Nearly a year after Taylor Swift released Red (Taylor’s Version), she once again took the music world by storm dropping her tenth studio album, Midnights, on October 21st, at, you guessed it: midnight. Fans staying up anxiously awaiting her announced 3am surprise, were gifted with seven more tracks which help make up the “3am Edition”. 

The thirteen initially announced tracks include: 

“Lavender Haze” 

This song gives listeners an inside look into Swift’s current relationship. She addresses the constant questioning by fans wondering when the two will get engaged. She refers to their pressure as something straight out of the 1950s, referencing the popular belief back then that people had to get married and settle down right away. 

Standout lyrics: 

“All they keep asking me is if I’m gonna be your bride” 

“Maroon” 

Taylor Swift is no stranger to writing about the color red, as she already has an entire album called Red. Maroon, a shade of red, is about a love story. The imagery within the song all centers around different shades of the color, including rust, scarlet, and burgundy, which are used to describe noteworthy moments of the relationship. 

Standout lyrics: 

“Carnations you had thought were roses, that’s us” 

“Anti-Hero” 

Anti-hero is a track defined by Swift’s self-criticizing attitude, admitting that she is no stranger to flaws. She sees herself as an anti-hero, a main character that lacks the traditional qualities of a hero, and how hard it must be for fans to feel like they need to constantly support her. 

Standout lyrics: 

“I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror” 

“Snow on the Beach” 

This song features another artist-Lana Del Rey. The pair sing of an instance in which two people fall for each other at the exact same time. They describe this occurrence as being rare, like “snow on a beach.” 

Standout lyrics: 

“Time can’t stop me quite like you did” 

“You’re on Your Own, Kid” 

This song is a love story as told by a young person yearning for love. However, she comes to the realization that she is alone, and what follows is her struggle with coming to terms with that loneliness. Throughout the song, Swift uses lyrics that evoke a sense of youth to contradict others that elicit a sense of maturity, including “from sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes.” 

Standout lyrics: 

“Everything you lose is a step you take” 

“Midnight Rain” 

“Midnight Rain” details a past relationship that ended because of Swift’s desire to pursue a career in music. She and the person described wanted completely different things in life, which also contributed to the breakup. Her ex “wanted it comfortable,” while Swift was “chasing that fame.” 

Standout lyrics: 

“My town was a wasteland full of cages, full of fences, pageant queens and big pretenders, but for some, it was paradise” 

“Question…?” 

Like “Midnight Rain,” “Question…?” is about a past relationship. What differs are the artist’s feelings toward the two relationships, with this one seeming to be a little more bitter. Like the title suggests, Taylor questions whether the other person feels if they are better off now with someone else, than with her. 

Standout lyrics: 

“Does it feel like everything’s just second-best after that meteor strike?” 

“Vigilante” 

Similar to “no body, no crime,” one of Swift’s past songs, this song dabbles in the lives of criminals. This addition to her repertoire follows Taylor and a woman working together to get revenge on the latter’s former partner, who seemingly committed some sort of crime.  

Standout lyrics: 

“Don’t get sad, get even” 

“Bejeweled” 

This song is about the narrator stating her self-worth, after not being treated right. Many of the lyrics perfectly fit the title, with mentions of the words shimmer, diamonds, and shine, all of which the songstress uses to describe herself. 

Standout lyrics: 

“Putting someone first only works when you’re in their top five” 

“Labyrinth” 

“Labyrinth” describes the feeling of falling in love again right after a heartbreak. Swift describes her mind as a labyrinth, which is a complex maze. This mirrors her thoughts and uncertainties toward falling in love again. She is skeptical, and unsure if things will turn out better this time around. 

Standout lyrics: 

“You know how much I hate that everybody just expects me to bounce back just like that” 

“Karma” 

Karma is one of Taylor Swift’s most written about topics in her songs. In this one, she views karma as a friend, and a good thing for her. However, she makes it clear that it might not be so friendly to those who wronged her. 

Standout lyrics: 

“Spider-boy, king of thieves, weave your little webs of opacity” 

“Sweet Nothing” 

When the rest of the world gets to be too much, Taylor knows she can fall back on her relationship, which is what “Sweet Nothing” is about. With the pressure she faces every day as a public figure, she finds peace and love in the moments with her partner. 

Standout lyrics: 

“And the voices that implore, “You should be doing more.” To you, I can admit that I’m just too soft for all of it” 

“Mastermind” 

Taylor has often been called a “mastermind, accused of being “calculating” and “scheming” due to her attention to detail and elaborate plans she often has for her career. She embraces that nature in this song, with mentions of fate and the question, “what if I told you none of it was accidental?”  

Standout lyrics: 

“No one wanted to play with me as a little kid, so I’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since, to make them love me and make it seem effortless” 

In addition to the songs mentioned above, the 3AM Edition includes these seven bonus songs: 

“The Great War” 

“Bigger Than the Whole Sky” 

“Paris” 

“High Infidelity” 

“Glitch” 

“Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” 

“Dear Reader”