On March 17, 2023, the beloved pop star Taylor Swift began her U.S. leg of The Eras Tour. Starting in Glendale, Ariz. and spanning across 20 cities on 27 dates until the eventual end in Los Angeles on Aug. 9, 2023, Swift surely left her mark on the U.S. Now continuing her tour in other parts of the world such as South America and Europe, The Eras Tour has left an impact on major Swifties and casual listeners alike.
The Eras Tour is the singer-songwriter’s sixth concert tour in the 17 years since her debut album. Following her Reputation Stadium Tour which lasted from May to November of 2018 with a gross income of 3.457 million dollars, Swift was unable to embark on a stadium tour following the release of her subsequent album, “Lover”, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the release of four new studio albums and two re-recorded “Taylor’s Version” albums, Swift garnered the attention of even more worldwide fans, causing the anticipation for live concerts to soar.
As an homage to the different “eras” that Swift has experienced throughout her career, each concert spanned through nine albums with a total track list of 43 songs in addition to two bonus acoustic surprise songs. As thousands of fans gather in the stadium, wearing bejeweled outfits and trading friendship bracelets, the performances eventually begin with two different opening acts, including big names such as Phoebe Bridgers, Girl in Red, HAIM, Gracie Abrams and more.
After the long anticipation, Swift eventually rises on stage during a nostalgic, beautiful intro, leading to the performance of the first song on the setlist, “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince”. She then continues to perform five other songs off the same album, “Lover”. The show carries on with songs from almost every one of her albums: “Fearless”, “evermore”, “reputation”, “Speak Now”, “Red”, “folklore”, “1989” and last but not least, “Midnights”. Many of her wildly successful songs from the past decade were performed, such as “You Belong With Me”, “22”, “Blank Space”, “Shake it Off” and more. With captivating choreography, talented backup dancers, countless outfit changes and stunning vocals, Swift shows what it means to be a true performer.
The acoustic set quickly became an integral part of the concert to many Swifties. Between songs from the “1989” and “Midnights” sets, two surprise songs that weren’t included on the official set list are performed acoustically on either the piano or the guitar. Without ever repeating a surprise song, Swifties began keeping track of the songs she’s already played and making predictions for future shows. Additionally, Swift has been known to bring out special guests or make large announcements during this time, such as the announcement of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”. This fun addition to the set list made each concert unique and enthralling.
Taylor Swift’s fan base spreads far and wide, with Swifties in every corner of the earth. Many Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) students were concert goers at The Eras Tour, one being Tyler Trigo ‘25. “I was lucky enough to go to two [The] Eras Tour shows,” Trigo said. “The thing I love most about Taylor is her music style, how she doesn’t stick to one genre and her song writing. What makes her music so important to me is the lyrics and how much they resonate with me,” she continued. Swift’s songwriting ability and her overall ability to capture very relatable emotions is the impetus for many to find comfort and enjoyment in her music, making her one of the most well-known pop stars.
Natalie Breehl ‘25, a Taylor Swift fan since she was a five-year-old, was another attendee of The Eras Tour. “Having the opportunity to see her live made me really want to see her because she’s been my inspiration for getting into music and becoming a music artist myself,” Breehl shared. She continued to talk about the meaningful impact that Swift has on many, stating that “she’s such a great role model for so many young women across the world. She shows what it means to be a strong, independent and caring woman.”
The success of The Eras Tour is unprecedented, already making multiple billions of dollars in the U.S. leg alone, and it could very well become the highest grossing tour of all time. It has become abundantly clear how large of an impact Swift has had on the music industry, the economy and fan culture. After finishing her U.S. leg of the tour on Aug. 9, 2023 and announcing “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” Swift has much more in store that we can only anticipate. From her recent album announcement to international tour dates and the release of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” in theaters on Oct. 13, she is continuing to make her mark.
