Lavender Haze
Single | Midnights (2022)
Table of Contents
Background and Release
The song stood out when writing credits for the album were revealed on October 18, as it featured a more varied assembly of songwriters, including Zoë Kravitz, who had been friends with Taylor for several years prior to the collaboration. Jazz musician Braxton Cook, who had been college roommates with Taylor’s collaborator Jahaan Sweet, provided a vocal sample that was ultimately used in the song. For his contribution, Cook received production credit.
“Lavender Haze” was released through Republic Records on October 21, 2022. On November 29, the song was released to US contemporary hit radio as the album’s second single. On January 27, 2023, Taylor released its music video on her YouTube channel. Following its premiere, “Lavender Haze” was made available for digital download in the US on Taylor’s official webstore.
A tropical house remix of “Lavender Haze” by German DJ Felix Jaehn was released on February 10, 2023. On March 3, three other remixes followed (“Tensnake Remix”, “Jungle Remix”, and “Snakeships Remix”). On streaming services, the four remixes were combined as the Lavender Haze (Remixes) EP.
Lyrical Theme
«I happened upon the phrase ‘lavender haze’ when I was watching Mad Men. And I looked it up, because I thought it sounded cool, and it turns out that it’s a common phrase used in the 50s where they would just describe being in love. Like, if you were in a lavender haze, that meant that you were in that all-encompassing love glow, and I thought that was really beautiful. And I guess theoretically when you’re in the lavender haze, you’ll do anything to stay there, and not let people bring you down off of that cloud. And I think a lot of people have to deal with this now, not just quote-unquote ‘public figures,’ because we live in the era of social media and if the world finds out that you’re in love with somebody, they’re going to weigh in on it. Like my relationship, for six years we’ve had to dodge weird rumors, tabloid stuff, and we just ignore it. So this song is about the act of ignoring that stuff to protect the real stuff. I hope you guys like it.»
Taylor Swift
But of course, the public wants to weigh in on her private life, no matter how hard Taylor tries to protect it. In the second verse, she mentions how everyone expects her to finally get married already, after viewing her as a literal girl for most of her career. In her mind, most people think she can only be either a one night stand or a wife. There is no room in between. She mentions how that mindset may have been acceptable in the 1950s, when women were still restricted in what they could and couldn’t do with their lives. But she wants “none of this shit” and is going to do whatever she wants because she is “damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.”
Production
«It was not specifically meant for anything. That one was me going through sounds for 15 minutes and eventually hitting one button by accident. Jack’s eyes lit up and was like ‘What was that?’ It just happened to be this small little loop that my guy Jahaan [Sweet] sent me a while back.»
Mark Anthony Spears
A few months later, Antonoff reached out to Spears, Dew, and Kravitz to see if he could pitch the song to Taylor, who loved it immediately and wrote the lyrics. “When Jack brought us in to hear it for the first time, all our mouths dropped. She took it to a whole new world and made it her own. She created different pockets we did not hear.”
Music Video
«There is lots of lavender. There is lots of haze. There is my incredible costar Laith Ashley who I absolutely adored working with. This was the first video I wrote out of the 3 that have been released, and this one really helped me conceptualize the world and mood of Midnights, like a sultry sleepless 70’s fever dream. Hope you like it.»
Taylor Swift
Live Performance
Critical Reception
Commercial Performance
Lyrics
[Intro]
Meet me at midnight…
[Verse 1]
Staring at the ceiling with you
Oh, you don’t ever say too much
And you don’t really read into
My melancholia
[Pre-Chorus 1]
I been under scrutiny (Yeah, oh yeah)
You handled it beautifully (Yeah, oh yeah)
All this shit is new to me (Yeah, oh yeah)
[Chorus]
I feel the lavender haze creeping up on me
Surreal
I’m damned if I do give a damn what people say
No deal
The 1950s shit they want for me
I just wanna stay in that lavender haze
[Verse 2]
All they keep asking me (All they keep asking me)
Is if I’m gonna be your bride
The only kinda girl they see (Only kinda girl they see)
Is a one night or a wife
[Pre-Chorus 2]
I find it dizzying (Yeah, oh yeah)
They’re bringing up my history (Yeah, oh yeah)
But you weren’t even listening (Yeah, oh yeah)
[Chorus]
I feel the lavender haze creeping up on me
Surreal
I’m damned if I do give a damn what people say
No deal
The 1950s shit they want for me
I just wanna stay in that lavender haze
[Post-Chorus]
That lavender haze
[Bridge]
Talk your talk and go viral
I just need this love spiral
Get it off your chest
Get it off my desk (Get it off my desk)
Talk your talk and go viral
I just need this love spiral
Get it off your chest
Get it off my desk
[Chorus]
I feel (I feel) the lavender haze creeping up on me
Surreal
I’m damned if I do give a damn what people say
No deal (No deal)
The 1950s shit they want for me
I just wanna stay in that lavender haze
[Outro]
Get it off your chest
Get it off my desk
The lavender haze
I just wanna stay
I just wanna stay in that lavender haze
Artist | Taylor Swift | ||
---|---|---|---|
Album | Midnights | ||
Released | October 21, 2022 | ||
Recorded | 2021-2022 | ||
Studios | Rough Customer (Brooklyn) Electric Lady (New York) Henson Recording (Los Angeles) | ||
Genre | Synth Pop Ambient House R&B | ||
Length | 3:22 | ||
Label | Republic Records | ||
Songwriters | Taylor Swift Jack Antonoff Zoë Kravitz Mark Anthony Spears Jahaan Akil Sweet Sam Dew | ||
Producers | Jack Antonoff Taylor Swift Sounwave Jahaan Akil Sweet | ||
MIDNIGHTS CHRONOLOGY | |||
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