Silence inundates your house, with only a minimal glow from the moon peering through the window, your headphones resting patiently in your awaiting ears. 11:59 PM turns to 12:00 AM, and the first beat of “Lavender Haze” amplifies.

   An echoed whisper of “Meet me at midnight” sent chills down the spines of Taylor Swift fans who tuned in to her 10th studio album Midnights last Thursday night. The album’s release comes just over a month after being announced and nearly two years since the arrival of her last entirely new body of work, Evermore. Fans’ anticipation for the album rose with every teaser and easter egg that was bundled with Swift’s “Midnights Mayhem with Me” TikTok series, in which she revealed each of the 13 song titles. 

   The distinct dark pop, synth-filled, 1989 and Reputation inspired-album overflows with Taylor Swift’s vulnerabilities. As each of the upbeat, storytelling tracks pass on, the clock hands continue to shift, and opinions begin to brew. Fans like Avery Appio are “in love with” the deep, insightful lyrics, catchy melodies, and as always, her acclaimed bridges. As Swift has developed into a broader, more experienced artist, the Pines Charter senior treasures “the master lyricism that the album obtains.” Although junior Natalia Klatt expresses that the songs still “weren’t as upbeat as [she] likes,” she still appreciates how “relatable” many of the songs are, with a great liking for “Maroon” in particular.

   And just when listeners thought they could tuck themselves in and call it a night after the final chords of “Mastermind” conclude, her “3am Surprise” is recalled.

   Struggling to keep their eyes open, fans find themselves waiting for the clock to read 3:00 AM the same way they did for 12:00 AM just a few moonlit hours prior. The Instagram logo glows through dimmed rooms, and Taylor Swift’s post loads, revealing the unexpected delivery of seven new songs: The “3am Tracks.” These songs reveal “more of our creative process” her caption reads, providing listeners with a similar experience as the releases of her From the Vault Songs, from her preceding albums. “I was absolutely astounded,” Avery reveals her elation as she played the additional songs to continue the chapters of the story she already loved. “Those tracks genuinely do complete and allow the overall sound of the album to flourish,” she expresses undoubtedly. 

   Ranging from piano melodies, as heard in Sweet Nothing, to the mystic aura created in Snow on the Beach featuring Lana Del Rey’s light, fulfilling vocals, Midnights represents various overthinking nights throughout Taylor Swift’s journeys of love, struggles…and a little “karma.” Breaking records and even crashing Spotify along the way, Midnights continues its chain of releases, with music videos for Anti- Hero and Bejeweled debuting this past week– and more expected from the visual album soon.