The expectation for “Midnights” was high from the get-go, especially considering that it was Taylor Swift’s tenth album (not including her two re-records to date, theoretically making this one her twelfth project). “Midnights” is 20 brand new, never before heard songs, along with 13 music videos released on Oct. 21t. 

 Swift is known by her fans to leave cryptic hints (known as ‘easter eggs’) about future events and releases, all over social media, in interviews and even in the lyrics of her songs. In the past, her easter eggs have clued in fans to upcoming projects. For midnights, she posted a video prior to the release of her new album showing a planner of that week with writing all over the pages. People noticed that the bottom of the page said “manifest” and it mentioned the release of “Midnights” twice, causing some curiosity among her fandom.

The surprise was revealed to be that Swift was releasing more than just 13 songs and music videos. Only three short hours after the official album release, she announced seven more songs that were added to the deluxe album, adding to the excitement.

My initial reaction when first hearing the album was that it was different from what I had imagined. I got very used to Swift repeatedly reinventing herself in the music industry through her unique styles. To my surprise, the consensus from social media essentially says that this album feels like a mix between two of her previous albums, “Reputation” and “1989.”

  left the first full listen through feeling underwhelmed. It seemed like all the songs were blurred together and it was hard to decipher what each one was about. Even still, the album had its gems; I knew immediately that “Karma” was going to be one of the most popular songs on the album, but little did I know it would grow on me immensely every time I heard it.

The album is a complete 180 from her eighth studio album “Folklore,” It doesn’t flow with the falling autumn leaves, and it doesn’t want to make me roll up in a blanket in front of the fireplace. However, it does bring out a new character with every song. “Vigilante Shit” gives the feeling of power and strength while “Sweet Nothing” sparks tears in my eyes. At first glance, it’s nothing special but with every listen comes a deeper understanding of each and every lyric. 

 After the initial shock and slight disappointment of the 24 hours following Swift’s tenth album, I started to notice the story behind each track and appreciate the lyrics that told it.  Although the album doesn’t match the dreary fall weather outside, it’s definitely worth a listen.