Full disclosure. I’m not a big Taylor Swift fan. I’m not into her music. That said:
1. Swift’s music isn’t for me
2. A Taylor Swift album release is big, so I at least have to care.
3. Swift has her own lane as a singer/star, and that’s really what success in the music business is all about.
So, because Swift is a behemoth, I write. I’m writing about her latest album, Midnights. Midnights could be swiftly (pun intended) described as, “Taylor Drops A Lot Of F-Bombs ON This Album.” I can’t remember her letting the swear words go on any of her previous albums like she does on Midnights. But, that’s a big part of the charm of this album. This is Swift’s “I’m a grown !@#$* woman now!” album. It’s not quite the line in the sand that Beyonce’s self titled 2013 album was, nor is it Janet Jackson’s nuclear hot Janet LP in 1993. But, it’s a big step for a singer known as a mostly family friendly artist. Midnights is also more atmospheric and synthesizer drenched than her last few collections. There is a real moodiness in Midnight's tracks.
The Grade: A-
Teacher’s Note: There’s a song on Midnights called Mastermind. That’s exactly who and what Swift is, a pop music/culture mastermind. She knows exactly what her fans want, and she knows they won't care what I have to say (write). The victory is Taylor’s.
