O clock struck midnight on Friday (21) and Taylor Swift returned to its pop era with the release of the Midnights album. Known for her enigmas and hints in her songs, the singer did not disappoint fans by writing tracks with lyrics that make swifties travel with speculation.
Names like John Mayer and Tom Hiddleston took to social media after its release, as listeners of the new record have even attributed which songs might be inspired by the artist’s ex-boyfriends and what each song says about public events that allegedly happened to Taylor Swift.
Therefore, the Tangerine did a track-by-track summary of Midnights to help you understand the stories behind each song on the record. All are just theories never confirmed by Taylor herself, but which may make sense for those who follow the singer’s life.
Lavender Haze
Joe Alwyn, Taylor Swift’s boyfriend of six years, seems to be the great inspiration for this song. Taylor herself, on social media, explained that she had to escape the tabloids and rumors to maintain a healthy relationship.
Some fans, however, have theorized that the song could be about a possible same-sex relationship for the singer, as it says things like “I don’t care what people say / I won’t do that 1950s thing they want from me.” . The title’s lavender color is historically considered a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ struggle, which has fueled speculation.
Taylor, however, was very clear in showing that Joe Alwyn would be her great inspiration. “My relationship for six years, we had to avoid weird rumours, tabloid stuff, and we just ignored it, and so this song is kind of about the act of ignoring those things to protect the real things,” she said.
maroon
The song appears to have been made in honor of a short-lived courtship. Fans have already linked the song directly to Tom Hiddlestonwith whom Taylor Swift had a short affair in 2016.
Tom Hiddleston, known for being Marvel’s Loki, dated Taylor Swift in 2016
Disclosure / Disney+
“How the hell did we lose sight of each other again? / Your head in your hands / Isn’t that how shit always ends?”
anti hero
Taylor Swift’s big target in this song is nothing new to anyone. On Anti-Hero, the first single from the Midnights album, Taylor struggles with herself and her own demons.
“This song is really a guided tour of all the things I used to hate about myself,” the singer said when she revealed the song’s name earlier. “I really don’t think I’ve delved so deeply into my insecurities in its details before.”
Snow on the Beach
Partnership with singer Lana Del Rey, Snow on the Beach was the record for the best debut of a duet on Spotify with more than 15 million plays. Apparently, Joe Alwyn may also be the song’s inspiration.
The vast majority of songs that describe happy relationships made by Taylor Swift since the album Lover (2019) end up having the singer’s current boyfriend as the focus. Snow On the Beach talks about the feeling of loving someone while that person loves you, describing the joy and emotion of reciprocity.
You’re On Your Own, Kid
Taylor opens up about her eating disorder – which she has already commented on in the Netflix documentary Miss Americana (2020) – and talks about more distant times, when she was still a girl in search of fame and true love.
When she achieves success, however, she feels alone. The song even references the singer’s famous squad, which was made up of model Karlie Kloss, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevigne, and other women who were part of the Bad Blood music video. Although pessimistic, the track brings a touch of hope at the end, that there’s nothing to fear when you’re alone.
Midnight Rain
A distorted voice startles upon hearing the beginning of Midnight Rain for the first time. Taylor constantly mentions rain in several of her songs, but this one combines the title of her album and her inspiration for the whole construction of the record’s narrative.
The song talks about rejecting a love that makes you feel too good. The concept refers to songs like The Way I Loved You, from the album Fearless (2008), and Back To December, from Speak Now (2010). Social media “theorists” speculate that she may be talking about Taylor Lautner in the song, or even Tom Hiddleston again.
Question…?
Swifties firmly believe that the seventh track on the album is dedicated to Karlie Kloss. The singer’s former best friend and Taylor’s alleged affair for a brief period, including speculation that they kissed at a show at The 1975, the frequent use of the female pronoun in the song suggests that the lyrics could confirm the relationship.
Vigilante Shit
For a long time, rumors circulated on social media that Taylor would have prepared an entire album titled Karma, right after the fight with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
Apparently, the song implies that the album existed and was discarded, but Taylor adds strong and heavy references to Scooter Braun, a manager who bought the singer’s discography by acquiring her old record company, with whom she started a dispute.
Legend has it that the song may be the second Midnights song to win a clip, scheduled for Tuesday (25), but nothing has been confirmed yet.
bejeweled
Has Taylor Swift finally released a song specifically about Calvin Harris? Fans believe so! Bejeweled is about a woman who feels used in a relationship and realizes she’s worth a lot more at the end of it. Despite being briefly mentioned in Reputation, swifities associate the lyrics with the Scottish DJ and producer.
bejeweled is about calvin harris and nobody can change my mind
— fefa 🦋 (@fernanda_og1) October 21, 2022
paying attention to “bejeweled” and did we finally have a song about calvin harris? thinking thoughts…
— ingride 🐉 (@iczk) October 21, 2022
labyrinth
Swift fights her own anxiety as she falls in love. This is apparently yet another piece of writing for Joe Alwyn, with whom she revealed that she discovered love after breaking her face so many times.
A piece of the lyrics was even quoted in his speech when he received his doctorate at New York University. The singer doesn’t give a point without a knot, does she?
karma
Despite being lyrically considered a “silly” song in the eyes of the public, the track actually reverses the evil concept of karma and reflects on the good things that life has brought the artist so far.
Again, she makes a reference to the supposedly scrapped album that would have the same title as the song, but she subverted fan expectations by turning karma into something good rather than a concept of revenge.
Sweet Nothing
The song was co-written with Joe Alwyn and is perfect for romantics. It talks about the intimacies of a couple and portrays the comfort of being with someone who makes you feel at home.
mastermind
The singer makes a self-analysis in the track that closes the album. The lyrics “what if I told you it was accidental” parallels Lover’s Paper Rings, in which she sings “I hate accidents / Except when we go from friends to this”. And once again, Joe Alwyn is the center of attention around here. The passion really got Taylor!
