From "Burning Red" to "Maroon"

We dive into the next sleepless night, and we are transported into the Red era. But everything has changed as Taylor reexamines that "passionate as sin" relationship from new angles in Track 2 of Midnights, "Maroon." This tumultuous love affair was chronicled throughout Taylor's fourth studio album, Red, especially in songs like "Red" and "All Too Well," which we definitely reference in this week's episode. Hannah and Exquisite discuss how Taylor dissects the "burning red" color and exposes its many different shades, before she eventually (and perhaps inevitably) identifies a richer, darker, more complex color: maroon. The two also discuss how this song demonstrates how Taylor is a master storyteller and wordsmith. She crafts parallel stories in each verse that have radically different conclusions. We also see how Taylor revisits themes of the power of memory and legacy in the chorus and bridge that she has in so many of her songs. And Hannah and Exquisite discuss how, at midnight, we can finally have an epiphany about the changes we need to make--because we see the connections between our past selves and our present--and so we need to run. BONUS: We also read some "Maroon" analysis from the new book Stars Around My Scars by friend of the podcast, Dr. Elly McCausland. Check out her book here, You can also follow her on Instagram! Enjoy the podcast? ⁠⁠⁠Send us a tip on Ko-Fi! ⁠⁠⁠ Join in on our conversation on Twitter/X with the hashtag #MidnightsSeminars Follow us on Twitter: Taylor Seminars Hannah Exquisite Cover Art by Alef Vernon Instagram Patreon