ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SPOTLIGHT ON “MIDNIGHTS”

Fans anticipate Taylor Swift’s 10th original studio album

TESSA KANG

Taylor Swift, multi Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, released her highly anticipated 10th studio album titled “Midnights” on Oct. 21 at 12 a.m. ET (The Cut). After re-recording her older music due to conflicts with her former manager Scooter Braun, this is her first new album since “folklore” and “evermore,” which were released in 2020. “Midnights” has 13 tracks telling the story of 13 sleepless nights throughout her life, 13 being her lucky number. For this album, she includes repeating symbolism of time and midnight, which serve as the hallmarks of her most recent era. When Swift first started in the music industry, she was a young country singer. Then, as she continued to alter her image in what came to be known as her different “eras,” each album came with a bolder iconography and a significantly evolved sound from her previous years. “Midnights” was first announced on Aug. 28 following Music Television’s (MTV) Video Music Awards (VMAs), where the “All Too Well” short film written and directed by Swift won “Best Longform Video,” “Video of the Year” and “Best Direction.” During her acceptance speech for “Video of the Year”, she announced the release date of “Midnights” and later posted the album art on her Instagram. Junior Alyson Matsumiya describes the appeal of Swift’s music to her dedicated audience.

“I was super shocked in a good way when I found out [about Midnights because] I felt like she would put everything on the table,” Matsumiya said. “As she has been finding herself, her music gets more mature; it is not like country or basic pop songs. [Instead,] they have more symbolism and a deeper meaning. I think her music resonates with a lot of her fans because she has such a variety of songs for every occasion.”

Since the beginning of her career, a tactic Swift has used is implementing Easter eggs and clues to keep observant fans invested. “Midnights’’ is no different, because Swift was just as clever with her marketing. An example of this is that throughout her entire discography, she has said the word “midnight” in six of her songs, and the phrase “middle of the night” in seven. These numbers add up to her special number 13, and the total number of songs on “Midnights,” as pointed out by talk show host Jimmy Fallon. Another revelation that left Swift fans in awe is that on Oct. 21, when the album released, she was 12,000 days old, which corresponds with how the album was released at 12:00 a.m. “Midnights” also comes in four different styles of vinyl covers, and if arranged properly, the back covers form a clock. To further the anticipation prior to releasing the album, Swift also posted videos on TikTok in a series called “Midnights Mayhem With Me” from Sept. 21 to Oct. 7 where she announced the names of the tracks using ping pong balls and a bingo cage. In each episode, she spun the bingo cage and when a ping pong ball emerged, Swift announced the track title that matched the number labeled on the ball. Junior Chloe Sohngen appreciates how Swift’s tactics keeps fans engaged and on their toes.

“I think [Taylor’s marketing style] is very effective because it gets people excited for the album,” Sohngen said. “A lot of her fans are [clever and] go very deep into theories. [Because she is aware of this,] she adds some Easter eggs for them. I think it is a fun little game for her [because] she enjoys seeing us try to figure out her cryptic messages and hints. I feel like she is smart, and everyone knows [her cleverness], so at this point she is just having fun with her intelligence.”

Swift has experienced her fair share of hate and controversy after being in the public eye for so long, being painted as a villainess and getting into feuds with celebrities. One of the most well known feuds began at the 2009 VMAs where 19-year-old Swift was giving her acceptance speech for winning Best Video by a Female Artist for “You Belong With Me.” Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, got on stage mid-speech and stated that Beyoncé should have won instead. Most people were immediately angry at Ye, but the tables eventually turned and after a few years people started to call Swift a “snake.” This was due to Swift’s reaction to a lyric about herself in Ye’s song “Famous,” that she expressed disapproval toward Kim Kardashian, the now former wife of Ye, came to his defense with doctored evidence of a phone call where Swift allegedly approved of the song lyrics. After being the subject of public backlash for a period of time, Swift returned with the album “Reputation,” released in 2017, which satirically played into the public’s negative image of her as a “snake,” addressing the Ye feud and the media’s criticisms of her for writing songs about her personal life. This album was her official transition from country to the world of pop. In “Midnights,” several years later, many speculated that she would address the Ye feud once again. This is because on the day she announced the album, Taylor was wearing a dress reminiscent of the one she was wearing at the 2009 VMAs, representing how she was taking back the show and once again entering a new era of her life. Junior Hillary Kchao describes Swift’s personal transformation throughout the years in relation to her music.

“[Fans] can see the development of her identity throughout the years in her music,” Kchao said. “The need to reinvent herself stemmed from the fear that she would not remain relevant in the music industry, and as she transitioned from country to pop to alternative and indie, [people] can see how her perspectives changed on everything from love to politics. [Midnights] definitely went beyond my expectations and did not disappoint.”

LYNN TAKAHASHI

11 PROTOCOL OVERHAUL

Football player’s concussion prompts discourse about protocol safety

NEHA SAMBANGI

On Sept. 25, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a traumatic head injury in the second quarter of an NFL (National Football League) game against the Buffalo Bills. Following a tackle from Bills linebacker Matt Milano, Tagovailoa’s head hit the ground forcefully and when attempting to get back to his feet, he appeared to nearly stumble back to the ground. He was then taken to the locker room, but passed the league-mandated concussion protocol and was cleared by team staff to return in the second half of the game, drawing criticism from many viewers. A few days later, in the Dolphins’ following game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 29, Tagovailoa severely injured his head again after being tackled and looked to be in a very critical condition. When medical staff arrived, he was unconscious with his fingers and arms flexed unnaturally; this was concerning because both are signs of a traumatic brain injury called a “fencing response.” He was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he was evaluated and sent home shortly after. Following this, the NFL Players Association, a labor union representing all NFL players, initiated a joint investigation with the NFL to review if the Dolphins properly followed protocol. This resulted in the firing of one of the doctors who examined Tagovailoa. Senior and varsity football player Jeremy Boze explains how the decision to let Tagovailoa continue to play was extremely risky considering his situation.

“I do not think Tagovailoa should have been able to continue to play in the game [against the Bills] considering the injury he had,” Boze said. “If the tackle was so forceful that his injury caused the medical staff to come on the turf, they should have examined him more thoroughly. If the examination was done in a more careful manner, he would not have had another injury in the following game.”

Following the completion of the joint investigation, the NFL and NFL Players Association decided to modify their concussion protocol with the goal to enhance player safety. The protocol now requires any player who is diagnosed with ataxia to be pulled from a game completely. Ataxia is the medical term for poor muscle control associated with concussions such as unsteadiness or slurred speech. The updated policy was first used in the Dolphins’ game against the New York Jets on Oct. 9 when Teddy Bridgewater, the Dolphins’ backup quarterback, was diagnosed with ataxia. This made Bridgewater the first ever player to be removed from an NFL game as a result of his examination. Junior Steven Hack expresses how the efforts put in to change the protocol will lead to improvement.

“I believe that the modifications to the concussion protocol will benefit many players going forward,” Hack said. “This incident definitely hurt the reputation of the NFL, but [their attempt] to bring change, even though football is a rough sport, is very commendable.”

The injury that Tagovailoa sustained is part of the widespread concern over the risk of head injuries that football players have faced in the NFL. According to Cable News Network, football claims the highest rates of concussions in any sport; furthermore, brain injuries account for 65% to 95% of all fatalities in football (The Brain Institute). As a result, people believe that the NFL’s concussion protocols contribute to the high rates of head injuries. Previously, players underwent quick exams, such as repeating words in a memory test, showing coordinated eye movement and demonstrating balance if they reported to be having some symptoms of a concussion. With the changes being made to strengthen the protocol, the NFL hopes many players will be protected and that there will be a reduction in the number of concussion cases. Senior Dawson Sarner conveys his thoughts on the benefit of the players for the future with the new implementation of protocols.

“Football is a rough sport and there are so many ways you can get hurt which is why I think the NFL needs to have strong protocols,” Sarner said. “I really think it is sad to see the number of head trauma cases in the NFL and how so many people get hurt because they are not treated or cleared properly. With the new protocols in place, I believe it will largely help reduce the amount of injuries in the game.”

BRIAN WANG