Taylor Swift - "Midnight Rain"

[Juan Carlos]

Track #6 from Midnights. Revealed on TikTok.

[fearlessarrow]

Top 50 on AC.

-- 50 TAYLOR SWIFT Midnight Rain 10 0 10 0.030

[Juan Carlos]

Added as a FYC to Pop radio programmers. If it's taken into consideration that "Lavender Haze" has been officially announced as the second Pop single from the album, I'm going to keep this thread here until it enters the Top 50 in this format.

[Au$tin]

Saw a video the other day of someone breaking down the songwriting in the chorus of this and they made a great observation with the rhyme scheme/melody in the four lines.

"Rain, he wanted it comfortable I wanted that
Pain, he wanted a bride I was making my own
Name, chasing that fame, he stayed the
Same, all of me changed like midnight"

Rain, pain, name, fame, and same are all part of the rhyme scheme. But in the third line, she waits a sixteenth note later to say "name." Meanwhile, "name" and "fame" are sung by going down whereas "rain," "pain," and "same" are all sung by jumping up to the note. This is to emphasize how the "he" in the song stayed the same while she went on to change and "make her own name." A f**king brilliant observation I never would have caught onto.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Nov 29, 2022 14:25:33 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

Saw a video the other day of someone breaking down the songwriting in the chorus of this and they made a great observation with the rhyme scheme/melody in the four lines.

"Rain, he wanted it comfortable I wanted that
Pain, he wanted a bride I was making my own
Name, chasing that fame, he stayed the
Same, all of me changed like midnight"

Rain, pain, name, fame, and same are all part of the rhyme scheme. But in the third line, she waits a sixteenth note later to say "name." Meanwhile, "name" and "fame" are sung by going down whereas "rain," "pain," and "same" are all sung by jumping up to the note. This is to emphasize how the "he" in the song stayed the same while she went on to change and "make her own name." A f**king brilliant observation I never would have caught onto.

There’s a guy on Tiktok doing a lot of these videos about the songs on the album and just the amount of detail in the actually songwriting and structure and how the melody, rests, notes, and time feed into the lyrics themselves and vice versa. Is it all intentional and deliberate? Maybe, but the observations are convincing me she’s a literal genius and I want evidence of how other songwriters do things like this in their music - if they even do.

[theflying]

That stuff is both intentional and reflects Taylor’s specificity when it comes to her song-craft, but it’s also not really “genius”, those are just things you do when you’re being very detailed in your work.

[theflying]

Nov 29, 2022 14:30:14 GMT -5 Devil Marlena Nylund said:

Nov 29, 2022 14:25:33 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

Saw a video the other day of someone breaking down the songwriting in the chorus of this and they made a great observation with the rhyme scheme/melody in the four lines.

"Rain, he wanted it comfortable I wanted that
Pain, he wanted a bride I was making my own
Name, chasing that fame, he stayed the
Same, all of me changed like midnight"

Rain, pain, name, fame, and same are all part of the rhyme scheme. But in the third line, she waits a sixteenth note later to say "name." Meanwhile, "name" and "fame" are sung by going down whereas "rain," "pain," and "same" are all sung by jumping up to the note. This is to emphasize how the "he" in the song stayed the same while she went on to change and "make her own name." A f**king brilliant observation I never would have caught onto.

There’s a guy on Tiktok doing a lot of these videos about the songs on the album and just the amount of detail in the actually songwriting and structure and how the melody, rests, notes, and time feed into the lyrics themselves and vice versa. Is it all intentional and deliberate? Maybe, but the observations are convincing me she’s a literal genius and I want evidence of how other songwriters do things like this in their music - if they even do.

Do you have the @?

[born]

Nov 29, 2022 14:30:14 GMT -5 Devil Marlena Nylund said:

There’s a guy on Tiktok doing a lot of these videos about the songs on the album and just the amount of detail in the actually songwriting and structure and how the melody, rests, notes, and time feed into the lyrics themselves and vice versa. Is it all intentional and deliberate? Maybe, but the observations are convincing me she’s a literal genius and I want evidence of how other songwriters do things like this in their music - if they even do.

That's a great point. Sometimes I feel like I credit her for so many crazy Easter eggs, business moves and great songwriting moments that might be random coincidences... but I also would believe her if she said they were intentional. Does that make sense? I believe she's that smart & meticulous so it wouldn't surprise me if those moments were a product of her genius, but also, sometimes I feel like things just happen to line up.

[theflying]

Nov 29, 2022 14:41:17 GMT -5 born said:

Nov 29, 2022 14:30:14 GMT -5 Devil Marlena Nylund said:

There’s a guy on Tiktok doing a lot of these videos about the songs on the album and just the amount of detail in the actually songwriting and structure and how the melody, rests, notes, and time feed into the lyrics themselves and vice versa. Is it all intentional and deliberate? Maybe, but the observations are convincing me she’s a literal genius and I want evidence of how other songwriters do things like this in their music - if they even do.

That's a great point. Sometimes I feel like I credit her for so many crazy Easter eggs, business moves and great songwriting moments that might be random coincidences... but I also would believe her if she said they were intentional. Does that make sense? I believe she's that smart & meticulous so it wouldn't surprise me if those moments were a product of her genius, but also, sometimes I feel like things just happen to line up.

A thousand percent these are intentional. It’s just not as mind-blowing as you make it seem. Most poets who are paying attention to rhythm do this.

[HamedM1 💔]

All I'm saying is that if this ain't pop single #3 after Lavender Haze, I am suing her.

[Maximillian]

Nov 29, 2022 16:34:44 GMT -5 HamedM1 💔 said:

All I'm saying is that if this ain't pop single #3 after Lavender Haze, I am suing her.

Class action law suit

[getouttamyway]

This doesn't need to be a single, it's doing well on streaming but so were End Game and The Man after release and we all know how that turned out. Let it remain a cute fan favourite album track like Cruel Summer or August and instead release Bejeweled as the third single followed by Karma.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Nov 29, 2022 15:25:41 GMT -5 theflying said:

Nov 29, 2022 14:41:17 GMT -5 born said:

That's a great point. Sometimes I feel like I credit her for so many crazy Easter eggs, business moves and great songwriting moments that might be random coincidences... but I also would believe her if she said they were intentional. Does that make sense? I believe she's that smart & meticulous so it wouldn't surprise me if those moments were a product of her genius, but also, sometimes I feel like things just happen to line up.

A thousand percent these are intentional. It’s just not as mind-blowing as you make it seem. Most poets who are paying attention to rhythm do this.

If it’s okay with you, I’ll probably continue being mildly impressed by it though.

[theflying]

Dec 5, 2022 10:07:17 GMT -5 Devil Marlena Nylund said:

Nov 29, 2022 15:25:41 GMT -5 theflying said:

A thousand percent these are intentional. It’s just not as mind-blowing as you make it seem. Most poets who are paying attention to rhythm do this.

If it’s okay with you, I’ll probably continue being mildly impressed by it though.

I just think…a lot of acclaimed albums have quite a lot of attention to how the melody, rests, notes, and time feed into the lyrics themselves and vice versa.

It’s just less common for pop artists because most are so young, or by the time they’ve been in the industry long enough, they either fade away or aren’t trying as hard anymore.

It’s also hard for us to notice until someone points it out.

[Au$tin]

I don't get it. Criticize Taylor and theflying gets mad. Praise Taylor and theflying doesn't think it's deserved. What do you want??

[Envoirment]

Nov 29, 2022 16:34:44 GMT -5 HamedM1 💔 said:

All I'm saying is that if this ain't pop single #3 after Lavender Haze, I am suing her.

Yes please! It sounds like a good transition song from winter to spring as well. Push it to radio February/March 2023. Then release "Karma" as the late spring/summer bop.

[getouttamyway]

Dec 5, 2022 14:24:39 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

I don't get it. Criticize Taylor and theflying gets mad. Praise Taylor and theflying doesn't think it's deserved. What do you want??

This took me out, not the direct namedrops  

[NeRD]

I like this but I see Bejeweled or Karma working better as the next single.

[theflying]

Dec 5, 2022 14:24:39 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

I don't get it. Criticize Taylor and theflying gets mad. Praise Taylor and theflying doesn't think it's deserved. What do you want??

Lol.

It’s not about that.

Sometimes I feel like I credit her for so many crazy Easter eggs, business moves and great songwriting moments that might be random coincidences... but I also would believe her if she said they were intentional. Does that make sense? I believe she's that smart & meticulous so it wouldn't surprise me if those moments were a product of her genius, but also, sometimes I feel like things just happen to line up.

Born made this comment, and it was presented as a binary: we either dismiss many of Taylor’s great songwriting moments as “coincidences” — which is dismissive of the level of detail and craftsmanship gong on here…

With the other side of the binary being that “she’s a genius”.

If we’re talking about song craftsmanship, this is not a good binary to talk about it within. It’s either dismissive or mythologizing. You’re not overreaching, and it’s not mysterious artistic genius. She’s just doing what good artists do, lol.

If anyone listened to the podcast, Switched On Pop, especially in the earlier years, they did fantastic breakdowns of single songs like this.
They even did one with Blank Space. And you’ll walk away really impressed of the level of detail not just from Taylor, but Joel Little, and all the little choices that flesh out the lyrics you’ve never thought about before.

Songs with a lot of detail in them are littered with really cool things like these. It’s not just Taylor.

[irice22]

I don't hate the vocal effect, but I might like a version without it. The hype of this song isn't really clicking with me.

[HamedM1 💔]

Dec 7, 2022 12:16:08 GMT -5 irice22 said:

I don't hate the vocal effect, but I might like a version without it. The hype of this song isn't really clicking with me.

Here ya go



Also my personal reason for liking this one to be a single is probably cause its a good moody pop song ready for Spring season once Lavender Haze's run is done (assuming its continues to climb and do well), the hook is catchy with the vocal effect imo, and it's one of the more radio friendly cuts. My favorites in You're On Your Own Kid, Would've Could've Should've, and Snow On The Beach would probably perform poorly on pop radio since they are more alt-pop leaning in similar fashion to Folkmore.

Other then Midnight Rain I'd probably push Maroon, this album truly doesn't really carry too many songs that scream hit pop single material to me. I'd say Karma but that one lyrically is a turn off despite melodically being golden.

[#brayden]

This one has grown on me although I still wouldn't call it one of my favorites on the album. People clearly like it so I don't think it's a bad choice for third single if we get one.

[DJDaveMick69]

I'm crying if this goes for adds.

[Dylan :)]

I really don’t hear what people like in this. After watching the TikTok video explaining the genius behind it, I wish I enjoyed it more, but I don’t :/

[gemini79]

Under cool new music, should be impacting pop radio soon. Midnight Rain is the next single from Midnights

[musiclife]

Track 6, added under Cool New Music. Perfect choice after Lavender Haze.

[HamedM1 💔]

The song has been holding as the 3rd highest track from Midnights on Spotify currently at #50 and only behind the two singles in Anti-Hero and Lavender Haze. The next highest song is Karma at #68, so yeah this is definitely screaming single #3.

[shayonce]

already? her teams are fast.

[Mayman]

Feels like this could be a teaser for a potential Midnight Rain video: