Taylor Swift’s magnetic stage presence and powerhouse vocals take center stage. Expertly capturing the energy and vibrancy of her live performances, the camera pans across ecstatic crowds singing along, becoming immediately evident that Swift’s connection with her audience is as timeless as the music itself. Now streaming on Disney+, the concert film “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” serves as a visual feast, with each era meticulously brought to life through stunning set designs, choreography and costume changes, transporting viewers into the heart of sold-out arenas and stadiums. The pop icon’s worldwide Eras Tour initially consisted of 45 songs, ranging from her self-name album to her newest album, “Midnights” released last October. Let’s take a look at her eras, starting from the very beginning.
Lover
The show opens with a slow medley of all of her eras, each lyric stating the name of all her albums. This climax builds the anticipation while leading out with her crew, each carrying a mix of pink and orange hues of wispy parachutes that make Swift’s grand appearance on stage from underneath. She opens with the bridge of “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince.” Although short, the track emphasizes the longing and excitement of her eagerness to begin touring again.
After taking a long hiatus away from the stage due to the pandemic, her lyric “It’s been a long time coming” during “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” resonates with her fans and marks the beginning of what this tour was made for. After her short entry, the music seamlessly transitions into her next song, “Cruel Summer” — a song that had recently become a number one treading single of last year. It was a hip and poppy song that led fans in a mist of euphoria, hyping up the crowd up towards the bridge — the best bridge of the entire show. The set changes into a high structure building in the middle of the stage and an on-stage outfit change triggers the next song, “The Man”, followed by another classic “You Need to Calm Down”. The last song of the “Lover” era is, well, her title track “Lover”, a slow-paced song that adds a sudden change to the pop songs building up in the concert. At the beginning of the song, this is where Swift officially welcomes the audience to the Eras Tour.
Fearless
The “Fearless” section begins with a sparkly gold covering the screens as Swift quickly switches into a new outfit. She comes out in a sparkly yellow outfit and guitar in hand, signaling the start of the era by playing ‘’Fearless”. She then takes us back into her high school years with the songs “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story”, a typical classic from the artist’s second studio album. This era of youth is brought to life and relieved by Swift, a favorite for many of her young and love-struck fans. She then switches into a mellow and cottage core aesthetic, transitioning into “Evermore.”
Evermore
The visuals of woodland forests and a wintry landscape shift into a story-telling narrative. A witchy performance for her song “Willow” captures the nature of cabin fever within the woods, a perfect visual narrative she can paint through her lyrics. Her second song is a dedication to her late grandmother:
“Marjorie” isn’t just an emotional shift of perspective but embraces the lasting memory of an inspirational figure for Swift. During this sentimental moment, fans from across the stadium and within theaters bring together their phone lights to enchant the stadium. She ends the “Evermore” era with her emotional song “Champagne Problems” and her theatrical act of “Tolerate It” to wrap this section.
Reputation
Are you…“Ready for It?” Swift presents four songs from her album “Reputation” while giving off a dark and melancholy vibe about revenge and love. Each theme is represented within: “Delicate”, “Don’t Blame Me” and “Look What You Made Me Do” show the viewer Taylor’s intense and fierce side.
Speak Now
Throughout Swift’s constant outfit swaps, her outfit for “Speak Now” is out of this world. A ballroom dress to pair with her song “Enchanted” is an enchanting experience! Despite having only one song in the “Speak Now” era, Swift does not disappoint through her stunning dancers and captivating image of glitter and sparkles.
Red
Next, Swift’s nitrous songs from 2012 bring back memories of the beginning of her career. With songs such as “22”, “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, Swift’s first-ever song to top the charts, this era brings back remembrance of a significant milestone in the pop star’s career. She then ends with “All Too Well (Ten Minutes Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”, undoubtedly a crowd favorite!
Folklore
“Folklore” is one of the eras with the most songs on the setlist. Ranging from “The 1”, “Betty”, “The Last Great American Dynasty”, “August”, “Illicit Affairs” and “My Tears Ricochet”, her intimate delivery expertly matches an album that focuses on the story-building of fictional scenarios and characters. One of Swift’s best performances was through her noteworthy acting and theatrics during this myth-making set.
1989
With late 2000s vibes, Swift brings to life the pop album that launched her career from a country to a pop artist, previously winning three Grammys for her brilliant album. She performs four songs, starting with “Style,” “Blank Space,” “Shake It Off” and ending with “Bad Blood”.
“Whether through the glitching livestream or in the theater, just being able to see her performance accompanying each song was amazing to watch,” Bahja Ahmed (11) said.
Acoustic set
This brings us to a lot of fans’ most highly anticipated part of the show. Here, two surprise songs were selected to be played on the piano or guitar. For every show, Swift brings unique choices. A song from her first album titled “Our Song” followed by ‘’You’re on Your Own, Kid” from her recent album played on the piano puts in perspective just how much Swift has grown as an artist and songwriter. Not only that, but those two songs capture the essence of what the Eras Tour truly is to the fans.
“I always looked forward [to] the acoustic section because I don’t know if she’ll play my favorite song or a song I didn’t expect,” Jaely Morocho (11) said. “It’s always a fun surprise!”
Midnights
The final album spotlight of the night goes to “Midnights”. Starting with “Lavender Haze”, a dreamy introduction sets the tone for the nocturnal adventure ahead. The subtle blend of ambient sounds and charming melodies creates an otherworldly ambiance. “Anti-Hero” then injects a dose of energy with its dynamic beats and pulsating rhythm. The track creates a perfect contrast to the dreamy opening and foreshadows the diverse sonic landscape of “Midnight Rain”, which is then played next. The performance takes an unexpected turn with “Vigilante Shi* (unedited)”, introducing an element of suspense and intrigue. The track’s dark and suspenseful atmosphere unfolds like a soundtrack to a noir film, keeping the listener on the edge of their seat. The unexpected shift from suspense is lifted through “Bejeweled”, a light-hearted song with an upturned beat, a sonic gem within “Midnights”. The relentless beats and electrifying synths create a dynamic and immersive experience through her second-to-last song “Mastermind”. Closing the album is “Karma”, a reflective and introspective piece that brings the journey full circle.
In the movie, five songs on the original setlist were removed: “The Archer”, “No Body, No Crime”, “Long Live”, “Cardigan” and “Wildest Dreams”. Although to some fans, known as Swifties, disappointment in having fan-favorite songs like these taken off the setlist brought some hesitation to embracing the initial film. Despite those songs not appearing within the three-hour-long movie, the musical choice of her entire discography doesn’t fail to replace it. It truly feels like being at the concert again through the screen. Whether or not you attended the Eras Tour or watched it in the comfort of your own home, both can satisfy the desire of die-hard Swifties from all over the world and allow you, at any time, to enjoy a musical feast! Are you ready for it?
