The long-awaited Era’s Tour officially kicked off in Glendale, Arizona (or should we say Swift City, Erazona) and Taylor Swift did not disappoint. Fans were concerned with the content of the show ahead of time, considering Swift has 10 studio albums, and 300 songs but Taylor surprised everyone with a 44-song set list, a 3-hour-long show.
The show contains fan favorites, like “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” and “champagne problems,” and her most popular hits like “Blank Space” and “Love Story.” The show itself received raving critic reviews, something to be expected from a show with a budget over 100k.
Taylor opens the show with a massive clock ticking down to the start, and the crowd hears “it’s been a long time comin’” over and over again, with sprinkles of past album references like “I’m Taylor and I was born 1989.” There are dancers with huge pink and purple pieces attached to them walking out as the fans wait breathlessly for Swift to arrive. When she finally pops out from the center, she doesn’t disappoint. Immediately beginning to sing “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince,” a song that makes complete sense, considering the lyric “it’s been a long time comin” and how Swift hasn’t been able to perform for three years now. “The Lover” era doesn’t end there, as Swift switches right into Cruel Summer and motions the crowd to sing the bridge along with her.
Taylor Swift separates the shows into different eras, we begin in “Lover,” switch to the nostalgic “Fearless” era, and then into the somber woodland fairy set of “Evermore.” She does a hardcore switch to the heavy “Reputation” era, and does a quick nod to “Speak Now” with “Enchanted.” The sets to follow “Speak Now,” are Swift’s last re-recording “Red,” followed by her Grammy-winning “folklore” and “1989.” We finally end the show with “Midnights,” where Swift has an amazing costume change during “Midnight Rain.”
On the first night, Swift told fans that she is planning on doing two different secret songs per show, one on her classic guitar and one on a piano painted in beautiful flowers. Secret songs so far performed are: “Tim Mcgraw,” “mirrorball,” “this is me trying,” “State of Grace,” “Our Song,” “Snow on the Beach,” “White Horse,” and “cowboy like me.”
With a set of 42 songs and two secret songs, Swift will perform about 70% of her discography during the US leg of the Era’s Tour. It’s a demanding ask, and the show itself is demanding, allowing Swift no breaks during the 3-hour period of performance, but she’s proven she can do it. Fans may be a little disappointed with the lack of “Speak Now” and Debut songs, but Swift surely makes up for it with her performance.
We’re only 4 shows in and Swift has broken records following the kick-off of the tour. Holding the top 10 biggest streaming days of 2023 on Spotify, having 7 studio albums chart in the top 40 of the Billboard 200, and many more.
The Era’s Tour is a fantastical escape into Taylor Swift’s discography, full of fun, heartbreak and intimate moments. Swift holds the 70k audience captive through her amazing singing, writing, and dance moves (“Vigilante Sh*t” being a certain fan favorite moment). This tour is proving Swift’s dominance in the music industry and that there is no one like her.