Taylor Swift Midnights: what did singer say at MTV VMAs about new album - can I preorder from her UK store?

During the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, which kicked off at 8pm in the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey, Taylor Swift announced that she would be releasing a new album later this year.

The album, titled Midnights, will be Swift’s first new music in two years, after she released both Folklore and Evermore in 2020. The singer released re-recordings of her 2008 album Fearless and 2012 album Red last year, but Midnights will mark Swift’s return to original music.

This is everything you need to know.

How did she announce the new album?

Whilst making a speech during the VMAs, Swift announced that she would be dropping her 10th original studio album.

She said: “I thought it might be a fun moment to tell you that my brand new album comes out October 21st.

“And I will tell you more at midnight.”

At midnight, Swift’s official website crashed as eager fans flooded the site to find out more information about the upcoming album.

Over on Twitter, Swift tweeted the cover art to the new album, as well as a message.

She wrote: “We lie awake in love and in fear, in turmoil and in tears. We stare at walls and drink until they speak back. We twist in our self-made cages and pray that we aren’t - right at this minute - about to make some fateful life-altering mistake.

“This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams. The floors we pace and the demons we face.

“For all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit and go searching - hoping that just maybe, when the clock strikes twelve… we’ll meet ourselves.

“Midnights, the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life, will be out October 21.

“Meet me at midnight.”

Can I pre-order the album?

Yes, Midnights is currently available to pre-order in a number of different formats from Swift’s official website.

You can pre-order the Midnights vinyl, which costs £32.99 and comes with:

• 13 songs
• Unique moonstone blue marbled colour disc.
• Collectible album sleeve, with each side featuring a different full-size photo of Swift
• Full-size gatefold photo
• Collectible eight page lyric booklet with never-before-seen photos

The Midnights CD costs £12.99, and comes with:

• 13 Songs
• Unique, collectible disc artwork
• Moonstone blue marble colour disc
• Collectible lyric booklet with never-before-seen photos

Finally, the Midnights cassette costs £11.99 and comes with:

• 13 Songs
• Collectible never-before-seen photos
• Moonstone blue cassette shell

Alternatively, you can pre-order the clean version of the Midnights CD - there are no clean versions of the vinyl or cassette available for purchase.

Each item is limited to four per customer, with shipping for the vinyl starting from £3.95 and for the CD and cassette from £1.95.

What did she win at the VMAs?

At the 2022 MTV VMAs, Swift scooped up a number of awards, including the highly coveted Video of the Year, which she won for All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).

She also won Best Longform Video and Best Direction for the same music video.

The video for All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) starred Sadie Sink (Stranger Things, The Whale) and Dylan O’Brien (Love and Monsters, Not Okay), and was part of the “Taylor’s Version” albums that Swift released last year.

In her speech, Swift said: “I’m so honoured to have been recognised alongside such amazing artists and directors.

“For the first time in VMA history, four of the directors in the video of the year category are women.

“You guys, I’m just so proud of what we made and with every second of this moment and we wouldn’t have been able to make this short film if it wasn’t for the fans.

“I wouldn’t be able to re-record my albums if it wasn’t for you… you emboldened me to do that.”

Swift had also been up for the Best Cinematography and Best Editing awards, but lost out to Harry Styles, for As It Was, and Rosalía, for Saoko, respectively.