Everyone should know by now that when Taylor Swift gets on stage, it’s always something to talk about. The MTV awards on August 28th this year were no exception. When Swift got on stage to receive her award for Video of the Year, she announced that her new album, Midnights, would release on October 21.

Swift is also known for her infamous ability to leave easter eggs in everything from her songs, to merchandise, to social media posts. She strings her fans along until the very last second. For her 10th album, she introduced her own “game show” titled “Midnight’s Mayhem with Me” and revealed one track title per video using a bingo ball cage to choose which song to announce — there are 13 songs in total, on theme with Taylor Swift’s lucky number being 13.

Folklore and Evermore were released in 2021 so fans were delighted that she is keeping up with her habit of releasing albums every two years. As Swift also released her new versions of Red and Fearless late last year, she has been very busy and people could not be happier.

Now, did Swift just announce the songs and move on with her life leaving nothing to be interpreted? Of course not. Different videos showed her holding the phone she uses to announce the songs upside down, playing radio static for some reveals, or pointedly laughing. While this may seem inconsequential to some, her fans know not to underestimate her actions.

One of her biggest reveals was that her song “Snow On The Beach” features Lana Del Ray, another hit artist of our generation. Another source of excitement came when she announced “Karma,” which is speculated to have been the title of a never-released album.

The 3 am tracks added a whole other element of surprise. Now the world has twenty new songs to enjoy instead of the anticipated thirteen.

All of Swift’s albums have had very specific themes, coming from different stages of her life. For example, the Fearless album encapsulates the teenage experience of first love and innocence. The theme for the Midnight’s album is the stories of thirteen nights she spent awake, and the good and the bad that occur in those nights when we just can’t sleep.

Now, as a devoted Taylor Swift fan of many years, I feel qualified to give my honest thoughts on the album. When I first listen straight through the album on Thursday at midnight I could not help but feel like it perfectly encaptured the feel Swift was going for. There were tones of sadness, defiance, wonder, insecurity, and revenge all tied together in a beautiful way as she showed the complexities of human feelings. It almost felt like a culmination of themes from her other albums. Certain songs felt like they could fit with other albums (for example, “Vigilante Shit” for the Reputation fans) and I have heard many people saying the album is like if 1989, Folklore, Reputation had a child.

Midnights truly made me feel like she was opening up to her fans on a deeper level, offering a sincere and honest reflection of her thoughts and life. “Anti-Hero” particularly struck me as she revealed her deepest insecurities and flaws in a way I think almost shocked many fans. Personally, my favorites are “Maroon,” “Midnight Rain,” and “Mastermind,” but I think the fact I have heard a wide variety of songs being people’s favorites is further proof of the album’s success.

I can’t wait to see what this new era brings as we continue to listen to the album and hear Taylor Swift’s own thoughts on each of her pieces.