As I am sure you all know, Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour has been in full swing for about three weeks. For all those who managed to get tickets, it has looked like so much fun! I’m not jealous. For the rest of you all, we can still have our fun at home. I have been listening to Taylor’s newest album Midnights recently and came up with a little experiment we can all partake in. In the spirit of Eras, let’s go through the songs on her newest album and try to fit them into one of her past eras! You can try this at home of course but for ease, I will choose one song for each era and go with the one I think works best. Let’s get started!
Taylor Swift – N/A
I could have done a lot of mental gymnastics to try and fit one of the songs here. However, I will not be doing that. My apologies. No songs from Midnights come close to sounding like a song from her debut. Nothing comes close to the acoustic country pop of that era. Sorry Swifties, this is the only one I’ll be doing this for. Let’s start the list properly now with the next album.
Fearless – “Bigger Than The Whole Sky”
The 3am Edition track “Bigger Than The Whole Sky” is leads us properly in our list for our Fearless era pick. Fearless was the second most challenging era to find a similar song. This song sounds more like a From the Vault song on Taylor’s Version of Fearless. The song has a much somber and slower version of “Bye Bye Baby” feel to it. It’s almost as if you mix the Fearless era with her more recent Folklore or Evermore eras.
Speak Now – “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”
Next, we have another 3am deluxe song with “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve” for the Speak Now era. Let’s get this out of the way: this song is clearly about John Mayer from “Dear John.” It follows many of the same themes and even calls back to how she was 19 while dating Mayer. With songs like “Dear John,” this era of Taylor’s was also the beginning of a lot of reflection and pushback in her music. This, alongside its general sound, helps it easily slide into that era.
red – “Maroon”
With our first original 13, we have the track “Maroon” as our pick for the Red era. It seems like a cheap pick to throw in the song named after a shade of red, but this song fits in well. If you dive into the lyrics, it feels like a genuine successor to the title track of the Red era. It is almost like a more grown-up version showing the progression of that story. It shows how that ‘red’ passionate love was still there even in the end. But it is a bit darker and sad now, hence the maroon.
1989 – “Question…?”
For our 1989 era, we have track number seven on Midnights, “Question…?” This match-up comes down to several similarities this song has with two tracks off of 1989: “I Wish You Would” and “Out of the Woods.” For the first song, the vibe and cadences of the tracks fit well together. If you start singing one of them, you could easily trip up and start singing the other without knowing. For the second song, track seven interpolates it in the intro. Plus, the two songs have a very similar subject matter, with Taylor reminiscing on an old relationship that has since ended.
Reputation – Vigilante Shit
Continuing our list, we have “Vigilante Shit” fitting perfectly into the Reputation era. This one is the most straightforward pick on the list. It is also the one that started the whole list. Think of the Reputation sound with songs like “…Ready For It?” or “Look What You Made Me Do,” then look at the title for this song. It’s a no-brainer. The first time I heard “Vigilante Shit,” I instantly thought it sounded like a Reputation era leftover. The revenge fantasy badass-sounding Taylor just fits into that era like a glove.
Lover – “Lavender Haze”
Our first song on Midnights, “Lavender Haze,” slides in to take over the Lover era. The Lover era is the most underrated era in my opinion. I love it so much and think it deserves more attention. “Lavender Haze” hits all the marks for aesthetic, sound, and themes for melding into the Lover era. If you told me this was a song from that album, I would have no problem believing you. It has that same ethereal airy feel of tracks like “False God” and a strikingly similar sound to “I Think He Knows.”
Folklore – “Snow On The Beach feat. Lana Del Rey”
For the fan-favorite Folklore era, we have the Midnights ‘collaboration,’ a term used loosely in “Snow On The Beach” with Lana Del Rey. Folklore was a refreshing sound to hear for Taylor Swift fans when it dropped in 2020. It was a lot more stripped-back and somber while still sounding elegant. “Snow On The Beach” is a slow ballad that feels like it could stand alongside songs like “cardigan” or “mirrorball.” Next time, let’s hear a little more Lana, though.
Evermore – High Infidelity
Rounding out the list, we have “High Infidelity” for Folklore’s sister era Evermore. Evermore and Folklore share many sonic similarities and aesthetics, but I tried to choose picks for both that felt more distinct to their sounds. “High Infidelity” fits into that Evermore sound a lot more. It has a bit more of a pop tinge to it, like Evermore did, and shares a lot of the same motifs in the storytelling. Namely, in the title, infidelity in relationships.
That was fun! See guys? We don’t need some lame once-in-a-lifetime tour to have a good time. I would love to know what other songs you guys think would fit into these different eras. Let me know in the replies, or leave a comment on Instagram. Take care!