For many Taylor Swift fans across the world, they know this feeling ‘all too well’. As the clock struck 12 on October 21, 13 songs on the new ‘Midnights’ album were released to the world. Music apps immediately crashed, and the artist’s streams went through the roof. Three hours later, Swift announced an unexpected twist, an extra seven songs being added to the album. Since ‘Midnights’ is the first fully new album the artist has released since 2020, fans across the world anticipated the release. Here at Steinbrenner, some students showed their inner ‘swiftie’ on release day by wearing merchandise such as cardigans.  

“I had a listening party with my friends at midnight planned out, and listening to Bejeweled together was my favorite part,” added junior Abbie Grace Flohr. 

As fans started to stream the album, some things stuck out to them, from moments in specific tracks to the stories behind the songs. Swift describes a fan favorite ‘Anti-Hero’ as a song about self-loathing in which she, in detail, describes her insecurities and struggles. After listening to the album, many have thought that the songs give off the same aura as two other albums, ‘Reputation’ and ‘Lover’. Despite these similarities, many tracks felt very different from Swift’s past nine albums. 

“I think my favorite was definitely Anti-Hero, I really loved the chorus. It felt different from everything else she usually writes,” pointed out sophomore Kathryn Hill.  

Since Friday, Swift’s album has already become a legacy, with records broken such as most streamed album on release day. With the popularity of the album, speculations of a tour began rising. Swift announced ‘The Eras Tour’ on November 1 which is going to be her first one since her sold-out Reputation Stadium Tour nearly four years ago. Since then, fans have been preparing in numerous ways for this ‘great war’. 

“I’ve done as much as I can right now, but I’m still pretty scared about getting [tickets]. I signed up mine, my mom’s, and my dad’s TicketMaster accounts just to be safe,” said Senior Abigail Goering. 

Besides touring in 2023, Taylor Swift fans are unsure on what to expect from her future. Focusing in on what the fandom calls “easter eggs” through social media and music videos, some fans believe another re-recording could be coming soon. Despite these possibilities, new content is yet to be confirmed. 

Ava Combs // News Editor

Alyssa Galang // Staff Writer