Taylor Swift’s return to late-night TV came with a storm of applause — and a stack of history-making stats. In just 24 hours, Midnights became the year’s top-selling album, shattered Spotify’s single-day streaming record, and dominated the top ten on both Spotify and Apple Music.

“This is my first directly autobiographical album in a while,” Swift told the host, contrasting Midnights with the character-driven storytelling of Folklore and Evermore. She described it as “13 sleepless nights” pulled from different moments in her life — sometimes sparked by a sudden lyric or melody she had to grab her phone to capture.

True to her reputation, Swift embraced the cryptic planning her fans love, even announcing track titles via TikTok “Bingo” reveals. Collaborations include Zoe Kravitz, Lana Del Rey on “Snow on the Beach,” and actor Dylan O’Brien — who ended up playing drums on a track after a wine-fueled studio hangout.

The singer also spoke about the joy of creating with friends, even when the subject matter is dark: “You can write songs about pain or grief, but making them can still be fun — it’s like sucking the poison out of a snakebite.”

She lit up talking about directing her own videos, including the surreal, giant-at-a-dinner-party scene in “Anti-Hero,” and revealed that much of her casting comes from meeting people at parties — including comedian Mike Birbiglia, who plays her son in the video.

And while she hasn’t toured in four years, Swift teased that the stage is calling again: “I miss that connection… I should do it.” The roar from the audience suggested they agree.