As most of us know by now, Taylor Swift is an absolute icon that has shaped our generation more than we could ever imagine. Queen Taylor just released her new album Midnights, which has changed my life, and announced her upcoming world tour called The Eras. When I heard the news of the tour, my jaw DROPPED. Taylor’s had so many different eras in how she’s been portrayed in the media, through her music, through relationships and so much more. We’ve basically seen her entire life on display since she was fourteen or fifteen, which is why I love the fact that she’s going back to honor all of the different stages she’s gone through. It also highlights all of the stages that we’ve been through with Taylor as well. Since the beginning, her music has been nothing but relatable and has helped millions of people around the world get through hard times. But I won’t lie, I haven’t always been the biggest Taylor stan … I didn’t know a lot of her albums “all too well” (pun intended). Now that I’m older though, I can truly accept the musical genius that she is and always has been. I’ve decided to revisit each of Miss Swift’s albums to pick out my favorites from each era of her music that I think would make amazing tour performances.
Taylor Swift (2006):
“Picture to Burn”
“Teardrops On My Guitar”
“Our Song”
Absolutely legendary first album, it gives all the country vibes. It’s also where everything started for Taylor, when she wrote some of the first songs she ever wrote. It’s where history started and was made. I remember I gave this album to my friend for her birthday at the time it came out, and she started crying. She was the happiest I’ve ever seen her, and I can’t blame her.
Fearless (2008):
“Fearless”
“Fifteen”
“Love Story”
“White Horse”
“You Belong With Me”
This album is what I think of when I think of Taylor Swift, it has sad vibes but also has a lot of classics. It’s hard to let any of these songs not be in the setlist, but I like the ones that I’ve picked out and NEED to hear all of them live.
Speak Now (2010):
“Mine”
“Back to December”
“Mean”
“The Story of Us”
“Enchanted”
Such an impactful album, so many of Taylor’s biggest songs came from this album, and it’s hard not to pick a lot of them. “Back to December” will always have a special place in my heart.
Red (2012):
“All Too Well” (10-MINUTE VERSION)
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
I feel like I speak for a lot of fans when I say this, but we NEED the live 10-minute version of “All Too Well.” I feel like that might be the peak of the setlist and be the most impactful. I’d be okay with not hearing any of the other songs from this album if that means we get the 10-minute version of “All Too Well.”
1989 (2014):
“Shake It Off”
“Wildest Dreams”
“Style”
“Blank Space”
“Out of the Woods”
I will also fight for “Shake It Off” to be on the setlist. I’ve seen Taylor’s live performances of this song, and they are always AMAZING. It’s a classic for people of all ages. Something that everyone knows the lyrics to. The message behind the song is great too. 10/10 all around.
Reputation (2017):
“Don’t Blame Me”
“I Did Something Bad”
“Look What You Made Me Do”
“Getaway Car”
“New Year’s Day”
Reputation is my absolute FAVORITE era of Taylor Swift. It’s all about her being confident, not caring what anyone else thinks and feeling good about herself. I would love to see some mashups from Taylor in this section since I think a lot of the songs transition well in the album and have a similar vibe to them.
Lover (2019):
“Lover”
For some reason, I know the very least about this album than any of the others. I have no idea how, but I guess I was not keeping up with music or Taylor Swift in 2019. Personally, I wouldn’t have a problem if no songs were played from this era, just because they didn’t impact me a lot. But I do like “Lover” and wouldn’t mind hearing it live.
folklore (2020):
“seven”
“my tears ricochet”
“august”
“illicit affairs”
This will be the part of the setlist where I just start sobbing. folklore got me through some hard times and brings out so many emotions that I didn’t even know I had, but I love it. There are a lot of songs that I would want to be played, but I tried my best to limit it down to just a few.
Evermore (2020):
“champagne problems”
“no body, no crime”
I don’t know this album as well as some of the others, but I do know that “Champagne Problems” needs to be on the setlist. Such a moving song and I think it really captures the entire vibe of this album so well. “No body, no crime” is also just a banger, and I would need to hear it live because it’s so catchy.
Midnights (2022):
“You’re On Your Own, Kid”
“Sweet Nothing”
“Karma”
“Labyrinth”
“Maroon”
“Anti-Hero”
To be honest, I would choose this entire album if I could. The bridge for “You’re On Your Own, Kid” has me screaming the lyrics every time, that song is a must for the setlist. No exceptions. I actually saw a TikTok about how each lyric of the bridge could be a mention of a different era of each of Taylor’s albums. Every other song is amazing on this album too, literally not a single song that I don’t like, so I wouldn’t be too mad if she chose differently.
I know this setlist is pretty long if we’re trying to actually predict what the setlist would be on Taylor’s tour, but this is just what I would hope for in a perfect world. After taking another look and listening to all of Taylor Swift’s albums, I already feel SOO much nostalgia. I couldn’t even imagine what it would feel like to actually see her perform even half of these songs live. I really wonder how long I would last during one of her shows during the tour without happy crying. No matter what Queen Taylor chooses to play on her upcoming tour, I know she’ll absolutely kill it like she always does. I also know that she’ll probably have surprise mashups, dance numbers and more that will knock the crowd off their feet. Hopefully, I can get my hands on some tickets that aren’t too expensive, but if not, Taylor Swift’s music is always just a click away and that nostalgia will all come flooding back.