Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking verses on Midnights is not a breakup song, but a song about Taylor’s own self-reflection and trauma. In the crushing “You’re On Your Own, Kid” bridge, Taylor sings, “From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes / I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this / I hosted parties and starved my body / Like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss.”
In “Maroon,” she sang, “And I wake with your memory over me / That’s a real fuckin’ legacy to leave.” And in “Karma,” the 11-time Grammy winner sings, “Ask me why so many fade but I’m still here.”
I’m not sure we’ve witnessed her sing about her own mythology in such contrasted, poignant ways.