During the start of the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift rewards fans with 44 songs: Inside her victorious return
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| Photo by Getty image |
Believe Taylor Swift when she claims she'll bring different phases of her career to the stage.
Not since Bruce Springsteen's heyday and his renowned live performances has a popular musician jam-packed so much music into one performance. Swift launched The Eras Tour on Friday night at State Farm Stadium outside of Phoenix, performing 44 songs in all over three hours and fifteen minutes.
Swift's play is as ambitious as a Broadway musical and goes beyond merely a list of her numerous hit songs and beloved album tracks. Her songs were complemented by numerous moving set pieces, groups of dancers and backup singers, a quick-change costume parade, confetti, pyrotechnics, synchronised blinking wristbands, and a stunning curved video screen to cover her ever-smiling visage to those in the farthest rafters. Her multifaceted band was unobtrusively perched on a corner of the stage.
The Eras Tour did, in fact, cover Swift's entire discography, from a low-key performance of her 2006 breakthrough song, "Tim McGraw," to the set-closing "Karma" from her most recent "Midnights" album. (Only the exquisite "Enchanted" from her 2010 "Speak Now" album served as a representative.)
Swift made a comment early in the performance about how she was aware that her fans—about 70,000 of them on this particular night—had made a "considerable effort" to attend the performance. By singing, dancing, telling stories, perspiring, and strutting on the main stage and the protracted catwalk, Swift gave them a mighty reward.
Over the month of August, the Eras Tour will make 51 more stops around the nation, including a second round on Saturday in Glendale. Notwithstanding how vivacious Swift is at 33, the next five months will be quite taxing due to this demanding performance.
Swift, however, is the only artist who is capable of achieving the degree of perfection she sets for herself.
Here are some of the standouts from Swift's career summary.
‘Lover’ Era
A clock counted the countdown before the event while Lesley Gore's 1963 anthem "You Don't Own Me" echoed across the stadium, as if these Swifty devotees needed their anticipation heightened.
Swift's willowy appearance in silver sequined boots and a leotard evoking the pastel colour scheme of her "Lover" album served as the show's opening salvo. She emerged from beneath the catwalk on a sizable platform that would be a recurring set element throughout the performance.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift was unable to tour in support of her 2019 album, so this served as the live debut of "Cruel Summer" and provided the opportunity for a sassy presentation of "The Man" with Swift frolicking on a chic office set while donning an oversized sparkly jacket, as well as a cool remix of "You Need to Calm Down."
Her excitement at taking the stage again for the first time since 2018 was evident. Swift took in the praise for a little while.
She added, clearly touched, "I don't know how to confront the way this is making me feel right now.
‘Fearless’ Era
Swift made her entrance while playing three songs off of her 2008 album while donning a short gold dress and a matching guitar.
She was followed by a formation of four band members as she walked the runway to "You Belong With Me." She wrapped her four backing singers in her arms as she finished the song before launching into an impassioned rendition of "Love Story."
‘Evermore’ Era
Another live debut, "'Tis the Damn Season," was launched with a forest-like backdrop and a darkly dramatic tone.
Swift sang the ethereal "Willow" while submerged in a fog of dry ice before creeping down the catwalk and spinning as though Stevie Nicks' ghost was accompanying her.
The standout track on Swift's second of two folk-influenced albums she released during the epidemic, "Champagne Problems," was delivered as she was seated at a piano covered in moss. The enthusiastic throng roared along with every syllable, joining in her delighted venom as the song's emotions grew more intense.
‘Reputation’ Era
It was immediately clear that Swift would perform her divisive 2017 hit from the moment she caught sight of a snake on the video screens, and she was dressed to the nines in a striking one-legged black and red bodysuit.
This songs are usually filled with attitude, and Swift and her band expertly scowled and flashed seductive glances as they stomped through "Ready For It?" The electro-goth romp "Look What You Made Me Do" was matched with a fascinating display of clothes throughout Swift's career, donned by her dancers, and beams of lights ringed Swift as she yelled during the pop-metal crunch of the anything-but "Delicate."
‘Red’ Era
Swift frolicked through the carefree feel of "22" and tossed in some wicked stare-downs against the thunderous pace of "I Knew You Were Trouble" as the stage was fittingly framed in a red tint.
Yet, the 10-minute version of "All Too Well," which Swift claimed to be giving as a gift to her fans, held the audience's attention as they enthusiastically sang along to the labyrinthine tale song's lyrics.
'Folklore’ Era
Seven songs from Swift's Grammy-winning 2020 album were chosen, and she dotted her playlist with "Invisible String" and "My Tears Ricochet" to complement her gracefully flowing purple attire.
Swift's voice fluctuated from soft to strong with ease throughout the performance, but the riveting "Betty," with its sing-along chorus, had some of the night's strongest vocal performances from her.
‘1989’ Era
The album that Swift was born in, which has the same name, may be her most consistently upbeat work.
Dancers swinging Day Glo golf clubs at a car while the gliding "Style" and the unabated "Blank Space," with its enormous chorus, came to life with a wink and a snap (on video).
After the profound characterisations from "Folklore," hearing the giddy "Shake it Off" served as the dessert.
Midnights’ Era
Swift transitioned from an acoustic section with an aquatic-themed segue that began with the fuzzy vibes of "Lavender Haze," which she said she intends to vary up songs for each concert (and yes, she wore a lavender ensemble).
While Swift and her dancers paid homage to Bob Fosse's "Chicago" with a slinky chair routine to accompany "Vigilante S—-," her most recent song, "Anti-Hero," positioned itself as another addition to her canon that will be heard on tours for years to come.
Swift gave her curtain call with her complete performance team at the end of the event as confetti began to fall onto the stage, and then she did a solo victory lap to thank her fans one last time.
Gayle and Paramore
Gayle kicked off the evening at precisely 6:30 p.m. with a tight performance of melodic rockers that included the Grammy-nominated "abcdefu" and a strong rendition of Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know."
Just before seven o'clock, pop-punk rockers Paramore took the stage. Frontwoman Hayley Williams danced about the stage and catwalk during their 40-minute concert, which included nine songs.
Singalongs were common during "That's What You Get," "Misery Business," and the set's closing song, "Ain't It Fun," and the band also played the swaying ballad "The Only Exception," which Williams admittedly isn't one of her favourites.
A smorgasbord of Swift
• Taylor Swift's epic Eras tour song list includes 44 songs.
• Taylor Swift's newest album, "Midnights," is her most intimate to date.
• All too well: the top 75 Taylor Swift lyrics
• Taylor Swift's rerecorded album "Red" features 30 delicious tracks.
• Where does Taylor Swift's "Midnights" place among the Best of 2022?
• Taylor Swift releases four new songs ahead of the start of her Eras tour.
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