Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album last Friday and set the world ablaze yet again. Midnights, which Swift dubbed a collection of sleepless nights throughout her life, both shattered and exceeded expectations. Her newest collection of songs might be her best yet. 

With her albums Folklore and Evermore, Swift tested the waters of a different genre. They fall in the alternative rock genre and hold very intricate lyrics full of metaphors. These albums changed Swift’s mark on the musical world, but also led fans to hope for something similar with her new album. Midnights is nothing like those two albums, but it is still a phenomenal example of Swift’s talent.

Let it be remembered that, at her core, Taylor Swift is a pop artist, and although Midnights is true to its genre, it is nothing like what she has produced before. This album strays from her normal sound with softer and more electronic instrumentals, but she made it work beautifully. 

Midnights has 21 songs, including all the deluxe tracks, which sometimes turns people away, but the lyricism displayed throughout all the songs makes it worth it. Some do believe that it was a letdown after Folklore and Evermore, but it is not fair to compare them. Her two former albums were a collection of stories she created. Midnights is a catalog of events from her life that she is re-telling. She had more freedom to be creative with Folklore and Evermore when it came to lyrics and production as they were mainly based on fictional narratives. The songs on Midnights are expressive of her feelings rather than telling a story. However, that is not to say that it is lacking in any way, it is just not what people expected it to be. 

One of the aspects that makes this album so wonderful is how real it is. Every song describes the situation in a way that makes it feel like the listener is in Swift’s shoes, even if they have not experienced it themselves. Building off of that, in songs like “Sweet Nothing” and “Mastermind”, she makes her good feelings seem so tangible. While in songs like “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” and “Bigger Than The Whole Sky,” she makes sure you feel the hurt she did.

Another characteristic of the album critiqued by fans is the bridges of the songs. One of the greatest contributions to Swift’s success is her ability to create an amazing climax of a song. Some of the songs do have lacking bridges like “Question…?”, but the bridges in songs like “Mastermind,” “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” and “Sweet Nothing” are so lovely that it makes up for it.

Setting aside bridges, instrumentals and lyrical executions, the content of the songs is where the album shines. Art is vulnerable and vulnerable is exactly what this album is. Her lyrics may have been more straightforward and the bridges less noticeable this time around, but complexity is an area where Midnights never lacks.

Even if someone is a fan of Swift’s older music, they have a reason to listen to this album because it is essentially a mix of all her other songs. It is both a callback to her previous albums, as it is her first pop album in years, and most of the songs have some connection to a previous song. 

Midnights has quickly become one of Swift’s best albums solely based on the fact that every song has something significant to say, which makes every song worth listening to. To some, it might not be her strongest, but it is undeniably one of her best because it makes you feel something, no matter what it is. Being able to both convey and make others feel what you feel is a true telling of powerful work.