The Eras Tour has unfortunately come to a close this past week, after almost two years and one hundred and fifty-two cities visited. This tour shattered dozens of records, being the first ever to gross over one billion dollars. Beyond that, Taylor Swift has been a leading lady in both country and pop since her debut album was released, but in recent years she’s grown more popular than ever. She’s been coming out with new music on a yearly basis since 2019, and with the heightened success that comes from every new release or re-recorded album, she has effectively solidified herself as one of the greatest pop artists of this century (seriously, Billboard just named her number two last week). Now I know what some of you may be wondering: how does she keep doing it? I’m here to recount just a few reasons that Taylor and this tour have become so monumental, from both an industry standpoint and as a long time fan.
Something New for Each Night:
Now if you don’t know by now, Taylor is the queen of easter eggs. Not in the sense that she’s known for dipping actual eggs in dye with her family on Easter Sunday, but rather meaning that she loves to drive her fanbase absolutely insane by dropping hints for future projects everywhere. And I really mean everywhere. She’s informed us in the past that she will drop clues that allude towards what fans can expect from her next in clothing, music videos, photoshoots, captions on posts, lyrics, tour visuals, you name it, it’s probably been true at some point. In terms of the tour, not only were Easter eggs dropped on multiple occasions (leading to album release announcements, of course), but she also sported a plethora of different outfits for each era. Honestly, I know it doesn’t sound like much, but Taylor’s wardrobe for this tour is so vast that fans actually anticipate which variant of a beautiful bedazzled bodysuit or a twenty pound ball gown she will show up in for their show, or one that they’re watching through a livestream. Just before “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was announced at an L.A. show in August of 2023, it was as if the whole world stood still when she walked out in a baby blue ball gown during the Speak Now set, contrary to the usual purple ones that everyone was used to. Each night on the tour consisted of their own unique combinations of all of these outfits and I think for a lot of fans, it’s something special about their specific show that they are able to look back on.Â
While we’re talking about variety in each show, it would be a crime not to mention the two surprise songs she plays during the acoustic set. Each night on tour, Taylor would play one version of a song not featured on the setlist on guitar and another on piano. During the U.S. leg, she committed to not repeating songs she’d already played for other audiences, which made everyone’s night all the more exciting. I remember seeing TikToks of other fans pleading with Taylor to save a specific song for the night of tour they planned on attending. The amount of views in live streams would skyrocket when the acoustic set was about to be played. It was easily one of the most anticipated parts of the show. When moving on to the next leg of tour is when she started performing mashups. She would even bring out guests to sing with her (she brought Sabrina Carpenter out to sing “Espresso” with her and I will never be over it). So even though she’d already performed most of her discography through surprise songs, she still found a way to keep each show special in a way for everyone.Â
“The Tortured Poets Department” ReleaseÂ
Oh yeah, she also released a double album during the Eras Tour, effectively flipping the entire show around about a year into it. Fans had been speculating since the announcement of “The Tortured Poets Department” at the 2024 Grammys that she would add a whole new set to the concert. When talking about it with my friends earlier this year, I was adamant that she wouldn’t do this. Being that the show was already three hours, she sold specific tour merch that did not include the new album on it, and the whole setlist would have to change, I just wasn’t convinced. I’d never stood more corrected, because of course none of that mattered. The set consisted of some old Hollywood elements as well as an entire drumline that marched behind her during “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.” Travis Kelce appeared on stage one night to lift Taylor into her next number, and Florence Welch also joined performances a few times to sing their collaboration song, “Florida!!!” together. Like Taylor herself, this tour was constantly evolving.Â
Community & an Era for Everyone
As someone who had the wonderful opportunity to attend two different stops on this tour, I wanted to share a bit of my experience while there with you. The amount of love to go around at Taylor Swift shows is honestly kind of moving. Between trading an abundance of friendship bracelets handcrafted the night prior, to hyping up complete strangers for their creative outfit that they’d made themselves, I’ve seen and experienced it all. Getting to collectively experience this tour surrounded by the coolest people was honestly a little overwhelming. My friends and I couldn’t stop saying, “we’re just so happy,” on the verge of tears the entire night. I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan for as long as I can remember. I’ve been able to grow with her as she’s gone through life, and I have found that even today I’m still able to find a new song that really resonates with me as I’m going through something in my own life. Alternatively, I have people in my life that attended while only being a fan of her country music, and they still had the time of their lives. The tour is incredibly versatile in that way.Â
I’m really grateful for Taylor because her music has made its mark on my own life, and I’m also thankful to have gotten to see it live. The Eras Tour is definitely one for the books, and even those who aren’t fans of Taylor Swift can agree that this was a definite encapsulation of her hard work ethic. If you’re a bit late to the train, that’s okay! The Eras Tour is also available for streaming. I put it on a lot to cheer myself up, as the energy on that stage is infectious, and the music manages to literally never get old. Like, ever.