Midnights: Everything we know so far.

In August, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift announced the release of her new album, Midnights, on October 21. This announcement sent Swifties around the world into an excited frenzy, as countless theories about the album sprouted online. Taylor Swift is known for her clever easter eggs plants in her social media content prior to releasing a new album. Let us just tell you, the theories get pretty wild. 

Taylor Swift’s Social Media

In order to get fans excited, Taylor has been posting bits and pieces of info about Midnights. In an Instagram post, Swift writes “This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams. The floors we pace and the demons we face. For all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit and go searching-hoping that just maybe, when the clock strikes twelve..we’ll meet ourselves.” Wow. That line gives us chills. 

Conspiracy Theories 

After mentioning that we should learn more about Midnights conspiracy theories, we knew All Too Well who to go to. A famed conspiracy theorist, Avery Voelkel, actually wrote her college essay about Taylor Swift and is known as a Mirrorball throughout the senior class. We decided to sit down with Avery so she could enlighten us with her personal theories. After only 30 seconds of talking with her, it was clear that Avery had done her homework. Maybe not her math homework, but she certainly has spent a lot of time reading Taylor Swift conspiracies online. So first, Avery pointed out that, “Taylor said she wrote these songs throughout her life whenever she couldn’t sleep. Using this information, Avery hypothesized that “each song was written during the time of her life of each album, meaning each song will relate to one of her previous albums.” Avery elaborated on this by saying, “there are 13 tracks on the Midnights. Taylor Swift also has 13 albums including the Taylor’s Version albums. This means it is plausible that each track of Midnights was written at the same time as one of her other albums.” We love this theory and think it is a super exciting possibility. 

We thought that was all Avery had to say, but she was not done yet. Avery dropped another bomb: “I think Midnights is the sister album to Lover because Lover was originally supposed to be called Daylight and she makes plans three years in advance and Lover was released Three years ago.” A sister album?! We are shocked yet intrigued by this opinion. While this idea may be a stretch, it would be really cool to see a darker counterpart to Lover’s upbeat pop songs. Laura and I decided to dive into some additional research about this particular theory and found that people online also pointed out that the last track of Lover ends with the start of a voicemail audio message. Fans think that the first track of Midnights will pick up where Lover left off with the completion of the voicemail. This theory is so exciting as it seems highly plausible. It also fits right in with Avery’s notion that Swift really does plan things three years in advance. 

Avery pointed out a couple more easter eggs related to Swift’s ongoing feud with Kim and Kanye West. Avery told us that “Taylor announced the album at the VMAs 13 years after Kanye humiliated her at the VMAs and 13 is her lucky number.” We agree with Avery; all of these factors must be more than a coincidence. Avery also informed us that the Midnights release date is on Kim Kardashian’s birthday in case there is not enough proof that Midnights is related to them. Maybe this album will take on a more vengeful tone because there is clearly still Bad Blood between Swift and the Kardashian-Wests. We would not be surprised if the album continues to call out Kim and Kanye because as Taylor said herself, “there is nothing I do Better Than Revenge.” There you have it: these are all of Avery Voelkel’s theories about the upcoming album. 

Album Content

Personally, Laura and I are hoping that Swift’s new album is similar to Folklore and Evermore. We feel that Taylor has outgrown her former, upbeat pop music and we like the mature feel of her recent music. Also, an album with a slower pace would be perfect for our Fall playlists. Even the word “Midnight” radiates soothing, fall vibes. If Midnights really is a sister album to Lover, then this could definitely be true.

Considering the singer-songwriter has switched musical lanes so often in the past from country, to pop, to indie, fans are dying to know what the sound of Midnights will be like. Could it be 90s-inspired? When she released the Midnights album cover, fans wasted no time to completely pick apart every pixel. The ambum cover consists of blue eyeshadow, grainy quality, and warm filter. These elements definitely give off an 90s feel. To be fair, Swift says, “I come back stronger than a 90s trend”.

Midnights Motif 

We think the title Midnights is perfect because Swift uses the motif of the middle of the night frequently in her songs. For instance, in Style from the 1989 album, Taylor sings “midnight, you come and pick me up no headlights.” Also in 22 from Red, Taylor sings “It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight.” In New Year’s Day from Reputation, Taylor sings “I want your midnights.” The Last Great American Dynasty from Folklore contains the line “staring out at the midnight sea.” In You Belong With We from Fearless, it says “in the middle of the night.” There are countless other references to midnight in other songs, so the symbol of midnight is clearly significant to Taylor. Since the album title is clearly so important to Taylor Swift, we are super excited to listen to these songs. 

Midnights will be available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music on October 21st: Are you Ready For It? After the release of the album, we advise you to come back to our article. Were the theories correct? Did Avery waste her time researching Taylor Swift conspiracies instead of doing her homework? Only time will tell.