Lavender Haze
{{Short description|2022 single by Taylor Swift}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Lavender Haze
| cover = Taylor Swift - Lavender Haze.png
| alt = Cover artwork of "Lavender Haze" showing Swift in a lavender hue, in a bathtub
| type = single
| artist = Taylor Swift
| album = Midnights
| released = {{start date|2022|11|29}}
| genre = * Ambient house
| studio = * Rough Customer (New York)
- Electric Lady (New York)
- Henson Recording (Los Angeles)
| length = 3:22
| label = Republic
| writer = * Taylor Swift
| producer = * Taylor Swift
- Jack Antonoff
- Sounwave
- Jahaan Sweet
| prev_title = Anti-Hero
| prev_year = 2022
| next_title = The Alcott
| next_year = 2023
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|h8DLofLM7No|"Lavender Haze"}}|type=single}}
}}
"Lavender Haze" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, Jahaan Sweet, and Sounwave. Zoë Kravitz and Sam Dew co-wrote the song, and Braxton Cook was an additional producer. The title was inspired by a phrase used in the series Mad Men that refers to the state of being in love. Republic Records released "Lavender Haze" to US radio on November 29, 2022, as the album's second single.
The track's production incorporates a thumping bassline, pulsing modular synthesizers, and layered falsetto vocals in the refrain. Critics described the genre as pop, ambient house, R&B, and disco, with elements of hip-hop. The lyrics were inspired by the media scrutiny surrounding Swift's relationship with the English actor Joe Alwyn: the narrator disregards others' opinions on her relationship and unwed status, and she affirms her desire to stay in love with her partner. Music critics interpreted the lyrics from a feminist perspective, and they generally praised the track's production as restrained, sophisticated, and catchy.
"Lavender Haze" peaked at number two on the Billboard Global 200 chart and on the singles charts of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States. It reached the top 10 in many other countries. Swift wrote and directed the music video for "Lavender Haze", which was released on January 27, 2023. It incorporates psychedelic and surrealist visual elements and features the Dominican-American model Laith Ashley as Swift's love interest. She included "Lavender Haze" in the set list of her sixth headlining concert tour, the Eras Tour (2023–2024).
Background and production
Taylor Swift announced her tenth original studio album, Midnights, at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28;{{Cite magazine |last=Dailey |first=Hannah |date=October 20, 2022 |title=Everything We Know About Taylor Swift's Midnights So Far |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-midnights-everything-we-know/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113133112/https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-midnights-everything-we-know/ |archive-date=November 13, 2022 |access-date=November 13, 2022 |magazine=Billboard}} its title and cover artwork were released shortly after the same day via social media.{{Cite magazine |last=Martoccio |first=Angie |date=August 29, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Announces New Album Midnights: 'A Journey Through Terrors and Sweet Dreams' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-announces-new-album-1234583475/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829064007/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-announces-new-album-1234583475/ |archive-date=August 29, 2022 |access-date=November 13, 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} She conceived Midnights as a collection of songs about her nocturnal ruminations, detailing a wide range of emotions such as regret, lust, nostalgia, contentment, and self-loathing. The standard album was produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, as a result of the two experimenting with music while their partners were both shooting for a film in Panama.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=209}}
File:Joe_Alwyn_during_an_interview,_August_2018.png.]]
Swift announced the album's track listing via a thirteen-episode video series called Midnights Mayhem with Me on the platform TikTok, where each video contained the title of one track at a time.{{Cite magazine |last=Jones |first=Damian |date=October 7, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Reveals All Song Titles on New Album Midnights |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/taylor-swift-midnights-album-tracklist-3314098 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923075749/https://www.nme.com/news/music/taylor-swift-midnights-album-tracklist-3314098 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |access-date=November 13, 2022 |magazine=NME}} The title of "Lavender Haze" was revealed in the episode posted on October 7, 2022.{{Cite magazine |last=Dailey |first=Hannah |date=October 7, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Reveals How Joe Alwyn Inspired This Midnights Song |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-inspired-midnights-song-lavender-haze-1235152251/ |url-status=live |magazine=Billboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007213205/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-inspired-midnights-song-lavender-haze-1235152251/ |archive-date=October 7, 2022 |access-date=December 23, 2022}} In an Instagram post that she uploaded the same day, Swift shared that she discovered the expression "lavender haze", which describes the state of being in love, when watching the period drama series Mad Men.{{cite web |last=Lane |first=Lexi |date=October 7, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift's Drama-Free Relationship And Mad Men Inspired the Midnights Opener, 'Lavender Haze' |url=https://uproxx.com/pop/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-meaning-midnights/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022095008/https://uproxx.com/pop/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-meaning-midnights/ |archive-date=October 22, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2022 |website=Uproxx}}{{Cite web |last=Benitez-Eves |first=Tina |date=November 4, 2022 |title=Behind the Meaning of Taylor Swift's Mad Men-Inspired Track 'Lavender Haze' |url=https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-meaning-of-taylor-swifts-mad-men-inspired-track-lavender-haze/ |access-date=January 19, 2023 |website=American Songwriter |archive-date=January 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119110115/https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-meaning-of-taylor-swifts-mad-men-inspired-track-lavender-haze/ |url-status=live}} Intrigued by its meaning and supposed 1950s origin, Swift saw parallels between the expression and her relationship with the English actor Joe Alwyn; she interpreted it as an "all-encompassing love glow".{{cite web |last=Chiu |first=Melody |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Addresses Engagement Rumors on Midnights : 'The 1950s S— They Want from Me' |url=https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-addresses-engagement-rumors-midnights-lavender-haze/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022095013/https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-addresses-engagement-rumors-midnights-lavender-haze/ |archive-date=October 22, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2022 |website=People}}{{cite magazine |last=Paul |first=Larisha |date=October 7, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Reveals How Dealing With 'Weird Rumors' About Joe Alwyn Relationship Inspired a Midnights Track |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-reveals-lavender-haze-midnights-inspiration-joe-alwyn-1234607000/ |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022095013/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-reveals-lavender-haze-midnights-inspiration-joe-alwyn-1234607000/ |archive-date=October 22, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2022 |url-access=limited}}
"Lavender Haze" was written by Swift, Antonoff, Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet, Sam Dew, and Zoë Kravitz.{{Cite magazine |last=Spanos |first=Brittany |date=October 26, 2022 |title=Midnights Co-Producer Sounwave Says 'Karma' Was a 'Last-Minute Hail Mary' He Sent Taylor Swift |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/taylor-swift-midnights-karma-sounwave-1234617640/ |url-access=limited |access-date=August 26, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=October 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026195245/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/taylor-swift-midnights-karma-sounwave-1234617640/ |url-status=live }} Sounwave wrote the initial track within 15 minutes. After experimenting with different sounds, he "[hit] one button by accident" and played a voice memo that Sweet had sent to him: it was a recording of his roommate Braxton Cook singing wordless melodies over some chords. Antonoff, who was in the same room, was fascinated by the sound. Sounwave and Antonoff then teamed up with Dew and Kravitz to write a track containing an R&B groove using keyboards, built on Cook's vocal coos; according to Sounwave, Dew came up with the melodies and Kravitz added some sonic embellishments. Antonoff shared the track to Swift, who recorded her vocals and sent it back to the other writers. Sounwave recalled their reactions when Antonoff played the finished track: "[...] all our mouths dropped. [Swift] took it to a whole new world and made it her own [by creating] different pockets we did not hear."{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=211}}
Swift, Antonoff, Sounwave, and Sweet are credited as the producers of "Lavender Haze", and Cook is credited as an additional producer. Antonoff and Laura Sisk recorded the track at Rough Customer Studio in Brooklyn, Electric Lady Studios in New York, and Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles. In addition to programming the song, Antonoff played drums, modular synthesizers, the Julo-6, the Mellotron, and the Wurlitzer. Sweet played bass, bass pad, flute, and Juno. Dominik Rivinus played snare drums, which were recorded by Ken Lewis at Neon Wave Studio in Pirmasens, Germany. "Lavender Haze" was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, New Jersey. On the vinyl editions, the track was mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound in Nashville, Tennessee.
Music
{{Listen
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| title = "Lavender Haze"
| description = "Lavender Haze" incorporates pop, ambient house, and R&B. It is driven by a deep Reese bass, modular synthesizers, and falsetto vocals.
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"Lavender Haze" incorporates four on the floor beats,{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift's Midnights Marks a Return to Electronic, Confessional Pop That's Worth Losing Sleep Over: Album Review |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/album-reviews/taylor-swift-midnights-album-review-1235410102/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021040515/https://variety.com/2022/music/album-reviews/taylor-swift-midnights-album-review-1235410102/ |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=October 21, 2022 |website=Variety}} a thumping bassline generated with a synth bass,{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Helen |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Midnights Is Taylor Swift's Darkest and Most Cryptic Album Yet |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-midnights-review-tracks-b2207722.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201183606/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-midnights-review-tracks-b2207722.html |archive-date=February 1, 2023 |access-date=January 27, 2023 |website=The Independent}} and downtempo rhythms.{{Cite web |last1=Harding |first1=Charlie |last2=Sloan |first2=Nate |last3=Cruz |first3=Reanna |date=October 27, 2022 |title=How Midnights Sonically Convinces Us That Taylor Swift Actually Broke Curfew |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/taylor-swift-midnights-switched-on-pop.html |url-access=limited |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Vulture |archive-date=October 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221029202005/https://www.vulture.com/article/taylor-swift-midnights-switched-on-pop.html |url-status=live }} Swift's vocals are layered and sung in her breathy upper vocal register against swirling modular synthesizers{{Cite magazine |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Every Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's Midnights |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-midnights-album-songs-ranked/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021040336/https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-midnights-album-songs-ranked/ |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=January 16, 2023 |magazine=Billboard}} and background vocals from Kravitz, Dew, and Antonoff.{{cite web |last=Ryan |first=Elise |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Review: Taylor Swift Gets Dark, Electric on Midnights |url=https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-midnights-review-45cf7eca3326d784829b405deb48310f |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021050627/https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-midnights-review-45cf7eca3326d784829b405deb48310f |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2022 |publisher=Associated Press}}{{Cite magazine |date=December 7, 2022 |title=The 100 Best Songs of 2022: Staff List |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-songs-2022/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112132256/https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-songs-2022/ |archive-date=January 12, 2023 |access-date=December 7, 2022 |magazine=Billboard}}{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2024 |title=Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff's 20 Best Collaborations |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/taylor-swift-and-jack-antonoff-best-collaborations/ |access-date=December 13, 2024 |website=Slant Magazine |archive-date=March 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302091419/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/taylor-swift-and-jack-antonoff-best-collaborations/ |url-status=live }} In the refrain, she sings in her falsetto range.
Critics categorized "Lavender Haze" into pop fusion genres such as synth-pop,{{Cite web |last=Wyatt |first=Terry |date=October 22, 2022 |title=5 Takeaways From Taylor Swift's New Album Midnights |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/taylor-swift-midnights-new-album-takeaways-songs-anti-hero-lavender-haze-reputation-lover-tiktok-3am-tracks-edition |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117161455/https://www.grammy.com/news/taylor-swift-midnights-new-album-takeaways-songs-anti-hero-lavender-haze-reputation-lover-tiktok-3am-tracks-edition |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=January 17, 2023 |publisher=The Recording Academy}}{{Cite web |last=Nguyen |first=Giselle Au-Nhien |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Clever, Addictive: Taylor Swift's New Album Bridges Pop and Folk |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/clever-addictive-taylor-swift-s-new-album-bridges-pop-and-folk-20221020-p5brkw.html |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |archive-date=March 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325192051/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/clever-addictive-taylor-swift-s-new-album-bridges-pop-and-folk-20221020-p5brkw.html |url-status=live }} electropop,{{Cite web |last=Byron |first=Grace |date=April 23, 2024 |title=The Masochistic Acrobatics of Taylor Swift |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/taylor-swift/the-masochistic-acrobatics-of-taylor-swift |access-date=May 20, 2024 |website=Paste |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430155601/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/taylor-swift/the-masochistic-acrobatics-of-taylor-swift |url-status=live }} dream pop,{{Cite news |last=Hodgkinson |first=Will |author-link=Will Hodgkinson |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Review: Midnights—An Old-Fashioned Album About Human Weakness |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/taylor-swift-new-album-review-midnights-hhxnn89q7 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221021052524/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/taylor-swift-new-album-review-midnights-hhxnn89q7 |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=January 30, 2023 |work=The Times}} and disco-pop;{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=211}} some reviews described it as ambient house{{Cite web |last=Nolan |first=Paul |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Album Review: Taylor Swift, Midnights |url=https://www.hotpress.com/music/album-review-taylor-swift-midnights-22934680 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=Hot Press |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206045317/https://www.hotpress.com/music/album-review-taylor-swift-midnights-22934680 |url-status=live }} and "slow disco".{{Cite magazine |last=Bilmes |first=Alex |author-link=Alex Bilmes |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift's Midnights Is an Instant Classic |url=https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a41711408/taylor-swift-midnights-review/ |url-status=live |magazine=Esquire |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028203544/https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a41711408/taylor-swift-midnights-review/ |archive-date=October 28, 2022 |access-date=October 28, 2022}} The track displays influences of rhythmic styles like R&B{{Cite magazine |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |date=April 25, 2024 |title='Lavender Haze' (2022) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/lavender-haze-2022-1234615325/ |access-date=December 17, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210180920/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/lavender-haze-2022-1234615325/ |url-status=live }} and hip-hop.{{cite magazine |last=Vanderhoof |first=Erin |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Brings Some Sparkling Pop to Her Deepening Songcraft on Midnights |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/taylor-swift-sparkling-pop-deepening-songcraft-on-midnights |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021181649/https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/taylor-swift-sparkling-pop-deepening-songcraft-on-midnights |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2022 |magazine=Vanity Fair}}{{Cite magazine |last=Nuss |first=Allaire |date=November 7, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift's 10 Seminal Albums, Ranked |url=https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-albums-ranked/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126041743/https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-albums-ranked/ |archive-date=November 26, 2022 |access-date=November 26, 2022 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} The bassline is the Reese bass, characterized by a very low bass patch, that evokes dance and club styles such as techno, UK garage, and jungle.
The production elements led to critics deeming the sound dark, "subterranean", dreamy,{{Cite web |last=Olivier |first=Bobby |date=October 21, 2022 |title=On Midnights, Taylor Swift Dares To See Herself |url=https://www.spin.com/2022/10/taylor-swift-midnights-review/ |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Spin |archive-date=November 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126041209/https://www.spin.com/2022/10/taylor-swift-midnights-review/ |url-status=live }} sultry,{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Ellen |date=October 20, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Deals in Dark Magic on Midnights |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/taylor-swift/midnights-album-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022212054/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/taylor-swift/midnights-album-review/ |archive-date=October 22, 2022 |access-date=January 27, 2023 |website=Paste}} and sensual. Some reviewers likened the production styles to those on Swift's 2017 album Reputation. There were comparisons to the music by other artists: Grace Bryon from Paste thought its "bubbling electropop" production was a borderline imitation of Lorde and Lana Del Rey, Ann Powers of NPR compared the layered vocals and synth drums to Whitney Houston,{{Cite news |last=Powers |first=Ann |author-link=Ann Powers |date=October 21, 2022 |title=In the Haze of Midnights, Taylor Swift Softens Into an Expanded Sound |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/10/21/1130293117/midnights-taylor-swift-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021065926/https://www.npr.org/2022/10/21/1130293117/midnights-taylor-swift-review |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=October 21, 2022 |agency=NPR}} and Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph said the falsetto "funkiness" evokes Prince.{{cite web |last=McCormick |first=Neil |author-link=Neil McCormick |date=October 21, 2022 |title=On Midnights, Taylor Swift Kisses Goodbye to the Crowd-Pleasing Hit |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/taylor-swift-midnights-album-review-pop-queen-kisses-goodbye/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221021055050/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/taylor-swift-midnights-album-review-pop-queen-kisses-goodbye/ |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2022 |website=The Daily Telegraph}}
Lyrics and interpretations
The lyrics were inspired by the media scrutiny that Swift and Alwyn had faced.{{Cite magazine |last=Spanos |first=Brittany |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Lets Us Into Her Darkest Dreams On Midnights |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/taylor-swift-midnights-1234611211/ |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021040124/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/taylor-swift-midnights-1234611211/ |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=October 21, 2022 |url-access=limited}} The overall message is that she wants to stay in love with him despite others' opinions.{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Carl |author-link=Carl Wilson (writer) |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift's Midnights Is the Right Kind of Concept Album |url=https://slate.com/culture/2022/10/taylor-swift-midnights-album-review-3am-lyrics.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021170235/https://slate.com/culture/2022/10/taylor-swift-midnights-album-review-3am-lyrics.html |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |accessdate=October 21, 2022 |work=Slate |language=en-US}} She appreciates his unwavering support for her and disregard of the gossip surrounding her past relationships: "I've been under scrutiny/ You handle it beautifully/ All this shit is new to me"; "I find it dizzying/ They're bringing up my history/ But you weren't even listening." The song also explores the pressures that come with protecting this love, such as fighting back gendered stereotypes ("the 1950s shit they want from me"){{Cite web |last=Siroky |first=Mary |date=October 21, 2022 |title=With Midnights, Taylor Swift Finds Grandeur in the Small Hours: Album Review |url=https://consequence.net/2022/10/midnights-album-review-taylor-swift/ |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Consequence |archive-date=October 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022145154/https://consequence.net/2022/10/midnights-album-review-taylor-swift/ |url-status=live }} that demand women to become either a wife or a one-night fling.{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=211}} Swift ignores all of the inquiries into her unwed status: "I'll be damned if I do give a damn what people say";{{Cite web |last=Jennings |first=Rebecca |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Every Song on Taylor Swift's Midnights, Explained |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2022/10/21/23416464/taylor-swift-midnights-lyrics-explained-anti-hero-video |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026131503/https://www.vox.com/culture/2022/10/21/23416464/taylor-swift-midnights-lyrics-explained-anti-hero-video |archive-date=October 26, 2022 |access-date=December 12, 2024 |website=Vox}} "Talk your talk and go viral/ I just need this love spiral."
According to several media publications, "Lavender Haze" has a feminist viewpoint and calls out the misogynistic conceptions about gender roles. In the view of Slate{{'s}} Carl Wilson, the song sees Swift asserting authority and rejecting others' perception of her as a Madonna–whore complex. The New York Times{{'}} Lindsay Zoladz contended that the track represented Swift's shifted attitude towards romance: whereas her 2008 single "Love Story" depicted marriage as the ideal romantic ending with starry-eyed fairy tale imagery, "Lavender Haze" expresses ambivalence towards not only marriage but also the societal expectations and "traditional timelines of adulthood".{{Cite news |last=Zoladz |first=Lindsay |date=October 24, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift, 30-Something, Is Revising Her Own Love Stories: Critic's Notebook |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/24/arts/music/taylor-swift-midnights-millennial-women.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027182558/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/24/arts/music/taylor-swift-midnights-millennial-women.html |archive-date=October 27, 2022 |access-date=December 12, 2024 |work=The New York Times}} Writing for the Alternative Press, Ilana Kaplan considered "Lavender Haze" one of the album tracks where Swift grappled with the "good-girl" image that she had constrained herself to, a notion that she had explained in the 2019 documentary Miss Americana.{{Cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Ilana |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Review: Midnights Is Taylor Swift's Darkest, Most Self-Reflective Work to Date |url=https://www.altpress.com/taylor-swift-midnights-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021051418/https://www.altpress.com/taylor-swift-midnights-review/ |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=November 26, 2022 |website=Alternative Press}}
There were interpretations of "Lavender Haze" from a queer perspective.{{Sfn|Eadon|2024}} According to Shaun Cullen, a professor in the humanities, there are some reasons for this: the color lavender, which evokes the symbol of gay pride; and the protest against the "1950s shit", which suggests not only defiance against gender discrimination but also sexuality-based discrimination. Cullen argued that this showcased Swift's increasing awareness of her status as "a white celebrity, artist, and citizen struggling to communicate [...] across the color line", which parallels her departure from "the trappings of Jim Crow-era country and planation nostalgia" suggested by her early country songs.{{Sfn|Cullen|2024|p=188}}
Release and commercial performance
File:Taylor Swift Eras Tour - Arlington TX 20230331 - Lavender Haze (cropped).jpg in 2023|alt=Taylor Swift singing onstage, dressed in a purple sparkling dress and a faux-fur coat]]
Republic Records released Midnights on October 21, 2022;{{Cite web |last=Blackwelder |first=Carson |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Drops 10th Studio Album Midnights, Reveals 7 Surprise Tracks |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/taylor-swift-drops-10th-studio-album-midnights-reveals/story?id=91856454 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240912205030/https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/taylor-swift-drops-10th-studio-album-midnights-reveals/story?id=91856454 |archive-date=September 12, 2024 |access-date=November 25, 2024 |website= |publisher=ABC News |language=}} "Lavender Haze" is the opening track.{{Cite web |last1=Nugent |first1=Annabel |last2=O'Connor |first2=Roisin |last3=Whiting |first3=Amanda |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Releases Midnights: Fans and Critics Praise the Dark and Cryptic Album – As It Happened |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-2023-midnights-album-grammys-b2275511.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204225723/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-2023-midnights-album-grammys-b2275511.html |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |access-date=February 4, 2023 |website=The Independent |language=}} It was later released as the album's second single.{{Cite magazine |last=Unterberger |first=Andrew |date=November 26, 2024 |title=Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 1—Taylor Swift |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-greatest-pop-star-2023-eras-tour-all-time-1235558902/ |access-date=December 17, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=December 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215225151/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-greatest-pop-star-2023-eras-tour-all-time-1235558902/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |last=Trust |first=Gary |date=November 28, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Anti-Hero' Rules Hot 100 for Fifth Week, Mariah Carey Leads 'Christmas' Classics Back to Top 10 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-anti-hero-number-one-hot-100-fifth-week-mariah-carey-christmas-top-10-1235177005/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128210559/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-anti-hero-number-one-hot-100-fifth-week-mariah-carey-christmas-top-10-1235177005/ |archive-date=November 28, 2022 |access-date=November 29, 2022 |magazine=Billboard}} In the United States, Republic released the song to contemporary hit radio on November 29, 2022. The track was supported by several remixes released in February–March 2023: a tropical house remix by Felix Jaehn,{{Cite magazine |last=Paul |first=Larisha |date=February 10, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Whips Up a Different Kind of 'Lavender Haze' on New Remix |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-remix-1234676854/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210075443/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-remix-1234676854/ |archive-date=February 10, 2023 |access-date=February 10, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} three more by Tensnake, Snakehips, and Jungle.{{Cite magazine |last=Dailey |first=Hannah |date=March 31, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Drops Dreamy Acoustic Version of 'Lavender Haze': Stream It Now |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-acoustic-version-1235295979/ |access-date=December 17, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=April 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407154228/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-acoustic-version-1235295979/ |url-status=live }} An acoustic version was released on March 31, 2023.
"Lavender Haze" debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard Global 200. It was one of the Midnights tracks that made Swift the first artist to chart in the top five the same week.{{Cite magazine |last=Trust |first=Gary |date=October 31, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Anti-Hero' Debuts Atop Both Billboard Global Charts |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-anti-hero-debut-billboard-global-charts-1235163784/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031184411/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-anti-hero-debut-billboard-global-charts-1235163784/ |archive-date=October 31, 2022 |access-date=July 15, 2023 |magazine=Billboard}} In the United States, the single debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It helped Swift become the first artist to monopolize the top 10 of the Hot 100 the same week, together with other Midnights tracks.{{Cite magazine |last1=Trust |first1=Gary |date=October 31, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Makes History as First Artist With Entire Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100, Led by 'Anti-Hero' at No. 1 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-all-hot-100-top-10-anti-hero-1235163664/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031172231/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-all-hot-100-top-10-anti-hero-1235163664/ |archive-date=October 31, 2022 |access-date=October 31, 2022 |magazine=Billboard}} It spent two consecutive weeks in the top 10,{{Cite magazine |last1=Trust |first1=Gary |date=November 8, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Anti-Hero' Tops Hot 100 for 2nd Week, Rihanna's 'Lift Me Up' Launches at No. 2 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-anti-hero-rihanna-lift-me-up-hot-100-nov-12-2022-1235167660/ |url-status=live |magazine=Billboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112204949/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-anti-hero-rihanna-lift-me-up-hot-100-nov-12-2022-1235167660/ |archive-date=November 12, 2022 |access-date=November 8, 2022}} charted at number five on the Pop Airplay chart and number four on the Adult Pop Airplay chart.{{Cite magazine |last=Trust |first=Gary |date=April 5, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Ties for the 10th-Most Top 10 Hits on the Radio Songs Chart With 'Lavender Haze' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-10th-most-top-10-hits-radio-songs-chart-1235298625/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=April 5, 2023 |archive-date=April 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405195816/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-10th-most-top-10-hits-radio-songs-chart-1235298625/ |url-status=live }} As Swift's 27th song to enter the top 10 of the Adult Pop Airplay, it made Swift the solo artist with the most top-10 entries.{{Cite magazine |last=Trust |first=Gary |date=February 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Ties the Record for Most Adult Pop Airplay Chart Top 10s With 'Lavender Haze' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-ties-record-most-adult-pop-airplay-chart-top-10s-lavender-haze-1235261277/ |access-date=December 17, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228000402/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-ties-record-most-adult-pop-airplay-chart-top-10s-lavender-haze-1235261277/ |url-status=live }}
The single peaked at number two on the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand; number three in the Philippines and the United Kingdom; and number four in Singapore. It reached the top 10 in India, Portugal, Vietnam, Iceland, and South Africa; and the top 20 in Luxembourg, Norway, Lithuania, Austria, Croatia, Hong Kong, the Czech Republic, and Sweden. "Lavender Haze" was certified triple-platinum in Australia; platinum in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom; and gold in Poland, Portugal, and Spain.
Swift performed "Lavender Haze" as the opening number of the Midnights act on the Eras Tour (2023–2024). Before the performance, the stage floor displayed a video of Swift swimming and visuals onstage showed ocean waves.{{Cite web |last=Raiken |first=Amber |date=March 21, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift's Headfirst Dive During Eras Concert Goes Viral |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/taylor-swift-dive-eras-tour-stage-b2304724.html |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=The Independent}} She then appeared onstage in a purple fur coat, climbing up a ladder leading to an elevated platform, as dancers wheeled around with lavender artificial clouds as props. Visuals onstage showed Swift lying in a lavender field, dancing in lavender clouds, and sitting and posing as abstract lavender lines cascaded around her.{{Cite web |last=Southern |first=Keiran |date=March 18, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Review — A Decade of Hits in Three Hours |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-review-the-queen-of-pop-reclaims-her-throne-67h73rkzl?region=global |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=The Times}} Variety's Chris Willman thought that the performance set the sensual tone for the Midnights act, the final act of the concert, as "the best after-hours club in the world".{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=December 11, 2024 |title=The 40 Greatest Nightly Moments of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour |url=https://variety.com/lists/taylor-swift-greatest-moments-eras-tour/the-cotton-candy-cloud-sensuality-of-lavender-haze/ |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=Variety}}
Critical reception
"Lavender Haze" received positive reviews from music critics; many deemed it a strong opening track that sets the tone for Midnights. The production was a common point of praise: PopMatters{{'}} Rick Quinn and The A.V. Club{{'s}} Saloni Gajjar complimented the sound as catchy and danceable,{{Cite web |last=Gajjar |first=Saloni |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Seeks to Reclaim Her Glittering Pop Era In Midnights |url=https://www.avclub.com/a-review-of-taylor-swifts-album-midnights-1849681836 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022162445/https://www.avclub.com/a-review-of-taylor-swifts-album-midnights-1849681836 |archive-date=October 22, 2022 |access-date=January 8, 2023 |website=The A.V. Club}} while Rolling Stone{{'s}} Brittany Spanos and Our Culture Mag{{'s}} Konstantinos Pappis deemed it restrained and muted,{{Cite web |last=Pappis |first=Konstantinos |date=October 24, 2022 |title=Album Review: Taylor Swift, Midnights |url=https://ourculturemag.com/2022/10/24/album-review-taylor-swift-midnights/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111074356/https://ourculturemag.com/2022/10/24/album-review-taylor-swift-midnights/ |archive-date=January 11, 2023 |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Our Culture Mag}} with the former adding that it has a playfulness to it. In Vulture, Craig Jenkins deemed it one of the R&B-tinged tracks of Midnights that showcased Swift's abilities to create "a mannered genre reset constantly threatening to cut in an alluring new direction".{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Craig |date=October 24, 2022 |title=Midnights{{'}} Moonlit Lessons |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/midnights-album-review-taylor-swift.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031180303/https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/midnights-album-review-taylor-swift.html |archive-date=October 31, 2022 |access-date=January 16, 2023 |website=Vulture}} Elise Ryan of the Associated Press considered track one of the album's more experimental cuts and deemed Swift's delivery "beckoning". Annie Zaleski similarly lauded her vocals as "sophisticated and alluring",{{Sfn|Zaleski|2024|p=211}} and The New York Times{{'}} Jon Caramanica picked the track as one of the album's better moments with Swift's great singing.{{Cite news |last=Caramanica |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Caramanica |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift, Caught Between Yesterday and Tomorrow on Midnights |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/21/arts/music/taylor-swift-midnights-review.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022110127/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/21/arts/music/taylor-swift-midnights-review.html |archive-date=October 22, 2022 |access-date=January 13, 2023 |work=The New York Times}} A lukewarm review was from Slant Magazine{{'s}} Paul Attard, who felt that the opening seconds were burdened by excessive reverb and turned out overwhelming.{{Cite web |last=Attard |first=Paul |date=October 24, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Midnights Review: Starkly Intimate, If Redundant |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/taylor-swift-midnights-album-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101065707/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/taylor-swift-midnights-album-review/ |archive-date=November 1, 2022 |access-date=November 1, 2022 |website=Slant Magazine}}
Other reviews focused on the lyrics. Billboard{{'s}} Jason Lipshutz placed the track fourth on his ranking of all 13 Midnights tracks; he contended that the lyrics were direct and barbed, and were elevated by the sophisticated production elements. Willman thought that the feminist message was provocative, interesting for the audience, and self-revelatory for Swift. In a similar vein, Quinn was impressed by Swift's rejection of societal norms and embrace of her own emotional journey.{{Cite web |last=Quinn |first=Rick |date=November 2, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift: Midnights (Album Review) |url=https://www.popmatters.com/taylor-swift-midnights-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104152354/https://www.popmatters.com/taylor-swift-midnights-review |archive-date=November 4, 2022 |access-date=January 27, 2023 |website=PopMatters}} Paul Bridgewater from The Line of Best Fit contended that the song was convincing because it showcased Swift's reflective side, "holding a mirror to herself and past behaviours".{{Cite web |last=Bridgewater |first=Paul |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Review of Midnights by Taylor Swift: 'A Love Letter to Emotional Stability that Can't Hide Its Flaws' |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/taylor-swift-midnights-love-letter-to-emotional-stability |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021040052/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/taylor-swift-midnights-love-letter-to-emotional-stability |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=The Line of Best Fit}} Mary Siroky from Consequence selected "Lavender Haze" as one of the album's essential tracks, praising how it functions as a "self-contained world". Jenkins thought that although the song was inspired by Swift's fame and celebrity, its depiction of a desire for uncomplicated love was resonant and relatable to any listener.
"Lavender Haze" has appeared on some rankings of Swift's songs. In his list of the select 75 tracks by Swift, Willman highlighted her defiance against the "1950s shit" stereotype and described its production as "a good groove in every possible regard".{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=April 29, 2024 |title=Taylor Swift's 75 Best Songs, Ranked |url=https://variety.com/lists/best-taylor-swift-songs-ranked/nothing-new-featuring-phoebe-bridgers-2/ |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=Variety |archive-date=September 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909184228/https://variety.com/lists/best-taylor-swift-songs-ranked/nothing-new-featuring-phoebe-bridgers-2/ |url-status=live }} The song appeared in the upper-tier of rankings by Rolling Stone{{'s}} Rob Sheffield (85 out of 274) and Vulture{{'s}} Nate Jones (71 out of 245).{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Nate |date=May 20, 2024 |title=All 245 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |url-access=limited |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=Vulture |archive-date=July 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721160846/https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |url-status=live }} Slant Magazine{{'s}} editorial staff picked "Lavender Haze" as one of the 20 best collaborations by Swift and Antonoff, and Billboard placed it at number 69 on their list of the best songs of 2022.
Music video
File:Lavender Haze – Taylor Swift (music video screenshot).png and surrealist visuals. This screenshot depicts Swift's house as a celestial body, afloat amidst large koi fish and lavender-hued fog.|upright=1.2|alt=Screenshot of a music video showing Taylor Swift standing in outer space surrounded by clouds and swimming fish]]
The music video for "Lavender Haze" premiered on Swift's Vevo channel on YouTube, on January 27, 2023.{{Cite magazine |last=Dailey |first=Hannah |date=January 26, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Announces 'Lavender Haze' Music Video: 'Meet Me At Midnight …' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-music-video-announcement-1235205909/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126202314/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-music-video-announcement-1235205909/ |archive-date=January 26, 2023 |access-date=January 27, 2023 |magazine=Billboard}} She wrote and directed the video herself.{{Cite magazine |last=Paul |first=Larisha |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Watch: Taylor Swift Unveils New Lavender Haze' Music Video |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-music-video-1234668859/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127051446/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-music-video-1234668859/ |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |access-date=January 27, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} It incorporates psychedelic{{Cite web |last=Hussey |first=Allison |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Shares New 'Lavender Haze' Video |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-shares-new-lavender-haze-video-watch/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127051726/https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-shares-new-lavender-haze-video-watch/ |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |access-date=January 27, 2023 |website=Pitchfork}}{{Cite news |last=McCafferty |first=Kenna |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Lavender Haze' Video Features Trans Representation and Countless Easter Eggs |url=https://www.papermag.com/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-2659320282.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129134702/https://www.papermag.com/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-2659320282.html |archive-date=January 29, 2023 |access-date=February 27, 2023 |work=Paper}} and surrealist visual elements. According to Swift, "Lavender Haze" was the first Midnights music video for which she wrote the treatment; she described the concept as "a sultry sleepless 70's fever dream" that encapsulated the "world and mood" of the album.{{Cite magazine |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Says 'Lavender Haze' Video Helped Her Tap Into 'Sultry Sleepless 70s Fever Dream' Vibe |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-talks-inspiration-lavender-haze-video-1235206707/ |access-date=December 17, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329045727/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-talks-inspiration-lavender-haze-video-1235206707/ |url-status=live }}
The video has a dominant purple color scheme{{Cite web |last=Carr |first=Mary Kate |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Shares Seductive 'Lavender Haze' Video |url=https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swift-shares-seductive-lavender-haze-video-1850039938 |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=The A.V. Club |archive-date=July 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720065902/https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swift-shares-seductive-lavender-haze-video-1850039938 |url-status=live }} and 1970s fashion and interior design.{{Cite web |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Does Taylor Swift's 'Lavender Haze' Video Have a Deeper Meaning? |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-video-deeper-meaning |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=Vogue |archive-date=May 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511175207/https://www.vogue.com/article/taylor-swift-lavender-haze-video-deeper-meaning |url-status=live }} It starts with Swift waking up at midnight, listening to vinyl records, burning incense, and tracing the outline of the universe on the back of her lover (portrayed by the Dominican-American transgender activist and model Laith Ashley). Her bedroom is then engulfed in a lavender-hued fog, in which Swift dances. She then crawls across a 1970s living room whose carpets are blooming with lavender flowers and tears the television apart to reveal a cosmic aquarium.
Swift is then seen swimming in a purple-hued pool and having a house party with her friends while cuddling with her lover, engulfed in the lavender mist.{{Cite web |last=Brodsky |first=Rachel |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Releases 'Lavender Haze' Music Video |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2211825/taylor-swift-releases-lavender-haze-music-video/news/ |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=Stereogum |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331154121/https://www.stereogum.com/2211825/taylor-swift-releases-lavender-haze-music-video/news/ |url-status=live }} The video ends with Swift floating in outer space with a lavender fog and floating koi fish around her. According to publications, the "Lavender Haze" video contains numerous Easter eggs that link to Swift's re-recorded album Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and other Midnights tracks.{{Cite news |last=Rackham |first=Annabel |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift: Fans Search for Clues in 'Lavender Haze' Video Tease |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64428443 |access-date=December 17, 2024 |publisher=BBC |archive-date=December 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229074938/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64428443 |url-status=live }}
Accolades
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Midnights.{{cite AV media notes |title=Midnights |type=vinyl liner notes |year=2022 |author=Swift |publisher=Republic Records |id=2445790050 |first=Taylor |author-link=Taylor Swift}}
{{Div col begin}}
- Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer
- Jack Antonoff – songwriter, producer, engineer, drums, programming, percussion, synths, Juno 6, Mellotron, Wurlitzer, background vocals, recording
- Zoë Kravitz – songwriter, background vocals
- Sounwave – songwriter, producer, programming
- Jahaan Sweet – songwriter, producer, engineer, bass, bass pad, flute, Juno, recording
- Sam Dew – songwriter, background vocals, recording
- Braxton Cook – additional producer
- Dominik Rivinius – snare
- Laura Sisk – engineer, recording
- Ken Lewis – engineer, recording
- Megan Searl – assistant engineer
- Jon Sher – assistant engineer
- John Rooney – assistant engineer
- Mark Aguilar – assistant engineer
- Jonathan Garcia – assistant engineer
- Şerban Ghenea – mixing engineer
- Bryce Bordone – assistant mix engineer
- Randy Merrill – mastering engineer
- Ryan Smith – mastering for vinyl
{{Div col end}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
= Weekly charts =
{{col-2}}
= Year-end charts =
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Lavender Haze"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=2022|certyear=2024|access-date=February 14, 2024|refname="ARIA"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|artist=Taylor Swift|title=Lavender Haze|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2022|certyear=2024|access-date=July 22, 2024|refname="PMB"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=Lavender Haze|artist=Taylor Swift|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=2022|certyear=2022|access-date=November 8, 2022|refname="MC"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=single|certyear=2025|relyear=2022|award=Gold|artist=Taylor Swift|title=Lavender Haze|access-date=February 17, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Mexico|title=Lavender Haze|artist=Taylor Swift|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=2022|certyear=2023|access-date=September 4, 2023|refname="Mexico"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=Taylor Swift|title=Lavender Haze|type=single|award=Platinum|access-date=December 19, 2024|source=radioscope|relyear=2020|certyear=2023|refname="RMNZ"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|artist=Taylor Swift|title=Lavender Haze|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2022|certyear=2023|access-date=December 20, 2023|refname="Poland"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Portugal|artist=Taylor Swift|title=Lavender Haze|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2022|certyear=2023|id=file_2023-05-02-10-24-42.pdf|access-date=May 2, 2023|refname="Portugalcert"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Taylor Swift|title=Lavender Haze|id=-551|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2022|certyear=2024|access-date=January 26, 2024|refname="Spain"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Lavender Haze|artist=Taylor Swift|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=2022|certyear=2023|id=18636-1598-1|access-date=January 26, 2024|refname="BPI"}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|noshipments=true|nosales=true}}
Release history
References
{{reflist}}
= Sources =
- {{Cite book |last=Cullen |first=Shaun |title=The Literary Taylor Swift: Songwriting and Intertextuality |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2024 |isbn=979-876510452-1 |editor-last=Tontiplaphol |editor-first=Betsy Winakur |chapter=What It Means to Shake It Off: Taylor Swift, Race, and Citizenship |editor-last2=Klimchynskaya |editor-first2=Anastasia}}
- {{Cite journal |last=Eadon |first=Yvonne M. |date=April 2, 2024 |title='You Could Hear a Hair Pin Drop': Queer Utopianism and Informal Knowledge Production in the Gaylor Closeting Conspiracy Theory |journal=Social Media + Society |volume=10 |issue=2 |doi=10.1177/20563051241242797 |doi-access=free}}
- {{Cite book |last=Zaleski |first=Annie |author-link=Annie Zaleski |title=Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs |publisher=Thunder Bay Press |year=2024 |isbn=978-1-6672-0845-9 |pages=203–231 |chapter=The Midnights Era}}
{{Taylor Swift songs}}{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Taylor Swift
Category:Songs written by Jack Antonoff
Category:Songs written by Sounwave
Category:Songs written by Sam Dew
Category:Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift
Category:Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff
Category:American synth-pop songs
Category:American contemporary R&B songs
Category:Songs with feminist themes
Category:Transgender-related mass media
Category:Music videos directed by Taylor Swift