Re-Rank It: "Midnights" - Taylor Swift

A year after Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” took the world by storm, CommRadio’s Sophia D’Ovidio looked back at her original ranking of “Midnights” and reassessed it after having the album for a year.

Since the original release, which was immediately followed by a “Midnights (3 AM Version),” Swift continued to release the “Midnights (Till Dawn Edition)” and “Midnights (Late Night Edition).”

The following ranking will include any song Swift has put on any version of “Midnights” thus far.

23 - “Karma” (featuring Ice Spice)

This pairing was surprising, but the spot it landed on this list is not.

“Karma” is a banger. This song was wrong for this feature, and production decisions set both Swift and Ice Spice up for failure.

This is my guilty pleasure song, though, sorry.

22 - “Question…?”

It’s upsetting that producer Jack Antonoff and Swift decided to sample one of their best collaborations (“Out of the Woods”), and the outcome was this boring.

21 - “Midnight Rain”

This will get blowback, and it might be the biggest fall from my original rankings.

I’ve never been able to really enjoy this song. I don’t think it should’ve made the setlist for “The Eras Tour,” either.

20 - “Snow on the Beach” (featuring Lana Del Rey)

This song grew on me, but if you read more, you can figure out why it stayed this low.

19 - “Vigilante Sh*t”

Yes, this performance during “The Eras Tour” is beyond iconic.

It still sounds out of place on the original 13-track album, which is otherwise relatively sonically cohesive.

18 - “Dear Reader”

My original last place. I was wrong.

This harrowing song provides insight into Swift’s inner monologue more than most songs in her discography.

17 - “Bigger Than The Whole Sky”

Objectively, this song should be higher, but the lyrics are so tragic that it’s hard to listen to unless you want to be really sad for a while.

16 - “Lavender Haze”

I like this song when I want to listen to “Midnights,” but I don’t go out of my way to play it independently—still a great album opener.

15 - “Glitch”

I fear I ranked this one too low this time last year. The beguiling vocals and sultry atmosphere make this a unique track from Swift that only gets better upon re-listens.

14 - “Paris”

This song captures your attention from the jump and is so addictive you can’t not sing along.

13 - “Anti-Hero”

Believe it or not, the song that was once the biggest in the world has gotten old.

12 - “Maroon”

This is an absolute fan favorite, so I’m not sure how it falls right in the middle of this list. I thought it would be higher because it’s such a great song.

I’m sorry, guys, but I have to speak my truth.

11 - “Bejeweled”

I don’t know if this song was overplayed by the world or just me.

Despite my profound veneration for the message behind this song, it also falls victim to the same popular song fatigue “Anti-Hero” does.

10 - “Labyrinth”

This song is euphonious with its seraphic production and dazzling vocals. This sound, paired with callously honest lyrics, perfectly conveys Swift's apprehensiveness of falling in love.

9 - “Snow On the Beach” (featuring more Lana Del Rey)

The re-done release that included a proper feature from Lana Del Rey takes a song I was too harsh on from one of my favorite tracks on this album.

Del Rey’s vocal delivery is perfectly lush. The way the two play off one another is a much better way to convey the lyrics of both songstresses expertly created.

8 - “The Great War”

Swift is such a storyteller. As much as people know that her lyricism is her forte, Aaron Dessner knows how to produce her ability to chronicle in such an exceptional way.

7 - “You’re Losing Me”

I do have the CD, so I am one of the few who have the privilege to listen to the only song on this list unavailable on streaming.

With lyrics such as “I wouldn’t marry me either / A pathological people pleaser / Who only wanted you to see her,” it’s one of Swift’s most tortuously heartbreaking songs. She details falling out of love in a way very few have been able to as articulately.

6 - “Sweet Nothing”

Knowing what events have transpired in the year since this song was released, it’s sometimes hard to listen to.

Swift thrives in her rare ability to string together simple lyrics to create an elegant story and song.

5 - “Karma”

The closer to “The Eras Tour” is just pop-perfection. It’s the song from the album that even non-Swifties can’t help but bop along.

4 - “Hits Different”

For a while, this track wasn’t available on streaming, but it is now, and that is truly a gift. Swift’s ability to paint a picture and craft a bridge is genuinely unparalleled.

3 - “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve”

Sometimes Swift writes songs that hurt my feelings so much I sometimes wish she kept it to herself. Not really, though.

Swift structures this tale of the destruction of her innocence and girlhood in a way that is stupefying and glorious. It’s a challenging listen if you can relate, but it's an addicting song.

2 - “You’re On Your Own, Kid”

Just a masterclass of storytelling. Swift is giving the world an intimate insight into her now 17-year-long career.

1 - “Mastermind”

The power this song holds is unrivaled. Swift paints such a vivid and captivating picture with this one, and Antonoff’s production skyrockets the original album closer to sitting comfortably at number one.

Sophia D’Ovidio is a third-year majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact her, email sgd5184@psu.edu.