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The Eras Tour: The Intricate World-Building Behind Taylor Swift’s Most Ambitious Sets Ever

By Katherine McLaughlin

Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour

There’s a joke circling the internet following the opening weekend of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour: look at any random collection of photos taken throughout the night—some even snapped mere minutes apart—and you’d never know they all came from the same show. What starts in a hazy pink, cotton candy dreamscape ends in a sultry, sparkling twilight—with plenty of undulating stops in the middle, from ethereal fairytale woods to the energetic skyscrapers of the concrete jungle. “[The stage] changed for almost every song, which is crazy to think about considering most artists have the same stage for their entire set list,” Maya Minocha, a fan who was at the opening weekend in Glendale, Arizona, tells  AD.  

Following the COVID-19-induced cancellation of Swift’s sixth headline tour, Lover Fest, in 2020, The Eras Tour is her triumphant return to live music. Three new albums and two rerecorded records later, the three-hour 44-song show recaps every era of her 17-year career in her most ambitious performance to date. “The sets absolutely made this possible,” Ginnie Low, who also attended the shows and runs the TikTok account The Thrifty Swiftie , says. “I didn’t move from my tiny little seat area the whole concert, but was transported to 10 different worlds.” Ariel Miranda , another concert-goer agrees. “It was such an immersive experience,” she says. With a distinct focus on world building,  AD takes a look at the incredible set design that helps bring her music to life throughout the 52-date sold-out tour. 

The Lover Era 

Swift during the opening number of The Eras Tour.

Swift during the opening number of The Eras Tour

Swift opened the show with tracks off of her seventh studio album,  Lover. “It was as if she picked up right from where she left off,” Miranda says. Having characterized the album with yellow, pink, and blue pastels, Swift—outfitted in a shimmering leotard—belted songs like “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” and “Cruel Summer” while dancers wielding billowing tapestries performed beneath a rosy glow.

Taylor Swift performs in front of the “Lover House” during the Eras Tour.

Taylor Swift performs in front of the Lover House during The Eras Tour. 

At one point in the  Lover set, a familiar dollhouse-like home appeared behind Swift, which many fans recognize from the “Lover” music video. “The screen began flashing images that eventually would piece together to become the Lover House, which was a huge Easter egg,” Miranda adds. In the video, Swift and costar Christian Owens move through various colored rooms  within a house in a snow globe. When the music video first dropped, fans theorized that each room represented one of her existing albums, and with the release of three new albums, many believe the home is now complete . 

During The Man” Swift used scaffolding and office props to emulate a corporate environment.

During “The Man,” Swift uses scaffolding and office props to emulate a corporate environment. 

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Other notable scenes from the Lover section of the show include a full-scale office cosplay moment during “The Man,” where Swift sings about the sexism she’s faced throughout her career. 

The Fearless Era

Projects and stage lights provided a golden glow during the Fearless era.

Projects and stage lights provide a golden glow during the Fearless era. 

Next up in the night, Swift performed three songs from her second album,  Fearless, for which she won album of the year in 2010 at the Grammys (the youngest artist to ever win the accolade). Though she was certainly popular in country circles following her self-titled debut album, it was this second record that established her mainstream success. And not only did the singer bring back some classic circa 2009  dance moves , she also brought back a dazzling gold motif that she employed when promoting the album over a decade ago. 

Taylor Swift with her jeweled guitar.

Taylor Swift with her bejeweled guitar

Outfitted in soft curls and sequins, Swift was often portrayed as the girl next door and an American sweetheart during this period. Though she did, at times, lean into this persona, fans remember her determination to be bold, strong, and, yes, fearless. The sparkles and shine acted as visual representation of this.

For fans, perhaps the most exciting Easter egg was a nod to the bedazzled guitar that she toured with during her  Fearless era. In an Instagram story, Swift revealed that it was her parents who artfully stuck the shimmering crystals onto her acoustic guitar just days before The Eras Tour kicked off. 

The Evermore Era

Taylor Swift performs songs from her ninth album Evermore at the Eras Tour.

Taylor Swift performs songs from her ninth album, Evermore, at The Eras Tour. 

“The most striking moment was as she transitioned from Fearless to Evermore ,” Low opines. “The woods grew out of the stage.” A sister album to her 2020  Folklore,  Swift’s ninth album, Evermore, was positioned as a deeper exploration of the “folklorian woods,” a fictional, cottagecore-inspired place used to direct her first foray into indie folk music. Throughout this portion of the night, massive oak-like trees took center stage while Swift crooned behind a moss-covered piano. 

Taylor Swift performs songs from her ninth album Evermore at the Eras Tour.

Swift uses a moss-covered piano for songs during this set. 

“I loved the Evermore era setup, particularly during her performance of ‘Willow,’” Miranda says. “It really made you feel like someone literally just picked you up and dropped you straight into this particular Taylor Swift album.” Sonically, Evermore was understood as a more gothic album compared to  Folkore. The bare trees and snow covered woods represent that, and they also show Swift’s desire to strip back layers and portray innately raw, natural storytelling. 

The Reputation Era

Swift standing atop a raise stage during the Reputation era of the concert.

Swift stands atop a raised stage during the Reputation era of the concert. 

Spawned from Swift’s 2016 public feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West,  Reputation represented the singer’s reflection on fame and public perception and an opportunity to rewrite the “good girl” narrative she’d carried around for years. Though the album is often billed as defensive and reactive, it remains one of her most misunderstood collections: It’s also full of love songs and sweet moments. The dark stadium and blood red risers certainly support the most common perception of the album; however, it’s hard to miss the lit candles just below her. After all, it’s no coincidence burning is just as frequently used to describe rage and anger as it is passion and love.

The backup dancers pay homage to Swifts “Look What You Made Me Do” music video.

The backup dancers pay homage to Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” music video. 

During “Look What You Made Me Do,” Swift’s backup dancers perform in doll boxes dressed in outfits inspired by previous looks she’s worn. The moment was a direct nod to the song’s  music video , in which Swift reenacts various moments throughout her time in the public eye in an eruptive, Easter egg-filled video. 

The Speak Now Era 

Swift sings “Enchanted” during the Speak Now set.

Swift sings “Enchanted” during the Speak Now set. 

Though Swift only performed one song from her third album,  Speak Now —much to the disappointment of some fans—she made sure to make it count. The color purple defined the album’s aesthetic, and, though the shade is often associated with royalty, it can also symbolize ambition, power, and independence. Following her historic win at the Grammys for  Fearless,   Speak Now was a pivotal moment in her career. Could she keep up the pace or was she another teen star who lost momentum as they reached young adulthood? Not only did Swift deliver, she proved she could do it on her own: Speak Now was the first album she wrote entirely solo. 

The Red Era

Taylor Swift wearing an outfit nearly identical to one she wore in the “22” music video.

Taylor Swift wears an outfit nearly identical to one she wore in the “22” music video. 

The original  Red tour, which took place between 2013 and 2014, was her biggest at the time. It included a seven-piece band, fifteen dancers, multiple costume changes, as well as jumbotrons and multilevel stages. Though The Eras set certainly honored some of these larger-than-life moments from the first  Red tour, it also showed considerable restraint. 

Swift wears a sparkling red coat during an acoustic set.

Swift wears a sparkling red coat during an acoustic set. 

During one particularly emotional moment, Swift sang the 10-minute version of her critically acclaimed “All Too Well” with just her acoustic guitar. However, this doesn’t mean it wasn’t exciting. “Even some of her slower songs like “All Too Well,” where it was just her and a guitar, had insane stage effects that you wouldn’t expect, like snow confetti falling across the stadium and the stage rising when she started singing a high note,” Minocha explains. 

The Folklore Era

Taylor Swift on an aframe during the Folklore set.

Taylor Swift on an A-frame during the Folklore set

“I was so obsessed with the  Folklore set because it seemed like Taylor was living her best life in a little remote forest cabin even though some 60,000 people were watching her,” Minocha says of the A-frame cabin Swift brought on stage. (A version of this home was first seen in her  2021 Grammy’s performance .) 

Swift wearing an Alberta Ferretti dress during the Folklore set.

Swift wears an Alberta Ferretti dress during the Folklore set. 

Thematically,  Folklore explored a fictional woodland world Swift dreamed up during quarantine, and while a cabin certainly captures that aura, the choice of an A-frame specifically is notable. Because they were relatively cheap and easy to build, the style of home grew in popularity in the United States following World War II as vacation properties—an appropriate connection given the album is centered around an escapist fantasy. 

A-frames also represented a unique moment for architects who, with little financial consequences at stake, were able to test out their more speculative creative ideations. In many ways, with lockdowns, limited promotion, and no obvious answer for how or if the music would be performed live, this is what Swift’s  Folklore era represented too: the opportunity to explore,  uninhibited . “I love that album and she really created this whole world for it,” Low adds, “Building the folklore cabin and bringing us all into that world with her was just so cool.” 

The 1989 Era

The 1989 set of Swifts Eras Tour.

The 1989 set of Swift’s Eras Tour

“Another thing that I loved about the stage design in general was how there were basically three different parts of it that all connected together: the main stage, the diamond stage, and the catwalk that led to the end of the stage,” Miranda says. “She really utilized each and every one of these sections of the stage at different times during the night.” 

Swift and dancers wield golf clubs during “Blank Space.”

Swift and dancers wield golf clubs during “Blank Space.”  

Though examples are abundant, a particularly creative use came during Swift’s  1989 set, a record which won Album of the Year at the Grammys in 2016. While performing “Blank Space” on the central diamond, the raised portion displayed a Shelby Cobra, which Swift and backup dancers “hit” with light-up golf clubs in a live reenactment of an iconic scene from the song’s music video. 

The Midnights Era 

During the final set of the show Swift performed songs from her newest album Midnights.

During the final set of the show, Swift performs songs from her newest album, Midnights.  

The non-stop show ended with cuts from Swift’s most recent album,  Midnights,  with the stage cast in dark light, representative of both the title of the album and the end of the concert. Standing firmly in the present,  Midnights still has its roots in the past, since the album tells “the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life,” Swift explained in a  Instagram post . It’s easy to follow the way the previous two-plus hours of sonic reflection—aided through the incredible set design—brought her to where she is now. As Minocha summarizes, “I’ve been to almost all of Taylor’s past tours and the stage and production has always been above and beyond, but because this one explores all the eras of her career, everything is just next level.”

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The 1989 World Tour

  • View history
  • 1 Xfinity Takes You to 1989
  • 2.1 Promotional posters
  • 5 Surprise songs
  • 7 Tour dates

Xfinity Takes You to 1989 [ ]

Many videos surrounding The 1989 World Tour were released through Xfinity, and many sweepstakes for pit tickets during the tour. They released a behind the scenes video as well.

Behind_the_Scenes_of_The_1989_World_Tour

Behind the Scenes of The 1989 World Tour

Concert film [ ]

The 1989 World Tour Live is a concert film by Taylor Swift. It was released on December 20, 2015, exclusively via Apple Music. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the film follows the Sydney stop of Swift's fourth headlining concert tour, The 1989 World Tour. The show, which was attended by 75,980 fans, remains Swift's most attended concert to date.

Signs were displayed at the sold out Sydney concert on November 28, 2015, at ANZ Stadium which said "Today's events are being recorded and filmed for global streaming, and may also form part of a television program... for commercial and promotional purposes." Although there was no further information about what the filming was for at the time, there was speculation that it would form a DVD of the 1989 World Tour to be released once the tour concluded its run in Melbourne in late 2015. Later speculation involved an Apple Music Video launch, which was proved to be correct. Coincidentally, " All You Had to Do Was Stay " and " This Love " were added back into the show after having been left off the set list for several months. This makes the Sydney setlist identical to that of Tokyo when the tour premiered.

Taylor_Swift_-_1989_World_Tour_(Live_2015)

Taylor Swift - 1989 World Tour (Live 2015)

On December 13, 2015 — Swift's 26th birthday—she announced she had partnered with Apple Music to release a concert film entitled The 1989 World Tour Live in one weeks' time. It contains over two hours of concert, interview, and never-before seen backstage and rehearsal footage with some of the musical and surprise guests from previous shows. Celebrities making appearances in the film include Mick Jagger, Jason Derulo, Idina Menzel, Justin Timberlake, Wiz Khalifa, and Alanis Morissette. It was directed by Jonas Åkerlund. Clips from the film were later compiled for the music video for the seventh and final single from the album, " New Romantics ".

Promotional posters [ ]

Launch poster

The custom stage built for the 1989 Tour is one-of-a-kind. It was a classic catwalk shape that's 100 ft long but the center part could detach from the main catwalk. It a was semi-modular type design able to rise up and do a 360° turn, it permitted to get closer to fans, the technology was like a propeller system.

Stage design

Set list [ ]

This set list is representative of the show on May 5, 2015, in Tokyo. It is not representative of all concerts for the duration of the tour.

  • " Welcome to New York "
  • " New Romantics "
  • " Blank Space "
  • " I Knew You Were Trouble "
  • " I Wish You Would "
  • " How You Get the Girl "
  • " I Know Places "
  • " All You Had to Do Was Stay "
  • Surprise song
  • " Love Story "
  • " This Love "
  • " Bad Blood "
  • " We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together "
  • " Enchanted " / " Wildest Dreams "
  • " Out of the Woods "
  • " Shake It Off "

Surprise songs [ ]

The following songs were performed by Swift after "All You Had To Do Was Stay". The song changed each night.

  • " You Are In Love " - Tokyo, Sydney
  • " Wonderland " - Las Vegas, Bossier City, Pittsburgh, Cologne
  • " Holy Ground " - Dublin night two
  • " You Belong With Me " - Second shows in East Rutherford, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Denver, Shanghai, Columbus and first shows in Singapore and Foxborough
  • " Fifteen " - Chicago night one , Edmonton, Denver, St. Paul, Tampa, & Arlington, second shows in Toronto, Foxborough and Melbourne, third show in Los Angeles, and in Atlanta
  • " Mean " - Chicago night two , Seattle, Los Angeles night five , Houston, St. Paul night two
  • " Sparks Fly " - Vancouver
  • " Fearless " - During the second show in Edmonton, the show in San Diego and the second show in Omaha
  • " Should've Said No " - Santa Clara night one
  • " Never Grow Up " - Santa Clara night two
  • " Ronan " - Glendale night one
  • " All Too Well " - Los Angeles night one
  • " Red " - Columbus night one
  • " Mine " - Brisbane
  • " Long Live " - Melbourne night three

Gallery [ ]

Tour dates [ ].

  • 1 List of Taylor Swift's ex-boyfriends
  • 2 Paul Sidoti
  • 3 Taylor Swift (album)

clock This article was published more than  8 years ago

Taylor Swift ‘1989’ World Tour: Set list, costumes, the stage, the spectacle

1989 tour stage design

Warning: If you’re one of the Taylor Swift fans planning to see a concert on her highly-hyped “1989” world tour this year and don’t want spoilers, look away.

But if you’re curious about how one of the savviest pop stars of our time puts on a massive concert (expected to gross about $200 million ) here are some scenes from the first tour stop. It kicked off at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on Tuesday in front of a 55,000-plus sold out crowd; immediately, details started pouring out on social media.

[ How Taylor Swift really, truly said goodbye to country music at the ACM Awards ]

There'S nothing like the energy at #1989TourTokyo ! TONIGHT WAS MORE THAN WE COULD HAVE IMAGINED. IT WAS EVERYTHING! pic.twitter.com/njUQLApjFY — Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) May 5, 2015

* The set list:

While Swift’s set list generally stays the same throughout a tour, she’s always one for surprises: As she’s acknowledged, most of her diehard fans — the ones that ensure she’s the only artist who can still sell a million copies of an album these days — have watched  the entire concert on YouTube months before they arrive at the venue.

“Everything we’ve ever done, every decision I’ve made on my last tours, I wanted to flip it and do the opposite for this one,” Swift recently told “Access Hollywood.” “You have to switch it up, cause people get bored — more easily in 2015 than ever before.”

[ What a single tweet from Taylor Swift does to your music sales ]

Judging from the lists that have cropped up on Twitter, Swift plays nearly the entire “1989” album during the two-hour concert. Her Nashville roots are long gone, as are the majority of famous hits from her first albums. Though she does go back in time for “Love Story” (the third-highest selling digital country song of all time); “Enchanted” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”

For the record, Swift’s show in Tokyo started at around 6:30 p.m. in Japan, translating to 5:30 a.m. Eastern: But fans were eagerly waking up at all hours to find the details:

 [ ‘1989’ review: A pivot into pop, a misstep into conformity ]

* The stage:

Swift will play many stadiums and arenas on the tour (which arrives in America on May 20 in Bossier City, La.), so expect it to look something like this:

* Costume changes

Swift promised the fashion would be epic this time around.

Taylor's tour outfits! #1989TourTokyo pic.twitter.com/TOj7JhsZ0u — Taylor Swift Updates🧣 (@TSwiftLA) May 5, 2015

* The lighting:

" @swiftsfox : THE BRACELETS AND LIGHTING MAKE FOR A MAGICAL ATMOSPHERE <3 #1989TourTokyo pic.twitter.com/7xNtPQjBiT " — Julia (@hestyltown) May 5, 2015

* The spectacle:

Here's a taste of the show! It's like nothing we've ever see! More coming to http://t.co/3S6eOJUDsa ;) #1989TourTokyo pic.twitter.com/ktJRmHQzve — Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) May 5, 2015

* The opening number:

Looks like Swift, a New York City ambassador , appropriately kicks off with her “Welcome to New York” anthem:

https://instagram.com/p/2TKYKalkB_/

* The Katy Perry song:

Otherwise known as “Bad Blood,” the ultimate burn, and upcoming single.

[ Taylor Swift’ ‘Bad Blood’: How we can tell she’s singing about Katy Perry ]

* The Harry Styles song:

“Style,” naturally, also known as her current single.

* The show closer:

“Shake It Off,” of course.

[ Is Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ video offensive? That’s what people say, mmm mmm. ]

* The after-party:

Similarly to the “T-Party” and “Club Red,” Swift’s team invites the hardcore fans to a meet and greet after the show. Looks like this one is called “Loft 89,” according to @TSwiftOnTour , a fan account that tweets details from every concert.

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1989 tour stage design

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1989 tour stage design

Taylor Swift’s 1989 Tour Review!

IMG_0653

Counting down to Taylor made me so anxious. The first time I saw Taylor she was an opening act, then at her Fearless tour. To see her sell out this arena was a full circle moment. 17,999 friends and I screeched of excitement as the music for “Welcome To New York” began to play. Even the security guards sang and danced along.  Before her set began we even had a conversation with security about how well she treats her crew and how kind her mother Andrea is.  Because Taylor is Taylor, she later surprised us with THE BAND PERRY!

IMG_0104

Her dancers were also acrobats, actors, and support for Taylor. Most of the show I had no idea where to look, at them, the screen, Taylor, or the band. During “Fifteen” every single person in the crowd was singing along so loud, you can hear the echo and reverb.  But when she started speaking before her song “Clean” you could hear a pin drop. The crowd was so silent and in awe, if she ever decides to quit singing she should definitely start speaking!

IMG_0496

What makes Taylor fans different than any other band’s fans is the fact that we’re all supportive of each other. Including to Taylor. There wasn’t an open seat in the arena, even fans sitting behind the stage.  Fans took the time to create elaborate costumes and camp outside for a girl from a Christmas tree farm we all are in awe of.

IMG_0445

Having a world superstar like Taylor take moments of just sheer joy and bewilderment staring out into the crowd makes me glad she’s still the same teenager we all fell in love with. Taylor isn’t only a superstar but a storyteller, a supporter of her fans, a daughter, and most of all an inspiration.  I can’t wait to see what she does next and we’ll definitely be there screaming along for her!

Jacklyn is the Editor In Chief of Stage Right Secrets. Jacklyn's photography and articles can also be found on The Recording Academy's GRAMMY.com GRAMMYPro, GRAMMYU, PopCrush, Taste of Country, among other outlets. Besides press Jacklyn is a "Jack of All Trades" working various jobs at local concerts and touring. JacklynKrol.com

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Setlist History: Taylor Swift Kicks Off The '1989' World Tour

  • Setlist History
  • Published: 5 May 2023, 15:00:05
  • Written by: Ashly Nagrant
  • Photography by: Jun Sato/LP5/Getty Images for TS
  • Categories: Setlist History Tagged: Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour

1989 may have been Taylor Swift’s fourth album overall, but it was actually her very first pop album. Departing from her country roots, the singer-songwriter played around with synth sounds and pop friendly beats and it paid off. The album sold over a million copies in just its first week out. It dominated the Billboard charts and landed Taylor the Grammy for Album of the Year.

So it stands to reason that the tour that accompanied this album would be just as epic. Fans found out just how huge it was when The 1989 World Tour kicked off on May 2, 2015 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

The setlist was almost exclusively songs from 1989 , with 14 out of 18 songs from the album dominating the night. In Tokyo this meant there were plenty of live debuts: “New Romantics,” “I Wish You Would,” “How You Get the Girl,” “I Know Places,” “All You Had to Do Was Stay,” “You Are In Love,” “Clean,” “This Love” and “Bad Blood.”

The few previously released songs Taylor performed were remixed specifically for the tour to fit with the synth-pop feel of 1989 . “Love Story” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” notably were changed for the tour.

The actual show was broken up across eight “acts,” with a few songs featured in each. Back-up dancers, costume changes, floating platforms and more made up the stage show, though there was also time for Taylor alone on stage with a grand piano to perform a mash-up of “Enchanted” and “Wildest Dreams.” The show closed out with the album’s hit lead single “Shake It Off,” accentuated by fireworks and confetti.

1989 tour stage design

That night in Tokyo was the start of something big. The tour went on to be a global success and was notable for featuring surprise songs and surprise guests at each of the dates. But none of it happens without Taylor herself setting the standard on that first date eight years ago at the kick off, with a brand new sound and a brand new show.

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Most played songs.

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  • We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together ( 304 )

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18 things we learned from Taylor Swift's '1989 World Tour' documentary

Taylor Swift’s giddy cries of “Please welcome to the stage…” are still ringing in our ears, but the time has come: After 85 shows and seemingly endless special guests, the 1989 World Tour is finally over.

It won’t soon be forgotten, though, in part because The 1989 World Tour (Live) documentary is now available to stream on Apple Music, giving broke Swifties who didn’t attend the tour a chance to experience the magic. But even if you did catch the tail of this comet, you still might learn something new from the documentary, which intersperses full, sparkling, neon-tinged footage from Swift’s Sydney, Australia stop with commentary from the star, and clips from other cities’ shows.

For those who don’t have Apple Music (or the 2 hours and 11 minutes required to watch the full documentary), here are 18 things we learned from The 1989 World Tour (Live) , in no particular order:

1. “Blank Space” is Swift’s favorite moment of every show

She loves playing the seductive serial dater who becomes obsessed with her boyfriends and then goes crazy. “When I wrote ‘Blank Space,’ I just thought, all right, if [the media] want[s] me to play this character … this whole image of the jet-setting, tragic mess, cool,” Swift said. “I’ll write a song from that perspective and see how you like it.” As we’ve known since 1989 came out in 2014, the song hit its mark: “It ended up being the biggest song I’ve ever had,” she said.

2. She didn’t bring special guests on stage just to brag about her squad — it was essentially a tactic to combat spoilers and keep an element of surprise every night

“Every person in the audience probably knows what costumes I’m going to wear,” Swift explained. “They could know the set list if they really wanted to, so I decided to start inviting special guests out.”

3. The remixed version of “I Knew You Were Trouble” she played on tour was phenomenal.

Okay, this is a personal opinion, but watching this funky, piano-heavy version of “Trouble” really might make you wish you’d gotten tickets to this tour, if you missed it. At least we have it on video …

4. She has Mick Jagger’s cell phone number (and uses it)

When Swift was on a hike in Nashville before that city’s concert, her dad called her. “I pick up the phone and Dad’s like, ‘My friend swears he was sitting next to Mick Jagger at lunch yesterday,’ ” Swift said. “So I text Mick, and I said, ‘Hey, are you in town? I’m playing a show tomorrow. Do you want to come out and sing “Satisfaction?””‘ He just writes back, ‘What will I wear?’ “

(We’re going to start slipping that line into every story from now on. “So I text Mick …”)

5. Losing the 2014 Grammy for Album of the Year to Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories inspired her to write 1989

“I ended up going home thinking a lot about everything,” Swift said of that 2014 evening. “[I was] thinking about where I was going, what I’d been doing. … I needed to change something. I went to bed, and I woke up at 4 in the morning and I knew what the next album needed to be: ‘I need to completely switch gears, it needs to be called 1989 … everything has to be different.’ “

6. Swift is the one who suggested Alanis Morissette “slap” her in the face while the two performed the line, “It was a slap in the face / How quickly I was replaced”

Her rationale? “Bruises heal, but the moment lasts forever.”

7. She pulled out all the stops for her special guests — including changing the color of the audience.

“We can program the bracelets to be absolutely any color,” Swift said. “So the first thing I ask them is, ‘What color do you want the audience to be?’ ” She’d be a great concierge in Panem’s Capitol, right? “Pyro is another option we provided for many of the guests,” she said.

8. She loves huggging Wiz Khalifa

“At the end of our performance, there was a hug that lasted for like four years,” Swift said. “I remember thinking, ‘I just don’t want this hug to end!’ “

9. Swift used beach towels and nail polish to explain the tour’s runway to her model friends

And Karlie Kloss secretly filmed the whole thing — including the excitement backstage.

10. Swift calls professional athletes “sports players”

“If an actor or a sports player wanted to come to the show, I’d invite them up on stage, because why not?” she said.

11. Her band can learn a song in less than an hour

And, given the fact that most of Swift’s artist guests got to perform their own songs with her, that’s a lot of different genres Swift’s band had to perfect. Kudos to them.

12. Justin Timberlake was slightly worried about the pyrotechnics

“Don’t you burn me, Taylor,” he warned.

13. Also, Swift thinks Timberlake is “our generation’s Frank Sinatra”

Hey, he does have blue eyes!

14. John Legend’s appearance happened at the very last minute

“John Legend happened to be coming to the concert just to watch it,” Swift said, “but in my head I’m like, ‘I know this show starts in 40 minutes, but I want John Legend to sing.’ ” And he did.

15. It was Swift’s idea for Miranda Lambert to emerge atop “a throne made of men”

“I was half expecting her to be like, ‘I’m not doing that,’ ” Swift said, “but she was so down.” Uh, yeah.

16. Swift got to be the sixth member of Fifth Harmony — just for a night

She had the girls teach her the choreography to “Worth It” in their dressing room, then borrowed one of Camila Cabello’s extra costumes to perform the song with the group onstage. “Camila says, ‘I have an extra costume. Do you want to dress like one of us?’ ” Swift said. “And I said, ‘Obviously.’ “

17. Mary J. Blige’s song “Doubt” really speaks to Swift

“It really hit me because I’m so doubtful of myself constantly,” Swift confessed. “No matter what I achieve … That song really struck a chord with me, and I remember thinking it would be amazing if I could ever sing that with her.” Reader, she did.

18. The end of the 1989 World Tour was extra emotional for Swift and her team because they hadn’t gotten sick of it yet

“We didn’t drag it out,” she said. “We didn’t wait til we got sick of it. We’re still in love with it.” And so, it seems, are we.

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Review: On Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ Tour, the Underdog Emerges as Cool Kid

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1989 tour stage design

By Jon Caramanica

  • May 21, 2015

BOSSIER CITY, La. — Toward the end of Taylor Swift ’s concert at the CenturyLink Center here on Wednesday night, she strapped on an electric guitar for the first time of the night and began playing some tart riffs while singing hungry little fillips. She was setting the stage for “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” the 2012 song that became her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped turn her inexorably away from country and toward pop megastardom.

In the song, she’s lashing out at a dunderheaded ex: “You would hide away and find your peace of mind/ With some indie record that’s much cooler than mine.”

On the album, she delivers that self-referential line with an eye roll, but when she sang it here, she turned it into a defiant shout. Suddenly, the song wasn’t about fretting over someone’s opinion; it was about knowing you’ve been the cool one all along, and finally owning it.

Whatever underdog anxieties Ms. Swift might have had earlier in her career are mostly gone. With the release in the fall of “ 1989 ” (Big Machine), her fifth album, Ms. Swift neatly ascended to the top of the pop hierarchy, largely by bypassing and ignoring most of her peers. She used the same blend of guilelessness and savvy that made her a radical figure in country music, and applied it to 1980s-influenced sounds that made her one of the most conservative figures in pop.

So she’s still a kind of underdog, but a big dog, too. The “1989” album has gone platinum four times over, and this show was the first stand-alone date of the American leg of her “1989” world tour, which will mainly play stadiums. (This arena was far smaller, holding about 13,000 people.)

The album “1989” is what got her here, and “1989” is what she largely stuck to — newly grown-up songs about letdown, regret and letting go. “Out of the Woods” was booming and “Shake It Off” was cheeky and breezy. Even songs that felt like outliers on “1989” were here both integral and enrapturing, like “Clean,” which lost its spaciness; and “I Know Places,” notionally about hiding from prying eyes in a new relationship, which sounded like an action-movie soundtrack. For that song, her dancers wore drapey, futuristic jackets and shimmering full head masks similar to the ones Kanye West wore on his “Yeezus” tour — spies from the future sent to swarm Ms. Swift, who dodged them easily.

She largely didn’t meddle with the songs from “1989,” but when it came to older material, she bent the music in unexpected ways. She performed “Love Story” in the style of “1989.” On the catty, ecstatic “I Knew You Were Trouble,” she spent part of the song singing in a dusky, Lorde-like tone. And for “Enchanted,” one of her most starry-eyed and least convincing songs, she sat at a Thunderdome-esque piano and sang in a knowing manner, yanking the big notes hard and giving the song new depth.

Ms. Swift has always been comfortable onstage, but as she gets older (she’s 25), she is more willing to make herself awkward when it serves the moment. During “Blank Space,” she acted out that song’s angst, contorting her body and face and, at one point, wielding a golf club with casual menace.

Though her lyrics have gradually begun to acknowledge the sensual, she remains effectively chaste onstage, even when flanked by shirtless dancers on “I Knew You Were Trouble.” But her between-song chatter, always inspirational, now carries the weight of experience. “You are not damaged goods just because you’ve made mistakes,” she said. “You are not someone else’s opinion of you.”

This pep talk was for herself and for the crowd, which consisted mostly of girls, who might have been seeing Ms. Swift for the first time, and young women, who might have been seeing Ms. Swift since they were girls. At various intervals, Ms. Swift disappeared offstage and the huge screen showed clips of some of her well-known friends — Selena Gomez, Karlie Kloss, Lena Dunham, the sisters of the band Haim, and more — singing her praises. It was a public service announcement for the healing powers of female friendship.

Ms. Swift has been actively cultivating these friendships as part of her retreat from the tabloids in recent years. Rather than be known as a serial dater, she’d prefer to be thought of as a serial befriender. Even in “Bad Blood,” a song from “1989” about an intense rivalry with another female performer (most likely Katy Perry), Ms. Swift has found a way to turn it positive. The video is a feminist superhero fantasy, with oodles of famous guests — proof of the power and depth of Ms. Swift’s Rolodex and her desire to form alliances more than cast aspersions.

In an interview in the June issue of Elle magazine, Ms. Swift briefly alluded to the pop landscape she’s arrived at: “I don’t really have much of a queen complex,” she said. “There’s this feeling in music right now where you have to just stand on this castle turret and not come down and talk to anyone and not be approachable and not be excitable, and you should be sexy and edgy and all these things.”

No names were named — Beyoncé and Rihanna come to mind, though — but the comment highlights just how little Ms. Swift has in common with her new peers: almost as little as she had in common with her old peers. “I stalk you on a daily basis,” she told the crowd; it’s hard to imagine any other multiplatinum star doing that, much less admitting it.

Notably, there wasn’t even a hint of country here, unless you count the very young fans who still wore sundresses and cowboy boots, as Ms. Swift did a decade ago. She played acoustic guitar briefly, on “Wonderland,” a lesser-known song that wasn’t quite ready to be so exposed, but otherwise she’d fully decorated this new home, covering up all the traces of the old. (There were also some opening-night sound issues.)

If she can remake herself so thoroughly in just a couple of years, what changes are yet to come? Will she collaborate with Mr. West, her former adversary, as he has said he’d like to do? Will she go full Joni Mitchell? Could she become a romantic-comedy staple, a millennial Meg Ryan? Or will she stick with her current path, letting the arbiters of cool look at her with a side eye while she trounces them all?

Taylor Swift will perform at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 10 and 11; taylorswift.com/events.

Inside the World of Taylor Swift

A Triumph at the Grammys: Taylor Swift made history  by winning her fourth album of the year at the 2024 edition of the awards, an event that saw women take many of the top awards .

‘The T ortured Poets Department’: Poets reacted to Swift’s new album name , weighing in on the pertinent question: What do the tortured poets think ?  

In the Public Eye: The budding romance between Swift and the football player Travis Kelce created a monocultural vortex that reached its apex  at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Ahead of kickoff, we revisited some key moments in their relationship .

Politics (Taylor’s Version): After months of anticipation, Swift made her first foray into the 2024 election for Super Tuesday with a bipartisan message on Instagram . The singer, who some believe has enough influence  to affect the result of the election , has yet to endorse a presidential candidate.

Conspiracy Theories: In recent months, conspiracy theories about Swift and her relationship with Kelce have proliferated , largely driven by supporters of former President Donald Trump . The pop star's fans are shaking them off .

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Taylor Swift’s Star-Packed ‘1989’ Tour: Relive Every Cameo

By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

Taylor Swift  has spent the better part of the past five months bringing her masterful 2014 album,  1989 , to the masses. Swift's gigantic pop production — winding down Saturday in Tampa, Florida — has criss-crossed the United States, as well as parts of Europe, but the star has taken pains to distinguish the trek from your run-of-the-mill stadium spectacle, sprinkling her shows with surprise guests from across the musical spectrum.

Swift has paired with everyone from rising stars like the Weeknd, Fetty Wap, Sam Hunt and Rachel Platten, to established peers like Lorde, Nick Jonas and Selena Gomez, and celebrated veterans like Miranda Lambert, Justin Timberlake and Mick Jagger. If previous Swift album cycles were marked by overwrought discussions about which ex a song was calling out,  1989 has been first and foremost about friendship. Swift and her audience are not separate entities, but fellow partygoers: She reacts to the presence of her guests with the same incredulity as the crowd.

Tracking Swift's revolving door of  1989 guests was as much a pastime this summer as baseball or trying to ignore Donald Trump. To date, 35 of Swift's 61 North American shows have featured at least one surprise guest, with some featuring two or three, plus an assortment of friends, who walked a lengthy catwalk alongside Swift during "Style." For those hoping to relive that magic moment — or for fans at guest-less shows still stricken by FOMO —  Rolling Stone has compiled a complete rundown of the cameo-crammed tour.

Dan Reynolds, “Radioactive” in Detroit

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift's first North American show in Bossier City, Louisiana, was a guest-less affair. So was night two in Baton Rouge. Eight days — and one quick jaunt to Norwich, England for a spot at Radio 1's Big Weekend festival — later,  Swift served her first  1989 tour surprise: Dan Reynolds, who pumped his fists with Swift as they traded vocals on Imagine Dragons' 2012 track, "Radioactive."

Little Big Town, “Pontoon” in Pittsburgh

Taylor Swift

Despite a dramatic, all-encompassing turn to pop on 1989 , Swift is always ready for the country: In Pittsburgh, she brought out Alabama outfit Little Big Town for their 2012 Number One, "Pontoon," an ode to on-the-water revelry with a delightfully cheeky hook — "Out here in the open/Mmmmm-motorboatin'." Swift's backup dancers even came out in swim trunks and goggles, and some were wrapped in unicorn inner tubes.

Echosmith, “Cool Kids”; Rachel Platten, “Fight Song” in Philadelphia

Taylor

Over two nights in Philadelphia, Swift shone the spotlight on the next crop of pop superstars. During her first show, she brought out Echosmith's Sydney Sierota  to perform the group's breakout single, "Cool Kids." And on night two, she was joined by Rachel Platten. The pair belted Platten's empowering, piano-driven smash, "Fight Song," Swift gazing like a proud peer as the rising singer handled the track's stirring bridge on her own.

The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face” in East Rutherford, NJ (Night One)

Taylor Swift

Swift broke out the big guns for her first show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In addition to a duet with the Weeknd on his summer hit, "Can't Feel My Face," the pop star welcomed the U.S. women's national soccer team to walk the catwalk during "Style" with their World Cup trophy . Topping it all off, Swift assembled a sizable chunk of her girl gang, including Lily Aldridge, Lena Dunham, Gigi Hadid and Hailee Steinfeld to join her for "Bad Blood."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHaHBjGfnRI]

Nick Jonas, “Jealous” in East Rutherford, NJ (Night Two)

Taylor Swift

Swift didn't disappoint her New York–area fans at her second show at MetLife. "Style" featured another array of friends including Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Uzo Aduba, Karlie Kloss, Behati Prinsloo and Gigi Hadid; but the night's big guest was Nick Jonas, who lead a bombastic rendition of his soulful pop hit, "Jealous."

Lorde, “Royals”; Jason Derulo, “Want to Want Me” in Washington, D.C.

Taylor Swift

After her star-packed New York stand, Swift kept things relatively simple in Washington, D.C. On night one, friend and pop prodigy Lorde hit the stage for "Royals," while the following night featured Jason Derulo. The R&B singer dutifully took the reins of the propulsive "Want to Want Me," getting so wrapped up in the heat of the moment his shirt mysteriously vanished by the end of the song.

https://dailymotion.com/video/x2y6asp

Andy Grammer, “Honey, I’m Good”; Sam Hunt, “Take Your Time” in Chicago

Taylor Swift

On her 2011  Speak Now tour, Swift welcomed burgeoning blue-eyed pop singer Andy Grammer to the stage for a rendition of his breakout single, "Keep Your Head Up." Four years later, she trotted Grammer out again on her first night in Chicago for a performance of his equally infectious 2015 single, "Honey, I'm Good." The next night, Swift gave some shine to rising country crooner Sam Hunt, who parked himself next to Swift for a duet of his fetching, half-rapped ode to slow, simple love, "Take Your Time."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzv2j3Q8Mig]

Walk the Moon, “Shut Up and Dance”; MKTO, “Classic” in Foxborough, MA

Taylor Swift

With "Fight Song" and "Can't Feel My Face" already under her belt, Swift continued to plow through the various tracks vying for song of the summer 2015. Walk the Moon's slow burner, "Shut Up and Dance" peaked at Number Two on the Hot 100 this July after being released in September, 2014, and Swift and frontman Nicholas Petricca offered an outsized rendition of the ebullient earworm. She replicated that same energy with MKTO the following night during a sizzling performance of the duo's 2014 song-of-the-summer contender, "Classic."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO_U0747BzM]

Nico and Vinz, “Am I Wrong” in Vancouver

Taylor Swift

The 1989 tour rolled into Canada with Norwegian duo Nico and Vinz joining Swift on stage for their 2014 track "Am I Wrong. The song's thumping percussion and achingly triumphant hook wouldn't sound out of place in Swift's own set list, and the pop star adapted easily to the track, slinking around the stage and smiling widely as she sang with the duo.

Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen” in Seattle

Taylor Swift

The love song that warmed hearts across the world this summer was given the duet it always deserved when Swift teamed up with Fetty Wap for his beloved breakout, "Trap Queen." Swift kept the romantic vibes going later, when she walked the catwalk during "Style" with the Pacific Northwest's cutest couple, Ciara and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfT3Jr0iMgg]

Fifth Harmony, “Worth It”; Little Mix, “Black Magic” in Santa Clara, CA

Taylor Swift

Girl groups ruled during Swift's two-night stop in Santa Clara, California. At her first show, Swift welcomed Fifth Harmony for a performance of "Worth It," easily nestling into her role as the sixth harmonizer on the group's silky, bombastic, horn-laced single. The next night, U.K. vocal quartet Little Mix took the stage for a sugar-coated rendition of "Black Magic."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE6BqsMp02k]

Kobe Bryant; OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, “Counting Stars” in Los Angeles (Night One)

Taylor Swift

The 1989 world tour parked itself at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a whopping five nights at the end of August, and the run found Swift achieving a notable milestone: Sixteen sold-out shows at the famed venue — a number equal to the NBA Championships banners hung by the Los Angeles Lakers. Fittingly, Lakers star Kobe Bryant was on hand during night one to raise a banner in Swift's honor. The show also featured a musical surprise for good measure, with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder hitting the stage for "Counting Stars."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh-68HBJr1M]

Uzo Aduba, “White Horse”; Mary J. Blige, “Doubt” and “Family Affair” in Los Angeles (Night Two)

Taylor Swift

While not all of Swift's guests have been musicians, Orange Is the New Black star Uzo Aduba doubled down on her East Rutherford catwalk cameo and coaxed a deep cut out of Swift in Los Angeles. Aduba revealed a set of deep, gorgeous pipes as she took lead on  Fearless  hit "White Horse" while Swift plucked at her acoustic guitar and delivered backup vocals.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1Ta9KjSszU]

Later, Swift brought out Mary J. Blige for something old and something new: First, "Doubt," from Blige's 2014 effort, The London Sessions , then the still swinging "Family Affair." Capping it all off, Swift welcomed "Blank Space" video star, Sean O'Pry to the stage for "Style,"  though he also had to share the catwalk with Matt LeBlanc and Chris Rock.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRNb3Upu64A]

Alanis Morissette, “You Oughta Know”; Natalie Maines, “Goodbye Earl” in Los Angeles (Night Three)

Taylor Swift

Night three in Los Angeles found Swift paying tribute to two Nineties heroes, the Dixie Chicks and Alanis Morissette. First, Swift showed she hadn't lost her country twang, stringing out and punching up her drawl alongside Natalie Maines on the Dixie Chicks' boot-stomping "Goodbye Earl." Later, Swift and Morissette scorched the stadium — and exes everywhere — with a devastating performance of the latter's breakup anthem "You Oughta Know."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J47TiDvxnTg]

Noted Swiftie Ellen DeGeneres closed out the proceedings in characteristically ridiculous fashion, donning a sparkling silver jumpsuit to match Swift's shimmering dress as they walked the catwalk together on "Style."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpjxAPHoW8o]

Beck and St. Vincent, “Dreams”; John Legend, “All of Me” in Los Angeles (Night Four)

Taylor Swift

Swift cobbled together a delightfully unique collaboration for her fourth night at Staples, welcoming Beck and St. Vincent for a performance of the former's recent single, "Dreams." The driving pop-rock cut marks a significant turn from Beck's mellow Morning Phase  LP, but the musician relished sharing stadium spotlight with Swift as St. Vincent slashed away at the song's crunchy, funked-out guitar riffs. Later, Swift slowed things down with John Legend, who commandeered the pop star's piano and led the way during a stunning duet on his tear-jerking power ballad "All of Me." 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3D5NGDW4lQ]

Selena Gomez, “Good For You”; Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”; Phoebe Buffay, “Smelly Cat” in Los Angeles (Night Five)

Taylor Swift

The final night of Swift's Los Angeles stand belonged to a little-known coffeeshop singer-songwriter: Phoebe Buffay. Or rather, Lisa Kudrow, who reprised her Friends  role for a performance of Buffay's beloved Central Perk smash, "Smelly Cat."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4gIyPCp9H0]

The night also featured two slightly more well-known musicians: Selena Gomez, who stopped by for a rousing rendition of her tortured slow jam "Good for You," and Justin Timberlake, who took the stage for his devotional paean "Mirrors."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlVVCYOqw48]

Omi, “Cheerleader”; Avril Lavigne, “Complicated” in San Diego

Taylor Swift

Swift did not slow down after her five-night L.A. takeover. Three days after her final Staples Center gig, and a few hours south on Interstate 5 in San Diego, she brought out Omi for another summer 2015 anthem, "Cheerleader." Swift also invited Avril Lavigne up for a performance of her 2002 breakout hit "Complicated," a still perfectly pained jam that proves the cup of teen angst will never run dry.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YtQZh9Ps8A]

Wiz Khalifa, “See You Again” in Houston

Taylor Swift

The 1989 tour settled into its fourth month, and the final weeks of summer, in Houston. Swift once again surprised her fans with another recent ubiquitous hit, calling to the stage Wiz Khalifa, who helmed his  Furious 7 hip-hop power ballad, "See You Again." Swift dutifully stood in for the song's co-writer, Charlie Puth, belting the aching, striving chorus he sings on record.

The Band Perry, “If I Die Young” in Indianapolis

Taylor Swift

Swift offered another nod to her roots in Indianapolis, strapping on a sparkling acoustic guitar and joining the Band Perry for a rousing rendition of their hit "If I Die Young." The song's delicate instrumentals and musings might seem out of place for a massive pop production like the 1989 tour, but Swift and the Band Perry deftly reconstructed the track as a stadium-sized tearjerker.

Echosmith, “Cool Kids” in Columbus, OH

Taylor Swift

Echosmith singer Sydney Sierota earned the unique distinction of being the only performer to take the stage twice, in two different cities on the  1989 tour (save Uzo Aduba, who performed one night, and strutted the stage during "Style" the other). Sierota re-teamed with Swift in Columbus, Ohio, several months after her initial cameo in Philadelphia, delivering another infectious rendition of Echosmith's breakout hit, "Cool Kids."

Dierks Bentley, “Every Mile a Memory” in Kansas City, MO

Taylor Swift

Swift kept the country vibes going in Kansas City, welcoming Dierks Bentley to the 1989  party to breeze through his 2006 hit "Every Mile a Memory." Bentley and Swift traded lines and coalesced for harmonies, switching up the lyrics — "Red sun down, over a Kansas City sky," Swift bellowed — for some perfectly acceptable pandering to the hometown crowd.

Steven Tyler, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”; Kelsea Ballerini, “Love Me Like You Mean It”; Alison Krauss, “When You Say Nothing at All” in Nashville (Night One)

Taylor Swift

With country clearly on her mind, Swift was did not disappoint the Music City crowd at her highly anticipated homecoming concerts in Nashville. On night one, Swift proved she's still tapped into the country world with a rousing duet on "Love Me Like You Mean It" with rising singer Kelsea Ballerini. But she also paid tribute to  vaunted veteran Alison Krauss  with a performance of the musician's 2002 track "When You Say Nothing at All." For good measure, Swift also welcomed recent Nashville transplant Steven Tyler, who helped her belt Aerosmith's endlessly eye-watering Armageddon  anthem, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0xHaJICsDw]

Mick Jagger, “Satisfaction”; Leona Lewis, “Bleeding Love” in Nashville (Night Two)

Taylor Swift

Swift switched musical directions during her second night in Nashville, but her guests were far from disappointing. The star first welcomed Leona Lewis for a performance of Lewis' devastating 2007 ballad "Bleeding Love." Then Swift served up one of her biggest surprises of the 1989 tour so far: Mick Jagger, who peacocked on stage for "Satisfaction" — much to the delight of one grandma in particular .

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq0fgvavAuA]

Nelly, “The Fix” and “Hot in Herre” in St. Louis

Taylor Swift

Hometown hero Nelly served up a double shot during his appearance in St. Louis , first pairing with Swift for a duet of his sultry, Marvin Gaye–sampling new single, "The Fix." But the house truly came down during "Hot in Herre," which featured an appearance from Haim, who closed out their run as  1989  tour openers that night. While Nelly breezed through the 2002 hit, the sister act and Swift dished out the indelible hook and some expertly choreographed dance moves.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ-JMWwAZS8]

Keith Urban, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” and “Somebody Like You” in Toronto (Night One)

Taylor Swift

Keith Urban joined Swift at her first show in Toronto, proving country that clicks both Down Under and up in the Great White North. The pair teamed up for two performances, first kicking out Urban's latest single, "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16," which they followed with the musician's 2002 Number One "Somebody Like You."

Charli XCX, “Boom Clap” in Toronto (Night Two)

Taylor Swift

Despite canceling some tour dates this summer so she could focus on new music, Charli XCX gladly hopped back onstage with Swift at her second concert in Toronto. The pair took a shot at pure pop perfection and easily hit the mark with a bombastic rendition of XCX's 2014 smash "Boom Clap."

Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do” in Arlington, TX

Taylor Swift

Swift has enlisted Ellie Goulding   to surprise her audiences on previous tours, so it's no surprise that the British singer eventually took the stage when her path crossed with the 1989 tour. The pair tackled "Love Me Like You Do," Goulding's summer hit from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack , belting its indelible, amorous hook over a chorus of bombastic synths.

Miranda Lambert, “Little Red Wagon” in Greensboro, NC

Taylor Swift

Swift delivered another country hit in the midst of her pop bonanza, welcoming bona fide badass Miranda Lambert to the stage to perform her killer Platinum  single "Little Red Wagon." Swift looked happy to let Lambert take lead on the fierce track. She jumped in with some of her own backyard swagger but primarily sat back and marveled as one of country's contemporary masters did what she does best.

Tove Lo, “Talking Body” in Atlanta

Taylor Swift

Swift is well aware of the unique knack Swedes have for making killer pop, having worked extensively in recent years with Stockholm-based mastermind Max Martin. In Atlanta, Swift welcomed another Swedish star in her own right , burgeoning synth-pop singer-songwriter Tove Lo, who had the crowd howling with a performance of her sensual, slow-burning "Talking Body."

Pitbull, “Give Me Everything”; Ricky Martin, “Livin’ La Vida Loca” in Miami

Taylor Swift

Swift took her talents to South Beach for the penultimate show of her North American trek, doing everything to delight the hometown crowd short of bringing out Will Smith for "Miami." First, NBA star Dwyane Wade presented Swift  with her own Miami Heat jersey — number 13, of course — and soon after, the pop star was joined by Miami native Pitbull for a performance of "Give Me Everything." Saving the best for last, Swift welcomed Ricky Martin, who came out to a frenzied crowd and the still-transcendent opening horn riff of his 1999 hit "Livin' La Vida Loca."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEcm910UDSg]

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Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour: A Track By Track Breakdown

1989 tour stage design

TOKYO -- It is here, Swifties. Taylor Swift' s 1989 World Tour has kicked off in Tokyo and not only are the 55,000 people at the Toyko Dome excited, but fans all over the world woke up super early to get their first glance at the show on the Internet (including me).

MTV News had someone at the show, giving us updates from within, while we scoured around for any bit of Tay we could scavenge! And from her sexy "I Know Places" costume to her hard rock version of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" to onscreen cameos from the likes of Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez, HAIM, Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevingne, here's your look at Tay's tour -- one track at a time.

Let's begin, shall we?

'Welcome To New York'

Jun Sato/Getty Images for TS

Tay starts the show with "WTNY" in a glittery blazer. The dome is also a-glitter with light-up bracelets provided for everyone.

Here we gooooooo!

With her flock of male dancers, she welcomes the crowd, walking down a platform in heels. Behind her, a NYC-centric backdrop flashes like city streets.

"It's a new soundtrack/ I can dance to this beat/ Forever more."

"It's been waitin' for you."

Ummm... did girl just take her blazer off? Damn!

'New Romantics'

Fans really freaked when she went into "New Romantics," a bonus track off 1989 .

Let's all lose our chill together.

'Blank Space'

Aaaaand you know she couldn't get away without doing fan-favorite "Blank Space." (Although she didn't play "Wonderland.")

The blazer is back on!

"And you! Love! The game!"

'I Knew You Were Trouble'

"IKYWT" is remixed. She slows it down, gets sinister, almost channeling a Lorde-type vibe.

Plumes of smoke were thrown from the stage during the chorus.

And the colors of the bracelets were synched up to the show. During "IKYWT," they turned red.

We're only three songs in and it's a funeral for Swifties.

Gone is the purple skirt. Swift knows how to change outfits like a pro.

"Trouble, trouble, trouble."

'I Wish You Would'

Taylor talks to the crowd.

'How You Get The Girl'

Taylor switched into a pink dress, while her dancers brought out umbrellas for "How You Get The Girl."

The umbrellas light up! And there's more NYC imagery. The Brooklyn Bridge shows up in the background.

Fake rain falls onscreen as Taylor gets all cute.

Look at all those people!

'I Know Places'

Taylor quick-changes once again and she's off into "I Know Places."

That grunt doe.

OK, we're all on the same page about that growl.

She called everyone her friends.

'All You Had To Do Was Stay'

And then Taylor seduced us all with her crystalized blue eyes.

She's singing on the floor!

'You Are In Love'

She got on a stage extension and rose into the air for "You Are In Love."

It's acoustic and she's got the guitar out.

The crowd echoes her, just like in the recording!

She's wearing another crop top for this one -- this time it's royal blue.

Haim makes an appearance in a pre-taped video.

And so do her cats, Olivia and Meredith.

Now it's time for "Clean," and the visuals for the "Style" video are on. (Another hint that the video could've been for "Clean." )

And now she's lying on the cold, hard ground again.

'Love Story'

Swift brings it back to the good ol' days with "Love Story."

I'm almost certain she recycled her old outfits.

It's time for another outfit change and another song. It's "Style"!

"I've got that red lip classic thing that you like."

"Watch us go round and round each time."

'This Love'

She works a white, fringe leotard for "This Love."

"These hands had to let it go free and this love came back to me."

'Bad Blood'

Taylor is in LEATHER and singing "Bad Blood."

Again. Leather.

'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together'

Swizzle turns "WANEGBT" into a hard rock jam . So badass.

I'm not worthy.

'Enchanted'

She goes right from "Enchanted" into "Wildest Dreams."

'Wildest Dreams'

The piano comes out for "Wildest Dreams."

Somehow she managed to change into ANOTHER sparkly suit.

It looks just like Karlie Kloss' Victoria's Secret suit!

"Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams."

'Out Of The Woods'

During "Out of the Woods," some giant paper airplanes flew out. You know, like Harry Styles' plane ?

'Shake It Off'

Time to dance.

Is it over already?

All of Taylor's outfits throughout the night.

Some fans get to meet up after the show at "Loft 89."

"The view that took my breath away...55,000 strong." - Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift’s ‘The 1989 World Tour’ Documentary: 10 Fascinating Moments

As promised, Taylor Swift released a concert documentary about her landmark 1989 World Tour this holiday season. It's appropriately titled 'The 1989 World Tour' and is currently available on Apple…

By Joe Lynch

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Taylor Swift's 'The 1989 World Tour' Documentary: 10 Fascinating Moments

As promised, Taylor Swift released a concert documentary about her hugely successful 1989 World Tour this holiday season. It’s appropriately titled The 1989 World Tour, and is currently streaming on Apple Music exclusively.

Centering around her tour stop in Sydney, Australia, the film is filled with live performances of songs from her blockbuster 1989 album , backstage footage, interviews with her famous friends, and narration from Swift herself. 

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Here are 10 fascinating moments from The 1989 World Tour documentary.

1) In the movie, Swift explains how she recruited that endless parade of special guests for her tour. “Some of the special guest appearances were planned months in advance. I would reach out and I’d say, ‘I love your music. Here’s the schedule, here are the tour dates. Which ever one you want to come to, we’d love to have you.'” Swift notes that after Mick Jagger joined her onstage, people were more likely to say yes.

Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ Only 5th Album to Spend First Year in Top 10

Trending on Billboard

2) Not all of the special guests were planned so far in advance, however. In the documentary, Swift reveals she recruited John Legend to join her onstage just 40 minutes prior to showtime after spotting him in the audience.

3) Rehearsing backstage with Alanis Morissette in one scene, we see Swift urging the singer-songwriter to mime hitting her during the lyric, “It was a slap in the face.” Taylor explains her insistence on the slap to Alanis as such: “Bruises heal, but moments last forever.”

4) Anyone who showed up at the 1989 Tour is familiar with the colorful audience bracelets that lit up in synchronization during the show. What they might not know, however, is that Swift let her guests control the bracelet colors during their visiting performances.

13 Impressive Chart Facts About Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’

5) In an interview portion of the film, Lena Dunham shares her memory of Taylor playing 1989 for her pre-release date: “I made her play it over and over until she finally said, ‘I don’t want to play it anymore.'”

6) In one scene, Swift explains snagging Mick Jagger for a duet on “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” at her Nashville tour stop. “My dad’s like, ‘My friend swears he was sitting next to Mick Jagger at lunch yesterday.’ So I text Mick and I said, ‘Hey are you in town? I’m playing a show tomorrow night, do you want to come out and sing “Satisfaction”?’ And he just writes back, ‘What will I wear?'”

7) At 1:17:00, Swift’s friends — from Selena Gomez to Haim to Cara Delevingne — share stories on what a “typical hang with Taylor” is like. Hints: Dancing, and lots of cats.

‘Bad Blood’ Blasts to No. 1 on Hot 100

8) Swift shares she wanted to duet with Mary J. Blige on “Doubt” after hearing the soul queen sing it at a Grammy party. “I’m so doubtful of myself constantly — no matter what I achieve, no matter what happens,” Swift said. “So that song struck a chord with me. I remember thinking, ‘That would be amazing if I could ever sing that with her.'” And in L.A., they did.

9) Swift heaps massive praise on her “Mirrors” duet partner in one scene. “I think Justin Timberlake is the closest thing our generation has to Frank Sinatra ,” she said, comparing one actor-singer to another. “I honestly think he’s one of the greatest musicians of our time.”                                                                 

10) Post credits fun! Taylor shares her plans for 2016, saying, “Maybe I’ll jut eat carbs for the next seven months. I don’t have to wear any crop tops.” She also stands in front of the camera holding her two cats while one of them desperately tries to escape. The film ends with the words, “No cats were harmed in the making of this tour. Just one pop star.”

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Taylor Swift's best surprise guests on her never-ending 1989 tour, ranked

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Actress Lisa Kudrow (L) and singer-songwriter Taylor Swift perform onstage during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

All year long — and seemingly all our lives — Taylor Swift has been welcoming her friends, idols, and everyone in between to the stage for her 1989 world tour. The guest appearances have been at turns inspired and confusing, ranging from the Weeknd to Imagine Dragons , Justin Timberlake to her "Bad Blood" model crew , girl groups like Little Mix and Fifth Harmony to Chris Rock and Matt LeBlanc . Even Ian McKellen recently revealed that he and best friend Patrick Stewart got an invitation to the 1989 stage, but had to turn it down due to prior commitments.

As Swift said at her show in  Santa Clara on August 15:

"Any artist that you see on the 1989 world tour stage is here because they wanted to be, out of the goodness of their own heart. They wanted to be here to perform for you, and to surprise you. This means they came here for free. This means they could've been doing anything else...but they wanted to be with you. They're here because they love you, and that's such an incredible honor."

Swift's claim that all the 1989 world tour guests wanted to be there "out of the goodness of their own heart" is a lovely sentiment, but I have a feeling that everyone walking the "1989 runway" is less interested in pleasing fans than in absorbing the incredible attention the moment affords them. Swift is one of the biggest pop performers on the planet. Any friend of hers is a friend of millions.

(Thank god Sirs Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart have each other.)

As for Swift, I believe she is thrilled to welcome each and every one of these people to the stage. Every time she introduces a new guest, she throws her hands up like she's on a roller coaster, giddy with some combination of excitement, triumph, and power. Whatever the motivations for the guests — fun, publicity, a "what the hell" lark — one thing is abundantly clear:  Taylor Swift is having the time of her life.

To save you the trouble of going over her dozens of guests, here are the eight most memorable surprise appearances from Taylor Swift's 1989 tour — so far, anyway.

8) Joan Baez and Julia Roberts (Santa Clara, August 15)

Tonight Joan Baez and Julia Roberts danced it out to 'Style'. These two women are my heroes. What an honor. pic.twitter.com/ERFqo1SS8H — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 16, 2015

There are so many questions about this pairing, who went onstage together at Swift's Santa Clara concert to dance along to "Style." Did they know each other beforehand? Is this part of a blood pact neither remembers making in the '90s? How many people in that stadium were appropriately heartbroken to get a Joan Baez appearance instead of a Joan Baez performance ?

So, okay, this isn't one of Swift's "best" surprises, but you can't beat it for the sheer "Why is this happening?" factor. The Baez/Roberts pairing also highlights another important demographic of Taylor Swift's guests of choice, namely the "We're doing this for our kids" quadrant. (See also: the aforementioned Rock and LeBlanc .)

7) Lisa Kudrow (Los Angeles, August 26)

Many give Los Angeles grief for its smog and entertainment-obsessed industries, but the city's best revenge is its proximity to just about every major star. Ergo, and to be upfront: LA is disproportionately represented on this list. (Swift also played there for five nights in a row.)

After confusing everyone by bringing out LeBlanc, she made a more understandable Friends choice the next night with Lisa Kudrow, who appeared (barely) in character as the folk-singing Phoebe Buffay.

Swift was visibly thrilled. She told the stadium with a wink that this guest "has only ever played in coffeehouses" before they strummed acoustic guitars in tandem for a stadium sing-along of Buffay's biggest (and only) hit, "Smelly Cat." The only thing that could have made it more of a trip for Friends fans would be if they did a breakdown à la the recorded version of "Smelly Cat," which was decidedly more pop than its folksy predecessor.

6) Beck and St. Vincent (Los Angeles, August 25)

Getting to play 'Dreams' with @Beck and @st_vincent is something I'll remember forever. I can't even express it. pic.twitter.com/haLQzBxpbg — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 26, 2015

For as much pop star power as Swift wrung out from Los Angeles, she also brought out an act that confused much of her stadium audience. Beck joined Swift to perform his latest single "Dreams," with guitar goddess St. Vincent accompanying. Videos show much of the floor audience blinking in confusion at the runway instead of dancing along.

This is a shame, because Beck and St. Vincent's performance on the Staples Center stage is rock solid. Beck matched the stadium's energy by jumping up and down like an excitable teen at his first concert. St. Vincent (a.k.a. Annie Clark) accompanied him on her angular new Eddie Ball signature guitar . Every so often, Swift noticed that St. Vincent was standing off on her own and went over to lean a friendly elbow on her shoulder. St. Vincent is a documented Swift fan , but she eventually had to shrug her off to strut down the runway and rip her guitar solo to shreds.

St. Vincent casually slaying that guitar solo while pyro goes off in the background. Beck and I having a dance party. I don't know how to process any of the events of tonight. A video posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Aug 26, 2015 at 12:56am PDT

It was glorious.

5) Fetty Wap (Seattle, August 8)

FETTY WAP. TRAP QUEEN. SEATTLE. 60,000 PPL. OH MY GOD. @fettywap thank you so much for coming!! Unreal!! pic.twitter.com/3fFuhZh7Pg — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 9, 2015

Fetty Wap exploded on the radio this summer with his single  "Trap Queen." While he just won the 2015 VMA for Best New Artist, he performed in Swift's stadium like he's been doing it for years. He was totally unconcerned with the crowd as he slid all over the enormous 1989 stage, which fit right in with the straightforward confidence of "Trap Queen."

When recounting the tour night with Fetty Wap on Instagram, Swift claimed that he left her "unable to find [her] chill." After watching videos of the performance, she was absolutely correct. She did her best to keep up, mouthing the words and striding down the runway in her thigh-high boots in her best impression of a model walk. For the most part, though, she just let Fetty do his thing.

4) Mary J. Blige (Los Angeles, August 23)

Blige joined Swift on the stage to sing "Family Affair" and her new power ballad "Doubt." All Swift could hope to do was let her soar. For all her best efforts to join in, Swift probably knew she couldn't match Blige's vocals, and so she largely kept her part to clapping and throwing her hands in the air (a Swift staple ).

Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles - Night 2

Swift and Swift's raised arm and Blige on the 1989 world tour stage.

Blige's energy was infectious. Her belting filled the enormous Staples Center as she sang the song's climactic affirmation:

Now you're looking at a leader Now you're staring at a queen You said I'll never be someone But now I'm pulling all the strings.

Can't imagine why Swift likes this song so much. Still, nice moment.

3) The US women's national soccer team (East Rutherford, New Jersey, July 10)

1989 tour stage design

Taylor Swift and the 2015 Women's World Cup champions. And Heidi Klum.

Taylor Swift's Twitter

The week after winning the World Cup, the US women's soccer team joined Swift for a victory lap. This is one of the most purely fun surprise appearances on the tour, as the team grinned from ear to ear and soaked up the warm reception from the audience of New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. They even managed to upstage supermodel of the world Heidi Klum as she worked the catwalk, which, despite Donald Trump's  best efforts to denigrate Klum's current appeal, will always be a feat.

As for Swift? She got to hold the trophy.

You guys. @taylorswift13 brought @ussoccer_wnt on stage at her show tonight AND LOOK AT THIS PHOTO. pic.twitter.com/HgRmpY3kFN — Erin Sorensen (@erinsorensen) July 11, 2015

2) Natalie Maines (Los Angeles, August 24)

As Swift ascends higher and higher into the glitzy world of pop stardom, it's always a little jarring — in the best way — when she reaches back to her country roots. Swift is so comfortable in the country world that her voice noticeably settles when she allows it to twang. So it's unsurprising her Natalie Maines introduction gushed with praise for the Dixie Chicks frontwoman, whom she cited as a vital influence on her early musical aspirations:

"If not for this woman and her band, I would not have known that you can be quirky, and fun, and yourself, and outspoken, and brave, and real...I wouldn't have dreamed the things that I dreamed, and I wouldn't be on this stage today."

The two women then broke out into the Dixie Chicks' revenge fantasy song "Goodbye Earl," which was also apparently Swift's "go-to talent show song."

This appearance therefore accomplishes two important things: 1) Maines gets to fill a stadium with her astonishing powerhouse of a voice, and 2) we get to imagine a tiny Swift strutting around a fold-out stage while trilling, "Well, it wasn't two weeks after she got married that / Wanda started gettin' abused / She put on dark glasses and long sleeved blouses / And make-up to cover her bruise..."

(Note: "Goodbye Earl" is a very strange choice to sing through a talent show grin.)

1) Alanis Morissette (Los Angeles, August 24)

Swift tends to take her time introducing her guests. She builds up the anticipation, starting from a conspiratorial whisper before revving up to a grand announcement in the bombastic style of a circus ringleader (which, well, she kind of is). To pump up the crowd for Morissette's impending arrival, Swift prowled the stage in a leather catsuit and intoned:

"She inspired a generation of confessional female singer/songwriters, who all of a sudden felt like you could actually say these raw feelings that you had. You could actually sing about your real life, you could put detail into it. You could get really really mad if you wanted to."

This is just a very good summation of Alanis Morissette's appeal. Also, Swift sells the hell out of it. There's no way she could care deeply about every single guest on her tour, but this moment echoes her adoration for Maines in its sincerity. Swift has built her career on confessional songwriting, so it's genuinely touching to see her paying tribute to a woman who both popularized and challenged the genre.

Then Morissette emerged from the floor, singing "You Oughta Know."

Of all the songs off her smash album Jagged Little Pill , "You Oughta Know" is perhaps the most explicitly angry. "You Oughta Know" tells the story of heartbreak through rage-induced tears, a feeling Swift came closest to capturing with "Blank Space." "Raw" is absolutely the right word.

Watching Swift and Morissette belt the song together is startling, then exhilarating. It's exactly what every surprise 1989 world tour appearance should be like — though it will be harder to thrill people when they come to expect something so great every time.

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Taylor Swift's Long List of Onstage Guests, Ranked by Thirst

1989 tour stage design

By Chris Gayomali

This image may contain Dance Pose Leisure Activities Human Person Stage Clothing and Apparel

On the final night of the Los Angeles leg of her 1989 tour, magical pile of pixiedust Taylor Swift continued her special-guest parade by bringing out Selena Gomez, Justin Timberlake, and Lisa Kudrow—who, in a pure nostalgia play reminiscent of a “Remember the ‘90s?” BuzzFeed quiz, sang “Smelly Cat” onstage with Swift.

There is a strategic element to Swift’s guest choices. Sometimes, it imbues Swift with all-important cultural credibility. Other times it’s a nostalgia play, or just for fun. But there is another element overlooked when Swift brings someone onstage: This element is thirst—the guest’s thirst, specifically, for attention, fame, or just the blessing that is momentarily being in Taylor Swift’s orbit. Here they are, ranked, from least to most thirsty.

45. Joan Baez 44. Beck 43. Chris Rock 42. Cara Delevingne 41. Lorde 40. Serena Williams 39. Justin Timberlake 38. The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team 37. Mary J. Blige 36. St. Vincent 35. Alanis Morissette 34. Uzo Aduba, from Orange Is the New Black 33. Natalie Maines, from the Dixie Chicks 32. Ellen 31. Ciara 30. John Legend 29. Julia Roberts 28. Mariska Hargitay, from SVU 27. Martha Hunt 26. Andreja Pejic 25. Lily Donald 24. Hailee Steinfeld 23. Gigi Hadid 22. The Weeknd 21. Lily Aldridge 20. Lena Dunham 19. Sean O’Pry 18. Karlie Kloss 17. Matt LeBlanc 16. Nico & Vinz 15. Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller (better known as MKTO) 14. Andy Grammer 13. Selena Gomez 12. Fifth Harmony 11. Walk the Moon 10. Russell Wilson 9. Kendall Jenner 8. Fetty Wap 7. Sam Hunt 6. Shawn Mendes 5. Lisa Kudrow 4. Kobe Bryant 3. Dan Reynolds, the guy from Imagine Dragons 2. Nick Jonas, who kept his shirt on 1. Jason Derulo, who took his shirt off

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Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Outfits: See All the Looks She's Worn on Stage, Divided by Eras

1989 tour stage design

By Anjana Pawa

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

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Taylor Swift's long-awaited Eras Tour has finally started and the singer is delivering on all fronts — from performance to vocals and, of course, fashion.

On opening weekend, Taylor Swift gave us plenty of whimsical, elegant, and nostalgic looks as we traveled with her through the eras of her career. She wore a handful of familiar styles, with slight tweaks to fit her current style, and gave us plenty of sparkle and shine. Throughout 15+ more stop stops (and counting), Taylor has given us even more memorable fashion moments. 

Related: How to Nail Your Eras Tour Look, According to Swifties Themselves

If you are scouring the internet to find out where each look is from, fret not. Here's a look at all the looks Taylor Swift has from during her Eras Tour — from opening night in Glendale, Arizona, to some of her most recent shows in New Jersey and Chicago — and what you can expect to see her wear if you plan on attending one of the upcoming shows.

1. Lover era

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

The first era is  Lover , a time that signified growth, comfort, and basking in the glow of the daylight. Taylor starts the night off in a  custom Versace bodysuit , bright and bold. She pairs it with an equally shiny pair of  custom, studded Louboutin boots . Night one's bodysuit was a playful, iridescent purple color, and she opted for a slightly more elegant, gold-colored one for the second night of the Eras tour kickoff weekend. 

The shoes are sparkly, but they aren't really the star of the show until she puts on a blazer, also studded, and also Versace, and performs "The Man." The shoes instantly grabbed the spotlight as she kicked her heels up and flashed the red bottoms. This is the first of several pairs of custom Louboutins that Taylor wears throughout the night – they're the  sole footwear provider for the tour , just like during the  Reputation  tour.

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

At her show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the star debuted a new Versace bodysuit that sparkled even brighter than the original one she wore. There are brighter crystals, shining in purple, and extra details, like tassels down her thigh. She paired the new bodysuit with a pair of ombré bedazzled Versace heels, also in purple. Adorning her neck was the Versace Crystal Butterflies Chain Necklace to complete the look.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at MetLife Stadium on May 26 2023 in East Rutherford...

2. Fearless era

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

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In a seamless transition to the era that sealed the deal for her as a stage performer and style icon, the  Fearless  era portion of the night brought back shimmery dresses made to move around. The boots stay on, but she trades out the sparkly bodysuit to dance in a storm in her best dress. 

One of the big themes in her clothes throughout the night is fringe, which becomes an accessory to the singer as she moves around the stage and dances around singing her best hits. This  custom Roberto Cavalli dress  allows her to do just that, move around freely and shine bright. 

On the second night of the tour, Taylor opted for fringe down the legs in  another Roberto Cavalli custom dress  embellished with Swarovski crystals. Again, the movements looked just as mesmerizing in this dress as the first night. 

Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 18 2023 in Swift City...

As the tour has continued, Taylor has debuted another equally stunning dress to embody the  Fearless era. The dress is similar to her custom Roberto Cavalli dress with fringe down her leg, but in silver.

3. Acoustic interlude

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

During the opening night, Taylor referenced her debut era playing her first-ever hit song, "Tim McGraw." This era falls into an acoustic set, where Taylor does one of her favorite things: She plays two surprise songs each night to give every fan a unique experience during the show they choose to attend.  The acoustic, slowed-down portion of the show gives the fans a breather, a time to connect with their favorite singer as she’s able to take a seat at the piano and chat with the crowd before she gives a surprise performance. 

During this segment, she has so far worn a  Jessica Jones  dress with ruffles that hug her frame as she sits by the piano. The first night she wore a magenta-colored version of the dress. On night two, it was green. We first wondered if we'd see more colors as the tour continued and TSwift delivered. She’s also worn the stunning dress in a yellow shade as well.

4. evermore era

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

Next up is  evermore  era, for which Taylor wears a simple but bright mustard dress from  Etro , also custom. To perform the songs from this quaint but grand era, the stage is set with trees along a foggy backdrop. The tone of the show shifts here. This is where Taylor gets to sit at the piano and commandeer the crowd with her lyrics. There is no need for fringe and sparkles as the crowd sings along at the top of their lungs to "champagne problems" to accompany her.

5. Reputation era

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

During the  Reputation  tour, Taylor made a bold choice to abandon the pants and embrace the bodysuit. She brings that energy back to represent this era with one of the fiercest ones we've ever seen her in; an asymmetrical, show-stopping  black and red colored custom Roberto Cavalli one . As we've realized by now, nothing on this tour will be dull on the sparkle, and this number features sequins studded along the leg in that infamous snake pattern familiar to this era.

6. Speak Now era

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

To sing one singular song from the  Speak Now  era, the fan-favorite "Enchanted," Taylor emerges ready to impress. You can't help but be enchanted by the soft glow reflecting off the sparkles of the  Nicole + Felicia Couture bespoke gown  she's wearing. This is reminiscent of the Valentino gown she wore when she sang this song on the  Speak Now  tour but grander, and of course, with more bling. 

On night two of the tour in Glendale, Arizona, Taylor switched up this look and gave the audience an equally shiny but slightly different look, opting for a  Zuhair Murad Couture custom gown  with a starburst design embellishment.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 18 2023 in Swift City...

This portion of the show is where she’s been able to switch it up the most. As the tour progressed, the star has given us plenty of glorious gowns to “ooh” and “aah” at. Another Zuhair Murad Couture custom gown was added to the  Speak Now era collection, with thousands of sequins sewn on in a starburst design.

Some nights, she graces the stage in an Elie Saab Fall 2020 Couture gown that is full of tulle and drama. Other nights, she opts for something a bit more simple, but elegant: an Ellie Saab Couture gown from Fall/Winter 2022, straight from the runway that has fabric flowers sewn down the bottom half of the dress. This dress’s train drags behind her as she walks down the catwalk of the massive stage softly and slowly, matching the tone of the song.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during night two of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium on May 06 2023 in...

The next era is introduced in a spirited manner as Taylor revisits a popularly recreated look: the "Not A Lot Going On At The Moment" T-Shirt from the "22" music video. This look is paired with a Gladys Tamez hat that she gives to a lucky audience member during the performance.

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

On the second night of the tour, she opted to poke a bit of fun at herself with a T-shirt that read "Who's Taylor Swift Anyway? Ew" after lyrics from the song "22" instead.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 18 2023 in Swift City...

As the North American tour reached its halfway point, she introduced another shirt that says, “We Are Never Getting Back Together, Like Ever.” The sequined shirts are all  custom by Ashish , who also made the original shirt in the “22” music video. Once the t-shirt is removed, a beautiful red-to-black ombré bodysuit is revealed, fittingly so for the  Red  era. 

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

When it's time to sing her magnum opus, "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)," a sparkly red overcoat is added atop the already striking bodysuit. She puts her best foot forward for a song that has a story as remarkable as her career, with a red guitar to match.

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

She also used this time, for the first half of the tour, to bring out her collaborator and tour opener  Phoebe Bridgers to sing their acoustic and emotional song “Nothing New.” On Bridgers’s last night on the Eras tour, Swift showed off a chain around her neck that held a small pendant. It was later revealed that the pendant was the  Give You The Moon Charm from Phoebe Bridgers’ Catbird collection. Her footwear for this portion of the show is a seemingly comfortable pair of  loafers from Louboutin .

Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift perform onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at MetLife Stadium on May 26 2023...

8. folklore era

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

For the  folklore  portion, we see the singer in a beautiful, muted  purple Alberta Ferretti dress  full of ruffles and flares. It's "fairy in the woods meets cozy baking in a cottage," which are exactly the right vibes of this imaginative and rustic era. 

During her performance of "august," Taylor uses body movements across the stage to express her frustration, and the lavender-toned dress added the perfect amount of drama and flair to the performance. As she moved, the  chiffon fabric  moved along with her seamlessly. On night two, she wore a similarly graceful  Alberta Ferretti dress , but in white. It had curtain drapes with delicate hanging threads, adding a  beautiful texture  to its movement.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 18 2023 in Swift City...

Taylor loves to swiftly move around the stage in various Alberta Ferretti dresses during the most emotional portions of the  folklore  era. She’s shown us two more versions of custom dresses that were created for this portion of the show. 

Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Soldier Field on June 02 2023 in Chicago Illinois.

9. 1989 era

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

As the night progresses, we see more and more fringe. How else would we see the iconic "Shake It Off" movements except in another  Roberto Cavalli custom two-piece set  covered in chunky fringe with sequins in various shapes and sizes? This look is similar to what the singer wore on her  1989  tour.

On the first night of the tour, the co-ord set was  magenta . On the second night of the tour, she swapped it for the same set, except in bright green.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 18 2023 in Swift City...

As the tour has continued, the pop queen has added an additional color to the 1989 co-ord repertoire. We’ve now seen the same Roberto Cavalli set in orange as well. How many colors will we see in total throughout the tour?

10. Midnights era

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

As we reach the present-day era,  Midnights , we get to the peak of extravagance and pomp. It's time to celebrate the eras past that have allowed Taylor to become the artist and performer she is today. The dress she chose to perform the culmination of her career is a custom  Oscar De La Renta  that's looser fitting but still heavy and studded in iridescent crystals. It's paired with a new set of custom Louboutins studded in black crystals. To add more drama, she has a fur coat on, also a custom piece from Oscar De La Renta. Everything about this look screams "Bejeweled," a song placed near the end of the setlist but a vibe that's exuded for the entirety of the night. 

As this era progresses, she sheds layers. The dress is shed to reveal an  Oscar De La Renta custom bodysuit , an article of clothing she seems to be very comfortable performing in. This time, there's black detailing. It's soft but striking and just sexy enough to perform the Cell Block Tango-esque choreography to "Vigilante Sh*t" with chairs and all. She even added a garter to her thigh to give a bit of a sexy edge to complete the look.

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

To finish off the show, another layer is added with even more fringe and even more sparkle, if that's even possible. This multi-colored statement piece is fabulous, and it's a perfect way to physically represent just what the last three hours and 15 minutes were all about: Taylor celebrating and shining with the 70,000 other people in the room with her. 

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium on March 17...

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Taylor Swift the Eras Tour: a Cultural Phenomenon

Erin Saltaformaggio and Molly Walker

Article by Erin Saltaformaggio and Molly Walker Featured Author

1989 tour stage design

From March until August this year, Taylor Swift played 52 sold-out shows in stadiums across the U.S. on the first leg of her Eras Tour. The tour continues internationally through next year. Swift will then return to more sold-out venues in the U.S. in the fall of 2024. In all, Taylor will play 146 dates across five continents.

The Eras Tour is Taylor’s first since 2018 and since then she released four albums. For non-Swift fans, “Eras” refers to each of Taylor’s albums since she first arrived on the music scene in 2006. Swift’s three-hour Eras Tour show includes music from each of her studio albums.

The tour is not just a music event, but a cultural phenomenon providing an economic boon to each tour stop and confirming Swift is one of the most successful and influential music artists of our time. We experienced the phenomenon first hand. The following is our personal account.

First, we should set the scene: The Era’s Tour stage consists of a huge catwalk that spans nearly the entire length of the stadium floor. The size of the stage allows for Taylor to interact with fans all over the stadium. The concert features several elaborate set designs, costume changes, more than a dozen backup dancers, backup vocalists, and Taylor’s band.

The set opens with Taylor’s backup dancers wearing giant billowing sails as they walk down the catwalk to Taylor’s voice in the background repeating, “It’s been a long time coming…” The scene culminates in Taylor rising from underneath the stage to open with “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” and “Cruel Summer.”

As the concert progresses, stage designs include: from the Lover era, the “Lover” house (which looks like a giant dollhouse) and giant scaffolding and an office setup for her song “The Man”; a forest scene and cottage from her Folklore and Evermore eras; the familiar snake motif introduced during the Reputation era; and purple clouds during her song “Lavender Haze.” The concert employs pyrotechnics and electronic features on the stage like other large stadium concerts. During the song “Mastermind,” the stage looks like a giant chessboard with square sections lighting up from beneath as Taylor and her dancers move around the stage.

Molly: Everyone has heard about the Ticketmaster fiasco. I was not lucky enough to get a “presale code”, so I ended up buying my tickets on the secondary market. How did you get your tickets? Erin: I got a “presale code”, which meant that I had the opportunity to wait in a virtual waiting room on Ticketmaster’s website for nearly seven hours one day last November. Finally, I was notified I was at the “front of the line” and let in to purchase tickets. Molly: I bet your billable hours took a hit that day! Where did you see the show? Erin: Atlanta. Taylor played three shows at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in April 2023. Nearly 300,000 people saw her concert that weekend. I attended the second of the three shows with my sister, Rachael. It was the third time we’ve seen Taylor perform, including the 1989 Tour in 2015 in Kansas City and the Reputation Tour in New Orleans in 2018. What about you? Molly: I drove to Dallas to see Taylor on a Friday night in April. She played at Cowboys Stadium (AT&T Stadium), which is an enormous venue. This was also my third time to see her with my daughter. We first saw her in Nashville in 2015 on the 1989 Tour and we were also in New Orleans for Reputation in 2018. I’m excited Taylor will be returning to New Orleans in 2024, although I didn’t get a presale code once again! Erin: What was the atmosphere like in Dallas? Molly: It was the friendliest concert environment I’ve ever experienced — a total Taylor lovefest. We had standing room only tickets, but no one was pushing or shoving. People were actually saving spots for others while they bought merch or food. A stranger gave my daughter a friendship bracelet because they were both dressed in the Red era. Everyone was dressed up, mostly inspired by an “Era”, and some of the fans’ costumes were really over the top. I think the Dallas area must have sold out of sequins leading up to the concert! What was Atlanta like? Erin: The “scene” was great. The crowd was overwhelmingly female, although there were definitely male “Swifties” in attendance too. Because tickets were so hard to get, everyone appeared really excited to be there. There were even hundreds of fans who showed up just so they could experience the show from outside the stadium. Each person inside the stadium was given a light-up bracelet that flashed along to the songs and created different patterns and designs throughout the stadium, which added to the overall experience. Molly: Did you dress as a particular Era? Erin: One unique thing about Taylor’s music is that each Era is defined by a specific aesthetic that she embraced throughout that “Era.” Country music defined her first three albums and included looks featuring cowboy boots and fringe dresses. Her fourth album, Red , was the beginning of her transition to pop music and her clothing was more vintage inspired including her signature red lipstick. She fully transitioned to pop music in 1989 and she embraced a 1980’s pop look while she promoted that album. Her style continued to evolve and change with each subsequent album. A lot of concert goers really went all out in dressing like one of Taylor’s eras. We joined in the fun by wearing clothes that fit into different of Taylor’s Eras, too. Although our outfits weren’t nearly as elaborate or detailed as others. Molly: In addition to my daughter, we went with two of her friends and a friend of mine. All five of us dressed as a different Era. Did you have a favorite set or song that she played? Erin: One of my favorite moments was when she sang her song “Marjorie”, which she wrote as a tribute to her late grandmother and includes vocals from her late grandmother. The entire stadium turned on their phone’s flashlights during the song, which surprised Taylor and made her emotional. Afterward she commented how “beautiful” the moment was. I also really loved Taylor’s performance of “Tolerate It.” The stage design included a table-setting scene, which made the song feel more like a play in a theater than a concert in a stadium. Molly: That sounds really beautiful. At each concert Taylor has a surprise song that she plays toward the end which isn’t a part of the normal concert set. At our show in Dallas she sang “Sad Beautiful Tragic”, about the sadness of the end of a love affair. I think not coincidentally, news came out just a few days later that she and her long-time boyfriend had broken up. The whole experience was exceptional and memorable. Taylor is a master performer and is also so gracious with her fans. Erin: So, would you do it again? Molly: To quote Taylor, “I’d do it over, and over, and over again if I could.”

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Concerts are an experience. They’re about connection. We get completely absorbed into the atmosphere, feeling the music in our bones, the rhythm in our soul and the light in our hearts. Sometimes just the sheer volume of light is enough to immerse you into the set. Other times, the stage design can be so sublime and mesmerizing, where for a few hours we are transcended into a whole other world.’

  • RELATED: Architects

Get ready to be fascinated as we take a look at 9 absolutely incredible stage designs that will blow your mind.

Lorde Coachella 2017

The work of Es Devlin is unimaginable. Devlin is a creative mastermind who has designed insane mega tour stages including Lorde’s Coachella and Glastonbury performances. Lorde truly blessed the audience with this extreme set by transcending the average concert experience. This definitely skyrocketed all expectations following.

  • Tame Impala

Tame Impala Coachella 2019

Tame Imapala ‘s 2019 tour was absolutely epic due to the production design by Rob Sinclair and WPA. It’s phenomenal, it’s kaleidoscopic, it’s everything you could ask for during a psychedelic Tame show at Coachella. Seriously, have you ever seen such beautiful colours at such a large scale??

Bon Iver 10th Anniversary Show

The story behind the creation of Bon Iver ’s debut For Emma, Forever Ago is basically a folktale at this point. Although Bon Iver is no longer ‘the heartbroken man in solitude’, for the 10th anniversary of his debut album, the stage design reflects his early years. With what looks like strands of grass or trees, the set mimics the woods that the album was once created in.

Muse - The Resistance Tour

Also crafted by Es Devlin, Muse’s Resistance Tour was a sublime spectacle. It’s becoming more and more clear that Devlin is a creative genius, right?

Daft Punk Coachella 2006

Long live Daft Punk. We will never forget the duo’s iconic 2006-07 Alive tour that brought fans an epic spectacle. The two sat upon a A 24-foot-tall aluminum pyramid that was drenched in screens and hypnotic LED lights.

  • Roger Waters

Roger Waters 'The Wall' Tour

The legend Roger Waters went full out for both The Wall Tour and Us + Them Tour. XL video are multi-winning AV experts that helped The Wall Live concert tour go from great to mind-blowing. Every arena used forty units of Panasonic twenty thousand lumens PT-DZ21KE  projectors to bring the show to life. Roger Waters commented on the designs, “This wide wall stadium show couldn’t have been done 40 years ago. We couldn’t have filled the space in a way that would have been emotionally, musically and theatrically satisfying. Technology has changed. Now we can.” There is also a film where you can now watch the show from home in its entirety.

Radiohead in San Fernando, CA 2017

Andi Watson is the longtime the genius behind Radiohead’s stage designs. The set consisted of a grid of suspended LED cables that projected colour, three-dimensional images such as a wobbling rectangular plane, or morphing swarms of vivacious light. Watson spoke about his work, “My job is to create an environment for the Radiohead songs to exist within the stage. With so many layers to what they do, many different instruments and lots going on, I have to build complex arrangements to represent the songs visually.”

U2 Innocence & Experience World Tour

Another exceptional design by Es Devlin was U2’s Innocence & Experience World Tour. Goosebumps must have been surfacing throughout the crowd all night.

  • The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones Steel Wheels Tour

The designer behind this 1989 Rolling Stones set is Mark Fisher. With the help of Mick Jagger, the two were able to capture the essence of the Steel Wheels Tour.

Lead photo courtesy of Visual Endeavors .

  • Stage Design

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Taylor Swift's Eras: How the most successful concert tour ever got started in Arizona

1989 tour stage design

Taylor Swift launched The Eras Tour era with a sold-out two-night stand at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Friday and Saturday, March 17-18, 2023, the opening salvo of a record-breaking tour that has dominated headlines and, in many ways, the conversation ever since.

The Eras Tour is a phenomenon as big as Swift herself, if such a thing is possible — the highest-grossing tour of all time and the first tour in history to generate more than $1 billion in revenue.

The concert film — "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" — released in theaters worldwide on Oct. 13, 2023, quickly became the highest-grossing concert film in history , a record previously held by Justin Bieber.  

Following The Eras Tour launch, Swift immediately shot to No. 1 on Pollstar's Artist Power Index chart , ending 2023 as Time magazine’s perfectly obvious choice for Person of the Year .

"Swift’s accomplishments as an artist — culturally, critically and commercially — are so legion that to recount them seems almost beside the point," Time wrote.

Then, after running down a laundry list of those accomplishments while placing her alongside Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Madonna as a pop star, Time explained why this year more than any other year.

"As a celebrity — who by dint of being a woman is scrutinized for everything from whom she dates to what she wears — she has long commanded constant attention and knows how to use it," Time wrote.

"But this year, something shifted. To discuss her movements felt like discussing politics or the weather — a language spoken so widely it needed no context. She became the main character of the world."

By that point, USA TODAY had hired its own Taylor Swift reporter and Swift had grabbed another first — first billionaire in history with music as the main source of income .

How the Year of Taylor Swift began in Glendale, Arizona

And to think: The Year of Taylor all began in Glendale, which renamed itself Swift City for the weekend in her honor.

A symbolic rebrand, the Swift City storyline played out on digital billboards along freeways and in Glendale's Westgate Entertainment District, where State Farm Stadium is located, welcoming fans to Swift City.

For what it's worth, we would've gone with Glendale (Taylor's Version) .

Swift had launched the Reputation Tour in that same stadium five years earlier.

She really likes us!

The Eras Tour is 'a journey through all of my musical eras'

In announcing the tour, Swift had promised “a journey through all of my musical eras,” which by any reasonable metric, is a lot of ground to cover — 10 hit albums, four of which have been released since the conclusion of the Reputation Tour in late 2018.

And she made it look easy, enjoying the journey as much as the Swifties who flocked to the show did while revisiting her catalog one era at a time in a marathon set that ran more than three hours, squeezing in 44 songs before the night was through.

Her earliest eras weren’t as prominently featured in the journey as her recent albums. There was only one song, “Tim McGraw,” from her first album, “Taylor Swift,” and one, “Enchanted,” from her third release, “Speak Now.”

The early albums she’d already rerecorded in “Taylor’s Version” editions by the time the tour launched were given more time in the spotlight. There were three songs from her second album “Fearless” and four from her fourth album, “Red.”

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour: 5 magic moments at State Farm Stadium that Arizonans saw first

The Eras Tour favored the eras since the Reputation Tour

It made sense that Swift would give more stage time to the albums she hadn’t had a chance to tour since being forced to pull the plug on Lover Fest, the tour she had planned in support of 2019’s “Lover,” in response to the pandemic that took everybody off the road in 2020.

Not quite an hour into her performance on Night 1 in Glendale, Swift asked fans, “Is it just me or do we have a lot of things to catch up on?”

Noting that “it’s been a really long time since I’ve been on tour,” she said they’d “added four new members to the family” since that last tour, introducing them by name as “Lover,” “Folklore,” Evermore” and “Midnights,” her latest release, which brought the concert to an end with a seven-song sampler.

It was a breathtaking journey through 17 years’ worth of musical eras with the artist connecting with at every step along the way.

When Taylor dove into a stream and sang 'All Too Well'

The stage show was designed to reach the back rows of the stadium with a breathtaking blend of artful set design — that “Folklore” cabin was cottagecore gold — and film projected on the massive screen behind the stage.

It was a concert packed with highlights, the most theatrical of which came at the end of an understated “Tim McGraw,” which Swift performed alone on a satellite stage, accompanying herself on an upright piano. At the song’s conclusion, she stood up and appeared to dive into a stream to swim beneath the runaway to the main stage.

As entertaining as that was, the full 10-minute version of “All Too Well” from “Red (Taylor’s Version),” the longest song to top the Billboard Hot 100, emerged as the concert’s emotional centerpiece, a heartbreaking triumph that ended in a haunting shower of paper snowflakes.

That opening-night performance also introduced the concept of “ surprise songs ,” two unannounced acoustic songs she planned to slip into the set each night just to keep fans guessing in the Era of the Online Setlist, where a quick Google search can reveal all.

The Era Tour is scheduled to conclude on Dec. 8, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Night 1 set list in Glendale, Arizona

“Lover” album:

  • “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince.”
  • “Cruel Summer.”
  • “You Need To Calm Down.”
  • “The Archer.”

“Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” album:

  • “Fearless.”
  • “You Belong With Me.”
  • “Love Story.”

“Evermore” album:

  • “’Tis The Damn Season.”
  • “Marjorie.”
  • “Champagne Problems.”
  • “Tolerate It.”

“Reputation” album:

  • “… Ready For It?”
  • “Delicate.”
  • “Don’t Blame Me.”
  • “Look What You Made Me Do.”

“Speak Now” album:

  • “Enchanted.”

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” album:

  • “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
  • “I Knew You Were Trouble.”
  • “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).”

“Folklore” album:

  • “Invisible String.”
  • “The Last Great American Dynasty.”
  • “Illicit Affairs.”
  • “My Tears Ricochet.”
  • “Cardigan.”

“1989” album:

  • “Blank Space.”
  • “Shake It Off.”
  • “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version).”
  • “Bad Blood.”

Surprise songs:

  • “Mirrorball.”
  • “Tim McGraw.”

“Midnights” album:

  • “Lavender Haze.”
  • “Anti-Hero.”
  • “Midnight Rain.”
  • “Vigilante (expletive).”
  • “Bejeweled.”
  • "Mastermind."

Reach the reporter at  [email protected]  or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter  @EdMasley .

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Historic meeting of French impressionists recreated in Paris exhibition

Immersive tour at Musée d’Orsay takes visitors back to 15 April 1874 – the moment that marked the movement’s birth

In a lush red-and-gold carpeted photographer’s studio in northern Paris, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edgar Degas are adding the final touches to the hanging of their paintings, while fellow artists Berthe Morisot and Camille Pissarro lament the lack of recognition for their work and Claude Monet bemoans being mistaken for Édouard Manet.

Outside, Parisian gentlemen in top hats and ladies in bustles are admiring the newly completed Opera House or enjoying an early evening drink on the café terraces while horse-drawn carriages clatter down Baron Haussmann’s new grands boulevards.

The Musée d’Orsay’s exhibition that opens this week – Paris 1874 Inventing Impressionism – will take visitors on a virtual voyage back 150 years to the very moment that marked the birth of the movement that changed the history of art.

When the 30 artists now known as the Impressionists gathered at the studio of the photographer Félix Nadar at 35 boulevard des Capucines in Paris on the evening of 15 April 1874, they were largely unknown and struggling.

Many had been shunned by the jury of the annual Académie des Beaux-Arts Salon, the official arbiters of artistic merit, and had decided – almost in desperation – to open their own independent exhibition.

At the time, they were not known as “Impressionists”: the term emerged shortly afterwards when the journalist Louis Leroy employed it as a sarcastic synonym for “unfinished” in his critique of Monet’s Impression, Soleil Levant, later hailed as the symbolic founding masterpiece of the exciting new movement.

During the 40-minute immersive tour, visitors will spend a virtual evening with the young artists at their breakaway exhibition and travel by steam train to Bougival, west of Paris, where many of them worked, helped by the development of oil paints in tubes that liberated them from their studios.

Visitors take part in virtual reality experience

They will then tour the main exhibition that opens into a gallery with Renoir’s La Parisienne and La Danseuse, both of which featured in the 1874 exhibition, and other impressionist masterpieces, paintings, drawings and sculptures hung with the more classical work accepted by the official salon that same year.

Agnès Abastado, the director of digital development at the Musée d’Orsay, said the immersive experience was “unique and innovative” but based on painstaking scientific research. The verbal exchanges were scripted from hundreds of letters the young artists exchanged at the time.

“You can go into this exhibition and relive the evening with the artists and discover the genesis of this [artistic] movement. We wanted to recreate the emotion for visitors of the 1874 exhibition, but we took a precise scientific approach so it is based on what we know of this evening,” Abastado said.

“The narrative of the exhibition is invented, but we spent two years studying documents and letters to reconstruct it so everything is as near as possible to the reality.”

While little is known of Nadar’s studio, which was destroyed in 1989, and there were no photographs taken of the first Impressionist exhibition, Stéphane Millière, the head of Gedeon Media Group, which co-produced the VR experience, said they had tracked down architects’ plans, details of lighting and upholstery and even receipts for wallpaper to enable them to reconstruct the studio and the streets around it.

“The boulevard you see in the VR is an exact reproduction of what it would have looked like in 1874,” Millière said. “For visitors, the VR experience makes the exhibition come alive and become something extraordinary.”

Anne Robbins, the co curator of the exhibition, said the aim of it and the VR experience was to “retell the rich and passionate story of the beginning of Impressionism”.

“We look at the circumstances of this [1874] event, we situate it in its time and place and present a selection of the works: some of which are very great chef d’oeuvres while some are less noteworthy paintings and sculptures but are still significant.

“In it we see the novelty of these paintings and how this group of artists who took part in the 1874 exhibition were very diverse and their work eclectic. We want to offer a new look and understanding of impressionism.”

Pierre-Emmanuel Lecerf, the general administrator of the Musée d’Orsay, added that the VR experience was not simply entertainment.

“It allows us to go back in time, to evoke the surroundings, the decor and to bring the painters back to life, but the approach is scientific. It’s not made-up entertainment, but allows us to immerse ourselves in that time and learn,” Lecerf said.

“Then you walk into the exhibition and see the real paintings that are just astonishing. No VR can replace that.”

Paris 1874, Inventing Impressionism opens at the Musée d’Orsay 26 March – 14 July

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