Written by Hannah Ireland
Swifties have long wondered about singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s sleep schedule, with lines like “3 a.m. and I’m still awake” in “I Bet You Think about Me” and “It’s 2 a.m. in your car” in “I Wish You Would.” Earlier this semester, Taylor promised an answer of sorts when she announced her latest original album, “Midnights,” and the (Swiftie) world counted the days until the release. (There were 53, for those wondering.) The album hasn’t disappointed, either; while not her best work, it’s a new era with a unique blend of “Folklore” and “Evermore’s” folksy style and “Reputation’s” edgy pop, as some Swifties described it. It’s the perfect combination of musical styles and eras for an album of stories spanning the years since her debut album up until her most recent and longest relationship with actor Joe Alwyn. But just how many sleepless nights has this woman had? At least 20, according to this latest album, and those 20 have led to many, many more for Swifties worldwide. Taylor has several understandable reasons for the sleepless nights that inspired “Midnights,” listing things like heartbreak, what-ifs and revenge fantasies — you know, fairly run-of-the-mill stuff. From staying up wondering what might have happened if she’d stuck it out with one boyfriend in “Bigger Than The Whole Sky” to relishing the good karma she’s reaped and the bad karma she expects to fall upon her more prominent haters in “Karma,” Taylor explores one of the more commonly celebrated and debated aspects of the human experience: that of romance and heartbreak. The overarching factor, however, seems to be the common thread of overthinking we see woven through many of her lyrics (and not just in “Midnights”). In “Anti-Hero” she sings, “I should not be left to my own devices / They come with prices and vices / I end up in crisis”; in “Question…?” she asks a past lover to confirm her suspicions about his behavior and whereabouts on a particular night. I could go on, but since I’m sure you’ve either already listened to the album 27 times since its release or have heard more than you ever wanted to know about it from your friends, I’ll stop there. The point is that Taylor is a self-documented overthinker, often falling prey to the same imagination that put her on the top of the charts to begin with. Self-awareness is the first step to recovery from overthinking and the first to the ultimate goal of getting Swift — and therefore her fans — a good night’s sleep. Somehow, though, I don’t see that happening anytime soon, not while sleepless nights and midnight album releases bring Taylor as much money and attention as any star naturally appreciates. In conclusion, our best bet as exhausted Swifties is to grab some caffeine and truck through until the next album comes along. And hey, you can always listen to “Midnights” again while you’re at it.
