With The Eras Tour starting again this February, let’s take a look back at some of Taylor Swift’s best moments. In no particular order, this list highlights the parts of The Eras Tour that really stand out to fans as spectacular and memorable.
Note Change in “The 1”
Originally having “Invisible String” in the Folklore lineup, Taylor Swift made the decision to swap it with her fan favourite, “The 1.” On Arlington night 1, Taylor debuted the new set list. Many fans believed the change was made due to Taylor’s breakup with then boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. “Invisible String” is a story of lovers brought together by fate, whereas “The 1” is about the breakdown of a relationship. Whatever the reason, Taylor created a frenzy when she changed the note in the line: “You meet some woman on the internet and TAKE her home.” She sings while she lies gracefully on top of the Folklore cottage to add the the effect.
“Don’t Blame Me”/”Look What You Made Me Do” Mashup
In the Reputation era of the show, Taylor belts out her highly anticipated “Don’t Blame Me.” It is this song where her vocals reach peak performance and the fans go wild. Most fans will recognise the way she sings “Don’t Blame Me” live from her Reputation Tour in 2018. What wasn’t expected was Taylor continuing the lyrics of her chorus before adding “…For what you made me do” and the guitar riff from “Look What You Made Me Do” playing out throughout the arena. It was a monumental moment as fans realised she was mashing up two of the biggest songs from her Reputation album.
The Show Must Go On for Taylor Swift
On Nashville night 3, the show suffered delays and was unable to start until 10pm. The weather was wet and unpredictable and posed the question of how safe was it for Taylor, her crew and the fans to endure. The show did go ahead, although by the mid way mark all present were drenched from the rain. Most fans remained upbeat though, enjoying the concert. Taylor has a habit for drawing the rain to her concerts. Frequently, she suffered rain shows during her previous Fearless, Speak Now and Reputation tours. Remaining true to her fans, Taylor delivered the entire concert. Finally, the show wrapped up at 1:35 am, with the singer coining the evening a “late night with Taylor.”
Fan-Made Earthquake
Seattle Swifties proved they were the most hardcore when Taylor played at Lumen Field in July 2023. A mixture of their excitement, dancing and the music came together to cause an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.3 seismic activity. Over the two nights in Seattle, Taylor performed to over 140,000 fans. This earthquake beat the previous fan-made record holders by 0.3, according to geology professor, Dr Caplan-Auerbach. It was in 2011 when fans of the Seattle Seahawks football team created the “beast-quake” in celebration to Marshawn Lynch’s touchdown.
On-Stage Duets
The celebrity guest appearances stir up quite a bit of anticipation, especially when trying to guess what song they will feature alongside Taylor Swift on. Her first guest, Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons, surprised fans on Las Vegas night 2. Together, they sang “Cowboy Like Me.” Taylor revealed to the audience that Mumford features on the song as she recorded the Evermore album in his record studio during the COVID19 lockdown. Being the first to sing alongside Taylor, Mumford excited fans for future on-stage duets. Phoebe Bridgers, HAIM and Aaron Dessner have also featured onstage, to name a few.
“22” Hat Giveaway
A memorable section of the RED part of the evening is Taylor’s performance of “22.” During the climax of the song, the singer chooses one lucky fan to be the recipient of the black hat she wears. Often she seeks out younger fans to make their experience more enchanting. When a child of one of her friends is in the audience, she often bestows the hat on them. The most notable receiver is Bianka Bryant, daughter of the late Kobe Bryant. Taylor’s relationship with the Bryant family goes back to her 1989 word tour, when Kobe joined her on stage at the Staples Center to honour her for having the most sold out performances at the arena. Pal, Selena Gomez, also brought along her younger sister, Gracie, who was the lucky recipient in Nashville.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
May 5th; Nashville night 1, Taylor announces her next re-record, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). Originally debuted in 2010 when she was 19, Speak Now is the only album where Taylor Swift is the sole writer. With it’s theatrical influences, it is a fan favourite. Most notably, this album is home to songs “Enchanted,” “Back to December” and “Long Live.” Released as a vault song, “I Can See You” also sent Swifties into chaos as it highlighted a different, more mature version of Taylor at that time. Singing “Sparks Fly” as that night’s special song, Taylor told excited fans that her version of Speak Now would be available July 7th. This would be just in time for “July 9th,” which she sings about in “Last Kiss.”
“I Can See You” Music Video
After announcing Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), fans were excited for the prospect of new music videos. On July 7th; Kansas City night 1, Taylor Swift sat among fans as she premiered the music video for vault song, “I Can See You.” The stadium darkened, the fans went quiet and all sat together to watch Taylor be broken free from a vault which held all her memorabilia from the Speak Now era. This included the famous purple dress that she wore on her world tour for the album. Swifties were then treated further by the arrival of former boyfriend, Taylor Lautner, Joey King and Presley Cash. The ladies had originally starred in the music video for “Mean.” Now, they had all joined Taylor to rescue her from the vault in the new music video.
1989 (Taylor’s Version)
August 9th; night 6 at the SoFi Stadium, a date etched in most Swifties’ minds. The night Taylor Swift announced the release of her version of 1989. Originally released in 2014, Taylor shared how this re-recording is her “most FAVORITE” via Instagram. 1989 was Taylor’s first step into pop music, where she shone with songs like “Style” and “Blank Space.” The album also shares a deeper side to Taylor with original song, ‘Clean’, and vault track, “Slut!” Wearing a series of blue outfits throughout the night, Taylor hinted to fans about the big reveal. She then displayed the new album cover behind her as she played “New Romantics” as one of that night’s surprise songs.
Lyric Changes for Travis Kelce
“Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me.” During the final era of the show, Midnights, Taylor serenaded new boyfriend, Travis Kelce. Joining Taylor in Buenos Aires, the NFL player sent Taylor and fans into a frenzy. Dancing and signing along to all her songs, Travis proved how supportive of a boyfriend he is. In turn, Taylor changed the lyrics of her Midnights hit, “Karma” in honour of him. The show then ended and Taylor ran to kiss her man, earning even more cheers from her adoring fans.
Sam Beresford-Kay
February 24, 2024 at 1:04 pm
Loved this, was nice going down memory lane as a swiftie and the choices of moments were perfect!