Midnights
by Taylor Swift
  • Record Label: Republic
  • Release Date: Oct 21, 2022
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 3039 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,467 out of 3039
  2. Mixed: 155 out of 3039
  3. Negative: 417 out of 3039
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  1. caroliinatos
    Oct 21, 2022
    10
    She has done it again. Taylor Swift can do no wrong. This is why so many fade but she’s still here.
  2. Mockingjay99
    Oct 21, 2022
    10
    The best album of 2022, Taylor proved once again that she is the artist of our generation.
  3. AliceTx
    Oct 21, 2022
    2
    Whole album was a cash grab, 20 versions and for what ? She didn’t release a lead single because she knew if people heard how it was going to sound her streaming numbers would be low, nothing on the album stands apart from the rest it all sounds the same, it’s nothing we’ve heard before from her, lazy lyrics, boring melodies, monotonous voice, whole thing should have been scrapped
  4. Acrixmony
    Oct 23, 2022
    6
    For a Taylor Swift album, I’m honestly underwhelmed. It feels like it’s stuck in the world of folklore mixed with lover and things just sound off at times.

    It is a good album but compared to her other albums this one doesn’t seem strong. I do hope it grows on me tho, I miss her 1989 and rep eras
  5. IlReverendo
    Dec 17, 2022
    0
    How in the hell is this popular and critically revered pop music? This is incredibly bland, banal crap
  6. Kirbypperez1
    Oct 24, 2022
    4
    It puts the MID in midnights. The album is not cohesive and fully structured " pop album". I am lost of what she is trying to put. Maybe she needs another producer aside from Jack. Her songwriting trying to be different and edgy. This album is not for me.
  7. JxckCyrxs
    Mar 10, 2023
    1
    Very, very generic and lacks life, like most of Taylor Swift’s music and albums, unfortunately. Don’t have a clue how it charted like it did, except for the fact that most of the public prefer flat, mainstream music and aren’t open to changing/expanding their view of artists out there.
  8. arthurmeta
    Nov 29, 2022
    2
    I think it's generic and just not the kind of album the interests me. Also I think all her style and music is corny
  9. leumassregor
    Dec 26, 2022
    4
    Taylor Swift just seems to be pumping out work lately: multiple singles this year, two new albums in 2020, and remastered versions of her classics; she seems to be an absolute workaholic. However, with the release of her newest album 'Midnights', I question if she's a workaholic that'll continue to pump out quality work.

    Midnights reminds me of an artist that is confused. Multiple    Taylor Swift just seems to be pumping out work lately: multiple singles this year, two new albums in 2020, and remastered versions of her classics; she seems to be an absolute workaholic. However, with the release of her newest album 'Midnights', I question if she's a workaholic that'll continue to pump out quality work.

    Midnights reminds me of an artist that is confused. Multiple tracks on this album sound like Taylor simply stopped caring and wrote whatever came to mind first without going back to revise it later. For example, "Karma", one of the nicer tracks on the album in terms of production, lacks cohesive songwriting. "Karma is my boyfriend" and "Karma is a cat" are weird and oddly specific ways to describe her connection and belief in karma. Despite the cringy songwriting, the track comes through with wonderfully airy, light, cute, and catchy production.

    A track that stood out to me, in all the wrong ways possible, was "Snow on the Beach". Personally, I absolutely hated the line "And it's like snow at the beach, weird but it was beautiful" as it sounded odd and a forced attempt to be quirky for Taylor. It sounded like Taylor had that idea suddenly pop into her head, wrote it down, and went for it without any more questions. On top of that, Lana Del Ray's so-called "feature" is nonexistent on this track as her vocals are buried behind Taylor's. This is not a feature for Lana. Lana acts as Taylor's backing vocals throughout the entirety of the track.

    The opener for the album, "Lavender Haze" is one of the more forgettable tracks as it's simply hazy and bland. This track has some potential, but Taylor ignored to act on it.

    "Anti-hero" is one of my least favorites as it's almost too poppy and radio sounding. It's obvious Taylor wanted this to be the stand-out and most listened-to single from the album, but it's simply soulless and boring, however, contains decent songwriting.

    "Midnight Rain" comes off as another attempt for Taylor to show her quirkiness. Taylor tries to use the wavy, auto-tuney-sounding vocal effect as an art form here, but it comes off as goofy and out of pocket.

    "Question...?" is a questionable track. The vocals sound like they were mixed by a person who's never mixed vocals before as they are messily mixed and seem rushed. However, there is a moment of hope in the bridge with Taylor's great flow and pacing there. The songwriting is also decent and straightforward.

    Moving away from the forgettable tracks, a few of my favorites were "Vigilante **** with its bass and self-confident lyrics, "Labyrinth" with its slightly EDM-inspired production and great synths, "Sweet Nothing" with its intimacy and improved vocal mix, and finally, the closer "Mastermind", which is my personal favorite, with its delightful storytelling of reflection and realization and lovely synths.

    'Midnights' had potential that Taylor failed to grab. The production is all over the place, sounding messy at times and somehow too clean at other times. Through the mess, however, Taylor still holds onto her incredible talent and ability to tell a story and paint a picture through her writing, which shined through a few tracks on this project.    … Expand
  10. godkaiser
    Oct 23, 2022
    4
    The production doesnt deliver someting new. Most of the songs have a similar sound compared to her lastest records.
  11. tinaco_falls
    Oct 24, 2022
    6
    She does nothing wrong here, the production is very professional and well done, but it feels like she's more focused on an overall sound rather than keeping each track engaging, resulting in a listening experience that could be tedious and even monotonous.
  12. 0987
    Oct 23, 2022
    6
    Well the artwork gave the the vibes of 1989 album. I can't say it's a bad album because it's not bad, but also I can't say it's her best. 1989 is still her best album.
  13. rudster1138
    Dec 5, 2022
    5
    So, removing the superfan-coloured glasses and listening to this album on it's own merits, to me it really is a letdown. There are some nice sounds for sure, and the production is clean. However, I found this to be overwhelmingly...blah. Just kind of boring, several of the songs sound too similar to really tell them apart. There are a few decent tracks buried in here, but mostly sheSo, removing the superfan-coloured glasses and listening to this album on it's own merits, to me it really is a letdown. There are some nice sounds for sure, and the production is clean. However, I found this to be overwhelmingly...blah. Just kind of boring, several of the songs sound too similar to really tell them apart. There are a few decent tracks buried in here, but mostly she uses the same tone for many of the tracks, with the same laid back production and lack of energy that I really struggled remembering any individual track soon after listening to it. I know she'll get a lot of 10 ratings no matter what she puts out, but come on, be honest, this is mediocre Taylor at best. To me the 5 rating is perfect, it's about the lowest that Taylor will ever get, she's just too talented to get lower, but this album offers nothing new or exciting. Not one that I will really look forward to revisiting outside of 2-3 stand out tracks.… Expand
  14. Zruffolo
    Oct 21, 2022
    10
    Favorite pop album maybe ever. It’s production is on par with folklore’s lyricism in terms of mastery.
  15. AncientAmber
    Oct 21, 2022
    6
    I get why people like Taylor Swift. Her lyrics are clearly personal, fairly unique, and relatable for a lot of people, but not me. I don't know what it is but she almost always leaves me emotionally cold, and I am someone that regularly gets chills listening to music.

    Even though she styles herself as honest, her actual performance is never vulnerable enough for me to really connect.    I get why people like Taylor Swift. Her lyrics are clearly personal, fairly unique, and relatable for a lot of people, but not me. I don't know what it is but she almost always leaves me emotionally cold, and I am someone that regularly gets chills listening to music.

    Even though she styles herself as honest, her actual performance is never vulnerable enough for me to really connect. I'm sure she has it in her, so I always check out her new stuff to see if it happens this time.

    Production wise, it's very cool - too cool. Not varied enough for me, but it is coherent and doesn't distract from the vocals too much, so this isn't a major issue.

    Karma is very very catchy, I **** love it. It's also very peppy, and plays to Swift's strengths. I enjoyed the reference to Lykke Li too.    … Expand
  16. Ky_Tree_No
    Oct 21, 2022
    6
    More like mid because Taylor carries an otherwise mostly uninteresting set of tracks.
  17. Benhasbigballs
    Oct 24, 2022
    5
    This is the first Taylor swift album I have listened to in its entirety, and if I were to sum it up, its exactly what I expected. It lacks in substance and plays it very safe with its generic and monotonous sounding tracks, the lyricism is nothing to write home about and the instrumentation is adequate at best. Despite this, it didn't leave me pissed off, however it was deeply rooted inThis is the first Taylor swift album I have listened to in its entirety, and if I were to sum it up, its exactly what I expected. It lacks in substance and plays it very safe with its generic and monotonous sounding tracks, the lyricism is nothing to write home about and the instrumentation is adequate at best. Despite this, it didn't leave me pissed off, however it was deeply rooted in her personal experiences, which made it hard for anyone but the hardcore fan to get behind and for that reason I find it forgettable and expected more.… Expand
  18. carolina013
    Nov 11, 2022
    2
    Taylor just proved how basic she is. If you listen to her discography, you’ll never know which album the song is from because everything sounds exactly the same, never changes. And the fact that she insists on bringing up one hundred different versions of the same song is really annoying.
  19. naed_luc
    Mar 5, 2023
    0
    OMG! This album is a trash, tha only good song is " MIdnigtht rain ". Please do better
  20. StreamAnti-Hero
    Oct 21, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The production is so good. My faves are Anti-Hero, Lavender Haze, Midnight Rain, Labyrinth and Sweet Nothing. Stream Midnights now!!!… Expand
  21. PopMASTERMIND
    Oct 21, 2022
    9
    Another great album from Taylor it would be a perfect 10 if Glitch wasn't on it but that song just sucks.
  22. psyat
    Oct 21, 2022
    6
    Antonoff's production is quirky but falls flat on several songs with buildup, though no follow through, leaving them feeling unfinished. Taylor's classic lyrical bridges are lacking on this album but overall it is a fun album and her experimentation is welcome. The album would feel stronger with Dessner's tracks added throughout the standard version. Content wise it feels a littleAntonoff's production is quirky but falls flat on several songs with buildup, though no follow through, leaving them feeling unfinished. Taylor's classic lyrical bridges are lacking on this album but overall it is a fun album and her experimentation is welcome. The album would feel stronger with Dessner's tracks added throughout the standard version. Content wise it feels a little uninspired and repetitive.… Expand
  23. Bella222
    Oct 21, 2022
    6
    This album is a copy/paste of the sounds of several current/trendy artists and haphazardly put together with some, at times, cringy lyrics. Sure, there are some standout songs (especially the 3am bonus tracks release), but I don’t love this as much as her previous works. Someone mentioned there’s sapphic undertones and, quite honestly, it would make a lot more sense and make this albumThis album is a copy/paste of the sounds of several current/trendy artists and haphazardly put together with some, at times, cringy lyrics. Sure, there are some standout songs (especially the 3am bonus tracks release), but I don’t love this as much as her previous works. Someone mentioned there’s sapphic undertones and, quite honestly, it would make a lot more sense and make this album more interesting than Taylor still writing songs reminiscing and pining over the same 4-5 white dudes she dated a decade ago while happily in a long term relationship with another similar white dude. It doesn’t make any sense. What makes even less sense is how this album received 100/90 ratings from the “critics” when it’s so disjointed and ideas are all over the place. I guess they weren’t lying when they say Taylor Swift is the music industry and the joke’s on us.… Expand
  24. thduyn
    Oct 23, 2022
    10
    I thought Taylor would never be able to top "Fearless" as it was a perfect album. Then when "1989" drops, I thought she would never be be able to top it. The same thought happened with "folklore".

    And somehow she managed to do it (AGAIN) with "midnights". The 13 songs paint a completely picture of unravel thoughts that happen when the clock strikes 12: fear, falling in love, breaking    I thought Taylor would never be able to top "Fearless" as it was a perfect album. Then when "1989" drops, I thought she would never be be able to top it. The same thought happened with "folklore".

    And somehow she managed to do it (AGAIN) with "midnights". The 13 songs paint a completely picture of unravel thoughts that happen when the clock strikes 12: fear, falling in love, breaking down, fantasizing revenge, questioning what would have been, regrets, etc.

    Kudos to Taylor and Jack on creating an instant-classic album of this time. I'm feeling very lucky to experience this.    … Expand
  25. gbibikow
    Oct 23, 2022
    10
    Amazing album, highly anticipated, stunning production, Taylor and Jack always deliver amazing songs
  26. SpaceCatt
    Oct 23, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The album is a perfect mix of all her work from 1989 to evermore and I'm here for it I'm living and boping and bawling and breathing, the 3am version brought up one of my favorites of all times: glitch. it's so good so catchy I loved to see more of these personal stuggles and feelings of her, I felt like the whole album was a midnight (haha) talk with a close friend and she managed to make every song completely different and still maintaining the overall vibe of the album

    such a great artist I love this girl    … Expand
  27. novemberflush
    Oct 25, 2022
    10
    The music industry has striked again. I absolutely love this album. Couldn’t thank Taylor more for creating it. My top three are maroon, vigilante **** & you’re on your own, kid but there are absolutely no skips on the album!!!
  28. Lennavcarvalho
    Feb 7, 2023
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Weird production, lyricism-wise not taylor's best work, the visuals are great, sure, but the album itself is lacking something. Kinda boring.… Expand
  29. sennikotka
    Feb 1, 2023
    4
    If there is one thing that Taylor Swift is lacking at the moment its consistency. A whole lot of this album actually sounds pleasurable, however its completely undercut by terrible chorus writing and lyrics. Perfect example of this: Anti Hero, the lead single, a song that has a really great sound and style, however, its ruined by the grade level word salad that she conjures up in the preIf there is one thing that Taylor Swift is lacking at the moment its consistency. A whole lot of this album actually sounds pleasurable, however its completely undercut by terrible chorus writing and lyrics. Perfect example of this: Anti Hero, the lead single, a song that has a really great sound and style, however, its ruined by the grade level word salad that she conjures up in the pre choruses.

    "I should not be left to my own devices, They come with prices and vices, I end up in crisis" ??
    "Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism, Like some kind of congressman?" ??

    Not to mention how empty, meaningless and out of touch the chorus is, how choppy the ending is, and the fact that, like NEARLY EVERY OTHER SONG on the album, the sounds and styles are entirely copied off of Lana Del Rey, but without the harshness of voice or themes that make her so appealing.

    Ultimately, its yet another disappointing project from Taylor Swift, and the question of why she makes music at such a rapid pace remains. This album shows promise, but the uninspired production and underwritten lyrical performances brings it down to a sub par level. IMO, she should probably get a few fresh faces in the writers' room for her next album.    … Expand
  30. Gusttavobuter
    Feb 16, 2023
    0
    bland album, taylor never breaks new ground she should do something different at least once
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Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best Album of 2022
3
#3 Most Discussed Album of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. PopMatters
    Nov 4, 2022
    90
    It allows Swift to do what she has always wanted: make an album for its own sake that is received primarily as a work of art instead of a commercial entity or tabloid fodder.
    Read full review
  2. PopMatters
    Nov 2, 2022
    80
    It is very good. ... There are no major missteps within the album, although not everything works as well as the album’s brightest spots.
    Read full review
  3. musicOMH.com
    Oct 31, 2022
    80
    While her 10th album doesn’t make instant classic status like 1989, and Evermore and Folklore remain her masterpieces, it is still an understated, beguiling look into the mind of one of the biggest pop stars of our age.
    Read full review
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