I’ve always been a big fan of Taylor Swift, ever since my dad downloaded one of her albums, 1989, onto my outdated iPod when I was seven years old. I remember setting the album as my alarm sound, so every morning when I woke up for school, I was graced with the opening beats of the now-overplayed “Shake it Off.”

If you couldn’t tell, my love for Taylor Swift runs deep, so when she announced a new album and asked her fans to “meet her at midnight” during her 2022 VMAs speech, you could bet I was waiting up until midnight for whatever exciting surprise she had planned. 

While I was ecstatic about the announcement of Swift’s tenth album, a part of me worried: what if it wasn’t what I hoped for? What if I didn’t like it as much as I enjoyed her past albums, like Fearless or Red? Well, let’s just say I had no need to worry.

Admittedly, the first time I listened to the album at 12 a.m. on October 21, I thought that my fears had come true. Could I really dislike one of her albums after my long history as a fan? I felt a need to like the album, even if it was only for the loyalty to her music, which had been a part of my life for so many years. Not one to give up, I listened to the album for the rest of the week, and I can now say that Midnights is one of my favorite Taylor Swift albums. 

Many fans can agree with my positive feelings toward the album, and it shows. Swift has broken multiple records with the release of her 10th album, the most remarkable being that she is the first artist in history to occupy all 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100. While this is by far the most historical of the records that Midnights has broken, the album has also been credited as the best-selling album of 2022 so far, as well as Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day. 

And before the clock could even strike midnight on October 22nd, Taylor Swift broke the record for most-streamed album in a single day in Spotify history. Congratulations, @taylorswift13 ♥️ pic.twitter.com/FpHfhrkqWL

— Spotify (@Spotify) October 21, 2022

But what is the appeal of Midnights, and what’s so enjoyable about it that’s allowed it to break so many records within the first two weeks of its release? Its stark differences from Swift’s past albums may seem obvious, but something deeper is the cause of its immediate popularity worldwide. As Swift described in her announcement via Instagram, the album covers “the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life,” and it seems to pay homage to each of her past nine albums. The official Midnights album is made up of thirteen tracks, but including the seven bonus tracks of the 3am Edition, most listeners have had twenty different tracks to enjoy. Each track is unique in its own way, which provides the listener with an exciting mix of different emotions and moods as they move through the album.

Despite the contrast between each of the songs, Swift finds a way to blend the twenty distinctive tracks into one cohesive album that is almost unable to be classified into one genre. That’s what I think the appeal of the album is: there’s quite literally a song for everyone, and each song has the emotion and sound of one of her past albums. This new music allows her fans, and any listener, to reminisce on her older work, while the thoughtfulness of the lyrics lets them discover something mysterious and new. 

While it may seem at first that Track 1, “Lavender Haze,” is right out of Swift’s 2019 album, Lover, and Track 16, “Paris” right out of her fifth album, 1989, an indescribable component of each of these songs allows them to come together and create an original sound unlike any other music released by Swift before. Some may chalk this up to the artistic touch that’s come with age, as she was younger when recording her past albums, but I think it’s more than that. Each of these “sleepless nights” that Swift writes about in Midnights comes with a sense of sadness or regret, and I think that this sadder undertone is what makes the album so distinctive. 

Another distinguishing characteristic of Midnights is Swift’s use of her personal experiences, as Swift has put her biggest insecurities and vulnerabilities on display for the world, and it is clear that it has paid off. “Anti-Hero” symbolizes Swift being her own greatest enemy, while “You’re On Your Own, Kid” details the importance of living in the moment. The tracks describe a wide array of Swift’s experiences, but each is equally relatable for listeners of all ages. As she dives deeper into her personal insecurities and experiences, listeners are able to feel a closer connection to Swift and see – or hear – themselves reflected in the music. 

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing listen as you finish your homework, or a transformative experience as you give yourself the chance to rediscover who you are, Midnights is a must-listen and a definite 10/10.