Karma Is My Boyfriend: A "Midnights" First Listen
I was fully prepared for Taylor’s Version of 1989 to come out this October, but instead, she blessed us with an album full of nostalgia, mystery, heart, and wit. In general, I felt like the reviews of the album I was reading were pretty mixed; some thought Midnights was Swift’s next masterpiece, while others felt like it was the beginning of her flop era. There were certainly some songs that I didn’t finish and don’t plan to replay, but at the same time, there were some gems in there that struck a chord with me. Here’s a sneak peek on my thoughts about Midnights, in order of appearance on the album– let me know if you agree!
“Lavender Haze.” I thought this was a fun start to the new album! It felt very Lover, and similar to “Cruel Summer,” in a way. That being said…I’ve never heard someone use the word “melancholia” before. I wonder how long Swift spent digging through a thesaurus for that one. “Lavender Haze” kept me wanting more, which I think makes it a pretty successful opener to the tracklist.
“Maroon.” I have to be honest–this one wasn’t my favorite. It wasn’t catchy, and almost felt like a less exciting version of “The Archer”: slow, monotone at certain points, and kind of uninteresting. Swift’s other songs that compare the concept of love to colors were much more successful for me: think “Daylight” or “Red.” I just don’t think the idea of the color maroon excites me as a listener, and neither did this song.
“Anti-Hero.” Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby. That was it for me. Honorable mention: “It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem, it’s me.”
“Snow On The Beach.” I liked this one! It was very much giving Tinkerbell soundtrack, dainty magical world vibes. Even though Lana’s part was barely a breathy background whisper, this song made me feel like I was a movie’s main character with the world as my oyster. This song is pretty and makes me want to go on a picnic on a sunny, windy day.
“You’re On Your Own, Kid.” This song evoked a sad sense of nostalgia in me. It embodies the feeling of returning to your childhood home and realizing that things aren’t how you remember them: the walls are tinged with yellow, the windows had to be replaced, your room doesn’t have space for you anymore. For me, this song was about no longer fitting in and the feeling that what you used to have is never coming back.
“Midnight Rain.” I don’t think I ever had a chance to to appreciate this song because before I could listen to it, I saw a TikTok of James Charles insinuating that the distorted opening voice sounded like him singing. Now, I can’t think of anything else when I hear it.
“Question…?” This song was…a lot. Swift touched on a lot of different parts of a complicated situation with a love interest, and I kind of got lost in them all. I felt like this song was Swift putting a sparkly pink ribbon on her anger, packaging her furious need for answers and closure in a petty, passive-aggressive, deceptively curious way. I think I need to give this one a bit more time to become one of my favorites, because I appreciated the storyline, just not the execution.
“Vigilante Shit.” I’m so sorry…this felt like a Reputation wannabe song. Parts of it felt badass–like, “Don’t get sad, get even.” Say less! Others were…not as likable. “Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man?” I don’t know how I feel about that.
“Bejeweled.” I love the background music for this! It’s very “Wreck-it-Ralph,” but in a good way. I love the little “Nice!” that pops up every now and again. Do I remember any of the other lyrics? No. But the whole thing is very cute, and I appreciate the musical embellishments.
“Labyrinth.” Why does this also remind me of “The Archer” in a weird sort of way? I definitely like this one better, but I just don’t know if it’s for me. It was certainly very angelic and beautiful, but it wasn’t the catchiest and it won’t be going on any of my playlists. Also, why are there so many sections of this album that have Swift’s autotuned deep voice added in? It’s so James Charles that it throws me off.
“Karma.” I don’t care how many times I hear someone say “Karma is my boyfriend” is cringe…I like it. I love when lyrics feel applicable to my own feelings and life, and this song is just so empowering in that regard. I’ve listened a thousand times at this point.
“Sweet Nothing.” I can honestly say that I didn’t like this song at all until my friend told me it sounds like she sampled Animal Crossing on it. Now I’m always trying to listen for it. That being said, nothing can repair the “Industry disruptors and soul deconstructors and sweet-talking hucksters” line.
“Mastermind.” This was relatable as someone who feels like they orchestrated a lot of the circumstances that led to their relationship. It made me feel proud! Like damn, I did that, and now have a boyfriend who I adore. A+.
Let us know what you think of Midnights, and if you want to see a 3am version review sometime soon!