Grab your magnifying glass, sign up for TikTok, and infinite scroll through Twitter — it’s time to unpack Taylor Swift‘s Midnights era. “Swifties” know the drill, but if you’re new here, Taylor develops a Clue-like adventure game for every album release. Why is she holding the phone upside down? Why is she sitting in front of a dresser? Is this a secret tour announcement? A feature announcement? From “hidden” messages on TikTok to rumors of a stadium tour, here’s everything we know about Taylor’s Midnights era, releasing Friday, October 21.
Yes, there are really 13 songs on the album. Are you surprised? In a string of cryptic TikTok announcement videos, Taylor listed the track titles while holding a — sometimes — upside-down rotary phone. “Anti-Hero” is the lead single and the music video will also release on Friday, October 21. The album’s total runtime hits 44 minutes.
Lavender Haze (3:22)
Maroon (3:38)
Anti-Hero (3:20)
Snow on the Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey) (4:16)
You’re On Your Own, Kid (3:14)
Midnight Rain (2:54)
Question…? (3:30)
Vigilante Shit (2:44)
Bejeweled (3:14)
Labyrinth (4:07)
Karma (3:24)
Sweet Nothing (3:08)
Mastermind (3:11)
You can watch the entire “Midnights Mayhem” TikTok series on Taylor’s official page.
You can listen to Midnights and Midnights (3am Edition) on Spotify below:
While Twitter news is best taken with a grain of salt, some outlets are reporting Taylor (and other high-profile pop artists) will embark on a 2023 worldwide stadium tour. She more or less confirmed these rumors for her UK fans, stating in an email they can “pre-save [the album] to get a special presale code for forthcoming and yet to be announced Taylor Swift UK show dates.”
With over five years since her Reputation tour and the public’s decision they “no longer hate Taylor Swift” (cue eye roll), we anticipate high demand for the Midnights touring era. Fans are still bummed about the canceled Lover Fest, a planned worldwide tour in support of Lover that was postponed and later canceled due to COVID-19. This tour would’ve been Taylor’s first official concert in Brazil and her first visit to Denmark, Portland and Portugal.
Since COVID, in lieu of touring, Taylor released two albums (folklore and evermore) and re-recorded her stolen work, including Red (Taylor’s Version) and Fearless (Taylor’s Version). While she won’t be touring these albums specifically, we wouldn’t be shocked if she throws in a few songs from these unforgettable records. I mean, let’s be honest, she has to play the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” in stadiums, right?
Although we have no confirmation of US tour dates, maybe we’ll hear an announcement this week during Taylor’s “chaotic” surprise.
Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna are all reported to be touring in 2023. pic.twitter.com/I4jLoB58gt
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 13, 2022
If you haven’t kept up with Swift-tok or Instagram, and we don’t blame you because there’s a lot to ingest, Taylor released a schedule for this week’s album release. Aside from days where she politely asks fans to stream the album and watch the music videos (and maybe visit your local record store), below are the official releases and appearances for the Midnights album release:
Reminder to set your clocks, mark your calendars, and prepare for some sleepless nights ahead! 🕰 #MidnightsManifest https://t.co/2LLcXjnSQt pic.twitter.com/7SKZKlqwtR
— Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) October 17, 2022
You’ll notice no tour announcement listed on this schedule, which is why the 3 am chaotic surprise seems like the most obvious spot for one. Although Ticketmaster’s former CEO subtweeted Taylor about this surprise, he later claimed he “knows nothing.”
According to one inside, “reliable” source, Taylor’s tenth studio album has “experimental and alternative pop production with a quirky sound, similar to Lorde’s Melodrama.” We’re imagining a mix of 1989 and reputation, although it’s Taylor Swift so we should anticipate something entirely new.
One thing we’re pretty certain about is Midnights will stray from the airy, acoustic nature of folklore and evermore. Taylor mentioned these were “quarantine” albums and while she may play a few songs on tour, that era seems to be complete.
In another string of announcements of “things that kept her up at night,” Taylor announces the five ideas that inspired the new album. So far, we know self-loathing and fantasizing about revenge are two of those ideas, and she’ll continue to announce the rest throughout release week. Accompanying these ideas are billboards with single lyrics, like “I should not be left to my own devices” and “I polish up real nice.”
We’ll continue to post updates and news as Taylor continues her mystery puzzle throughout release week.