This week, it’s all about Taylor Swift as she just released her tenth studio album, “Midnights.” If you want to talk about a performer who reinvented herself, look no further because that’s what she did last week.

Swift went from being the girl next door who encaptured the fairy tale-esque idea of love and finding a prince charming to a more realistic protagonist who values the messes that comes with love and loss.

Swift kicks it off with “Lavender Haze,” which portrays a young woman who is finding her liberation from being an old-fashioned girl via the lyrical repetition of “I’m damned if I do give a damn what people say, no deal …The 1950s sh*t they want from me, I just wanna stay in that lavender haze.”

It reminds me of Prince’s “When Doves Cry,” where the protagonist is trying to come into his own without the influences of his parent’s shortcomings.

Next, “Maroon” softens the pace with the theme mentioned earlier about loving someone and, in time, losing them.

It’s a characterization of a relationship that began on a euphoric high (like most relationships do), but in time, that feeling is gone.

Following the heartache that’s “Maroon,” “Midnight Rain” describes a polar opposite romance where the partners break up, but one of the partners comes to regret it over time.

If listeners thought Swift wouldn’t revisit themes of love and heartbreak, they’ll surely be disheartened.

“Karma” temporarily breaks away from the pains of dating and highlights the empowerment the protagonist has through the decisions they’ve made in time.

I liked how she describes karma as “ my boyfriend…Karma is a God…Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend…Karma is a cat purring in my lap ’cause it loves me.”

I felt very moved by this song because let’s be honest, how often do we stop and appreciate the moments where we stand up for ourselves and our hearts?

Swift ends her concept album with “Mastermind,” which evokes someone who’s learned earlier how to take control of her surroundings, including potential relationships.

Once someone catches her eye, she’ll do whatever it takes to keep that person within her grasp.

Swift ends her concept album with “Mastermind,” which evokes someone who’s learned earlier how to take control of her surroundings, including potential relationships.

Once someone catches her eye, she’ll do whatever it takes to keep that person within her reach.

“Midnights” is an album that strips away all the pretty and polished sounds that once described Swift’s legacy to a more wholesome identity relatable to anyone who has experienced the late-night reflections that creep into our minds and drive us towards sleepless nights.

With thirteen four-minute anecdotes, “Midnights” encapsulates the trepidations, exhilaration, and uneasiness that have kept the pop princess up at night from time to time.

Her beautiful nightmares are our driving force for understanding ourselves and the crossroads we face in life, especially in the love department.

Brie Coder is a graduate student in communication and leadership. She can be reached at bmcoder@eiu.edu or 217-581-2812.