Taylor Swift dropped her 10th studio album “Midnights” on Thursday night at midnight, keeping fans up all night. She also shared a video of the week’s itinerary of what fans could look forward to, including a cryptic event happening at 3 a.m. EDT Friday morning, only saying that it was a “Special very chaotic surprise.”
What was Taylor Swift’s ‘Special very chaotic surprise’ at 3 a.m.?
It was more new music. She added seven new songs outside the original 13 and titled the special addition: “Midnights (3am Edition).”
She made the announcement on her Instagram, writing:
“Surprise! I think of Midnights as a complete concept album, with those 13 songs forming a full picture of the intensities of that mystifying, mad hour. However! There were other songs we wrote on our journey to find that magic 13. I’m calling them 3am tracks. Lately I’ve been loving the feeling of sharing more of our creative process with you, like we do with From The Vault tracks. So it’s 3am and I’m giving them to you now. 🌌”
The additional track names for the album include:
- “The Great War.”
- “Bigger Than The Whole Sky.”
- “Paris.”
- “High Infidelity.”
- “Glitch.”
- “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve.”
- “Dear Reader.”
Why was Taylor Swift on Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football?
The first clue to upcoming projects around the new album was launched by Swift on Amazon Prime during the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints National Football League game on Thursday.
It premiered during the third quarter of the game and announced the artistic music videos she and her team created for each song on the album.
What are people saying about Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ album?
The 13 track album is what Swift calls “the story of 13 sleepless nights scattered through my life,” and “a collection of music written in the middles of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams.”
The lyrics and music strike a balance between her pop past like “Reputation” and “1989” and her more recent folk stylings of “Folklore” and “Evermore.” It offers a laid-back feel while still including catchy lines the artist has become known for.
“‘Midnights’ is more sweet dreams than nightmares, her words acting like a protective shield around her life and most intimate relationships,” Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos writes.
She worked with longtime music partner Jack Antonoff, who also headlines the band Bleachers, to cowrite each song on the album.
In a review of “Midnights” for Billboard, Jason Lipshutz writes, “Swift shrinks the scale, and pinpoints the humanity that has made her such a beloved storyteller. She didn’t need to capture those long nights, but that insomnia has made her discography, and legacy, all the richer.”
Discourse about the new album dominated social media, with the news landing the top trending spot on Twitter.
The New York Times’ Ben Sisario writes, “‘Midnights’ stands a very good chance of being on of the year’s biggest sellers.”
What are people tweeting about Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ album?
The internet had thoughts about the new album, with brand names like Auntie Anne’s, soccer star Alex Morgan and politicians like Utah Gov. Spencer Cox weighing in on the album release.
“Liz Truss has just resigned so she can listen to midnights in full tomorrow without the pressure of being prime minister. The true Swiftie,” @sci_swiftie tweeted.
Cox tweeted “Um...did we break Spotify?” as a response to an earlier tweet of his that said, “15 minutes to midnight on the east coast for no reason in particular.”
“I’m starting a book club but instead of books we just analyze Taylor Swift lyrics,” @emilyfavreau tweeted.
“Lots of people have disappointed me in life but never Taylor Swift,” @HuffleBoy tweeted.
“do you and your loved ones have an emergency plan in case taylor surprise-announces a tour? don’t delay, set something in place before it’s too late,” @nickykens tweeted.
“see you all at midnight :,),” Auntie Anne’s tweeted.
“Midnights 🥵,” Pro soccer player Alex Morgan tweeted.