Like many Swifties, I’ve been impatiently waiting since Aug. 28 for the release of Taylor Swift’s new album, Midnights. 

But soon enough Oct. 21 arrived, and I stayed up all night to experience Swift’s tenth studio album the second it came out. 

The leadup to this album has been in the making ever since she announced its release date at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. 

Swift explained that the album is a “collection of music written in the middle of the night; a journey through terrors and sweet dreams.”

Beginning on Sept. 20, Swift hosted a series called “Midnights Mayhem with Me” on her TikTok where she would reveal the track titles bingo-style by randomly choosing a number and announcing the corresponding song title. 

Throughout the past month, she announced all 13 track names, getting fans excited for the album’s release and speculating which songs might be their favorite. 

Swifties also picked up on the small hints and Easter eggs that Swift left along the way throughout the process. It’s no doubt that Swift is a mastermind (which is coincidentally a track title of her new album), subtly sharing in an Instagram story of her layout of the past week that there would be more to come at 3 a.m. EST, three hours after the original songs were out. 

There are so many other hints that she hid, too, but I won’t get into those for now. 

Now that some of the context is out of the way, it’s time for the review. 

My verdict: the album is nothing short of perfect.

Contrary to many, though, this wasn’t my initial reaction. 

Upon first listening, my feelings were conflicted. I loved every song, but I anticipated a more mellow vibe from the album. Prior to Midnights, Swift’s last albums (“folklore”, “evermore” and “Red (Taylor’s Version)”) were all slower and sadder, with energy that overall fit a very “autumn” aesthetic which I loved. 

Midnights is much more upbeat, and simply wasn’t what I was expecting. 

But after another listen, this album is, like I said, perfect. 

The tracks perfectly put feelings into words; Taylor connects with her listeners in a way many artists can’t. 

It wouldn’t be a Taylor Swift album without going above and beyond, which is why the previously mentioned “surprise” was the album’s deluxe edition Midnights (3 a.m. Version) including seven bonus tracks, which are some of my favorites on the album. 

It’s too hard for me to pick a favorite track because I genuinely love them all. Each time I listen, I like each song more and more, and my top pick switches. If I had to pick, my favorite might be “Maroon”, but that will probably change the next time I listen. 

Swift also dropped the first music video for her new album at 3 a.m. EST. The motion picture for “Anti-Hero” was clever and calculated, and captured Taylor’s message perfectly. 

I can’t wait to keep listening to this album, analyze Swift’s lyrics, and settle on my favorite track. I also see this album being fit for summer drives and sing-alongs, which I’m already looking forward to. 

I highly recommend that you listen to Midnights if you haven’t yet, and keep your eyes open for any other surprises Taylor Swift might have up her sleeve!