Taylor Swift not only took home Video of the Year for her “All Too Well” short film at the VMAs on Sunday night, she announced her new album will be out in October.
“Midnights” will release October 21. The new album will contain thirteen tracks following “thirteen sleepless nights scattered throughout [Swift’s] life.”
“This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams,” Swift wrote in a statement accompanying the album announcement. “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.”
Swift is the first artist to direct her own music video and win a VMA for doing so. She acknowledged that women made history in the Video of the Year category this year.
“I am so heartened by the fact that for the first time in VMA history, four of the directors nominated in the Video of the Year category are women,” she said in her acceptance speech.
Other nominees in the Video of the Year category included Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Drake feat. Young Thug, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo.
“I wouldn’t be able to re-record my albums if it weren’t for you,” Swift continued, thanking her fans. “You emboldened me to do that. And I had made up my mind that if you were going to be this generous and give us this [award], I thought it might be a fun moment to tell you that my brand new album comes out Oct. 21. And I will tell you more at midnight.”
Swift also took home the award for Best Longform video and Best Direction for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).” She earlier thanked “Stranger Things” star Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien for appearing in the 10-minute clip.
“Before this, I had and written and directed my own music videos, but I had never made a short film before,” she said in her first thank you speech of the night.
“I want to first start out by saying thank you to Sadie Sink, Dylan O’Brien, my amazing cinematographer Rina Yang, my producer Saul Germaine and the rest of our incredible crew for trusting me, for lending me their brillance, their talent, their time,” the singer continued.
The short film stars Dylan O’Brien, Sadie Sink and Swift herself. Sink and O’Brien play a young couple going through the ups and downs of a relationship that doesn’t work out. O’Brien attended the VMAs with Swift and went on stage with her when she accepted the award for Best Longform Video. Sink was not in attendance, but Swift gave her a shoutout.
“We put our entire hearts into this trying to make something that might be worthy of the love that you the fans have shown this song,” she added. “Thank you for this beautiful indication that we did something right.”
