Having a friend, or in Taylor Swift’s case, friends, is good.
In addition to Lana Del Rey’s featured performance on the song “Snow on the Beach,” the singer-most songwriter’s recent album, Midnights, has numerous other well-known people in subtle cameos.
First off, Zo Kravitz, as Catwoman, co-wrote the album’s opening track, “Lavender Haze,” and she also contributes backing vocals to the song. The song was also written by Swift, Jack Antonoff, Mark Anthony Spears, Jahaan Akil Sweet, and Sam Dew, who also contributes backing vocals to the tune. It is about wanting to disregard gossip and conjecture and remain in that blissful “new love” lavender haze.
“Snow on the Beach,” a beautiful song about understanding you’re falling for someone at the same moment they’re falling in love with you, comes a few tracks later. The song was co-written by Swift, Del Rey, and Antonoff (who also co-wrote 10 other songs on the album). But Dylan O’Brien, a well-known figure, is also playing the drums.
The Teen Wolf actor previously featured in Taylor Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film, which was made available last November along with the album Red’s re-recorded version.
However, the partnership doesn’t end there. Later, in the song “Question…?” by Midnights, Swift performs the vocals, “Have you ever been kissed in a crowded place while all of your friends were making fun of you? But after 15 seconds, did they start clapping as well?”
At this time, a crowd can be heard cheering, and it turns out the mob is made up of real Swift pals in a cute instance of art mimicking life. The sound effect was created by Antonoff, his sister Rachel, Swift’s brother Austin, and O’Brien, according to the album’s credits.
Like in the past, Antonoff contributes backing vocals to a number of the songs on Midnights. Swift’s longterm lover Joe Alwyn co-wrote the song “Sweet Nothing,” though he didn’t contribute any vocals or instrumentals, continuing what has kind of become a new practise. Under the name William Bowery, Alwyn previously co-wrote songs for Swift’s albums Folklore and Evermore.
Swift’s 10th studio album, Midnights, is a return to more intimate themes after straying from them on her last two albums. It tells the story of 13 restless nights in Swift’s life over the course of 13 tracks.
