iām glad she went with eras instead of trying to tour only for Midnights
I find the lyrics empty. I love Taylor's music for her ability to be relatable and show deep emption through writing. After listing to the album, and trying to think "what is this song trying to say?" I find the answer to most Midnights tracks is, well, nothing.
Iāve been listening to Speak Now a lot recently even though Iāve never really given the album enough listens in the past. I just wanted to hear more storytelling and emotions after Midnights!
The Great War is like a top 2 of the entire album. I don't know if it's because most of the songs sound very similar and it managed to stand out a bit or whatever it is, but i definitely prefer it to almost all of the other songs.
Omg. I thought it was just me! I love The Great War. It was one of my favorites the first time I listend to the album and now itās definitely in my top 2. You have great taste!
I think this is slowly becoming a popular opinion. Itās such a good song. Itās the current track I have on repeat lol. Itās so like Taylor to have a bonus track as a fan favorite
Facts. The top 2 are āWouldāve, Couldāve, Shouldāveā and āthe Great Warā, easily. You can argue about the order and something like Karma might win for āBest Pop Songā. But itās not really up for debate.
Yessssssss! Vigilante shit should be more ready for it, and labyrinth needs to be more wildest dreams. Theyāre both missing something, and could be huge songs with different production.
What Jack does to her vocals in production is a fucking crime. Like I shittalk him as a producer because he's got one trick, but his worst crime is how badly he washes out her voice.
I agree with all of this except I do think itās possible (not guaranteed obviously) we get SNTV right before the tour. I donāt see her dropping it mid-tour and with international tour dates eventually being added, it would push the next TV into 2024 if she doesnāt release at least one ahead of the tour. I would be surprised if she ends up dragging out the re-records for a super long time.
I agree. Itās layered out so weirdly sometimes, and too much reverb and effects and sounds. Her voice ends up BURRIED under the synths itās like whoa, Iām having a panic attack here trying to listen to all thatās going on lol
Totally agree. Thereās a lot of recency bias happening and I think once the hype has faded this album wonāt be so beloved and instead remembered for giving us a couple standout tracks, similarly to 1989.
I'm a bit... bored with this album already. One month after the release, I don't listen to the songs as much as I thought I would. And that's a first with a Taylor's album.
The Great War is one of the best if not the best song off midnights. The lyrics, the way she says screaming from a crypt, and omg the hair pin trigger bridge so gooood
All the promotion for different versions of the album on vinyl and CD and not one had the 3AM tracks. Just super dissapointing because it felt like it was more about the marketing than fans holding a copy of all the songs. Especially because the 3AM tracks were obviously planned as a part of the rollout way ahead of time
The whole thing seems to have been recorded at such a low volume. I find myself having to have the volume all the way up in order to hear her sometimes. But her other albums sound just fine.
The whole album seems like it was written with a focus on touring and marketing ability rather than written for the music itself which makes it come off as over produced, very shallow, and not nearly as genuine as Taylorās past albums. Other than Anti-Hero and Wouldāve, Couldāve, Shouldāve, I find myself struggling to find songs that hit deep on a personal level. Even with Lover, which is the only other Taylor album I have a somewhat negative opinion on, I can still find songs that resonate and the album as a whole still feels very Taylor and feels like she wrote it with meaning and intent behind it. I canāt say the same with Midnights as it just feels like she was really trying to write music that would both sell well and be easy to tour with, and thatās been somewhat of a turn off for me with this era as a whole. Thereās just so many poor lyrics that seem as if Taylor was throwing one liners at the wall and hoping one would catch on culturally, Jack and Taylorās production choices sound as if someone just discovered synths and a voice changer, and the album has a similar issue that Lover had where the songs start to flow into each other and sound similar halfway through and there doesnāt seem like any chances were taken which led to very safe and somewhat boring songs. Itās really the first time I ever felt that Taylor kind of mailed things in a bit with music and after incredible albums like Folklore and Evermore which felt very real and like effort was put into them, Midnights is just a bit disappointing to me.
A friend of mine (who's a longtime fan) called it the tiktokification of Taylor Swift and that's the most right he's been about anything ever. So many lines feel like they were written to be used in viral TikTok challenges and it's not lost on me that one of the first major pieces of marketing after release was the YouTube shorts thing.
I agree with the production. I guess Iām so used to this synth style thatās been trotted out over and over again, that itās really starting to get stale.
Agreed with every single word you said. The reason I fell in love with Taylorās music was the amazing lyrics and story telling. This album just did not do it for me.
This is an interesting point. A lot of the songs are bops / radio hits, which I found strange for an album thatās supposed to represent āa journey through terrors and sweet dreams.ā Based on the way she described the concept, I was fully expecting the album to explore a lot of darker themes (while still staying true to the alternative pop genre).
I agree especially when the concept is about ideas that kept her up at night. I expected more hard hitting lyrics and songs. Most of them are optimistic and positive reflection, with a sprinkle of self-loathing.
Feels like a lot of the songs were aimed (and succeeded at) becoming Tik Tok memes. I liked Adeleās take on the music industry being preoccupied with Tik Tok fame when she said everyone else is making music for Tik Tok so Iāll make music for my generation instead. I wish Taylor took this approach with Midnights instead of leaning into meme-able lyrics like ākarma is a catā and āIām the problem itās meā.
I was afraid to say this but I didn't like this album as much although it is still good. I was shocked people prefer this album more than 1989 which I thought was the superior pop album.
Nailed it. I think thatās why I love folkmore so much. She wrote those albums knowing she wouldnāt be able to tour for them or have this big rollout. She was bored at home during covid and wrote music for the sake of writing music. No big sound effects for a stadium tour or big sales. She just felt like releasing music and so she did. And itās why, IMO, it was her best and most honest work.
On my first run through with it, I thought the album was boring and all the songs sounded the same. It wasn't until a few listens that I could distinctly remember and name a song.
I 100% agree that Midnights was made for marketing first, artistic purposes second. I remember in an interview about Folklore and Evermore she talked about how much she enjoyed making a record without having the pressure of writing āthe pop radio singleā, āthe big concert openerā, etc. It feels like she went back to doing exactly that, and it's much more obvious now that we had 2 less formulaic albums.
I think a Easter egg MV like Bejeweled would have been fun towards the ending of the midnights era or right before the new rerecording. Why would she want people talking and speculating about a different project within the first week of midnights
I think itās one of her weakest albums. Absolutely in love with WCS, one of my favourite songs heās ever done, also really like YOYOK, and a few other songs are pretty good but it slightly disappointed me considering her last two albums are probably my two favourite albums of all time Just to make it clear Iām not saying itās a bad album just one of her weaker ones
the standard album would've been soooo much better if it wasn't just Jack. the songs feel samey and just kinda blend together with the little production variety. even folklore had more variety and it's very cohesive.
I can see why people think this but I remember when Evermore came out, people were complaining about Jack barely being on it, so you can't please everyone apparently
itās funny because it was a skip for me for the first few weeks and now I canāt stop playing it! no one sees when you lose when youāre playing solitaire?? top tier lyric
Dear Reader DESERVES to be the standard closer. Itās the most beautiful, heart wrenching sequel to Long Live. Sheās still writing to us and framing the relationship with us, but itās the sad warning not to follow too closely or take her to heart after glorifying the achievements.
It's not that great lol and honestly folklore is her best work so far and I don't expect her to outdo that work of hers but I don't think she can either š
In what way? Genuinely asking, I interpret it as her angrily talking to an ex lover about those things that actually did happen, but as if she was a third party. Like if you ever have fake conversations in the shower, pretending to be a reporter and asking your ex these things
It isn't all that good. She was wise not to build a tour around it and instead opt for a 'best of' show. I still listen to it though, just not as much as anything else before it.
I'm so relieved someone else feels this way. Overall, I don't like it. Also, every song where they pitch her voice down makes me cringe. It is just too much, too overproduced. I genuinely like a handful of songs but even then, nowhere near as much as my favorites from other albums. š
I see a lot of people saying Your On Your Own Kid is boring and a skip but itās one of my favorites on the album. One of the most relatable too. From just trying to fit in to finally finding your place in life. Really a beautiful song
When I first heard Bejeweled I really disliked it, mainly because of the chorus. I found it to be kind of immature if thatās the right word. Kind of gave me āMe!ā Vibes. I kind of like it now after watching the music video and listening to it more to give it more of a chance. I understand why she picked it as a single as itās fun but I donāt really think it represents the album well and honestly even tho itās a 3 am track I wouldāve preferred Wouldāve Couldāve Shouldāve to to be a single instead but I also understand that itās a bonus song and not on the main album so it wouldnāt be the best pick business wise. Overall I prefer all of the 3 am tracks over a lot of other songs that made it on the main album. I think a lot of those songs would have been a lot stronger on the main album and wouldāve helped make it a little more sonically diverse.
it's not least favourite but people are rating it as her best is throwing me off and I have been too scared to be honest :') people rated this the best pop album she's made and I am sitting here staring at 1989 and reputation
The whole album just feels clunky to me. The pacing, the rhymes, the lyrics. Like in anti-hero āI should not be left to my own devices they comes with prices and vices I end up in crisisā is so clunky. I have such a hard time singing along to a lot of the songs.
I agree with you about the storytelling, and with your opinion as a whole, but I have a different take on it, primarily based on my own experience as a writer, with poetry as my preferred form.
WCS is my favorite song on the album but I donāt NEED Taylor to perform it on tour. Itās about her being taken advantage of as a young girl, and the fact she wrote this song 13 years after the relationship ended shows that itās something that likely still hurts her. Just because itās a fan favorite it doesnāt mean she HAS to perform it.
Any fan who believes they care even an iota about the person behind the music they love should not wish for her to play this live. I canāt imagine wanting to scream-sing that lyric like itās fun. WCS is an open wound of a song and I love it, maybe more than any other of hers, but I have no desire to ever hear it live.
I think she needs to move on from Jack. I feel like the sound/vibe they are able to catch together has been established. & while itās a great, itās not resulting in anything thatās new or pushing the envelope.
Taylorās lyricism is so weak on this album, and I tie it directly to her cursing. Itās like sheās traded specificity for profanity and just chooses to drop a f-bomb instead of taking the time to find an interesting way to convey her message. Donāt get me wrong, there are some songs across her discography where I think it works (for example the 1) but it really bothers me on songs like Snow On The Beach
The clean version of Snow on the Beach is better. I still donāt love the song, but at least I donāt completely cringe at the clean one like I do the original lol
That itās not good. The production is super bland and sleepy, the songwriting ranges from inconsistent to downright bad, and Taylor sounds like sheās phoning it in vocally for just about the whole record.
i hate the picture on the album cover. idk if it's that her makeup looks cheap or i dont get her expression or the lighting looks weird but somethings just off about it to me. i love some of the alternate covers though
i really dislike midnight rain and find it borderline unlistenable due to the weird wobbly deep vocals. whenever iām listening to the album and hear those vocals i immediately skip ššš
I hate the tiktok trend where u post a bunch of pics of your friends to the bridge of youāre on your own kid. I just started college and all my friends are 2ā5 hours away ššš and Iām really shy so I havenāt made any friends in college yet and the trend just makes me sad. I loved the song on first listen but now whenever it gets to the bridge thatās all I can think about
In the reaction thread, people were saying that High Infidelity was a Calvin Harris drag, but I donāt see how it reflects that poorly on anyone but Taylor herself.
What she chose to do with karma, was genius. Everyone was expecting it karma to sound like vigilante shit and to take the word karma and focus on all of the positive things in your life is actually so unexpected and smart. It also feels like positive affirmations to think about. How just having a calm enough state of mind to have a relaxing thought is considered good karma, its just such a smart way to be like look at where iām at now iām happy, and i lovee that
I still donāt know why she promoted the album with a 70ās aesthetic, when the album had nothing near that. Also the album is kinda boring, the songs arenāt necessary bad (expect maybe vigilante shit) but hearing the whole album through, it kinda gets a little boring. If I listen to the songs individually or in a playlist, then I really donāt have that problem.
I have so many unpopular opinions, and agree with many on here. I tend to feel dissappointed by it and think itās overhyped but Iām also happy for the success itās brought Taylor. Iām also okay if itās your favourite album - Taylor has a diversity of sounds which makes her fans diverse too and we should embrace that diversity respectfully. And tbh the era has some fun elements (like the fashuuuun and the huuurr) even if the album is not that great imo.
This is broader than just Midnights tbh, but I am tired of the themes of revenge and karma. What happened with Kanye and Scooter is terrible, and I totally understand why Taylor is so upset and she has everyyy right to be. Her songs are expressions of her emotions, and I get why these events are a big focus for her. Many of the songs she has written about these conflicts are amazing. BUT now in 2022 when I hear songs like Vigilante Shit and Karma, I can't help but feel like "oh, more of this again..."
Remember to sort by controversial for some actually unpopular opinions š
*Sorts by controversial and sees Maroon as the first song*
Disappointed that it didn't really match the aesthetic... why the 70s theme? From the description on the album, you'd think it would be darker IMO.
OMG, same! I was expecting some dark, mysterious, and slightly mystical vibes from the album (while also being an alt pop album). Songs like Vigilante Shit, Bejeweled, and Karma remind me more of loud parties or action scenes than sleepless nights. I mean, I still love Karma ā and most of the album ā but none of it really matches the concept to me.
I definitely expected it to be darker. Folklore lyrics, Reputation sound was my expectation lol
I feel like I wish she'd dropped it as a surprise again so I didn't have time to build up what I wanted it to sound like.
I was honestly expecting some Donovan /groovy vibes with her album artwork. Talk about misleading š
i think thatās a fairly popular opinion. mine is rather the opposite: i was secretly hoping for another pop album full of bops and bangers. iām just a bigger fan of that sound and had been missing that during folklore/evermore. i still love both those albums but i grew up on high energy taylor and missed her
her photoshoots have been very casual 70s themed while her going out looks (red carpet, etc) have been very glamorous and iconic. i think that itās supposed to represent the difference between how she views herself and who she is at home VS how the public views her and who she is at award shows and stuff.
SOTB sounds like an SNL skit of two women trying to out whisper sing each other
thereās a lot of discussion about how genius the marketing/promotion for this album was but i found it really misleading. ultimately it made midnights more disappointing to me than it couldāve been if it had been marketed differently
Agreed, it seems like she knew people wanted a 70ās soft rock inspired album from her and she played into that before the release only to have the album be something completely different
I was expecting it to be darker.
I feel like Midnights is a bit more mid. After getting her magnum opus with Folklore and Evermore, I feel like people wouldāve been tired of her continuing on with that kind of music. She read the room well with the pandemic and how people needed a cozy, comforting album. And now that the pandemic has died down, sheās ready to party and āgo out tonight.ā Folklore and Evermore are her quill pen albums. Itās to show what she is actually made of for people to take her seriously. Now that people do take her seriously, sheās ready to whip her Glitter Pen out again with this album. To me, itās not a critically acclaimed darling. Itās more of a dreamy, dance party.
Based on her first description, I really thought it was going to be like an album to listen to when youāre tossing and turning in bed at midnight from stress induced insomnia - like a collection of Nothing New but I guess what keeps her up at night is nothing like what keeps me up at night haha
A podcast said that this album was supposed to deliver deep and dark tea that Taylor has been holding on to. I wish that were the case. Even without revealing personal info I thought this album would be significantly more scathing.
Nothing New actually fits the theme better than most of the songs on the album
Iām not sure if I really like this album but all the reviews and marketing tell me I should.
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Iāve been a fan since Love Story, but midnights is near the bottom of my fav Taylor albums.
I feel like the newness wore off quickly for me and I went back to her old albums because I wanted to hear that music instead. I like some of the songs on Midnights, but there are a lot of skips, and if I want to listen to pop, I prefer tracks off 1989, Reputation, and Lover.
I think this is one of her worst albums
Same. As a whole, I donāt care for the album and I quit listening to it weeks ago. There are about two songs I like, the rest all sound the same to me.
Vigilante Shit gets old after a few plays. The initial shock value was great, but it's kinda repetitive.
I spend the whole song waiting for it to actually get started
Totally agree - was my top fave on first listen but does start to get stale. I feel similar about NB,NC - it was high on everyoneās lists at first listen but the farther out weāve gotten from evermore and the novelty wears off, the more it just falls down
The opening lineā¦ was quirky on tumblr 10 years ago.
lol it got old after one play for me, idk how it made it to the main edition
I lost interest in it when someone pointed out that nothing that she does/describes in the song would be considered āvigilante shitā. She saw evidence of someone committing a crime and turned them into the proper authorities. Thatās being a good citizen not a vigilante Taylor!! Also she keeps talking about dressing for revenge but never talks about actually getting revenge!
For Vigilante Shit I really expected her to list more "vigilante shit" I guess you could say. She really only mentions one instance. I wouldn't really call that a vigilante. I guess two if you count the white collar crimes but still....
It sounds like an early demo, like even before the final lyrics are decided upon.
I love alot of the songs but as a whole the album just feels incomplete, like there's something missing, and I think for that reason the hype around it won't hold up once new music comes out.
Eeep I havenāt dared to say it out loud but I also strongly feel that the album feels incomplete and most songs sound kind of unfinished to me in some way. Like they put in 70 or 80 percent effort and figured people would eat it up anyway. Just feels like a lot of moments where youāre waiting for the good part of the song and wondering why they didnāt dig in and put more oomph into the rest of it.
Although I LOVE the album, the whole āconcept albumā of it all was loosely put together and needed more due diligence in the planning. Marketing it as an album for midnight wonders would have been more effective than the whole āmidnights that have kept me upā routeā¦ especially since a lot of the songs donāt really match that theme IMO
This is a concept album for someone who has no idea what that means.
The 3am tracks are my favorite on the whole album with a couple exceptions
I like Midnights, but if COVID never happened and she released Midnights straight after Lover I think it would be the start of the decline of her career
u did not miss....
100% true, but I donāt think Taylor couldāve made Midnights without the experience of making folklore and evermore. I mean, some of the best 3am tracks wouldnāt exist without folkmore because thatās how she met Aaron, but I can still hear a little bit of folkmore on songs like Snow On The Beach, YOYOK and Labyrinth
She doesnāt do a lot of singing on itā¦just fast/ monotonous speaking. š¬
Yessss I sometimes feel like lately sheās been doing the speak/singing and basing the meter of the lyrics around what she wants to say instead of crafting the lyrics to fit into a set rhythm and melody like she used to. Question and the beginning of WCS are good examples of what Iām talking about but YOYOK is more traditionally structured/melodic if that makes sense?
Exactly thatās why I hate question so much like there is no melody she is just speaking
She needs to work with aaron dessner way way way WAY more
If this is unpopular, Iāll sit with you in the bathroom stalls at lunch.
I just canāt stand Jackās production anymore. She needs to take a musical break from him. His sound is just stale for me at this point.
I miss her Joseph Kahn directed music videos š¬ I think Taylor is a genius, but Iām not quite sure sheās fully there with directing and writing. At least, I think she should collaborate.
THe way every music video has to have a cut to dialogue is super cringe
I also miss the Joseph Kahn directed music videos!!!
Anti-hero was a fantastic music video. It did such a perfect job visually portraying the song while staying grounded, but not taking itself too seriously at the same time.
I agree. I think sheās a talented director, and I think she manages to mix whimsy and drama very well in her work. With that in mind, I feel the strongest criticism I have is that sometimes it feels like the videos donāt serve the songs as effectively as they probably could.
I'm not sure if this is unpopular, but I think Kahn's videos for Rep (aside from LWYMMD) were a step down from 1989. Even before that, Out of the Woods just felt like a string of glamour shots of her getting chased by bad CGI. Blank Space, Bad Blood and Wildest Dreams will always be some of her best MVs, but imo that was his peak.
I completely agree with this. The 1989 and reputation music videos felt so much more polished. Some of the videos from the last few eras have felt very stagey
I miss the Joseph Kahn videos too. The only Taylor directed video I really liked was Cardigan (I liked Lover too, but she had a co-director so I think itās a bit different). Most of her directed videos feel too on the nose and kind of expected, in my opinion. Iām sure thatās an unpopular opinion, but I think Taylor should use highly regarded directors who are willing to take her ideas and turn them into unique concepts.
I noticed that Anti-Hero and Bejeweled (minus the skit) both start centered on her and she starts singing from there. Willow starts centered on her but it makes sense with the ending of Cardigan. I Bet You Think About Me has a lot of centered shots. There's nothing wrong with it, but I notice because it's repetitive.
I think she lost the plot of āsongs that represent a sleepless nightā concept. The first part of the album sounds pretty dreamy but it veers off course after āmidnight rainā.
Songs that actually fit that concept: dear John, all too well, the archer, clean, last kiss... Those songs, and situations they tell about, clearly come from sleepless nights. And you're on your own kid, right where you left me...
In general sometimes Taylorās descriptions of the themes in her own albums confuse me. Like when she said folklore was about the start of relationships and evermore was about the endsā¦ huh?
I mean I think there are a lot of reasons you would be up all night. Tossing and turning in bed yes but also going out and partying the night away
Aside from Vigilante Shit, I think it still fits to theme.
The 3 am tracks sound like what the actual album should have been. Theyāre all so much more mysterious than the cookie cutter pop songs on the album. Glitch, dear reader, the Great War, all are sonically unique and darker songs. Idk why they werenāt on the original album.
Wouldāve, Couldāve, Shouldāve really exemplifies this too, the song in terms of raw lyricism is what I was hoping for from the rest of the tracks on Midnights.
i love this thread. when i go crazy reading the blind worshiping that goes on on twitter, coming here and seeing people critically engage with art is such solace.
Iām legitimately surprised itās on track to become her biggest album. I didnāt feel it was insanely revolutionary. It was good though.
My twoā¦.
I absolutely hate the voice warping. I get annoyed every time I hear it.
3/4s of the album is skippable for me, in all honesty. I'm in no way trashing anyone who really loves it, but I only actively listen to maaaaybe 4 songs on the regular.
Same here, youāre not alone! This is at the bottom of her discography for me
Not necessarily an unpopular opinion but I think the only reason midnights is so damn popular is because itās more accessible to everyone (the music style, pop, etc), not because itās actually genius or Taylorās best work.
My mum has never been a Taylor fan. I was playing anti-hero in my car when she said "ooh I like this song. Who sings this?" She was in shock.
Another unpopular opinion is that Midnights has hardly any good stadium tour songs. I can somewhat see Anti-Hero and Bejeweled and theyāre really the only two other than Karma. I donāt know how she wouldāve ever done a stadium tour based on this album (but I feel like evermore and folklore arenāt stadium tour albums either) and Iām glad she went with eras instead of trying to tour only for Midnights
I personally can totally see Lavender Haze. Purple lights, probably some smoke, āmeet me at midnightā echoing throughout the stadium..
Exactly! I havenāt seen anyone with this take but Iāve seen some people say that she clearly wrapped up the album quickly so she could tour it and the first time I listened to the album I was thinking oh dear this is absolutely not a stadium tour album. The music flows nicely but itās not poppy like rĆ©putation. One of the biggest thing for me is also not having any Ā«Ā bangerĀ Ā» screaming songs like all her other albums did. Like yes I love Karma or Bejeweled but itās still not a dancing jumping and screaming the lyrics kind of songs to me
I find the lyrics empty. I love Taylor's music for her ability to be relatable and show deep emption through writing. After listing to the album, and trying to think "what is this song trying to say?" I find the answer to most Midnights tracks is, well, nothing.
Iāve been listening to Speak Now a lot recently even though Iāve never really given the album enough listens in the past. I just wanted to hear more storytelling and emotions after Midnights!
The Great War is like a top 2 of the entire album. I don't know if it's because most of the songs sound very similar and it managed to stand out a bit or whatever it is, but i definitely prefer it to almost all of the other songs.
Omg. I thought it was just me! I love The Great War. It was one of my favorites the first time I listend to the album and now itās definitely in my top 2. You have great taste!
I totally agree!! Itās in my top 3, and it should have been on the OG cut of the album
I think this is slowly becoming a popular opinion. Itās such a good song. Itās the current track I have on repeat lol. Itās so like Taylor to have a bonus track as a fan favorite
Same! The narrative of The great war is superior
Facts. The top 2 are āWouldāve, Couldāve, Shouldāveā and āthe Great Warā, easily. You can argue about the order and something like Karma might win for āBest Pop Songā. But itās not really up for debate.
Itās a Top 10 Taylor swift song of all time
Agreed. Love the Great War.
This is unpopular? The great war is one of, if not my absolute favourite from this album!
You're on Your Own Kid is the correct track 5 for this album.
Yessssssss! Vigilante shit should be more ready for it, and labyrinth needs to be more wildest dreams. Theyāre both missing something, and could be huge songs with different production.
What Jack does to her vocals in production is a fucking crime. Like I shittalk him as a producer because he's got one trick, but his worst crime is how badly he washes out her voice.
You didnāt miss.
This. Allllll of this. I've felt like I was absolutely insane because of the hype and I'm over here like "I don't get it... She's done so much better"
I agree with all of this except I do think itās possible (not guaranteed obviously) we get SNTV right before the tour. I donāt see her dropping it mid-tour and with international tour dates eventually being added, it would push the next TV into 2024 if she doesnāt release at least one ahead of the tour. I would be surprised if she ends up dragging out the re-records for a super long time.
I agree. Itās layered out so weirdly sometimes, and too much reverb and effects and sounds. Her voice ends up BURRIED under the synths itās like whoa, Iām having a panic attack here trying to listen to all thatās going on lol
Totally agree. Thereās a lot of recency bias happening and I think once the hype has faded this album wonāt be so beloved and instead remembered for giving us a couple standout tracks, similarly to 1989.
I'm a bit... bored with this album already. One month after the release, I don't listen to the songs as much as I thought I would. And that's a first with a Taylor's album.
Dear Reader and The Great War should have made the og version of Midnights
The Great War is one of the best if not the best song off midnights. The lyrics, the way she says screaming from a crypt, and omg the hair pin trigger bridge so gooood
Iām really frustrated that the whole thing isnāt on vinyl.
Yes! I want to listen to the 3am tracks on my TT
I doubt this is an unpopular opinion, but definitely agree!!
All the promotion for different versions of the album on vinyl and CD and not one had the 3AM tracks. Just super dissapointing because it felt like it was more about the marketing than fans holding a copy of all the songs. Especially because the 3AM tracks were obviously planned as a part of the rollout way ahead of time
That's all I've been waiting for. Most of my favs are bonus tracks. š„²
Yeah thatās honestly annoying
The whole thing seems to have been recorded at such a low volume. I find myself having to have the volume all the way up in order to hear her sometimes. But her other albums sound just fine.
The whole album seems like it was written with a focus on touring and marketing ability rather than written for the music itself which makes it come off as over produced, very shallow, and not nearly as genuine as Taylorās past albums. Other than Anti-Hero and Wouldāve, Couldāve, Shouldāve, I find myself struggling to find songs that hit deep on a personal level. Even with Lover, which is the only other Taylor album I have a somewhat negative opinion on, I can still find songs that resonate and the album as a whole still feels very Taylor and feels like she wrote it with meaning and intent behind it. I canāt say the same with Midnights as it just feels like she was really trying to write music that would both sell well and be easy to tour with, and thatās been somewhat of a turn off for me with this era as a whole. Thereās just so many poor lyrics that seem as if Taylor was throwing one liners at the wall and hoping one would catch on culturally, Jack and Taylorās production choices sound as if someone just discovered synths and a voice changer, and the album has a similar issue that Lover had where the songs start to flow into each other and sound similar halfway through and there doesnāt seem like any chances were taken which led to very safe and somewhat boring songs. Itās really the first time I ever felt that Taylor kind of mailed things in a bit with music and after incredible albums like Folklore and Evermore which felt very real and like effort was put into them, Midnights is just a bit disappointing to me.
A friend of mine (who's a longtime fan) called it the tiktokification of Taylor Swift and that's the most right he's been about anything ever. So many lines feel like they were written to be used in viral TikTok challenges and it's not lost on me that one of the first major pieces of marketing after release was the YouTube shorts thing.
I agree with the production. I guess Iām so used to this synth style thatās been trotted out over and over again, that itās really starting to get stale.
Agreed with every single word you said. The reason I fell in love with Taylorās music was the amazing lyrics and story telling. This album just did not do it for me.
This is an interesting point. A lot of the songs are bops / radio hits, which I found strange for an album thatās supposed to represent āa journey through terrors and sweet dreams.ā Based on the way she described the concept, I was fully expecting the album to explore a lot of darker themes (while still staying true to the alternative pop genre).
I agree especially when the concept is about ideas that kept her up at night. I expected more hard hitting lyrics and songs. Most of them are optimistic and positive reflection, with a sprinkle of self-loathing.
Feels like a lot of the songs were aimed (and succeeded at) becoming Tik Tok memes. I liked Adeleās take on the music industry being preoccupied with Tik Tok fame when she said everyone else is making music for Tik Tok so Iāll make music for my generation instead. I wish Taylor took this approach with Midnights instead of leaning into meme-able lyrics like ākarma is a catā and āIām the problem itās meā.
I was afraid to say this but I didn't like this album as much although it is still good. I was shocked people prefer this album more than 1989 which I thought was the superior pop album.
Also some parts feel written with the intention of "trending on tiktok" which is another low :(
Nailed it. I think thatās why I love folkmore so much. She wrote those albums knowing she wouldnāt be able to tour for them or have this big rollout. She was bored at home during covid and wrote music for the sake of writing music. No big sound effects for a stadium tour or big sales. She just felt like releasing music and so she did. And itās why, IMO, it was her best and most honest work.
Thiiiiss!! The deep connecting lyrics, imagery painting and storytelling is missing.
On my first run through with it, I thought the album was boring and all the songs sounded the same. It wasn't until a few listens that I could distinctly remember and name a song.
I 100% agree that Midnights was made for marketing first, artistic purposes second. I remember in an interview about Folklore and Evermore she talked about how much she enjoyed making a record without having the pressure of writing āthe pop radio singleā, āthe big concert openerā, etc. It feels like she went back to doing exactly that, and it's much more obvious now that we had 2 less formulaic albums.
I wish Bejeweled couldāve felt like itās own thing, instead of being made for Easter eggs. I feel like it dates the video.
I think a Easter egg MV like Bejeweled would have been fun towards the ending of the midnights era or right before the new rerecording. Why would she want people talking and speculating about a different project within the first week of midnights
I think itās one of her weakest albums. Absolutely in love with WCS, one of my favourite songs heās ever done, also really like YOYOK, and a few other songs are pretty good but it slightly disappointed me considering her last two albums are probably my two favourite albums of all time Just to make it clear Iām not saying itās a bad album just one of her weaker ones
the standard album would've been soooo much better if it wasn't just Jack. the songs feel samey and just kinda blend together with the little production variety. even folklore had more variety and it's very cohesive.
I can see why people think this but I remember when Evermore came out, people were complaining about Jack barely being on it, so you can't please everyone apparently
I think this is a very popular opinion! Sooo many people complained about how aggressively Jack Midnights is.
I actually LOVE dear reader
SAME. Top 3 on the album for sure
Same! I just donāt understand the hate at allā¦
itās funny because it was a skip for me for the first few weeks and now I canāt stop playing it! no one sees when you lose when youāre playing solitaire?? top tier lyric
Dear Reader DESERVES to be the standard closer. Itās the most beautiful, heart wrenching sequel to Long Live. Sheās still writing to us and framing the relationship with us, but itās the sad warning not to follow too closely or take her to heart after glorifying the achievements.
It's not that great lol and honestly folklore is her best work so far and I don't expect her to outdo that work of hers but I don't think she can either š
The chorus of Question makes no sense
Question would be a good song if all the words were different.
In what way? Genuinely asking, I interpret it as her angrily talking to an ex lover about those things that actually did happen, but as if she was a third party. Like if you ever have fake conversations in the shower, pretending to be a reporter and asking your ex these things
It isn't all that good. She was wise not to build a tour around it and instead opt for a 'best of' show. I still listen to it though, just not as much as anything else before it.
I'm so relieved someone else feels this way. Overall, I don't like it. Also, every song where they pitch her voice down makes me cringe. It is just too much, too overproduced. I genuinely like a handful of songs but even then, nowhere near as much as my favorites from other albums. š
Agreed. Easily my least favorite Taylor album ever. Which means I still like it more than most other albums, but it was a bit of a letdown.
3am is far, FAR better than the main album
I see a lot of people saying Your On Your Own Kid is boring and a skip but itās one of my favorites on the album. One of the most relatable too. From just trying to fit in to finally finding your place in life. Really a beautiful song
The transition from the YOYOK outro to the Midnight Rain intro actually makes sense if you contrast the lyrics of the two songs.
All of the songs in the album have parts that make me cringe so bad.
yesss i expected something way different based off the promotion. the album isn't bad but it wasn't what i was expecting either so it was just meh.
When I first heard Bejeweled I really disliked it, mainly because of the chorus. I found it to be kind of immature if thatās the right word. Kind of gave me āMe!ā Vibes. I kind of like it now after watching the music video and listening to it more to give it more of a chance. I understand why she picked it as a single as itās fun but I donāt really think it represents the album well and honestly even tho itās a 3 am track I wouldāve preferred Wouldāve Couldāve Shouldāve to to be a single instead but I also understand that itās a bonus song and not on the main album so it wouldnāt be the best pick business wise. Overall I prefer all of the 3 am tracks over a lot of other songs that made it on the main album. I think a lot of those songs would have been a lot stronger on the main album and wouldāve helped make it a little more sonically diverse.
Iām gonna get hate for this, but itās an UNPOPULAR OPINION threadā¦ Bejeweled has the most immature lyrics and vibe
So glad Iām not alone. I just canāt get behind bejeweled
I dislike Bejeweled too but my infant daughter really likes when I sing it to her so I think youāre on the nose with the immaturity thing haha
and the music video certainly didn't help
I think itās a better ME!ā¦ that song I canāt stand but Bejeweled puts me in a great mood!
Itās my least favorite TS album. I just donāt vibe with it.
it's not least favourite but people are rating it as her best is throwing me off and I have been too scared to be honest :') people rated this the best pop album she's made and I am sitting here staring at 1989 and reputation
Agreed completely. It hasnāt grown on me either.
Curious, what was your least favorite before this?
Glitch is one of the most interesting songs on the album
It was not a concept album.
I think Paris is a mediocre song and I don't get why people treat it like a banger.
Okay, I ADORE Paris and I have not seen like any love for this, so although I disagree with you, I am happy others love it too!! Hahaha
Paris feels like a vault lover track to me. Sorry!!
Yes to BOTH!!
Wait people donāt like the Sexy Baby lyric?
The whole album just feels clunky to me. The pacing, the rhymes, the lyrics. Like in anti-hero āI should not be left to my own devices they comes with prices and vices I end up in crisisā is so clunky. I have such a hard time singing along to a lot of the songs.
I agree with you about the storytelling, and with your opinion as a whole, but I have a different take on it, primarily based on my own experience as a writer, with poetry as my preferred form.
Midnights is pretty mid
That Midnights is a bottom tier Taylor album. I still really enjoy it though.
Snow on the Beach is just not special. Love Lana but this song, even if she'd had more of a feature, wouldn't have been amazing.
I feel like this is a popular opinion! Iāve yet to read about someone enjoying this song
Itās such a skip for me. Itās boring.
it's her weakest most basic album
WCS is my favorite song on the album but I donāt NEED Taylor to perform it on tour. Itās about her being taken advantage of as a young girl, and the fact she wrote this song 13 years after the relationship ended shows that itās something that likely still hurts her. Just because itās a fan favorite it doesnāt mean she HAS to perform it.
I still will forever say I thought this was he looks so pretty like a devil forever
Any fan who believes they care even an iota about the person behind the music they love should not wish for her to play this live. I canāt imagine wanting to scream-sing that lyric like itās fun. WCS is an open wound of a song and I love it, maybe more than any other of hers, but I have no desire to ever hear it live.
Majority of the songs are B-side songs. There are probably 5 new songs in total. Love the album tho.
something about her trying to be sassy in certain songs just.. doesnāt work. And this can be applied to multiple albums
I think she needs to move on from Jack. I feel like the sound/vibe they are able to catch together has been established. & while itās a great, itās not resulting in anything thatās new or pushing the envelope.
Ooh boy. I think my opinions are actually controversial.
The cussinā is a bit much sometimes!
She went from not cursing for like 10 years to cursing in every other song lol the whiplash is a bit much at times Iāll admit
Yeah itās cringey when itās not necessary. Donāt get it.
Taylorās lyricism is so weak on this album, and I tie it directly to her cursing. Itās like sheās traded specificity for profanity and just chooses to drop a f-bomb instead of taking the time to find an interesting way to convey her message. Donāt get me wrong, there are some songs across her discography where I think it works (for example the 1) but it really bothers me on songs like Snow On The Beach
The clean version of Snow on the Beach is better. I still donāt love the song, but at least I donāt completely cringe at the clean one like I do the original lol
So many underwhelming songs because of the wrtiting!
If Vigilante shit was on Rep it would be deemed one of the weakest songs, people just rate it highly because it stands out on this album.
Seems to me like a lot of us dislike vigilante shit
That itās not good. The production is super bland and sleepy, the songwriting ranges from inconsistent to downright bad, and Taylor sounds like sheās phoning it in vocally for just about the whole record.
The album overall lacks the depth it promised to deliver
I donāt know why, but I donāt think this album is going to age well.
Dear Reader is one of the best songs
Absolutely love dear reader!
i hate the picture on the album cover. idk if it's that her makeup looks cheap or i dont get her expression or the lighting looks weird but somethings just off about it to me. i love some of the alternate covers though
i really dislike midnight rain and find it borderline unlistenable due to the weird wobbly deep vocals. whenever iām listening to the album and hear those vocals i immediately skip ššš
Okay, I'm going to give an actual unpopular opinion:
The blurb about the album does not match the song, WHAT FATEFUL MISTAKE????
I hate the tiktok trend where u post a bunch of pics of your friends to the bridge of youāre on your own kid. I just started college and all my friends are 2ā5 hours away ššš and Iām really shy so I havenāt made any friends in college yet and the trend just makes me sad. I loved the song on first listen but now whenever it gets to the bridge thatās all I can think about
Tiktok ruins a lot of songs š„“
The Great War is one of her best songs she's ever written
Youāre on your own kid is one of the best songs on the album
In the reaction thread, people were saying that High Infidelity was a Calvin Harris drag, but I donāt see how it reflects that poorly on anyone but Taylor herself.
Expected and wished for it to be darker
I really do not like Maroon. I do not think it's the lyrical masterpiece everyone else makes it out to be.
What she chose to do with karma, was genius. Everyone was expecting it karma to sound like vigilante shit and to take the word karma and focus on all of the positive things in your life is actually so unexpected and smart. It also feels like positive affirmations to think about. How just having a calm enough state of mind to have a relaxing thought is considered good karma, its just such a smart way to be like look at where iām at now iām happy, and i lovee that
I still donāt know why she promoted the album with a 70ās aesthetic, when the album had nothing near that. Also the album is kinda boring, the songs arenāt necessary bad (expect maybe vigilante shit) but hearing the whole album through, it kinda gets a little boring. If I listen to the songs individually or in a playlist, then I really donāt have that problem.
I have so many unpopular opinions, and agree with many on here. I tend to feel dissappointed by it and think itās overhyped but Iām also happy for the success itās brought Taylor. Iām also okay if itās your favourite album - Taylor has a diversity of sounds which makes her fans diverse too and we should embrace that diversity respectfully. And tbh the era has some fun elements (like the fashuuuun and the huuurr) even if the album is not that great imo.
This is broader than just Midnights tbh, but I am tired of the themes of revenge and karma. What happened with Kanye and Scooter is terrible, and I totally understand why Taylor is so upset and she has everyyy right to be. Her songs are expressions of her emotions, and I get why these events are a big focus for her. Many of the songs she has written about these conflicts are amazing. BUT now in 2022 when I hear songs like Vigilante Shit and Karma, I can't help but feel like "oh, more of this again..."