Continuing my ranking of the songs on Taylor Swift’s new album, Midnights…
#6. ‘Anti-Hero‘
The album’s first single is a blast, breaking the pattern of weak lead singles on her last few pop albums. Swift turns her critical eye on herself and delivers the world’s catchiest therapy session.
#5. ‘Vigilante Shit’
Midnights‘ most musically adventurous track is one of its best. ‘Vigilante Shit’ finds Swift in her Reputation take-no-prisoners mode, serving up a better Billie Eilish song than anything on the last two Billie Eilish albums.
Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man
You did some bad things, but I’m the worst of them
Sometimes I wonder which one’ll be your last lie
They say looks can kill and I might try
I don’t dress for women
I don’t dress for men
Lately, I’ve been dressin’ for revenge
[Chorus]
I don’t start shit, but I can tell you how it ends
Don’t get sad, get even
So on the weekends
I don’t dress for friends
Lately, I’ve been dressin’ for revenge
[Verse 2]
She needed cold, hard proof, so I gave her some
She had the envelope, where you think she got it from?
Now she gets the house, gets the kids, gets the pride
Picture me thick as thieves with your ex-wife
And she looks so pretty
Drivin’ in your Benz
Lately, she’s been dressin’ for revenge
[Chorus]
She don’t start shit, but she can tell you how it ends
Don’t get sad, get even
So on the weekends
She don’t dress for friends
Lately, she’s been dressing for revenge
[Bridge]
Ladies always rise above
Ladies know what people want
Someone sweet and kind and fun
The lady simply had enough
[Verse 3]
While he was doin’ lines and crossin’ all of mine
Someone told his white-collar crimes to the FBI
And I don’t dress for villains
Or for innocents
I’m on my vigilante shit again
[Chorus]
I don’t start shit, but I can tell you how it ends
Don’t get sad, get even
So on the weekends
I don’t dress for friends
Lately, I’ve been dressin’ for revenge
Meet Me In Montauk 
Both great songs, and I hadn’t made the Eilish style connection before, but you’re right on that.
So true! With Swift’s poor record when it comes to lead singles, “Anti-hero” was a very unexpected treat. Definitely one of the catchiest songs on the record and best lyrically. I love it when she embraces people’s perception of her and turns it on its head. Much like she does also on “Vigilante S**t” which I agree is Billie Eilish emulating! Very cool to hear her in this lane and it always amazes me how much she can turn on the swagger when she needs to. Her vocal performance on this track is top tier.
I must admit, I find myself agreeing with your ranking more and more each day!
Love these two songs, both of which are wickedly funny in addition to being catchy as hell. I find I grow in admiration and love with each subsequent track on the album, so as much as I disagree with your placement of Question and Karma, I’ll be on board with the high slots you’ve left for Sweet Nothings and Mastermind… with each listen, this album is quickly rising to one of my favorites.
Happy to enter back into the rankings for the songs receiving some love on the blog 🙂
Anti-hero is definitely one of the (if not the) strongest single Taylor’s released. It should be a song I’m bored of and skipping already, but it stays on whenever it pops up in the shuffle.
Vigilante Shit is just a vibe. I love it all the more because it’s a standout revenge song on an album that mostly feels above the drama that plagued Taylor’s day to day life in the past… but she still makes time to reveal a cocaine-addicted cheater who made the mistake of buying her music against her wishes. We love to see it and sing along to it lol.