#PisayCulture | You’re not on your own, kid: Pisay and Midnights
by Charly Viñas & Yel Deleña
Thirteen sleepless nights.
These were what inspired Taylor Swift to write Midnights, her 10th studio album, which was released last October 21. Since then, the album has broken record after record, becoming the most streamed album on Spotify in a day and the third-most streamed album in a week.
According to one of Spotify’s tweets a few weeks before the album’s release, Quezon City had the fifth-highest number of Taylor Swift streams in the world — and a portion of those streams come from our second home.
If you were at the back lobby or at the Advanced Science and Technology Building (ASTB) that day, you might have seen and heard some students listening to the album with friends. You may have even witnessed people blasting it with their classmates while roaming the halls of the Science and Humanities Building (SHB).
As it turns out, Taylor Swift’s timing couldn’t have been more right. Since it happened during Pisay’s pre-exam hell week, this timely album release brought a sense of comfort to students and helped them unwind during test-filled days and studying-filled midnights.
‘Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it’
— You’re On Your Own, Kid
Some students from 9-Cesium started a listening party that gained popularity within the Pisay community. They held it during lunch at the Ajisakki stall by the ASTB on the first hour of the album’s release.
Aki Torres from the same section explained that the listening party was not planned. However, their classmates were all excited to listen to the new album, so they decided to do so and make use of the speakers of Jay Estera, a classmate of theirs who brought them by chance.
“We were talking about which songs we liked best, the meaning of the lyrics, the feeling of the music, and generally our likes and dislikes with [regard] to the album,” described Gab Madulara, also of 9-Cesium.
Torres talked about the listening party as well: “Kahit short lang [‘]yung lunch po, we felt that [ang] saya[-]saya [noong] time na [‘]yun because [it’s] [T]aylor [S]wift [returning] to her pop roots in this album.” (Even if lunch was short, we felt really happy during that time because it’s Taylor Swift returning to her pop roots in this album.)
Gaby Pascual from 12-B also started another listening party with her friends from her Biology class. She mentioned that students from different classes also joined in.
“We listened to the entire album from start to finish without pausing and occasionally made comments about it to each other,” Pascual shared. “I think what made it fun was mostly the fact that we were listening with our friends and that it was something that we all could bond over.”
While there were big listening parties like these conducted among students from different sections or through a Bluetooth speaker, there were also ones done in smaller groups in the corner of a classroom, or even alone, through the constraints of one’s earphones.
A student who took part in a smaller listening party by students from 10-Gluon said that while it was just a usual lunch, Swift’s release turned it into the afternoon they and their friends had been looking forward to for months.
“Personally, it’s the first time I got to listen to a new [Swift] album with someone who enjoys her music as much as I do, so it’s a memory I’ve been holding close to my heart,” the student remarked.
Bianca Sacramento from 11-D, despite not having witnessed nor partook in any Pisay listening party, shared the same sentiment. She thinks of music as a powerful and shared experience that can strengthen bonds among people who choose to spend quality time together during events like these.
“The release of this album will surely be a core memory to me,” Sacramento said.
‘Yeah, you can face this’
— You’re On Your Own, Kid
With the exam week being an especially nerve-wracking period — one that has caused many students anxiety and even multiple breakdowns at midnight — the album served as a stress reliever to many, easing their negative thoughts and helping them get through the demanding week.
Several students said their favorite song from Midnights was the fifth track, You’re On Your Own, Kid, primarily because of how relatable it is. The piece allowed Swift to be more vulnerable and personal, which led many to resonate with it. Many fans also believe that the fifth track of each Swift album is typically the rawest one, and You’re On Your Own, Kid was no exception to this.
Dawn Evangelista from 8-Adelfa thought that the lyrics of this song were really heartfelt and well-written.
“It gave me something to look forward to and showed me that insecurities are normal and that even someone as popular as Taylor Swift understands our struggles,” she added.
‘I think it’s time to teach some lessons’
— Bejeweled
The Pisay community’s love for Taylor Swift is not only seen in its students, but in its teachers as well.
Ma’am Edlen Sanchez, a Computer Science teacher and a known Taylor Swift fan among students, only heard about the listening parties later on, but mentioned that she liked the idea of it.
“I think it’s a great way to bring Swifties [Taylor Swift fans] and non-Swifties together since even those who [are] just [passing] by [can] hear whatever [is] playing,” she said.
Ma’am Sanchez has enjoyed discussing Swift’s music with her students ever since her first year of teaching. She recounted that when Swift’s sixth studio album, Reputation, came out, she and her students would stay in the classroom after class to share their favorite songs with one another.
“I really feel like my love for Taylor Swift is something that connects me to a lot of students, and I really like that feeling,” she expressed.
During one of her previous classes, after most students finished their exercises, she also streamed the music video of ME! (the lead single of Lover, Swift’s seventh studio album) the minute it was released.
“Any and every Taylor drop is good for the soul,” Ma’am Sanchez concluded.
Sir Eddie Neil Bartolay, a Physics teacher and the adviser of 10-Gluon, also shared some instances he was able to bond with his students over the album. He mentioned staying with a few of his students after a Physics class, sharing with them how he first became a fan of Swift and some of her unreleased songs he enjoys listening to.
According to him, Midnights was a testament to the versatility and profoundness of Swift’s music: “The songs were well[-]thought[-]out and the music accompanying her poetic lyrics was just amazing.”
Sir Bartolay also expressed that the album release was able to reignite his creative side and in turn, can help students become more creative and expressive as well.
“I believe that if everyone could have an artistic medium in expressing themselves, we can all be aware of what people are going through in life and be able to understand each other even more,” he remarked.
‘Once upon a time, the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned’
— Mastermind
It was timely for Swift to release such an album when the Pisay community needed it most. As Swift sang in Midnights’ 13th track, Mastermind, perhaps “it was all by design.”
Even for those who did not participate in any Pisay listening party, Midnights was able to connect people, help them strengthen bonds and friendships, and even provide a sense of belonging. There was comfort in knowing that despite the struggles that students and teachers faced during the periodic exams, they were not alone. There were others out there who were also loaded with stress, listening to the album to help calm them down.
And if fate is in control, one can only wonder what significant event Swift’s next album release might fall on. As we enter a new quarter filled with even more requirements and nights of cramming, there will always be one thing that the Pisay community can count on: Taylor Swift — and her music — will always be there to meet us at midnight.
