On Friday, October 21, 2022, Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated 10th studio album “Midnights”. For Taylor Swift fans and the world, the album’s upbeat synth-pop influences surprised many after her past two releases, “folklore” and “evermore”, stripped-down alternative-folk albums. 

The millions of listeners on Spotify at midnight caused the entire platform to crash as a result of the high demand for this album. Additionally, the album broke the record for the most streams on Spotify within a day and became the biggest album in sales of 2022. 

Among many other records broken, “Midnights”, possibly the most impressive is that Taylor Swift became the first artist in history to occupy the entire top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. 

The success of “Midnights” can be attributed to its impressive 13 songs and 8 bonus tracks, including a song only currently available on Target’s edition of the CD. Swift describes this as a concept album, examining “13 sleepless nights” throughout her life. The album covers topics ranging from love, heartbreak, shame, regret, grief, confidence, and revenge. 

Three Taylor Swift fans from CFHS were excited about the album’s release. Among their favorite songs are “Bigger Than The Whole Sky,” “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” “Labyrinth,” and “Question…?.”  

Senior Maya Sutte loved the album, specifically because “the songs have so many underlying meanings that once you figure out completely enhance the listen. Each lyric is intentional and makes it very special to listen to.”

The first single “Anti-Hero,” in which Swift describes her tumultuous relationship with loving herself, also received a music video directed by Swift. A scene where she steps on a scale that reads “fat” was removed from the video after Swift and her team received backlash for fatphobia. However, many listeners disagree with the removal of the scene as they valued its honesty and relatability, and felt that by removing it her experiences were minimized. 

Sutte agrees with the decision.

“Personally, I do believe that it was the right decision. I value her openness and honesty through that scene, but it can be triggering for individuals who have struggled with their relationship with their body,” said Sutte.

Senior Ryan Hill sees both sides of the argument. 

“I think that it could easily be viewed as insensitive, but it is Taylor’s experience under intense pressure from the media. So even though I think it was probably smart to remove the scene, I think its inclusion is justified,” he said.

Senior Jenna Santamaria had a similar opinion to both Hill and Sutte. She could see “why Taylor included it- to describe her personal battle. But at the same time, I can understand why it was perceived negatively. I think it was the right decision to cut it because it can be triggering to some fans,” she explained.

Among the general student body at CFHS, track 5, “You’re On Your Own Kid,” had the most votes for the favorite song on the album.

Less than two weeks after the album’s release, Swift announced her upcoming stadium tour, “The Era’s Tour.” She plans to play 35 U.S. shows, with international dates yet to be announced. Fans expressed excitement for the opening acts which include Paramore, beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers, girl in red, Muna, Haim, Gayle, Gracie Abrams, and Owenn. The tour will cover all of Swift’s discography, a concept many fans are overjoyed to see.