“Lavender Haze” is not Hendrix-lite

Okay, Tay-Tay released a new album again and the Swifties have taken over the internet again. The song garnering the most attention today appears to be “Lavender Haze,” which is the first song on Taylor Swift’s Midnights album.

Apparently the phrase “lavender haze” was 1950s slang for feeling in love. I’ve never heard that phrase (although it seems to have been referenced in Mad Men) and my first thought was to wonder if this was a reference to “Purple Haze” except a shade or two lighter.

So far, I’ve only listened to the one song, but I see that almost all tracks were co-written with Jack Antonoff, who co-produced the album. Antonoff is the lead singer of Bleachers and Steel Train and was the guitarist/drummer for Fun. “Lavender Haze” is one of only a couple of songs on the album that lists more writers beyond Antonoff and Swift. The co-writers of “Lavender Haze” include actress Zoe Kravitz and hip-hop producer Souncheck,

My take? Like many of Tay-Tay’s songs, I think it’s okay, but not worthy of the hype I’m seeing on social media. I think Swift is at her best with songs that emphasize timing of the delivery rather than vocal range. “Style” is the best example and in my mind, that’s still by far her best release. “Lavender Haze” relies on timing but lacks the catchiness that makes “Style” work so well.

The electronic feel to the song, apparent from the intro, is said to be present throughout the album. The first single is supposed to be “Anti-Hero,” to which I have not yet listened. After one song, but a song that’s getting much praise, I’m not overwhelmed. I suspect the album will have its share of her “woe is me” theme. We’ll see.