The time has come, fellow Swifties: Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album “Midnights” has finally been released. With very little news and no lead single, this album was a very big surprise. 

Not only did the album drop on Oct. 21, but fans were also surprised with a “3am Edition,” which included seven additional tracks to the album. Does Swift ever sleep? No, no she doesn’t. 

This album felt like a cross between “Reputation” and “1989” with an edgy pop feel to it, not to mention hauntingly beautiful vocals from Swift. This album explores many themes, telling stories that are close to her. It feels like a truly personal album that comes from late night thoughts — hence the title. 

Dark and cryptic, edgy and surprising. There are so many words to describe this album. The synth-pop sound and Swift’s stunning vocals make this album something worth waiting for. 

My top three tracks are “Anti-Hero,” “Vigilante Shit,” and “Bejeweled.”

“Anti-Hero” is being pushed as the lead single for the album. This track, as well as others, touch on Swift’s intrusive thoughts and dark emotions. This album felt like a different side of her, with fewer upbeat songs than people tend to expect from her. 

Other themes explored include loss, pondering over a relationship, self sabotage and other things that keep the singer up at night. 

Many fans reciprocate the sentiment of lying awake at night with your thoughts that “Midnights” emulates, with “Anti-Hero” in specific being a viral trend right now. The exploration of darkness and picking yourself up to move into a different, more hopeful phase of your life is something that resonates with a lot of Swift’s young audience. 

Songs like “Karma” and “Vigilante Shit” feel like something from the “Reputation” era. The way Swift nods to her old music while still evolving as an artist is fun to watch. The album’s hard hitting instrumentals really show off Swift’s talent and growth over the years. 

This album explores many facets of thought throughout the tracklist. “Labyrinth” in particular explores fears of falling love again, while “Midnight Rain” delves further into those themes of love and faded relationships. 

I really enjoyed listening to “Bejeweled.” Bouncing back and embracing loving yourself during a complicated relationship is something very fun to listen to. Everyone deserves to feel “bejeweled” in their lives and make the whole place shimmer. The catchy beat makes you want to dance around. 

The bright spots throughout this dark album fans of Swift’s more upbeat discography a nice treat. Coming into yourself after a situation is another theme explored by Swift as she reminisces on her relationships and haunting thoughts. 

Overall, this album is sonically gorgeous. While many people are split between thinking it’s too depressing or that it’s near “Folklore” level in terms of storytelling, I think this album has something that everyone can appreciate. Swift should explore this sound more, because it clearly paid off with the multiple records broken with this release. 

Rating: 4/5