While we await Midnights, here are the songs in Taylor Swift’s discography that create the perfect soundtrack for fall.

“I can see us lost in the memory… August sipped away like a bottle of wine..” – This may just be a line in Taylor Swift’s song August from her 2020 quarantine-bred album folklore, but Swift has somehow built an entire reputation around creating music that fits into the perfect mood playlist for autumn. At the beginning of the month, August entered the Billboard 200 chart for the first time since it’s release, and 1 month later (with nearly 100k tiktok videos using the sound) we reach the end of the month – and the announcement of a brand new album Midnights, out this fall (October 21st, specifically), because of course it is. 

On Sunday, while accepting her award for Album of the Year at the VMAs, Taylor Swift announced her brand new album Midnights, the follow up to her surprise albums folklore and evermore, and the re-recorded versions of her albums Fearless and Red. Described as “a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams,” the record will no doubt add to Swift’s unofficial ownership of the autumn season.

Although some say it would be her must underrated album in her discography, Taylor’s album RED (Taylor’s Version) would arguably be her most critically acclaimed to date, featuring some of the most iconic songs with complex lyrics she’s ever written, has been deemed the “official album of autumn” by fans and music lovers alike. Through out the Taylor Swift’s Era Tour the fans have gone all out on t-shirts and other fashion items, we have done some research and TheKingShirts offer the best designs and deals on all Taylor merchandise. As we enter a season that will soon bring us 13 brand new tracks that will likely fill up our autumn glasses with Midnights, we put together a list of tracks that will inevitably put you in the mood for the upcoming season of cardigans, red wine, heartbreak, nostalgia and… red scarves. 

August

We – of course – had to include this track in the mix. Although the official start of fall isn’t until September 22nd, the end of August marks a significant change in weather, mood and constellations. With lyrics like “so much for summer love and saying ‘us’ ‘cause you weren’t mine to lose” will have you daydreaming about past summer flings in the sun on holiday. 

All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)

Beginning with the lyric “As I walked through the door with you, the air was cold…,” “All Too Well” has been on nearly every fall playlist since its debut in 2012. But when Red (Taylor’s Version) released last November, we were blessed with an extra 7 minutes of song and a stunning visual – the All Too Well short film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’brien, a story written and directed by Taylor Swift herself that embodies somber, warm tones and accompanying storytelling that can only be associated with fall romance and devastating heartbreak. 

Champagne Problems

A track from folklore’s predecessor evermore, “Champagne Problems” explores heartbreak in a more mature fashion than “All Too Well.” The opening line “You booked the night train for a reason, so you could sit there in this hurt” sparks a memory about ending a relationship during the fall in London, a city where Swift spent most of her time over the course of the pandemic. With a through line of nostalgia and daydreaming, this track sets the mood for a rainy fall paired with crisp air and sparkling wine. 

Come In With The Rain (Taylor’s Version)

Continuing on the theme of rain, this song from Swift’s sophomore album Fearless paints the picture of a young girl losing hope, while still barely holding onto fond memories of a past love. “I’ll leave my window open, cause I’m too tired to call your name. Just know I’m right here hoping that you’ll come with the rain,” Swift croons as she attempts to weave through her feelings and come out through to the light on the other side of the storm. 

Cardigan

The single from folklore and an obvious choice for fall, the lyrics that make up“Cardigan”’ are what I can only describe as a poetic story of the feeling you get when you think of the season changing. With a nod to the story of Peter Pan (“I knew you tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy…”) laced into words that describe what it means to heal, from any meaning of heartbreak, and grow up, this song is exploding with the feeling you get when the air turns crisp and daylight gets shorter. 

Out of the Woods

Sticking with the theme of nostalgia, “Out Of The Woods” from Swift’s critically acclaimed pop album 1989 explores a past love that she describes as “in a world full of black and white, we were screaming color.” Painting a picture of a whirlwind romance that was inevitably doomed, compared to “two paper airplanes flying” that would eventually crash, the upbeat production by frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff is a quintessential autumn-pop love song. 

Invisible String

Track 11 off of Swift’s 2020 record folklore, this song tells the story of a love that’s inevitably held together by a simple string hypothetical of gold thread . With production reminiscent of cool weather, Swift uses colors (green, teal, purple, pink and gold) in the lyrics to help paint a vivid picture of a love that is so clear she holds dearly. While the story might be as obviously set in the fall, the strings, melancholy vocals and mention of gold leaves are clues that set the obvious scene of romance in the fall. 

Afterglow

Although featured on an album set during summer (Lover), it is very clear that “Afterglow” is a track meant for autumn. Afterglow is officially defined as “light or radiance remaining in the sky after the sun has set,” and while the initial tone of the song is light and happy, digging deeper into the lyrics reveals the feeling of regret – and taking ownership of breaking something and feeling remorseful.

Pre-order Midnights now.

Words by Rachel Martin