Taylor Swift - Midnights

"... and when I'm up all night, I call Max and say, 'Let's make a banger about how boys are poopyheads!'"

"me!" came before the album cover, iirc the whiplash was just from the teasers for it?

I don’t predict anything like synthpop, but we’ll see…

Yeah the whiplash came from the various teaser images on Instagram and the mural that was painted to promote the release of "Me!", which all happened in April 2019. It wasn't till June that she announced the album Lover, its August release date and shared its cover art, and then a day later released "You Need to Calm Down".

Carly Rae Jepsen, Arctic Monkeys and this all on the same day, going to be a good day to be alive

― Bee OK, Monday, August 29, 2022 1:59 AM (ten hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Huh, didn't even know Arctic Monkeys were still around.

I'll check out Taylor and CRJ but will def skip AM.

― The Ghost Club, Monday, August 29, 2022 2:05 AM (nine hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

I looked it up. Tegan and Sara and Dry Cleaning too

― Bee OK, Monday, August 29, 2022 2:05 AM (nine hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

What is this Meghan Trainor erasure?

Ok I was mistaking cover art for teaser images - regardless I remember similar Lana del Rey-vibes being predicted before ME! destroyed such notion.

Though the album itself did strike various poses

I got a “Taylor Nation” email promoting the pre-orders, complete with flickering flame and new “TS” monogram in the blue Helvetica.

"a journey through terrors and sweet dreams" sounds like its describing a david lynch movie imo

hear me out, what if this is her house album like Drake and Beyonce

Seems pretty unlikely to me, given the midcentury aesthetic of the photos

If folklore is for everyone who needs to go to therapy and evermore is everyone who is finally going to therapy then midnights is for everyone still going to therapy even when it feels like it isn't helping

— Rita (@ritalara) August 29, 2022

"Is it confirmed those track titles will be renamed? Because that would be cool if they were all just named “Track One,” Track Two” etc"

It's unlikely, but I hope she goes full-on Scott Walker circa Climate of Hunter and writes a song suite about kicking locusts in the bollocks. Or something. With half the tracks given names and the other half given numbers.

And if you compare the covers they both look as if there was originally a cigarette, but it was airbrushed out. I want to hear Taylor Swift punching meat.

"Babe, I just can't see
if you're the one for me
will it all work out?
Or will we kick locusts in the bollocks until
the black-blood spittle
fills the sliced eye-holes
of the fetid pig mulch"

This is her 5th "Lead single in August, album in October."

Guessing she purposely sticks with this schedule because the grammys new years day is Sept 1.

she released a single? where?

Yeah, you had me looking!

(I believe the Grammy eligibility period ends Sept. 30 – so Midnights won't be eligible until the 2024 awards, but if she releases a single in the next month I guess that will be eligible at next Feb.'s ceremony)

Oh my bad I didn't pay attention to whether a new song came out.

Also weird to make an observation like that when the last time she did the August single, October album strategy was 5 albums ago with 1989.

last two albums obviously did not have a leading single as they were surprise releases

xp i think it's a good and interesting observation regardless of when it happened last

Taylor Swift unveils all four variations of the cover for her 10th studio album, ‘Midnights.’ pic.twitter.com/N10AbwBLvR

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 1, 2022

alt covers are clarifying, there's clear 70s vibes

jazz-tinged soft-rock taylor would also be totally acceptable

When Look What You Made Me Do meets Everything You Did.

Just hoping it doesn't end up sounding like Daddy's Home.

Gah, what are those covers reminding me of? The Clientele? American Analog Set? Saint Etienne? Some indie band.

Ivy...Superdrag

The first version made me think of Nightsongs by Stars.

https://media.pitchfork.com/photos/5929a6f6ea9e61561daa54a8/1:1/w_320,c_limit/67d15fe4.jpg

a little?

White borders and helvetica similar to the Cardigans singles artwork from the Gran Turismo period

xp i think it's a good and interesting observation regardless of when it happened last
― alpine static, Wednesday, August 31, 2022 8:59 PM (yesterday)

I think so too. I messed up the lead single part, but she is "big biz" and clearly likes tactically shooting for holiday-season sales or something.

https://www.discogs.com/lists/Album-Covers-That-Have-A-Specific-Design-With-The-Helvetica-Font-That-I-Wish-Was-Utilized-In-More-Album-Covers/641235?page=1

oh it's the album cover & she just doesn't want to reveal the track titles yet that's such a goofy move lol

This becomes even funnier as more covers are revealed.

On MIDNIGHTS she said the movies that have inspired it are
1) 70s movies of two romantic leads “unravel” before you — Kramer vs Kramer
2) Marriage Story and The Souvenir

Definitely not ready for the emotional landscape of this coming album lmao pic.twitter.com/ddRZe2Xc5K

— Elamin Abdelmahmoud (@elamin88) September 9, 2022

the!!! souvenir!!!!!!

sorry that may actually be the list of filmic inspirations for the “all too well” video

Now wanting a music video where John Mayer screws up making pancakes for his kid while Taylor’s trying to do an interview in the living room.

xp i think it’s about the album? next tweet says

(Context for this was talking about movies as inspiration — as she was writing, some movies dovetailed with the process: for 1989, she was watching John Hughes movies; for Folklore, lots of Guillermo del Toro; for Evermore, Sense and Sensibility)

— Elamin Abdelmahmoud (@elamin88) September 9, 2022

Lavender isn't really my color – but this morning I preordered the Target Exclusive CD, with three bonus tracks.

(...although I notice now they're titled "Bonus Track One," "Bonus Track Two (Remix)," and "Bonus Track Three (Remix)." So I guess it's one add'l song and two remixes.)

Antonoff highly visible in this “Making of Midnights” Insta reel

📹 | Taylor Swift will be announcing the #TSmidnightTS tracklist via TikTok!

— The first track she has announced is Track 13 titled ‘Mastermind’ pic.twitter.com/6rrz3aqhqm

— Taylor Swift News 🕰️ (@TSwiftNZ) September 21, 2022

lmao

the goofy deadpan vibe here is a good sign

lol

Some crazy ass theorising going on at the moment e.g. https://www.tiktok.com/@chacofemme/video/7145338640280014126?_t=8VrbzTQMTti&_r=1

anyway i'm very excited for taylor's muzak album

this is good

I hope “Mastermind” isn’t a clumsy pun that indicates the final track is about Scooter Braun (or her masters in general).

I hope it's a tribute to special master Raymond J. Dearie.

I just assume that Mastermind she'll tell us that Automator's on the planet Earth, and he's going to stop the war of the worlds.

Track 8 = “Vigilante Shit”

Not loving these titles so far…

lol there's a lana feature on this

Official track list for #Midnights by Taylor Swift:

1. Lavender Haze
2. Maroon
3. Anti-Hero
4. Snow On The Beach feat. Lana Del Rey
5. You’re On Your Own, Kid
6. Midnight Rain
7. Question...?
8. Vigilante Shit
9. Bejeweled
10. Labyrinth
11. Karma
12. Sweet Nothing
13. Mastermind

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 7, 2022

symphonic metal-ass tracklist

"You're Losing Me" is a pretty good song; probably better than anything else on Midnights. But it still has that dull, flat sound and vocal affectations (which I don't care for) that are typical of the album...

chubble chubble chubble

'state of grace' is such an incredible opener, honestly. discovered the acoustic version this week. those bass notes, god damn.