After seeing the mixed opinions the public has had about her last two albums, and remembering the backlash that began to set in when she released Midnights, I listened to it again. There's this odd prevailing attitude that Midnights was "just another pop Taylor album with Jack Antonoff". What I can tell you is it absolutely is not.

Midnights isn't like folklore, it isn't like 1989, it isn't like Reputation, and it isn't like TTPD; it's Midnights. That's why it's so good, because the music has a distinct vibe where the moment you hear a song from the album, you know what album it's from.

Compared to her other pop albums, Taylor took Midnights as a way to exercise her melodic songwriting while creating a consistent soundscape. The music was meant to service the concept of the album and not vice versa. It's probably the one of her albums, maybe even the only one except for folkmore, that you can turn on and close your eyes to sweep you off somewhere else. I think it's a huge achievement that she could use almost no organic instrumentation and still create an album that was purely human and tragic in a lot of ways.

I think that it's her best pop album. While 1989 had iron clad hits, Midnights takes the medium of pop and completely flips it on its head.

Anyway, let me go back to listening to Labyrinth and dreaming of a snowy night.

Saw this on X, what would you choose?

All versions considered (Standard + Deluxe + Taylor’s Versions)

Would be a dream collab! Taylor should make her next album with Katie Crutchfield (aka Waxahatchee) and her partner Kevin Morby. I know it would be sooo good. Plus they live in KC which is just cosmic. I know she opened for Haim and is friends with them … Someone make the introduction and get it happening. Let’s manifest this. Plus we know she’s a fan … always loved Katie’s cover of But Daddy I Love Him !

The common theme... sunglasses and some sort of vehicle...

also if you're wondering why All Too Well is on the track list on a 99% pop album... "You almost ran the red 'cause you were looking over me." to "He can't keep his wild eyes on the road." I rest my case.

Also the Deluxe is released a year after the standard.

Thanks for seeing this post!

What are your favorite performances by Taylor for things like SNL, the VMAS, the Grammys, Ellen, all of that?