Early on in her career, Taylor Swift was infamous among the press as a “serial dater” and “heart-breaker,” titles she has mocked in songs and interviews, but that shaped her image for years.
Breaking the toxic influence of the press, Swift has come into her own in recent years and produced her most memorable eras. Swift has given her opinions about how the public treated her by throwing shade during interviews, writing badass songs and breaking the internet with iconic revenge outfits.
Drawing attention in more ways than one, Swift showed up to the 2022 MTV Awards wearing a gorgeous diamond dress. Though it may not have been made of real diamonds, it reminded fans of the jewel-filled bathtub in the “Look What You Made Me Do” music video, and of the dress Swift wore to the 2009 Video Music Awards.
At the VMAs in 2009, at the ripe age of 19, Taylor Swift won Best Female Video for her “You Belong With Me” music video. The young Swift was rudely interrupted by Kanye West as he ran on stage, grabbed the microphone out of her hands, and claimed that Beyoncé deserved the award over Taylor Swift. In the following years, and the following albums, Swift hinted at how upsetting that event was for her, and for good reason.
The song “Look What You Made Me Do” references the times in Taylor Swift’s life where she was criticized, looked down on, or told she wasn’t enough, and how those times made her stronger. The dress Swift showed up to the MTV’s in pays tribute to those times in her life. It was a revenge dress indeed.
Taylor Swift is also famous for putting hints and easter eggs in songs, music videos and Instagram posts, giving her fans too many sleepless nights to count. Her latest stunt was pulled during her acceptance speech for winning the Video of the Year Award for her unforgettable short film “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version).” Swift announced her brand new album “Midnights, the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life… Meet [her] at midnight,” interrupting the dialogue around her re-releases. Shortly after announcing it, Ms. Swift revealed more information about the album, at exactly midnight, on her social media platforms.
There have been numerous speculations about whether or not “Midnights” is going to be a sister album to “Lover,” if it was supposed to come out years ago, or if announcing this album almost exactly 13 (Taylor Swift’s lucky number) years after being embarrassed on stage is all part of Swift’s plan. No matter what her original wish was, the way it all worked out was so unbelievably perfect, it almost seems as if she’s been planning this day for 13 years.
Coming out Oct. 21, Swift promised that her new album will be full of “turmoil [and] tears…a journey through terrors and sweet dreams.” For anyone who’s faced any kind of heartbreak or deep disappointment, “Midnights” is bound to be another heart-wrenchingly beautiful album that will tear its listeners apart in the best way imaginable.
