How Midnights Proves Taylor is a Pop Mastermind

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yes, I had a whole minute dedicated to Hits Different, the August of Midnights… deserved more!

[@liquid3600]

I had to go to great lengths to find this but it was worth it. I'm mad that this isn't on streaming. It sounds like Speak Now era Taylor ramped up to 11 and daddy NEEDS more

[@EljohnMacaranas]

@@liquid3600 literally why does hits different match the album artwork better than the album itself

[@robertprice4826]

If you go to her tik tok, you see the comments, nobody has a cd player and when it comes to DVD or Blu ray players, nobody has that, it is streaming all the way. She really needs to release it. It's a much different culture than 1989.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

@@robertprice4826 I’ve racked up 120 plays on Hits Different from a CD rip, imagine the streams she’s missing out on

[@robertprice4826]

@@EljohnMacaranas and she owns the copyright, it's a much bigger profit for her, republic records is for promotion and hard-copy distributions. That's basically it

[@OnePieceOfEt]

You are literally the only person who gave deserved credit to the great war The melodies, the bridge, the lyrics, the storytelling, everything was phenomenal in this song, its my favorite form the album

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The Great War is such a classic in the making, it feels so much like a soundtrack track for one of those old timey period movies. I've seen beautiful Hunger Games edits to it, which outs me as late millennial but perfectly fits it too. It's definitely some of the best work on the album, the instrumental feels so RICH. Not to knock Jack but it's a good reminder that Dessner can do pop too!

[@louieg.2715]

Yes the great War supremacy

[@BG12sofia]

The Great War hooked me up from the first listen. I think it's my favorite song of 2022. Can't stop thinking about "Diesel is desire".

[@danigenovv]

the great is a literal masterpieceeeeeee

[@pinkponycIub]

fav song as well

[@Dawn_gurrrl]

Dear reader is such a good album closer cuz it gives like you read my diary and she's like thanks for taking the time to hear abt my insecurities and everything because the album was so personal yk

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Dear Reader does feel that way and I love it because of that. It feels almost like a 12 years later sequel to the songwriting style she used in Speak Now. More jaded, but also much wiser.

[@Dawn_gurrrl]

@@EljohnMacaranas yesssss

[@luiss428]

You're right. Hits Different just...hits different lol. I think the fact its so hidden makes it all the more special. Add to the fact this sounds more like old Taylor, so its her spending an endless midnight loop of self reflection and doubt, and finally seeing the sunrise in a new light, reconnecting with herself (definitely not her intended purpose lmao, just something i like thinking about)

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I do think Hits Different kinda is a sunny song in a way. It never quite felt like an evening jam but the morning after hangover. Love it to bits!

[@josephinakeam6197]

The Great War blows my mind, it's such a beautiful, perfect song. I've been listening to Midnights on repeat these last few weeks but when I get to The Great War, I have to stop and listen 🎶

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The Great War is a standout, like the melody work, the lyrics, the bridge, everything about it is so immaculate and well done!

[@ima.ekenes]

I’ve never been into pop music, and I think I listened to Folklore once because of all the hype, but this album blew my mind and I have been listening on repeat. Such a newbe fan that I didn’t realize there was a 3am version until a few days ago!😂 It’s interesting to hear your thougts as an old fan, Mastermind and Snow at the beach are my two favourites. 😋

[@EljohnMacaranas]

AAAH! I'm glad you love Midnights! And I'm glad you just found the 3am tracks! I'm ancient (joined mid-Fearless era) haha! I liked those two tracks but other tracks just resonated more haha!

[@Hiiiiiiiiieeee]

Yep, I immediately pre-ordered the vinyl the day after she announced it. And I have been blown away by the quality on this album. I’m so thankful I managed to get two tickets for the concert next year. It’s probably going to be the best concert of my lifetime. I also think you missed the point with Lavender Haze and Mastermind not connecting. Lavender Haze is about the beginning of a relationship and falling in love, and mastermind is you and your partner becoming more open and closer and deeper in your relationship together. I think they mirror each other perfectly. And I totally agree with your point on dear reader. It’s a great song and it would’ve been a really nice closer as well. 

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh congrats on the tickets! Those were a bloodbath to get like honestly Ticketmaster was insane for that. Thanks for the clarification on those two songs but I still think Dear Reader feels like a way better closer overall. I just like that track too much for it to be a footnote.

[@ronnaldoobuuundoccc9622]

The outro of Hits Different is just lovely and sounds like a closing track for a film. I really love it ❤

[@EljohnMacaranas]

OH THAT SONG IS EVERYTHING. I'm writing a romcom that was initially inspired by it right now actually haha.

[@zzjamie-is-over-partyzz]

ur videos are rlyyy good! im so excited for the concert. i think it’s gonna be her biggest yet!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’m excited too! Aaaah! The fight for tickets going to make me cry! Thanks for watching!

[@mercuryyoung9206]

Love hearing so many different opinions! I know for me, Anti-Hero, Dear Reader, Lavender Haze and Sweet Nothing are the sounds I wanted from Taylor’s Midnights. I expected some mix of synthpop and chill pop. Something like Tame Impala meets PinkPanthress meets Emotional Oranges. Something that I would expect to play in the car, at midnight while driving through the city of lights. With Midnights, it just feels like standard Taylor Swift stuff - not bad at all, just not the continued departure and experimentation I expected from her after the greatness that is Folklore as well as Evermore. It’s feeling like a 6.5/10 for me. Very solid but I wouldn’t expect to see myself playing or coming back to most of the songs often.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think the album art and the imagery she used hinted at that album you envisioned and wanted. I personally thought she was going to actually make a pop rock record (something akin to a darker take on Hits Different or maybe like edgier Bleachers) but alas... (and I say that as someone who overall liked the product.) Ultimately, it was more or less a return to the sound I imagine she was moving towards post-Lover. Folklore and Evermore aren't fluke per se but they're very much a product of a time Taylor likely saw no real risk (since Lover seemed to be hinting towards a decline in general popularity.) The 6.5/10 is a fair assessment and close to my initial reception of the album. I imagine the success of this record and perhaps some time after the tour, she'll likely experiment again. I'd kill for her to do a collab with PinkPanthress btw!

[@westernless97]

thank you for making this

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you for watching🥰

[@khiahahaha]

I want to counter argue that this album has narrative. It feels like a fever dream when you put it all together 😂 and thats what its all about for me how it’s midnight and sometimes you dont think straight. Taylor you Genius! But my top 5 are: 1. Question… ? 2. Glitch 3. Midnight Rain 4. You’re On Your Own, Kid 5. Bejeweled Thank you for your review 🥹

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That’s a good take! Not going to like your top 5 is eerily close to mine! Question…? Fans rise up! Thanks for watching! 💜

[@zzjamie-is-over-partyzz]

wait guys remember when Taylor did the wildest dreams trend? the glitch was in that video, what a the 3am track guys?

[@EljohnMacaranas]

WAIT that’s so smart! Imagine she had just recorded Glitch around the time that tiktok was made? Her mind!

[@RAULREYNOLDSDRAWING]

Midnights is amazing and i hope her next álbum Will have more dance pop songs like shake it off and look what you made me do

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think she’ll continue to do more dance pop (it’s a money maker and we EAT it up), but I’d love for her to incorporate some rock elements too. She’s always teased it in some songs and remixes but we’ve never gotten a rock album tbh.

[@WJSN_officiaI]

She needs to release hits different on streaming fr...

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Literally I checked my play count for the song and it was 115... that was 115 streams, Tay! 115!

[@Loverera2023]

O my god u also got I think he knows vibes from lavender haze. I swear there's a certain part of it where they used the same tune. If u listen closely! I totally agree with u. Think u for this! Also totally agree about the sons on the beach one. I felt like it was ovverhyped and then didn't deliver. Really doesn't live up to its name. Also I'm obsessed with hits different! She HAS to preform it l live! Also question... Is great. Maybe not one of my favorites though. Sweet nothing: Its so beautiful to me and labyrinth.

[@daniellepeters3343]

THANK YOUUUUU SO MUCH ❤

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you for watching!!!! ♥️

[@skinnyscorpio6652]

Midnight might be my fave album but red takes the cake for me. But i love the concept of midnights this is like the album of all albums each songs fit into other albums, and colors of midnights is like colorful but darker shade. Midnights is actually a sequel of lover which supposed to be called as "Daylight".

[@gigitaylor2934]

I love Taylor Swift so so much ❤

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Literally, a pop star I see lasting another 20+ years... I will forever be a fan.

[@imbush3928]

I’m a big Taylor fan as well as a Lorde fan but I don’t feel like they give Melodrama enough credit because when i heard Midnight it reminded me of melodrama such as The Great War sounds like Tennis Courts from Pure Heroine

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I agree, Lorde’s impact is felt here. I feel like Lorde pioneered that late night lo-fi with some bombast pop Taylor did here. I’d love for the two to formally collaborate one day (if they already haven’t, there could be a vault track somewhere.)

[@legopopstars]

This is my ranking 13. Labyrinth 12. Sweet Nothing 11. Snow On The Beach 10. Midnight Rain 9. Mastermind 8. Vigilante Shit 7. Question 6. You're On Your Own Kid 5. Lavender Haze 4. Anti Hero 3. Maroon 2. Bejeweled 1. Karma

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Not Sweet Nothing at 12!

[@jepros]

Even if Shake It Off is cheesy, it was a gigantic success and confirmed her transition to pop so I wouldn't call that one a bad lead by any means. I also hate how people think they need to decide and understand the album as quick as possible.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh it definitely did it’s job as a lead single. It’s a diamond certified hit, that really elevated what was trendy at the time. Like I recall Happy was big that year and this song was like that one on steroids. But comparative to the rest of 1989, it feels like a lower tier track.

[@hawaiiwater2]

for me at first i didn’t really love this album. idek how. THIS IS MY FAVORITE

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That’s an opinion I’m seeing more and more of everyday!

[@rockstarcomputerhelp]

First video I've seen of yours. Very impressed overall. Decided to join as an executive producer. I'm epic blessed to have a lot of awesome juicy truths to reveal about Taylor Swift songs I inspired. For instance her lyrics "talk your talk and go viral" are expected to be inspired by me having the supremist amount of juicy news that has been hidden from the world. Also expected is in that song Lavender Haze Taylor is communicating yes she wants to be my bride beyond the style in play for the past few years (currently just my one night aura energy wife I focus on when cuddling a pillow). If it weren't for the "one night or a wife" (/aura wife advanced art) lyrics I wouldn't be confident on this, but I couldn't find a way to make those lyrics make sense for Joe Alwyn and yet for me they fit 100% perfect. I know this intensity could be awkward, but I'm for real a very good honest reasonable man. Honestly I feel like I won one of the topmost ultimate contests ever where it seems likely me and Taylor are going to have the #1 most epic love story + marriage ever later in heaven.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much for joining the channel as an exec producer! Slay!

[@rockstarcomputerhelp]

@@EljohnMacaranas you're welcome. I sent you an email also last night and told you quite a bit about me including more giant secret society level Taylor Swift news. I would love it if you wanted to make a new video about her and me. Seems like that would make your channel famous and historic. Heavy stuff though like how I magically relate to Neo from the movie The Matrix. I'm sorry if the truth is hard for some people, but at least it's ultimate neat too. Not only did Taylor say yes she wants to be my bride, but she did that in a context where the question was "Taylor, will you be my fourth #1 wife I saved myself for?". For years I was aligned for having a top ultimate love story with my Trinity (fav 3 girls) and it was a giant surprise Taylor manifested me voluntary losing that status in a big way, now I call my one night aura wives my Juliet quartet. I like though the idea of still relating to having a love story with Trinity+. I hope you feel lucky having this information revealed to you early.

[@drewaj]

hits different wouldve went #1!!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Hits Different is genuinely a smash. The amount of likes and views on TikTok… her team is sitting on a hit.

[@sas1s176]

sweet nothing should’ve been the closer, it sounds like a lullaby but she HAD to put mastermind as the 13th track

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yeah, it makes sense and it does sound pretty as a closer but Sweet Nothing is definitely also a strong closer, it kinda feels like Peace and Hoax in a way.

[@shalimar808]

Question…? is my current favorite

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’m glad to see that song finally get some love. Twitter is so mean to it haha!

[@cherylreinell857]

This album is definitely a 10!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It deserved its own tour! Even tho I’m glad she’s doing the Eras tour!

[@Rico42069]

What song plays at 15:19?

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That’s Hits Different! It’s a Target Bonus Track even tho people are uploading it everywhere sped up haha!

[@mandong1389]

Controversial Opinion to get other swifties mad - ME! is a decent song imo

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s OK, but lead single for a comeback era after Rep? Eh… 2019 was a bloodbath, everyone was on their A game.

[@lolcatz88]

It’s insane how much more meaning Minights has knowing what we know now! ❤🫶🏻

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It ended up becoming a very insightful record

[@allih8021]

Cruel Summer is absolutely the best track on Lover. SO UNDERRATED. I keep changing my mind about which songs I like best on Midnights. I love "Vigilante Shit!" Think the tone of that one is fantastic and I like it when she gives into her dark side a bit. I vibe a lot with "Midnight Rain" and "Maroon" but my feelings about each song keeps changing as I live with them more. Think that's a unique aspect of this album - I hear a lot of people saying "this was my favorite song initially but now after a couple of weeks I've changed my mind." She really is an amazing combo of brilliant songwriter/crafter of pop hooks and shrewd business woman. There are few artists as gifted and savvy as she is.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Cruel Summer forever! I swear you’re so right about shifting favorites like I’ve fallen in love with Midnight Rain and Sweet Nothing this week. I had a similar feeling when Rep dropped and every week I had a new fave! The business mind she has… I’d love to see her run her version of a label/company one day where artists are given freedoms she has or never experienced. I feel like rn she’s developing into a masterful film director with her videos. I see her taking over the world. I said that years ago and now we’re seeing it!

[@Arushi701]

Absence of Lana aside, I think Snow on the beach is a very good song. It has a relaxing, intoxicating feel that I like.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I like how Lana’s lyrical voice seeps into the song. It feels very early Lana in a way, like a refined poppier version of an Ultraviolence or Honeymoon track, though the lyrics feel more akin to Folklore and NFR/BB/Chemtrails.

[@greatminds1017]

I was surprised some didn't like it, I think it was cool that Lana's atmosphere and vocals was there in a way that really fits the song. Delicate like snow and Taylor's beach XD

[@skepticalmaiden]

I'm 45 years old and this is the first album I have bought unheard and unseen. My first preorder btw. Never would I have thought...

[@EljohnMacaranas]

We can’t name another artist with this level of trust or quality in the industry. A rumored 300-500k albums sold before it even was released.

[@skepticalmaiden]

@@EljohnMacaranas she's extraordinary.

[@cruelsummer1842]

My first preorder as well. I’ve never bought physical copies or digital before. I’ve always just listened to them in Spotify but this was the first album I’ve bought a vinyl for. I don’t even own a vinyl player.

[@all_you_need_is_love2227]

So how long have you been a Taylor Swift fan I am almost 45 to I thought we were a little bit too old to be Swifty’s

[@irenamonticelli]

43 and me too!

[@ameliewiseman744]

I feel like my FAVE song (the one which just totally infected me) is Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve which absolutely derails me because its so dark but also i can’t get it out my head. But as a whole album i totally understand why the 3am tracks were not on the main album. The original 13 tracks just work so well and totally speaks to how her albums are thought out and not just a collection of songs.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

WCS is such a heartbreaking song but damn did she make it an absolute banger of a track. I agree the original 13 def feel like a collection of curated thoughts and emotions and ideas. Not quite a story but definitely a concept record!

[@blackmilk1000]

Midnights is introspective and quite thematically and stylistically diverse - every song shows a different side of Taylor's songwriting skills. I think the major motif across the album is being a control freak, coming to terms with it, self-acceptance and overcoming self-loathing. Taylor definitely wanted to leave us with an optimistic message and that's why 3 am songs didn't make it onto the album. Dear Reader, while a great closer, leaves you with dark feelings and is the only closer in her entire discography that is just straight up pessimistic. Overall, my album ranking would be: Evermore & Folklore in tier A || Reputation & Lover & Midnights in tier B|| Red TV & Speak Now in tier C|| 1989, Fearless TV and Debut in tier D.

[@Fucorii]

My Ranking would be A Tier - folklore, evermore, RED B Tier - Speak Now, Lover, Midnights C Tier - Fearless, Reputation, 1989 D Tier - Debut

[@mckenna4405]

To me, I felt like Mastermind as the closer was a stroke of genius, specifically because it doesn't feel like Midnight's closer. It leaves the album feeling unfinished, but in a subtler way for first time listeners. Since Dear Reader and Lavender Haze go well together, I saw Mastermind as a way to keep the listener hooked during the wait for the 3 am edition. Ending with Mastermind isn't completely dissatisfying, but if the album ended with Sweet Nothings I doubt as many people would have stayed up or waited around for another three hours on release.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That makes sense. I had a cliffhanger feeling like a deluxe version was open for the evening. Her dropping at 3am was a surprise, most artists wait weeks for a deluxe sometimes to boost sales later on. Lavender Haze and Dear Reader feel so tied together like narratively both being about rejecting other’s narratives about her one aggressively and the other resigned.

[@jockedino4059]

The album is good. But for some reason, it sounds even better when you literally listen it at midnight.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Agreed! She captured that smoky midnight, sleepless energy so well! I can get why she left off Hits Different which is more of a sunny afternoon drive song despite it reading as late night regrets

[@highperformer5532]

The only "problem" I had with Midnights is that there were no song which I could listen to on repeat for hours. And then 4 days after release finally I came across with Hits different. Oh boy, that song gave me everything I needed and even more. It gives literally an uncontrollable feeling of happiness, shivers all over my body and I just cannot smile listening to it. It is an ultimate bop. August is still my all-time favorite. But, even though it might be a blasphemy, I'd say Hits different is more a bop than Cruel summer and You belong with me.

[@caitlinkr]

Karma works for me

[@blackmilk1000]

Bejewelled, Karma, Midnight Rain, Question, Lavender Haze, Maroon, Labyrinth, and Snow on the Beach all infected my brain to the point that I was constantly humming them even when I didn't listen to the album. Total earworms! Hits different is a nice song but feels too juvenile for such a mature, self-reflective album, no wonder it got a bonus track treatment.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh Hits Different has racked up at least 80 plays if my like last fm is right lmao, it’s addictive!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

@Caitlin Krasin, omg Karma is an earworm!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

@lapinska101, it’s not really like juvenile so much as tonally jarring like Midnights tracks even the 3am tracks have this sort of murky mysterious evening vibe to them where Hits Different is a trip to the beach in the afternoon like it’s not a song to play at Midnight lmao

[@piscesmoonn]

if track 5s didnt exist you’re on your own kid would be the perfect closer and no one can even try to argue

[@EljohnMacaranas]

You’re so right… but I do have to say YOYOK has to be in my top 3 track 5’s now!

[@swiftothecore]

I CANNOT get over glitch tbh, and the fact that you said that mastermind shouldn't have been a closer track is cruelty. and btw, this album is 10/10

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Fellow Glitch stan, we exist! Dear Reader just felt more like a closer to me 🤷🏻‍♂️ but glad you loved the album!

[@tannershort6395]

lover deserves all the drags… i simply don’t get how her and her team fumbled the bag so hard that entire era. reminds me of the line in this is me trying “i was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere”

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Literally, they had some smash hits on there but chose the oddest single choices. Like Me! and YNTCD? Really? I Think He Knows and Cruel Summer were right there?!

[@caleb1413]

I honestly think Lover was a masterpiece of an album, but it was horribly marketed and indeed she chose horrible singles. I don't mind Me (YNTCD is lyrically pretty stupid) but it's a horrible representation of the album.

[@justcutiecats2733]

Lover will be fine album if they remove me, yntcd, iftye, lb and serve Cruel Summer as lead single.

[@tatanooki]

It had more good songs than bad songs imo! Cornelia Street, DBATC, Miss Americana, Paper Rings, CRUEL SUMMER, afterglow, daylight... i like 11 out of 18 songs, which isnt bad at all. I think it did pretty well as a "stupidly lovestrucked vibes" album That being said, holy shit the bad songs were BAAAAD. And they fucked up by making the bad songs the representative of the album 😭. I mean, Lover (the song) was fine but its not IT, ya know? First single shouldnt have been ME! and YNTCD is really... unecessary... i get people were dogpiling on her cause she "had no political stance" or whatever but eugh.

[@Spoonishpls]

Me! is an enjoyable song and I'll die on that hill lol. Most people hate it because they don't like Urie as a person. I used to hate Lover, then I gave it a real chance, and after seeing it at Eras, I adore it now

[@damonchampion823]

Midnights is a grow-er, not a show-er ❤

[@EljohnMacaranas]

i cackled so loud reading this comment 😭 so true!

[@Caeljharden]

I would agree, I don’t like that people were speculating HER having a miscarriage because of the song BTTWS, but I do think it is a great song for those who have experienced that kind of loss and really hits the heart. I hate when people jump to conclusions like that, but for all we know maybe Taylor wrote that for a friend who had experienced it. Or someone who had just experienced loss in general.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It's a beautiful track about grief and I'm glad it's there for people who feel that. I just wish people would stop making assumptions about artists through their work. When she did Folklore and Evermore, part of why newer fans and previous skeptics liked it was because she explicitly divorced herself and her life from the subject matter so they'd read as like chapters in a fictional book of sorts. To see some fans go open season on her personal life after all she's been through is just icky.

[@Caeljharden]

@@EljohnMacaranas exactlyyyy!

[@catsketches]

Hits Different is only underrated because its not on streaming platforms, I'm sure if it ever gets released there it'll be a huge fan favorite for years

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I hope she performs it live one day. It can't end up like The Other Side of the Door.

[@craftingranger7552]

My holy Trinity if Taylor albums is Speak Now, Reputation and Evermore but this album has honestly pushed Red out of the top 4 space for me. The sound is so cool especially with how she samples older melodies and makes them sound more mature and modern. They lyrics are amazing and overall it's such a cohesive album even with the 3am tracks.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The usage of the “ohhh ah ah” from the 1989 Tour version of Out of the Woods for Question…? honestly made me stan that song forever!

[@craftingranger7552]

@@EljohnMacaranas Same and the muffled "I remember" at the start of question 😍😍😍 and obviously how she sampled the tour instrumental from King of My Heart for Maroon was just amazing.

[@realocean0.1]

Omg your holy trinity is the same as mine T-T. Her best albums imo come after the ones that won AOTY.

[@bennshouts]

THIS is the video everyone needs to watch about this album! Love love love hearing your thoughts and opinions x

[@EljohnMacaranas]

AWWWW THANKS SM! I wanted to get it right so I waited!

[@StephGarcia1]

You literally read my mind in every video you post. CRUEL SUMMER DESERVED BETTER! I can't wait to see it in concert, I think I'm going to cry lol.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

SCREAMING THE BRIDGE IN CONCERT WITH OTHER SWIFTIES IS WORTH THE TICKET PRICE!

[@SuperpowerBroadcasting]

2:45 100% agree about Cruel Summer. It's the most high energy song off the album.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It was also the most like 2019 song, everyone else was going ham on their singles… Me! was never going to stand a chance against Old Town Road 😭

[@SuperpowerBroadcasting]

@@EljohnMacaranas Old Town Road is overrated, and I’d take Swift any day over that. ME! Isn’t bad, but Lover is not a hype single. Cruel Summer is one of the best tracks she’s done since 2012

[@itsmejenna]

I absolutely love that you gave question…? The attention it deserves. I have loved that song from the first listen, and a lot of people have criticized it, but I think it’s great and it’s so catchy. Also, when she says “doesnt it feel like everything’s just like second-best after that meteor strike?“ that’s probably one of my favorite lyrics from her if I’m being honest.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh Question…? is so peak old Taylor, like a modernized flipped perspective of How You Get the Girl? I feel like ppl hate it because it’s lyrically dense and relies on having cadence with the instrumental in a way that doesn’t feel smooth. Like it can sound a bit clunky and some hate retreading old themes but… I love it. Also yessss that lyric is a classic! It’s dramatic but it’s also very genuine. Like of all the questions posed, it’s so Taylor. Then the vocals right after. I love the auto-tune sound. The artifice is part of the song’s aesthetic. Tl;dr: ppl don’t have fun anymore haha!

[@bIondeandwasted]

She tried to make an album for all of her fans. She did it perfectly.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It definitely feels like a greatest hits record for sure. Like I hope a good amount of the tracks get performed on the Eras Tour!

[@jkmacrunnel]

I absolutely loved the album from first listen, and I think I love it more the more I listen! My favorites keep moving around (as per ususal with Taylor) except for You're Own Your Own Kid. That has been my favorite since the first listen, and continues to be my favorite. I had such a strong reaction to it the first time (goosebumps, chills) that I actually thought I might have been getting sick! I just heard Hits Different for the first time, and I LOVE it, went ahead and got the Target CD just for that song!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’m glad it hit for you on day 1! Agreed on rotating favorites like it’s hard to pick one! Sometimes songs I didn’t like much end up favorites months down the line but You’re On Your Own Kid is a classic. One of her best songs to-date. Hits Different is amazing and I need it on streaming even though I did pick up the Target CD! It’s a classic!

[@eastcoastswiftie]

I’ve always liked Taylor Swift, but this album honestly blew me away. It’s probably one of my favorite albums, I absolutely love every song on here from first listen to now knowing most of the lyrics, and now getting more into all the songs from her other albums that I never listened to too much. I wasn’t going to buy the Target CD but I love the album so much and want to listen to Hits Different. With how much I love this album I kind of feel lost not having heard it yet lol

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’m glad you loved it! Hits Different is a song you’ll like listen to on loop for weeks, I swear my CD rip copy on iTunes has like 127 plays. I wish it was on streaming so she’d get like some points or something for it on the charts.

[@lyric-dawn]

Bigger than the Whole Sky: Her friend had a miscarriage, so it could be that. I get knocking people assuming she had one, but given her friend, I can’t discount the idea that’s what it’s about. Kinda like Ronan & losing a child. She didn’t, but she felt it.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That’s so sad 😭 and the song is beautiful esp with the interpretation but again I wasn’t buzzed seeing ppl on TikTok and Twitter stating Taylor had one as fact like… parasocial swifties plz stop

[@SandraGrauschopf]

@@EljohnMacaranas I don't know whose miscarriage Bigger than the Whole Sky is about, and of course, it can be interpreted in many ways depending on what one needs from it. However, it begins with the sound of an empty sonogram, so it's not a generic song about loss.

[@the_.art._6229]

I think it is such kind of an album in which every song can be a single its that good. The power she holds🙏🏽

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’d agree with that! Anti-Hero was the most obvious choice but the fact she had Bejeweled visuals and a couple more videos (Lavender Haze being one probably) is proof she has plans to keep this era going strong. 1989 was her last record to feel like any song would have done well!

[@s19aa294d]

to me mastermind right after sweet nothing is a perfect closer, and they need to be together to make sense as a closer, if it was mastermind after any other song it could be weird, but i feel she kinda builds from labyrinth to mastermind giving details about the relationship and ends up reflecting on it.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That’s fair! Mastermind and Sweet Nothing are pretty much interlocked for me, but I personally would have ended on Sweet Nothing than Mastermind just to showcase a transition from digital synth-y sounds back to a more grounded analog sounding closer about how she found someone who just wants to be there. It’d thematically tie with Lavender Haze and directly contrast the middle point Midnight Rain. I view Mastermind as sort of the big reveal gesture in a romcom where they both layout the cards and go for the big kiss while Sweet Nothing feels more like an epilogue where we see the happy couple just be before the credits close.

[@wdhyrhrj4414]

@@EljohnMacaranas I get what you're saying but I just think that putting Mastermind as the thirteenth track is also kinda like a fan service because I feel like that song is a callback from Taylor to her fans saying that she is that "crazy, over-scheming" lady, hence Mastermind, and her fans know that 13 is her favorite number.

[@calebmerillat9035]

hits different being the second coming of christ is reparations to swifties for the trauma of the lover era

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Hits Different genuinely outsold that whole album… and Midnights… it’s proof Aaron, Jack, and her together making pop would END everyone else.

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

I agree with the beginning part I literally get so turned off by critical receptions and massive discourse all over social media that can ruin my perception on the records this is what made me takes months to listen to Renaissance by Beyoncé but luckily with swifties the hype is a beautiful hype bc of the theories surrounding the sound. For about 2 weeks midnights have been my repeat I initially thought was conflicted on the first listen but the more I got into I got into the album more than before. Favorite tracks: Lavender haze Maroon Anti hero Snow on the beach You’re on your own kid Midnight rain Question Vigilante ish Sweet nothing Mastermind Karma

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yeah hype can ruin an album ahead of time, I personally try to avoid saying anything until like 2 weeks or so for giant albums. Smaller works by artists I can say definitively. Also glad you loved the album. I only really have like a good 8 tracks I revisit regularly on this one. Though to be fair Reputation and Red are the only Taylor records I can listen front to back whenever.

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

@@EljohnMacaranas yeah it seems like an album that takes time for me it took me time and I can say I definitely love it mainly bc I relates to its lyrics and the engaging production

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yeah I’m late but how did you REALLY feel about Midnights? Do you think her rollout was perfect? What didn’t you like?

[@MissDatherinePierce]

Hits Different really needs to hit streaming. We don't have Target in my country, so no chance to listen to it in full.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That’s awful, I hope she puts it up on streaming or on her website store ASAP

[@MissDatherinePierce]

@@EljohnMacaranas the website store is also US only. I tried to get the Anti-Hero accoustic version before it was released to streaming and couldn't. So streaming or a release to all platforms is really the only way international fans can get it.

[@E42545]

This is THE first deserved love for Question..? that I have seen and I’m so validated lol. We had similar timelines of which tracks grew in what order, but that was and remains my first listen favorite. If for no other reason than the very wise point you made at the end of the vid that “you have to be at a certain point in your life”, bc, gdamn that one hits emotionally for exactly the same but also entirely different reasons than Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I so agree! Also, Question…? deserves to get the depressing indie movie version of the music video How You Get the Girl was supposed to get! Aaaah! It’s cool to see someone with a similar ear for growing favorites! No joke, it’s v true that you sort of grow into Taylor’s discography. She and I are like nearly a decade apart in age so I find myself listening to her past records and going “OHHHH I get it now” Reputation specifically as I hit the age she was writing it hits different. Also omg WCS genuinely is an all-time Taylor track. It’s Dear John but written a decade after and looking back and going… “wow that hurt me in ways I hadn’t realized until just now.”

[@JoshuaSpieker]

Snow on the Beach is my favorite song on the record, but yes, I really wanted more Lana on it. My dream is for Taylor and Lana to collaborate on a full record one day.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’d love to see them do a joint record, likely with Jack but Dessner working with Lana would be a dream come true for me as well. If she had a full verse in the song, SoTB would be S-Tier for Midnights.

[@gnitpeohseluj]

I really liked your point about having a good debut single! I think a lot of people miss out of the depths of Taylor Swift, or think she's overrated because her lead pop lead singles have been so repetitive. I also liked the point about trimming down the album track list. It's fun to get all the bonus, cutting room floor tracks later, but having a cohesive, 45ish minute album is really fantastic. "Fearless" and "1989" both had 13 tracks and are her most Grammy-Awarded albums...

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh those lead singles do her SO dirty sometimes. And unfortunately, the general public usually uses those to gauge interest in the album. I do think the bonus tracks (while some of them are better than the standard version) needed to be trimmed to make an awards ready album. I would not be surprised if Midnights was nominated. Not sure about its winning chances (we can't predict who or what will drop in the next year) but it's a very solid contender for the trophy and for Taylor to win her second pop AOTY trophy would further solidify her reigning queen status in the genre.

[@verezul2983]

My first experience of listening to Midnights (along with 3am tracks), I knew that this would be a polarizing album, mainly due to the soundscape and the lyrics. Some people love the restraint, and some might expect a little bit more of hard-hitting element (and I think that's why they're calling the album mid), and some might like the 3am tracks more (which they did). I do have some songs that I wasn't just vibing with, mainly due to preference. But as a body of work, the standard edition is a solid pop thematic album, the sound appears cohesive front to back, and I believe this is what she wants to achieve with the selection of these songs and the lyrics as well. Very candid, conversational pattern of words and phrases. I totally on board with you. I kind of get it, why the 3am tracks did not make it to the standard tracklist even though some of her best writings are there and some people think that the songs should have been included in the standard. I believe that some reactions from producers or people who involve in music on KZbin (at least those that I have watched) who react to it also thinks that it is such a cohesive album. The lyrics may not have that poetic nuance that Folkmore have, and that might have disappointed those fans of the album in a way who might have just discovered Taylor's music through the records, but I think that longtime fans seem unfazed by it because that's just how she writes pop music from the get go. This has always been how she writes her pop music. She bends her Nashville-honed style of writing to fit into her mould of pop, not necessarily the general pop genre. The literary style of her songwriting worked on Folkmore because it fit the sound and the nature of both those albums. Longtime fans know that she switches her sound every time. Which brings this to the idea that Midnights is made for longtime fans of hers who know exactly how she operates her sound over the years. I think that a lot of people expect headbanging songs from her, but I want people to know that there are also a lot of people who may not be listening to head-on-the-wall bangers when having a lot of thoughts and pondering going on at midnight. This is the album that speaks to that. This is a grower album. It might not click now, but I truly believe this is going to be something like Rep in the near future. Love Jack and his experimentation always, but Aaron's production is *chef kiss*. I feel like Taylor and her writing are so at home whenever she's on the sound that Dessner produces.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thanks for the insightful comment. I love when people write a bunch because I started this channel to create discussion. Honestly, I think thematic is the right word to apply to the record. Like pop IS conversational, I'd argue the only genre more conversational than pop is rap! I think the 3am tracks were saved as like an insurance policy of sorts for the Folkmore stans who joined way late and expect tracks similar to that. Though honestly for the critical reception and I'm assuming the Grammy campaign, Midnights standard tracklist is curated, effective, and honestly brilliant. I would have mentioned it in the video but agreed on the lyrical observations you made. I think fans who were not present for the Red to 1989 transition are experiencing the second coming of that. Folklore and Evermore genuinely stuff as much syllables, words, and pictures into every second vs Midnights which emphasizes the rhythm, beat, and production in a way 1989, Rep, and Lover stans would recognize. I agree with the observation about Rep which has become a favorite of mine through time. Oh, Aaron's truly unmatched. "The Great War", "Would've, Could've, Should've", and "High Infidelity" as standalone songs are some of Taylor's best to date. Hits Different is a co-production between Antonoff, Swift, and Dessner and you can hear the magic of that combination.

[@verezul2983]

@@EljohnMacaranas I agree with what you said about 3am tracks. As much as they are so good, I have this feeling that they're being left out of the standard so that the standard would serve its purpose, which is sonic cohesiveness. Like the Dessner's tracks are incredible, but I think they just wouldn't gel with the standard if cohesiveness in sound and lyrics is what she tries to achieve. Hits Different sounds nostalgic, like the kind of music you would hear on romantic comedy movies during the 2000s .Glitch is so vibey and awesome (one of my favourites) but because it sounds the way it does, it feels very far out from the vibe she's going with the standard. But it's so awesome, very Ska, Island-like sound that hopefully she gives a try to explore in her future albums. If Taylor ever puts out a rock album in the future, I would like her to explore the sound, the kind of grittiness and rawness of Would've Could've Should've even more. That would be mind blowing for sure, and make a lot of people who are not happy now, happy hahaha! And I also agree with you on the Grammy campaign as well, which of course she is going for. The standard would be perfect to go in on such campaign. In fact, I think cohesiveness of the standard is the strongest selling point that the album has that may help the album go far. I think that what made Rep so polarising at the time because of its sound (and again, the lyrics), which a lot of people questioned why she chose to go for such sound and made the album sort of complicated to be comprehended (which wasn't, actually, if they could open up to it a little bit more). A lot of people, even critics, thought the album was messy and they thought she tried so hard at making the album hip and modern by using the sound that was popular at the time (Dubstep, hip hop, electronic etc.). But now, Rep stan is everywhere, and a lot of those people really backtracked on their criticism (I think Consequence apologised for giving Rep such a low score) and they now think that Rep is ahead of its time. I think Midnights will have this kind of reception as well over time. It's polarising for sure, but it will grow on people. Not to undermine 1989, tho. Of course 1989 is untouchable. But I think that the polarising ones are those that become examplary when it comes to legacy, especially hers. Red was polarising at the time as well because the criticism was more or less similar to Rep, and that was inconsistency in sound due to having pure pop and downright country algamated within an album. But now, Red is deemed one of her magnum opuses and such an influential, game-changing transitional record because it marked a seamless turn of her music and career from country to full on pop, and then ushered in her imperial phase with 1989 and she became a titan in the industry, which was unusual and also gamechanging during that period of time because people expected her to lose a lot of fans and support from the country community because of that.

[@sidhantkalia2556]

now that i think about it, this album is a perfect closure to her and joe's era. Whatever she learned musically while being with him

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I have an essay about that I’m posting on Friday actually! But agreed!

[@mal07]

i genuinely do not understand how maroon can’t be one of your favorite songs. it’s feels like reputation and 1989 had a baby and it’s SO GOOD

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It hit late for me (post recording the review which was 2 weeks post release haha) but I do like it quite a bit more. Listening to the lyrics, it resonates with a character I’m writing for a story I’m working on.

[@meretc]

It feels like RED & 1989 to me and I absolutely love that.

[@DESHPLEASE]

midnights (3am edition specifically) is the album that converted me and made me a swifty - I fell head over heals for this album I loved how cohesive the tracks flowed together and the overall theme and all the details in the production - jack and aaron are true geniuses in their own right and I personally think this is the album where taylor's songwriting is superb, and at it's best, especially lyrically and as a huge lana fan as well, I can def hear all the lana influences throughout and appreciate them. my fav tracks - The Great War, Would've, Could've, Should've but overall loved this whole album i'm going down a rabbit hole with all your vids - loving your content and your deep dives so much!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The 3am version is just so good like… The Great War was earth shattering for me. Then Dear Reader as the real closer 😭

[@DESHPLEASE]

@@EljohnMacaranas seriously. so many stand out lyrics. the way she's grown as an artist in just the past few years alone is not lost on me

[@noneapplicable1327]

Hits Different was my favorite too! Loved the video btw!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

ONE OF US! ANOTHER LOVER OF HITS DIFFERENT! THANKS!

[@Wizard608]

and then a year later, Cruel Summer redeemed the Lover era!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s insane how well even archival material is doing

[@onassa1478]

I LOVED YOUR REVIEW. I had been looking for a good review on this album because despite being a ten year swiftie, this album didn't blow my mind away and that troubled me a lot :v you captured my thoughts exactly, so thanks for that, you didn't blindly love it like a blind taylor fan, but also weren't harsh like a taylor hater, it was so well rounded, I finally feel satisfied now haha

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I feel like everyone who does reviews has tried to be radically positive or just unnecessarily critical. I think this album is a middle of the road (leaning positive) record that's really a grab bag of Taylor's best pop tricks (just not as fresh bc we've seen it before, sometimes better.) Glad to be the middle of road voice in all of this for you haha!

[@Charlie-jl3ur]

2:36 well, no mv for Cruel Summer but it has become a smash you and, let's be real, we all wanted ❤

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Full circle moment!

[@skaterdude14b]

When I watch your vids i feel dumb or smthn. I jus listen to music & vibe - I don’t think about lead singles vs. 2nd singles throughout her career. Am I an NPC? oh god..

[@EljohnMacaranas]

You aren’t lmao! I just treat pop girls the way straight dudes care about sports players with their batting averages and career highlights and shit.

[@Twineandribbon]

The standard release of this album was fun but still in the bottom half of Taylor's albums for me, sitting at maybe the bottom of the top half at best. The various bonus tracks however, seriously elevate the full experience. I think you nailed it that the reduced track list for the standard edition contributed a lot to the success and accessibility of the album, but once I started getting into the 3am and Till Dawn editions, the significance of the full deluxe album sky rocketed for me. I have only cried to one song before this album, and then I heard Bigger than the Whole Sky and You're Losing Me and each destroyed me, and I heard them months apart. The emotional punch this collection had has really stuck with me.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The bonus tracks have been the experience for me 😭

[@alohaisland9999]

I think Lavender Haze is an excellent opener for Midnights actually, I mean I am a huge Lavender Haze fan so maybe I am biased. I think with all the mystery surrounding Midnights hearing that low, pounding synth and the "meet me at midnight" sets you on course for a very interesting journey through Midnights. It does an excellent job establishing that the album is pop, it's dark, it's moody (for the most part) and all of that is told to you through Lavender Haze. This album is about confused romance, potential breakups, and tumultuous relationships and while Lavender Haze leans a bit more romantic on the surface, it has that uneasy bubbling of something is wrong when you know what a Lavender Haze is and how Taylor uses the phrase.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

In the context of the record and era and the tour itself, it works. I just never really clicked with it in the sense that I did for her earlier openers. I prefer it to something like I Forgot That You Existed.

[@JaimeNix_]

How do I listen to Hits Different?! I can’t find it anywhere 😢

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s on a few sites, I know someone uploaded the full song on TikTok, another person put it up on DBree, there was a lyric video on here with a link to the song in the description. It’s also on the lavender Target version!

[@nighthataketempest]

Maroon IS a favorite for me Snow of the beach as well idk

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That's fair! I feel like Reputation some of the songs I initially weren't jazzed on will grow on me while my initial favorites will lose their shine.

[@jimbob2427]

Maroon isn’t the closest we got to rep. Vigilante shit is rep pretty much

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Vigilante Shit feels like its a parody of Reputation's harder tracks for me. It's like a cartoonish caricature of Rep with dashes of era 1 Billie Eilish in there. Maroon was more in line with Dress and the subtler tracks like So It Goes which I honestly prefer over some of the other tracks.

[@constanza.iss03]

i didn’t love karma initially either, but i think that the more i listened to it the more i understood it!!! now it’s one of my favorite songs, the beat, the lyrics, the message, the energy it gives off. such a good song ❤

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh the little dance on tour is already a tiktok staple, it has longevity especially now as (likely) the final Midnights era single

[@lightbop]

Mastermind feels more like an epilogue than a closer. I feel like Sweet Nothing is the true closing track in that way.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That’s how I see it tbh! It’s still a great track but story wise it feels kinda redundant after Sweet Nothing

[@davisfinney7526]

I personally loved mastermind as a closer, solely for its bridge. I thought ending it with that admission/ realization really felt moving and felt like closure to an anxiety filled/ introspective midnight.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That tracks, it just kinda peters out at the end asking you to wait for more which we did get with the 3am tracks. Maybe that was deliberate.

[@davisfinney7526]

@@EljohnMacaranas Hmmm, maybe. Especially if she sees 3am as the true ending to the late nights and that there is only more is to come (later in the night)?

[@mickeyjean2895]

I love “snow on the beach” is classic Taylor paying homage to her country roots. If y’all really listen to her like y’all say, I think you guys would get it! In a lot of country songs most features sing vocals as a way to complement to the lead. My girl! Always wears her country on her sleeve. 😉

[@EljohnMacaranas]

She couldn't have given Lana a verse though? Or a chorus? Then again, Lana probably didn't care because she'd have a chance to collaborate with a fellow legend. I see the country homage but IDK when Lana fans heard this was finally happening, they were excited.

[@signofpeace7255]

@@EljohnMacaranas well I'm pretty sure lana agreed and wanted to do backup vocals ,she is not a kid if she wanted a verse she will do a verse. Come-on she is the LANA DEL RAY that we are talking about,+this song feels like a lana song so I can understand why they settled down with only backup vocals

[@andrikfelix6507]

@@EljohnMacaranas didn't lana sing the last chorus tho?

[@shannonoconnor1468]

I felt the opposite with karma vs snow on the beach; I liked karma at first but then it got old, I really didn’t like snow on the beach at first but after a few listens I love it

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think Karma is the Bad Blood of the record while Snow on the Beach is the This Love where like there's a lot of love and probably single treatment for one that peaks early, while the other accumulates fans over time

[@Sookielein]

To me bigger than the whole sky is more mourning about the woman she would/should and could have become if she never met this John guy. That sounded like a toxic relationship wich probably left her with issues that are still apperent aka the aftermath.

[@anisanurraudah8383]

I hope with the success of Midnights Taylor could move onto the next genre. Don't get me wrong, pop Taylor is incredible but Midnights, in my opinion, is a peak pop and just like folklore, there is nothing else she could do to top it hence moving on to the next genre is the right idea and I hope its going to be rock. Alternative rock. And dismissed Jack Antonoff but keep Aaron Dessner.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Hits Different was pop rock, I’d love for her to do proper alt rock and even touch pop punk on the next record. There was a mini resurgence for punk/rock sounds last year, some fans even thinking Midnights would be like that.

[@poemofmymind]

Was waiting for this!! I think Midnights is definitely a very ~atmospheric~ album. Not her best lyrical work (looking at you Karma and Vigilante Shit) but I like a lot of the tracks -- all of the 3am ones, Question...?, Bejeweled, Labyrinth, Lavender Haze, and Maroon. Ultimately though my favorite has to be Hits Different...I understand why it didn't make it because it's so sonically different but it's my favorite kind of Taylor Swift song, the kind you can really sing along to in the car. SO many people are leaving it out of their reviews but it's so so good. Also hashtag justice for Cruel Summer FOR SURE. I will never forgive Blondie for not making it a single. Amazing video!!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yesssss! We got a Hits Different truther in here! It’s such a classic Taylor song. Clean cut storytelling, visuals through lyrics, relatability, being able to sing it in a car on a long drive home. Sonically it’s so out there that it just really didn’t make sense to put on either version. But Target got so lucky getting that song. Yessss. The atmosphere of the album was impeccable. Lyrically, the album HAD to be a downgrade. I might make a video about it but doing pop proper like this, Lover, Rep and 1989 did… it takes a toll on your ability to stuff lines with syllables and words. You sacrifice a lot of word space for those choruses sadly. As for Cruel Summer… deserved the world. I hope she sings it every night on tour for the rest of her life. Hit that got away. Thanks sm for watching!

[@Ok-kx2te]

karma is amazing tf u mean

[@taylors4thcat647]

Do not diss vigilante shit in my presence ever again she’s amazing

[@valentinapaz3892]

I honestly agree with you in the fact that cruel summer deserves justice

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It needs a video or acknowledgment for being the smash that got away

[@ichokedonadoritoonce7670]

Omg just discovered your channel 😭😭 you're so articulate and hit the nail on the head with this review 👍

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Awwww thanks!

[@HollyPierce13]

Not looking to start a war in the comments, but I agree with you on Lavender Haze and Dear Reader as thematic album opener and closer, but maybe not in the way you were thinking. I personally feel like Lavender Haze holds a direct message to the "hetlors" of her fandom. Particularly in addressing the rumors of her and Joe being secretly married and telling them to back off. On the other hand I feel like Dear Reader holds a direct message to the "gaylors" of her fandom where she tells them that she is as out as she is comfortable being and they should find another guiding light. That was just what I got from first witnessing all the drama on TikTok and then listening to the album. Those two things really stuck out to me. P.S. I am a Lover stan and while I agree with some of your points, it hurts me how so much of the fandom shits on this album.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I personally go out of my way to NOT interact with or discuss that certain part of the fandom for many reasons. I find it's odd to speculate about an actual living person's preferences/life on that level and that while you can find queer themes in Taylor's works that doesn't quite make the author themselves... well... queer. All that being said, I don't think Dear Reader's outro allude to that specifically though so much as they echo Lorde's The Path where she's singing in general about idolatry. I'm sure some of the lines like "the greatest of luxuries is your secrets" allude to it. Lover was an extremely flawed era that looking back (especially with the Miss Americana documentary) felt like Taylor's "last grasp" at a huge pop era. Luckily with Folk-more, the rerecordings, and building up a more diverse coalition of listeners (younger ones who are brand new, indie/alt listeners who didn't take her seriously before the Dessner co-produced albums, TikTokers), she did get the era she wanted all along with Midnights.

[@HollyPierce13]

@Eljohn Macaranas While I understand why you would not want to discuss that part of the fandom; wisely, I'm sure; I think it's important to note that both sides and even people who live in the middle of those two groups do exist as part of the fandom. A large part, in my estimation. Taylor herself, being the mastermind that she is, knows that this part of her fandom exists. It seems entirely plausible to me that she would include messages to her fans in her work, knowing that everyone would be pouring over them. Also, this is not just some unhinged microsect of the fandom. There have been major articles from prominent sources about this very topic, including Rolling Stone, whom Taylor has a long and storied history with. Taylor, knowing all of this, could shut down any conversation about this topic with one sentence, and she chooses not to. It's also important to note that people speculate about her sexuality on both sides of this spectrum. Taylor has never shared her sexuality, nor is that a requirement, but those in the fandom who call her straight are speculating just as much as those who call her queer, because she has never told us. I appreciate your opinions on Lover, but it does not change my love for that album or era, which I think includes some of her greatest work.

[@tytylookup]

Taylor Swift is on her way to being one of the greatest musicians of all time. Up there with Elvis, The Beatles and Michael Jackson.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh for sure. She’s a commercial and critical darling!

[@mald379]

It's funny how i disagree with EVERYTHING you've said about the songs, but we both agree on Midnights being great.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think it’s funny how music criticism can have you end up with the same conclusion through different feelings like how math equations can be solved in a million ways! Haha

[@neeekoru]

lover is one of my top faves from taylor but i actually avoided the entire album for months bc i didn't enjoy the singles LOL after i gave it a chance i was like??? this album is great??

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Literally the single choices were messy AF. The first two misrepresented the album and were clear attempts at hits, the title track was a Grammy campaign song and The Man was too late to impact the charts. Meanwhile I Think He Knows, Cruel Summer, and other tracks were left to kinda die as fan faves we’re begging her to play on Eras Tour…

[@zachbernstein3804]

Gotta disagree with the take on Vigilante Shit. Not a Billie Eilish take, more of a reputation song on steroids.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That’s a fair comp! I just got the vibes of that ending for Bad Guy like the outro.

[@Sequoya]

Great vid, I appreciate that you waited and let it sink in before posting. I’m a late comer to her music, and it’s nice that i don’t know who she could be talking about. I do relate to her subject matter and I enjoyed this record a lot. It’s close to Portishead’s “Dummy” where you can play it at a party and know one would bat an eye at the darker undertones.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thanks! Honestly, I think waiting before posting something I’d be laughing at in a year’s time is a lesson I learned with some albums I talked about. I think Taylor’s relatability will always be her #1 asset (it’s why Rep sorta had a mixed initial reception before people realized they themselves could have a reputation era haha.) (Side note: Portishead! Yaaaaas! I love them so much!)

[@Chubbylito11]

Labyrinth, Midnight Rain, Lavender Haze, and Maroon are my fave

[@EljohnMacaranas]

You said ✨atmospheric✨

[@Branny7229]

That Cruel Summer part aged well.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’m so happy it did 😭

[@gracielaayala2226]

Yes hits different is 2000s vibesssss😊😊😊🎉🎉❤❤

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s wild because she started in the 2000’s so it’s full circle!

[@yomnaislam948]

wouldve couldve shouldve is definitely one of my favs on the album, john mayer, go to hell

[@EljohnMacaranas]

A classic! God… it’s very Evermore-coded! Also, agreed! Mayer was seen in town with…Kieran Shipka (who’s 22 and was recently Sabrina the Teenage Witch 😭)

[@yomnaislam948]

@@EljohnMacaranas he doesnt stop😓😓 i feel sorry for her

[@Loverera2023]

Paris is one of my favorite songs now, and probably will always be!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’ve been looping that all day haha! I love that one so much from the shape throwing opening to the bridge 💜

[@Loverera2023]

That and Paris (the city and the song) just calls to me. Everything about it. Super catchy too, and fun, and all that beauty Tay gives us!

[@apphilosophy79]

I got concerned when you started off criticizing the first few tracks (but I think you're right and thank god we got a new version of snow on the beach!), but yeah, you love You're on your own, kid, as much as I do. Thanks for another awesome review/essay!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thanks! I’ve come around a bit on Maroon actually! YOYOK is such an amazing track!

[@DanTheMan27]

I’m surprised you didn’t like Vigilante Shit. It’s one of my favorite tracks on Midnights. My other favorite is Lavender Haze. I guess my favorites are your least favorites 😝

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Hahaha that’s why taste is subjective. Those tracks were amazing live!