Out of Taylor Swift’s incredible discography, my favorite album is her ninth studio album, “evermore.” Whether it’s the sophisticated storytelling, the raw emotion felt from each song or the dainty lyricism with hidden meanings buried beneath, “evermore” is Swift’s best piece of artwork.
“Evermore” holds a close piece to my heart, as the album has helped me get through some of the toughest times of my life. My sophomore year of college was both academically straining and mentally draining. I had trouble putting my inside feelings into words and expressing them, so I kept them inside and dealt with them alone. One of my favorite songs from “evermore” is “champagne problems.” It’s one of Swift’s best songs she’s ever written, and she beautifully encapsulated many of the emotions I was feeling during this time. Even when I felt like I was all alone, I had this song and the rest of the album to lean on.
“Evermore” provided an outlet to turn to when needed aid throughout sophomore year, and when Swift announced her Eras Tour in November, I knew I needed to go and listen to the songs that helped me through one of the toughest times in my life.
After one of my best friends won the great Ticketmaster war, I had something to look forward to: tickets to Chicago Night One. This motivated me to get through my day-to-day schedule, pushed me to keep studying for my tests and drove me to make the best out of every day. Soon enough, the months turned into weeks, weeks turned into days, days turned into hours and suddenly I was outside Soldier Field waiting to enter the stadium.
Before attending the concert, I took a hiatus from social media to both save myself from concert spoilers and to give my mind a break from the craziness. I didn’t know the setlist, and I didn’t know that Taylor was about to sing one of my favorite songs acoustically. As soon as she sat down at the “evermore” piano, I knew it was time for the song and instantly started tearing up.
The acoustic version of “champagne problems” was one of the highlights of the entire show. The entire stadium felt the raw emotion and replicated these feelings right back to Swift. Being able to stand with an entire stadium, receiving the same amount of emotion that I’d felt when I heard the song gave me full-body chills that I still think about to this day. Swaying back and forth during the chorus with my best friend, screaming the bridge of the song and sobbing (while applauding and cheering) as the song concluded gave me a high that will be hard to match again. Chicago Night One gave the longest standing ovation of the Chicago shows at a whopping 2:41 minutes!
The rest of the show was amazing: I cried (again) during “Enchanted,” danced my heart out during the “1989” setlist, and lost my mind when she played “the lakes” as one of the surprise songs. Post-concert depression hit instantaneously, as I was sitting in my seat 30 minutes after the show ended, refusing to believe that it was over. Queue {right where you left me}!
As I trudged along Lake Michigan, enduring the walk from Soldier Field to the Quincy subway station, I reflected on my strenuous journey that brought me to the concert. I dealt with many experiences and emotions during my sophomore year of college, and I struggled to put my conflicts into words. I would deal with obstacles head-on and alone. The one thing that would always slow my racing mind was listening to Taylor Swift and immersing myself in the music to pick apart the lyrics for the deeper meanings. Having an outlet that took my thoughts and beautifully wove them into intricate lyrics made me feel heard and seen. Taylor Swift is one of the biggest stars of all time, but her art makes me feel like she knows me on a personal level. As a college sophomore student, who was struggling with both school and social situations, it was the biggest comfort I could have.
Standing in the presence of Taylor Swift, surrounded by thousands of other people who have also been positively impacted by her music, provided a comfort that cannot be replicated. Hearing the song that has helped me through such hardships, from my absolute favorite album of all time, allowed me to look back on all the calamities I prevailed through and be proud of where I am standing today.
As I’m writing this article today, while shuffling Swift’s discography as background music, I am proud of my sophomore year self. I am proud of myself for getting through those hardships, and now going into my junior year, I know that I can keep persevering, while always keeping Taylor Swift in my back pocket.