taylor swift 1989 eras tour

The 25 Best Moments From Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour

By Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone

From the moment it broke Ticketmaster, the world knew Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour would become the biggest of the year. Now, it’s on track to become the biggest pop music event of the next two years thanks to multiple international legs that wrap up back in North America next fall. Swift has not only been performing to sold out crowds in each stadium, but also to more thousands of ticketless fans hovering outside of venues or watching on social media from home. 

She’s not even close to halfway through the tour, but she has already gone above and beyond her fans’ expectations thanks to multiple surprises, major announcements and special guest appearances that have made the tour’s first leg across the United States a major success. In honor of that historic run — and in chronological order — here are the best moments of Swift’s Eras Tour so far. Baby, let the games begin.

We Find Out The Show Is 3 Hours Long

Along with the thousands of fans packed into Glendale’s State Farm Stadium for the first night of Eras Tour, there were even more watching the show from grainy Instagram and TikTok Lives. Swifties around the globe had no idea what to expect from the pop star’s new live show; she had released four albums of original music since her last tour in 2018, as well as re-recorded versions of two previous albums. Would she focus on 2022’s Midnights ? Would Folklore and Evermore even work in a stadium setting? Everyone was in for a treat as the night unfolded into 3.5 hours of Swift running through sets for all but her debut album (which did get some love during the surprise song portion that night). It felt like a fever dream for fans, making the Ticketmaster debacle even more worth the anxiety than anyone could have anticipated. –B.S.

Her ‘First Bridge of the Evening’ Speech

Every night this summer, just to seal our fate, Taylor has made a celebration out of the “Cruel Summer” bridge. As she declares, just a few minutes into the show: “We have arrived at the very first bridge of the evening! Now I would prefer that we cross it together!” A perfect invitation from a songwriter who has always made a specialty of her middle-eights. Later in the show, another highlight is when she does the “Illicit Affairs” bridge—not the rest of the song, just the “Don’t call me kid! Don’t call me baby!” chant in the middle. Who else could get away with that? We can’t wait for Taylor’s “Bridges Tour”—just four hours of her bridges. –R.S.

‘Cruel Summer’ Becomes a Top 10 Hit

Hey, any artist can score a hit in the middle of a tour. But the trick is crashing the Top Ten with a fan-fave deep cut that’s four years old. Fans always wondered why “Cruel Summer” wasn’t a single—it sounded like the great lost hit from  Lover , the would’ve-could’ve-should’ve summer jam of 2019. But a year later, the world was in  Folklore  Mode and “Cruel Summer” got left behind—that hit that slipped away like a bottle of wine. Until now. Just in time for Eras Tour, she finally dropped it as a single. “Cruel Summer” blew up into her 41st Top Ten hit in July, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Pop Airplay chart. A very Swiftian redemption arc for this perfect pop banger—ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard? –R.S.

Taylor’s Speech Defending Her Love For ‘Evermore’

Evermore is to Folklore as Radiohead’s Amnesiac is to Kid A ; it’s the sister album that will always be pitted against its elder sibling. And there’s no Swiftie like an Evermore Swiftie. The album’s true fans will defend it to the grave, champagne problems and all. Fans were absolutely convinced Swift didn’t like Evermore when she didn’t commemorate its one-year anniversary on social media. But Taylor is always listening, and she wasted no time debunking this rumor, addressing it on night one of the Eras tour in Glendale, Arizona. “We’re currently in the middle of the Evermore album,” she told the crowd after “Marjorie.” “Which is an album I absolutely love, despite what some of you say on TikTok.” How’s that for some closure? –A.M.

The Lengthy Ovations After ‘Champagne Problems’

It happens every night. Taylor sits alone at the piano for “Champagne Problems,” her first solo performance of the night—and it always brings out the beast in the crowd. It’s a moment where the audience literally stops the show to scream, for minutes on end, leaving poor Taylor with no way to move on. In L.A. last week the ovation kept going for 8 minutes. (Never change, L.A.—you are the Dorothea of cities.) Since she doesn’t do a standard encore break, this is the crowd’s chance to grab the mic and go full blast—an unorthodox but totally organic moment. Like so many details of the Swiftian live experience, it’s a fan-created phenomenon that takes on a life of its own. It’s also proof that as far as the Eras Tour is concerned, sorry, but Evermore is more Era than any other Era. –R.S.

Marcus Mumford Sings ‘Cowboy Like Me’ In Las Vegas

Taylor knew “Cowboy Like Me” was special the minute she wrote it — who else could get away with a line like “Some tent-like thing” and make it sound magical? She knew she was sitting on a 21st century “Desperado,” beloved by everyone from Maya Hawke to Maggie Rogers . The Western lullaby was recorded at Marcus Mumford’s Scarlet Pimpernel Studios, and he even provided backing vocals. So it was only right that he join her on the Evermore track’s live debut, early into the tour in Las Vegas on March 25. “Would you sing ‘Cowboy Like Me’ with me?” she asked. Mumford, who’d already performed it more than 50 times on his own tour , happily obliged .–A.M. 

Taylor Replaces ‘Invisible String’ with ‘The 1’

In Swiftworld, few things happen without a reason, hidden or not. So when the fate-brought-us-together ballad “Invisible String” vanished from the Eras Tour setlist, replaced by the perfectly wistful masterpiece “The 1,” from the same album, it probably should’ve raised more eyebrows in the moment. Instead, it took certain headlines about Swift’s personal life, a week later, to make full sense of the very welcome swap.- -B.H.

The ‘And Take Her Home’ Note In ‘The 1’

Nobody, absolutely nobody, was complaining that “The 1” wasn’t heartbreaking enough. But for the live version, Taylor throws in The Note, for the kill. As she sings “The 1” on the mossy roof of her Folklore Cottage of Solitude, she adds that extra spice to the line, “You meet some woman on the internet and taaake her home.” As far as we’re concerned, this note is now “The 1” canon. The original Folklore version already sounds weird without it. –R.S. 

Aaron Dessner’s Surprise Song Appearances

When Aaron Dessner from the National came out in Tampa to bless the Eras Tour stage for the first time, Swifties in the stands and watching on live streams at home knew they were all in for a devastating set of Dessner-produced tracks. From an acoustic version of “The Great War,” to the poignant piano ballad “Mad Woman,” Dessner and Swift shined together on these stripped down versions of beloved songs. But the real kicker was “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” with Dessner jamming along on guitar and the entire Nissan Stadium screaming with Swift as she sang, “give me back my girlhood/ it was mine first!.” It was truly a moment for the history books. –M.G.

Taylor announces ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ in Nashville

Nashville turned purple when Swift decided to announce the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) during her Eras tour stop in her hometown on May 5. In typical Swiftian fashion, the singer used a play on words to reveal the album would be in July in the midst of her performance. “I think rather than me speaking about it, I thought I would show you, so if you would direct your attention,” she told an audience of screaming fans , while directing their attention to Nissan Stadium’s screens which featured the album cover and its release date. But Swift wasn’t done: She surprised fans by launching into a performance of “Sparks Fly.” And, oh, did they fly. –I.K.

Nashville Also Gets The First Rain Show of The Eras Tour

There is arguably nothing more Swiftian than rain; it’s a signature element to her lyrics. Swift used to play “Should’ve Said No” in a makeshift downpour on stage, and her first headlining rain show at Gillette Stadium is a thing of Swiftie folklore (it apparently inspired the fan-ode “Long Live”). Everyone was eagerly refreshing their weather apps to see if they’d be the Eras Tour stop to witness Taylor come in with the rain. Nashville night 3 got especially lucky. After lightning delayed the start of the show for several hours, Swift weathered the storm along with her hometown crowd. She was so drenched she compared herself to a “river otter” — and still put on one hell of a show that didn’t end until nearly 2 a.m. –M.G.

Tour Opener Phoebe Bridgers Sings Vault Duet ‘Nothing New’

On the first night in Nashville , Swift invited Phoebe Bridgers (“one of my favorite artists”) to perform their Red (Taylor’s Version) collaboration “Nothing New,” and emotions were running high. They were clearly both psyched to be sharing the stage: right before the song’s prophetic bridge, Swift laughed and mouthed “oh my god” while Bridgers shook her head in disbelief at the fact she was singing with one of her idols. At that moment, more than a few concertgoers had their inner child healed. It was so powerful that Swift snuck their performance into the set during every tour stop that Boygenius opened. –M.G.

The ‘Karma’ Video Premiere During the First New York Show

Fans attending Swift’s three night stint at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (which technically also counts as her New York tour dates, for surprise-song purposes) knew they were in for some unexpected highlights even before the first show kicked off. Leading up to that night, Swift announced the release of Midnights (Til Dawn) , an expanded version of her 2022 album that included a remix of “Karma,” featuring buzzy new rapper Ice Spice. In the middle of the show, Swift did more than shout out the new release: she decided to debut the “Karma” video in the middle of her set. Swift and her dancers sat on the stage to watch the video, which premiered on YouTube soon after. –B.S.

Jack Antonoff Appears For A Surprise ‘Getaway Car’

After Aaron Dessner made appearances earlier in the tour to perform with Swift during her surprise song sets, it was only a matter of time before Jack Antonoff did the same. Fittingly, it occurred on the first night of her New York shows, which were in Antonoff’s home state of New Jersey. Even better, his appearance ticked “Getaway Car” off the surprise song list, with Antonoff playing guitar on the Reputation cut and fan favorite. –B.S.

Ice Spice Appears Onstage For ‘Karma’ Remix

A “Karma” video premiere wasn’t enough for Swift as she celebrated Midnights (Til Dawn) over the course of her weekend in New York. She added an extra dose of excitement to show closer “Karma” when she invited Ice Spice out to perform the remix with her three nights in a row. The pair were a match made in pop heaven on stage together, with the 23-year-old rapper commanding the crowd perfectly next to the headliner. It didn’t take a lot for the two stars to make “Karma” a massive success, so it came as no surprise that the song shot up the charts a week later. –B.S.

Two Lucky Audiences Get to Hear ‘Clean’

Back in February, Gracie Abrams told Rolling Stone that her favorite 1989 track was “Clean.” Fast forward to April 1st: Taylor Swift made good on a request from Abrams to play the track after her first night opening shows on Swift’s stadium run. “I will remember this feeling in my bones for the rest of my life,” Abrams wrote on Instagram. And if “Clean” stans weren’t satisfied enough, Swift played the song again on the second night of her New Jersey stop, claiming with a smirk that she “could have played it in a higher key” as a way to avoid violating her rule about not repeating surprise songs. A worthy rare repeat for a classic 1989   track. –W.A.

The First Performance of ‘Dear John’ In 11 Years

With the surprise songs section of the Eras Tour, fans were anxiously awaiting the night when Swift would break out “Dear John,” her scathing anthem allegedly written about her ex John Mayer. With the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) , Swiftie anticipation hit a fever pitch. Then, on June 24 in Minneapolis, they got their wish— hearing it live for the first time in 11 years . But with the performance of the song, Swift also had a disclaimer for her fans: She reminded them to consider “kindness and gentleness” when interacting online. “I’m 33 years old. I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19 except the songs I wrote,” Swift added. “So what I’m trying to tell you is that I’m not putting this album out so you should feel the need to defend me on the internet against someone you think I might have written a song about 14 billion years ago.” In short, there’s no reason to be “mean.” –I.K.

Opener Gracie Abrams Gets Invited To Sing ‘I Miss You I’m Sorry’ With Taylor

What’s better than two surprise songs at an Eras Tour show? Three! At her July 1 date in Cincinnati, Swift not only debuted Evermore track “Ivy” and Reputation cut “Call It What You Want” for the first time in five years, but she shared the stage with Gracie Abrams and Aaron Dessner for a performance of her tour opener’s track “I Miss You, I’m Sorry.” While Abrams’ ballad is stunning on its own, Swift stole the show by alternating verses with the Good Riddance singer. –I.K.

That Taylor Lautner Cartwheel

Even though he is one of Swift’s better exes, Lautner’s inserting himself into the Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) conversation on social media (remember #prayingforjohn?) wasn’t a perfectly smooth process. But that didn’t stop Swift from bringing him out in Kansas City for a very cool and very full circle moment punctuated by a cartwheel that would have turned a less-athletic person’s bones to dust. Lautner told The Today Show that the cartwheel wasn’t planned, making it all that more impressive. Despite the seeming spontaneity of his on-stage acrobatics, the move did have some resemblance to the flip Lautner did in the 2010 flick Valentine’s Day , in which he co-starred with Swift. A reach? Maybe, but it’s very cool to see Lautner and Swift still in touch (Swift called Lautner and his wife “close friends”). Just maybe cool it on the #prayingfor TikToks.- -W.A.

‘I Can See You’ Video Premiere In Kansas City

During her tour stop in Kansas City on July 7 — the release date of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) — Swift surprised fans by premiering the heist-themed music video for “I Can See You,” which featured Taylor Lautner, Joey King and Presley Cash trying to steal her third album. It was one of the meta reunions for the “I Can See You” stars — King and Cash co-starred in the music video for “Mean,” while “Back to December” was allegedly about Swift’s breakup with Lautner. Of course, fans went wild when Swift sang Lautner’s praises to the Kansas City audience: “He was a very positive force in my life when I was making the ‘Speak Now’ album, and I want to say he did every single stunt that you saw in that music video. He and his wife have become some of my closest friends, and it’s very convenient because we all share the same first name.” –I.K.

‘Long Live’ Is Added To The Setlist

The Eras Tour is as grandiose and impactful as any victory lap we’ve seen an artist put on in recent memory. The tour pulls on the nostalgia heartstrings — yes, there’s a percentage of fans who who tapped in when Folklore dropped, but there’s a great many more diehards who’ve been through middle school, high school, and college with Ms. Swift. That’s why hearing the “tell them how the crowds went wild/tell them how I hope they shine” in “Long Live” hits so hard. Even cooler: Swift is using the koi fish guitar from the Speak Now era . It’s funny to think about Swift writing such an anthemic ode to her career…in 2010. If only she knew there were thousands of sold out shows, a handful of Grammys, and hundreds of broken records to come. “Tell ’em how the crowds went wild” — they still are. –W.A.

‘Last Kiss,’ July 8th

When “Last Kiss” finally had its moment as a surprise song on July 8, you could hear the cries of Speak Now girlies heard round the world. Officially named “the saddest song [she’s] ever written” by Ms. Fountain Pen herself, Swift performed the somber track on her famous koi fish guitar and was so excited she forgot the lyrics and had to start over several times. Swift finally sang “that July 9th/The beat of your heart” with a small smirk because it was, in fact, July 8th that night — a sweet nod to the heart-wrenching moment in the song. –M.G. 

Haim Appears Onstage For ‘No Body, No Crime’ In Seattle

On July 22, Swift’s murder ballad “No Body, No Crime” got its shining moment in Seattle when the singer brought out Haim to perform on their collaboration. Even better, their Evermore highlight wasn’t even one of the surprise songs of the evening: It was just a setlist swap for “Tis the Damn Season.” While it might be a coincidence—though with Swift it rarely is—they joined forces at Lumen Field exactly one year and a day after Swift shocked London fans by teaming up with the sisters for a “Gasoline”-”Love Story” mash-up. –I.K.

Taylor Gives ’22’ Hat to Kobe Bryant’s Daughter

Swift’s grace and generosity are now legendary . During her So-Fi Stadium show in Los Angeles on Aug. 3, the pop star gifted her Red -era bowler hat to Kobe and Vanessa Bryant’s daughter, Bianka during a performance of “22.” The sweet moment, which featured Swift hugging her and placing the hat on the six-year-old girl’s head, went viral, of course. It was one of those memories that we’ll be holding onto for a long time. –I.K.

The Dramatic Unveiling of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) On 8/9

Long before Eras Tour began, fans were racking their Easter egg-ridden brains to figure out which of Swift’s first six albums would be the next re-record to drop. Rightfully, many had been going back-and-forth on Speak Now and 1989 , and those who guessed the former were proven correct early in the tour. But Swift seemed to be dropping a suspicious number of hints at the possibility of more music, including several studio sightings on her off days. Ending the first US leg of Eras on 8/9 in Los Angeles also felt a little too on the nose. Thankfully, this time, everyone had decoded correctly. Swift unveiled 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in the most Taylor way possible, wearing blue versions of each Eras costume, a nod to the adopted color for 1989 . She finally revealed the new cover and release date after singing fan-favorite bonus track “New Romantics” during the surprise-song set, a perfect end to the first leg of this lengthy, massive trek .–B.S.

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Taylor Swift Announces '1989 (Taylor's Version)' During Final Los Angeles 'Eras Tour' Show

Taylor swift left emotional after nearly 8-minute standing ovation at eras concert, '90 day fiancé': adriano vents about alex not being open to threesomes (exclusive), how kim kardashian feels about taylor swift's alleged diss track 'thank you aimee' (source), jennifer garner and mark ruffalo reunite with 'thriller' dance for '13 going on 30' anniversary, watch kellie pickler perform for the first time since her husband kyle jacobs' death, celine dion opens up about return to public eye following stiff person syndrome diagnosis, christina applegate explains why she's been wearing diapers, gwen stefani and blake shelton show off farming skills in the city, jamie lynn spears' daughter maddie glams up for prom, breckin meyer reflects on untimely death of ‘clueless’ co-star brittany murphy, alec baldwin punches phone of pro-palestine protester after being heckled at coffee shop, watch nicki minaj throw object back at fans who threw it at her during concert, catherine zeta-jones’ daughter carys stuns as her mini-me in her dress from the ‘90s, kim kardashian reveals she used to walk madonna’s dogs in exchange for her jewelry, ‘american idol’: ryan seacrest on whether meghan trainor will replace katy perry (exclusive), why zendaya is ‘nervous’ to attend 2024 met gala, 'designing women's delta burke naively used meth to lose weight at height of fame, emily blunt and ryan gosling on what they love about each other (exclusive), palace releases first new photo by kate middleton after photoshop scandal, 'american idol's ryan seacrest and executive producer on who could replace katy perry (exclusive), aaron carter's twin sister angel explains why she thinks 3 of her 4 siblings died young, the singer's latest rerecorded album will be out this fall..

Taylor Swift made a big announcement on Wednesday night while performing the final show of her Eras Tour in Los Angeles: 1989 (Taylor's Version) is coming. 

"Since I was a teenager I've wanted to own my own music and the way to do that was to rerecord my albums," she began, speaking to the deafeningly loud crowd in SoFi Stadium.

"So now, here we are on the last night of the U.S. leg of the  Eras Tour, in the eighth month of the year, and the ninth day," she continued with a sly smile, dropping breadcrumbs before officially revealing her next rerelease .

"There’s something that I’ve been planning for a really, really, really, ridiculously embarrassingly long time. And I think instead of just like telling you about it, I think I’ll just sort of show you something I’ve been excited to show you," Swift concluded, revealing a backdrop of updated 1989 artwork and an Oct. 27 release date. 

The cover image for the updated album -- which is now available for pre-order -- features a photo of Swift with windblown hair, set against a sky blue backdrop with seagulls flying in the background. She wears her signature red lipstick over a big smile. 

After the big reveal, Swift then launched into a surprise performance of her fan-favorite 1989 track, "New Romantics." Among the other highlights during Wednesday's show was an eight-minute standing ovation following her "Champagne Problems" performance -- after Tuesday night's crowd did the same thing . 

"Surprise!! 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is on its way to you 🔜!" she followed up with an Instagram post. "The 1989 album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27th. To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I’ve ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind. But not for long! Pre order 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on my site."

The news was surprising to few fans, who have recently speculated that Taylor's Version of 1989 was imminent -- and that she would announce it while performing in L.A. For her part, Swift appeared to revel in the celebratory nature of the evening, as she was spotted happily drinking from a wine glass after the show in a fan video shared on social media. 

Swift was in good company for her final run of shows on the North American leg of her tour. On Wednesday, actress Jamie King -- who named Swift as the godmother of her son, Leo Thames, in 2016 -- was among those in the crowd for the concert. King took to her Instagram Story to share a photo of friendship bracelets, including one that read "godmother" as an ode to Swift! 

Model Karlie Kloss was also spotted in the stands after years of a rumored feud between the former besties. 

Other notable stars in the building on night six included Kerry Washington, Adam Sandler, Amanda Kloots, Kyle Richards, Hillary Duff, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, Halsey and Emma Stone, among many others. Selena Gomez, Meghan Markle, Taylor Lautner, Mariska Hargitay, Courteney Cox, Mindy Kaling, Charlize Theron and Alicia Keys  have also been in attendance at Swift's previous L.A. shows. 

1989 (Taylor's Version) will be the 33-year-old singer's fourth rerecorded album, following Fearless in April 2021, Red in November 2021, and Speak Now in July. First released in October 2014, 1989 includes the hits "Shake It Off," "Bad Blood" and "Blank Space." 

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Taylor Swift Announces '1989 (Taylor’s Version)' at Eras Tour Show in Los Angeles

Taylor Swift closed the 2023 U_S_ leg of her landmark Eras Tour in Los Angeles in a big way by announcing the fourth edition of her re-recording project: “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”

Taylor Swift Announces '1989 (Taylor’s Version)' at Eras Tour Show in Los Angeles

Chris Pizzello

Taylor Swift performs during "The Eras Tour," Monday, Aug. 7, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Taylor Swift closed the 2023 U.S. leg of her landmark Eras Tour Wednesday night in Los Angeles in a big way, announcing the fourth edition of her re-recording project: “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”

After playing a few tracks from her “1989” era live, including an abridged take on “Bad Blood,” the pop superstar approached the center of the stage with an acoustic guitar in hand and suggested to the audience that she had been working on something big.

“Instead of just, like, telling you about it, I think I'll just sort of show you,” she told the crowd as the screen illuminated behind her. “'1989 (Taylor’s Version)' available Oct. 27!” she cheered, pointing out that she was revealing this on the eighth month of the year and the ninth day — a numerical clue.

Then she launched into a surprise performance of the ascendant “1989” track “New Romantics” and the “Reputation”-era piano ballad “New Year's Day” for the first time during her world tour.

Just last month, Swift released her re-recording of “Speak Now” and soon claimed the record for the woman with the most No. 1 albums in history. The “Taylor's Version” projects were sparked by music manager Scooter Braun's purchase and subsequent sale of her early catalog.

Beyond the breaking news, across more than three-and-a-half hours at SoFi Stadium, Swift offered fans a bevy of career-spanning tracks — less a greatest hits collection, and more a live celebration of an artist in her veterancy.

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Choreographed easter eggs were frequent. Swift would mimic dance moves from her iconic music videos and crack jokes about her feelings and “women-splaining to men how to apologize to women."

Openers — and “besties,” as Swift described them — HAIM joined her on stage for the “evermore” cut “no body, no crime.”

Across more than 40 tracks reflecting 17 years of recorded music, it was as if the ground shook with the rapturous sound of 70,000 fans scream-singing along to her hits and deep cuts alike. This was Taylor Swift's house — filled with fans in light Taylor Swift cosplay (pink dresses for her 2019 album “Lover,” black leather and snakeskin prints for 2017's “Reputation,” sequins and A-line skirts for 2014's “1989,” and so on).

Before launching into her “1989” era tracks, Swift performed an emotive single from her “folkore” album, “cardigan.” “When you are young, they assume you know nothing,” she sang, contorting the line in the third verse, “I knew everything when I was young.”

For a performance predicated on returning to the past as well as celebrating the present, it felt like a mission statement. Throughout her career and her many sonic experiments, Swift has been a keen observer of human condition and heartbreak. Even in those early songs about fantasies and fairytales, she demonstrates a kind of pragmatic wisdom. It is why a song she wrote when she was 16 can elicit the same sort of response as one written in her 30s.

And in a summer stacked with superstar tours celebrating giant new releases — like the larger-than-life experiences of Beyoncé's “Renaissance” World Tour and Drake’s 56-date “It Was All a Blur” tour — Taylor Swift's lookback Eras Tour stands proudly among them.

For fans who desire their beloved artist play the hits — she certainly delivered.

Copyright 2023 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Best moments of taylor swift’s eras tour: surprise songs, guests and more.

The Hollywood Reporter looks back at the biggest things to happen at the superstar musician's recent series of concerts.

By Sydney Odman , Ryan Fish August 8, 2023 4:30pm

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Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is a cultural phenomenon. With unprecedented demand, smashed world records and a staggering 44-song setlist, the Eras tour spans Swift’s entire discography, chronicling all the various eras and albums of the Midnights singer’s career.

From the mad scramble to buy tickets that crashed Ticketmaster’s website to guest appearances from the likes of Taylor Lautner, Joey King, Haim and Phoebe Bridgers, Swift brings new surprises for her fans at each stop.

As the first round of Swift’s Eras Tour approaches its last dates in Los Angeles, The Hollywood Reporter has compiled the biggest highlights from the tour so far.

Fans Crash Ticketmaster Presale

Before the Eras Tour even began, it was making history. During the rush to buy tickets after five-plus years of waiting, the retailer site Ticketmaster crumbled, with many experiencing multiple hour-long waits and the majority of fans not being able to secure tickets. According to Ticketmaster, the demand was unprecedented and led to no tickets being available as a part of the general sale. Ticket prices soared above $1,000 for the cheapest seats on the resale market, leading to congressional hearings that included more than a few tongue-in-cheek Swift references.

"22" Hat Giveaways — Selena Gomez’s Sister, Kobe Bryant’s Daughter

It’s a nightly ritual at the Eras Tour for Swift to gift her black fedora hat to one lucky fan in the audience during her performance of Red hit song “22.” At an Arlington, Texas, show on April 1, Swift stopped to say hello to Selena Gomez’s 9-year-old sister, Gracie, who was in attendance with the Only Murders in the Building star, to exchange the hat for a friendship bracelet. Similarly, during her Thursday night show at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, the Eras performer shared a sweet moment with Kobe Bryant’s daughter Bianka Bryant. The pair hugged as Swift placed the hat on Bianka’s head.

In 2015, the late Lakers legend joined Swift onstage at the then-Staples Center during her 1989 tour, surprising her with a championship-style banner in honor of her record-breaking 16 sold-out shows at the arena.

'Speak Now (Taylor's Version)' Announced in Nashville

At her first Nashville stop on May 5, Swift treated fans to the highly anticipated announcement that album rerelease Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) would drop on July 7. As expected, the artist teased the announcement days before the show, posting a purple heart emoji on social media. Before launching into Speak Now track and surprise song of the night “Sparks Fly,” Swift debuted a first look at the album cover on the big screens of Nissan Stadium, while purple lights lit up the Nashville’s Cumberland River bridge.

“You know how I love to plan things, and how I love to surprise you with the things I plan,” she said onstage. “It’s my love language with you — I plot, I scheme, I plan and I get to tell you about it.”

It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk 😆) I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their… pic.twitter.com/oa0Vs5kszr — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 6, 2023

Haim Takes the Stage for "No Body, No Crime"

Swift’s real-life besties from sibling trio band Haim joined the Speak Now singer onstage in Seattle on July 22. Together, the friends performed their Evermore collab “No Body, No Crime,” marking the first live performance of the song on the Eras Tour. With the girl band announced as one of the opening acts for the tour, fans expected Haim to appear at least once to perform alongside Swift.

Ice Spice Collabs With Swift on "Karma" Remix

On the day she released the Midnights album extended version The Til Dawn Edition , Swift brought out one of her newest collaborators Ice Spice onto New Jersey’s Metlife Stadium stage. The rapper, who features on a remix edition of Midnights hit song “Karma,” joined Swift onstage to perform her verse and close out the show for three nights in a row.

Phoebe Bridgers Performs Vault Track "Nothing New" While Opening for Swift

Across the Nashville, Philadelphia, Massachusetts and New Jersey legs of the tour, Phoebe Bridgers joined Swift as not only an opening act, but also a stage partner. With acoustic guitars in hand, Bridgers and Swift took to the Eras stage multiple times to perform their fan-favorite vault track from Red (Taylor’s Version) , “Nothing New.” On Bridgers’ final night on the tour at MetLife, the friends shared heartfelt goodbyes on stage. “You are my hero,” Bridgers told Swift onstage, with Swift responding: “Thank you for being the friend that you’ve been to me.”

“Long Live” Is Added to the Set List

After the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) , fan-favorite song “Long Live” off the album entered the set list. Presumably, until that point Swift had previously avoided performing too many songs off of Speak Now so as not to promote any tracks owned by Scooter Braun.

"I Can See You" Video Drops With Special Guest Appearances: Taylor Lautner, Presley Cash and Joey King

The hit single off Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) was the new “From the Vault” track “I Can See You,” which became a radio hit and charted on Billboard. To announce the music video she directed for the track, Swift brought out the video’s stars, including ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner along with Presley Cash and Joey King, on stage at the Eras Tour in Kansas City. Lautner performed a backflip, a nod to his scene with Swift in the 2010 film Valentine’s Day. “He and his wife have become some of my closest friends, and it’s very convenient because we all share the same first name,” said Swift onstage during the video announcement.

Two Surprise Songs at Each Show

Every single stop of the tour, Taylor Swift has performed two surprise songs that are unique to that tour stop, only repeating a handful of tracks from amongst her vast discography. Fans have tracked the songs online via Twitter — even maintaining complex spread sheets — hoping to get one of their favorites that isn’t a part of the main set list as a “surprise song.” Highlights have included “Hits Different,” “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “Our Song,” “Tim McGraw” and many more.

Taylor Swift Fans Cause an Earthquake

At the Eras Tour stop in Seattle, fans partied so hard they caused the equivalent of a small earthquake . This rivaled Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Quake” from 2011, thought Swift came out as the clear winner when measured on the Richter scale.

Taylor Swift Announces ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’

On the last night of the first leg of her U.S. tour, Swift revealed that 1989 (Taylor’s Version) will release Oct. 27. Throughout her performance at sixth night of Eras Tour shows at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, the singer teased the announcement by wearing several blue outfits to celebrate the occasion. Following the announcement, fans were treated to 1989 track “New Romantics.” The rerecorded version will feature 21 songs, including five previously unreleased songs from The Vault as described on Swift’s website.

“Surprise!! 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is on its way to you,” Swift wrote on social media. “The 1989 album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27th. To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I’ve ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind. But not for long!”

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Taylor Swift announces "1989 (Taylor's Version)" is "on its way": "My most favorite re-record I've ever done"

By Li Cohen

August 10, 2023 / 9:46 AM EDT / CBS News

Fans have been patiently waiting for another "Taylor's Version" recording – and now, it's not just in their wildest dreams. Taylor Swift announced on Wednesday during her final Eras Tour show in Los Angeles that her version of the album "1989" is just months away from coming out. 

"Since I was a teenager, I wanted to own my music," she told her fans at SoFi Stadium, according to People . "The way to do it was to re-record my albums, and the way that you have embraced ... that you have celebrated, that you really decided that it was your fight too, and that you were 100% behind me ... I will never stop thanking you for that." 

Then came the big news. 

"There's something I've been planning for a really, really, really, ridiculously, embarrassingly long time. And instead of telling you about it, I think I'll just sort of show you," she said, revealing a massive album banner on the screen behind her. The announcement was met with deafening screams and cheers from those who had been waiting for the next installment of her re-recordings. 

🚨 TAYLOR SWIFT ANNOUNCES ‘1989 (TAYLOR’S VERSION)’ DURING HER FINAL SHOW AT SOFI STADIUM 🩵 #TSTheErasTour #LATSTheErasTour #SoFiStadium pic.twitter.com/TiHLXgL3zt — SoFi Stadium (@SoFiStadium) August 10, 2023

Shortly after the news was announced at the concert, Swift confirmed the details on her social media accounts.

"Surprise!! 1989 (Taylor's Version) is on its way to you soon," she wrote, saying the album is one that "changed my life in countless ways." 

"To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I've ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane," she wrote. "I can't believe they were ever left behind. But not for long!" 

So just when is Taylor Swift's new album coming out? October 27, she says, and it's already available for pre-order. 

Swift has been on a mission since 2019 to re-record her first six albums so that she owns the rights. That journey started after talent agent Scooter Braun got the rights to her originally recorded albums after his company acquired the Big Machine Label Group, the owner of those albums. Swift previously said she had no idea of the deal until "it was announced to the world," and because of that, she never had the chance to buy back her music. 

Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records, disputed Swift's account about how she found out about the deal. But that didn't stop her telling " CBS Sunday Morning " that same year that she would "absolutely" be redoing her past music. 

So far, Swift has released half of those six albums — "Fearless," "Red" and "Speak Now" — all of which come with the "Taylor's Version" title. After "1989," which originally came out in 2014, is released in October, the remaining albums will be her debut 2006 album "Taylor Swift" and 2017's "Reputation." 

Along with the original songs, re-recorded, the albums have come with "from the vault" tracks that were never released, as well as new album art. 

• Taylor Swift

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.

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Taylor Swift’s Six L.A. Eras Tour Stops Proved Why She’ll Never Go Out of Style

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I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan since her first self-titled album, back when I was a certified angsty preteen singing my heart out to “Teardrops on My Guitar” before I even had a boyfriend to cry about. She released “Fifteen” from her sophomore record, Fearless, when I was coincidentally 15 as well, and through her 17 years in music, I’ve followed her through the eras from country, pop, indie-folk and back. However, I’ve never seen her live, so imagine my giddiness when my friend scored face-value tickets for the Eras Tour .

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour started its run in Glendale, Arizona on March 17, and she just wrapped this year’s U.S. shows with a six-night run at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on August 9. As her devotees have seen on social media, each city and performance has their own distinct flavor, generating anticipation for everyone who is seeing Taylor live. The tour’s signature moves include two surprise songs that aren’t on the official set list per show, and Taylor sharing the limelight with musical guest stars such as Phoebe Bridgers in Nashville to Ice Spice in New Jersey. Outside of official stage moments, multiple nameworthy celebrities have been spotted in the bleachers, singing their hearts out and jingling their wrists full of beaded friendship bracelets. 

Below, the top six surprising moments from Taylor Swift’s six nights in Los Angeles.

August 3: The Giveaway “22” Hat

For every performance of “22”, the singer gifted the black hat she wears on stage to one lucky fan. On August 3, she gave the accessory to Kobe Bryant’s daughter, Bianka. They shared a sweet embrace while her mother, Vanessa, looked on. The poignant hand-off quickly went viral, warming the hearts of Angelenos and Swifties alike.

August 4: More Surprise Songs

Showcasing some love to her debut album along with the extra tracks on the deluxe edition of 1989 , Taylor performed “Our Song” and “You Are In Love” for the first time since 2015 as her two surprise songs of the night. Fans danced and swayed along to both nostalgic tunes, reliving their own romantic love stories.

August 5: Wrapping Up a Secret Film Project

The first three shows in SoFi had camera crews spotted on stage, as fans speculated Taylor was working on a behind-the-scenes concert project to be released on a streaming platform in the near future. August 5 was the final evening being filmed, so Taylor made sure to add some extra oomph and dazzle to her three-hour-plus set list for the documentary.

August 7 : A Hometown Show for HAIM

Gracie Abrams kicked off the night with her pop hit, “Where do we go now?” and set the mood with her crooning. HAIM played shortly after, with an explanation about their San Fernando Valley roots and a shoutout to all the Valley girls in the crowd for their hometown show, before bursting into song for “Want You Back”. Later that evening, Taylor re-iterated how she was so lucky to have her favorite band and best friends, HAIM, join her on stage for a dynamic duet of “no body, no crime” off her album Evermore.

August 8: The Royal Swifties Came

Royalty was in the house that night. Meghan Markle was spotted in the stadium for an evening of Taylor. She was with a close friend, Lucy Fraser, but Prince Harry was nowhere in sight as he was gone for a business trip in Asia. However, that didn’t stop Meghan from letting loose and singing her heart out with the rest of the cheering crowd.

August 9th: The Eighth Month of the Ninth Day for 1989

Taylor is known for being extremely detail-oriented and intentional with the Easter eggs she sends out to her fans. Throughout the whole show, she was seen with new costumes in multiple tones of blue , different from outfits she wore in prior performances. Towards the end during her acoustic surprise songs set, she drops an announcement.

“And so now here we are, on the last night of the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour , in the eighth month of the year on the ninth day of the month,” she said, referencing the date as 8/9. “But I think instead of telling you about it, I think I’ll just sort of show you something.” The screen behind her flashed to an announcement of the re-release of her album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), set for October 27th, 2023, as the crowd screamed in excitement for what’s next.

After concluding the August 9th show and the U.S. stretch of her tour this year, Taylor was seen strolling backstage in a sparkly purple dress and holding a glass of white wine, blowing kisses to her crew members and fans. Until the next one.

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The year in Taylor Swift, from The Eras Tour to 1989 (Taylor's Version) to Travis Kelce

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Highlights from Taylor Swift ’s record-breaking 2023.

Nobody had a year like Taylor Swift did in 2023. In fact, it’s probably fair to say no one has ever had a year like Taylor Swift did in 2023. If you thought she was inescapably famous before, her complete cultural saturation this year proved that there were yet more personal and professional peaks for her to reach. From her tabloid-famous romances to the blockbuster success of her re-recordings to the incredible economic impact of The Eras Tour, there wasn’t a facet of pop culture that Swift’s influence didn’t reach. Click on to look back at her record-breaking, chart-dominating, award-winning 2023. Long may she reign.

January: Breaking records, taking names, and “Lavender Haze”

Taylor Swift’s 2023 started off with a broken record, heralding what was to come for the rest of the year. On January 17, she surpassed her personal best of seven weeks at the top of the Billboard charts (for “Blank Space”) with “ Anti-Hero ,” which spent a total of eight weeks at No. 1 . That same month, she released the self-directed “Lavender Haze” music video co-starring transgender model Laith Ashley. (In the spirit of the nonsensical amount of records Swift would break this year, note that “Lavender Haze” became her 27th top 10 hit on the Adult Pop Airplay Chart, tying Maroon 5 for the most top 10s of any artist in that category.)

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March: The Eras Tour begins

The training paid off, because The Eras Tour was an immediate sensation, as expected. Fans came flocking to see the show, and cities and stadiums sparked a new trend of making ostentatious displays to show obsequiousness to visiting royalty: opening tour stop Glendale, Arizona, for instance, changed its name to “Swift City” for the duration of her stay. Meanwhile, Swift had her own way of celebrating the start of tour by releasing four “From The Vault” tracks , which included reuniting long-defunct duo The Civil Wars on “Safe & Sound” and the previously unreleased “All Of The Girls You Loved Before.” To top off all that triumph, she became only the second person in history to have seven albums in the top 40 of the Billboard 200 charts at the same time. (The feat had only previously been accomplished by Whitney Houston in the immediate aftermath of her death.)

Meanwhile, Swifties prepared to take Ticketmaster to court themselves after rallying in the wake of the 2022’s ticket woes. “For me, I don’t care how long this takes, it can take forever if it has to,” plaintiff and fan Joe Akmakjian told The A.V. Club ahead of the hearing. “I just want to make sure that people are not getting away with harming the American consumer just because they want to and they can.”

April: “The Alcott” and the big breakup

While Taylor Swift got up to her typical stealthy antics (sneaking into the Eras Tour in a faux janitor’s cart , secretly filming a music video with her ex-boyfriend, etc.), she also continued a prolific run of releasing new music by collaborating with The National on “The Alcott” from their 2023 album First Two Pages Of Frankenstein. (The National’s Aaron Dessner is the “collaborator version of a soulmate” for Swift, as she put it when he performed with her during an Eras Tour stop.) Meanwhile, The Eras Tour continued with more cities bending the knee to conquering ruler Taylor Swift.

But the biggest story in April was the end of Swift’s six-year relationship with boyfriend Joe Alwyn. Midnights had already hinted at possible cracks in the couple’s relationship, as fans would obsessively reassess in the wake of the news. And though some Swifties would parasocially mourn the end of her long-term romance, the split marked a renaissance for Swift’s public persona that would last through the rest of the year.

May: Matty Healy, Midnights (From The Vault), and a big announcement

The extent of Swiftiemania started becoming clear in May when fans sent a mysterious memoir to the top of the bestseller list completely sight unseen. (It turned out to be a memoir for BTS , not TS.) Things would only escalate as Swift had an extremely busy May, where her personal and professional accomplishments battled for dominance in the headlines. In one corner: the singer’s controversial rebound relationship with The 1975’s Matty Healy , which sent some Swifties into a tailspin. In the other corner: Midnights (From The Vault) , which added to and in some ways refashioned the Midnights narrative, in addition to spawning a new collaboration with up-and-coming rapper Ice Spice on the “Karma” remix . (As it happens, Healy’s biggest scandal at the time had to do with racialized insults against Ice Spice on a podcast.) Then there was the announcement of the next re-recording, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) , which was destined to take the world by storm.

June: Hype for Taylor’s Version—and Richie’s Version

In June, Swift’s short-lived relationship with Healy reportedly came to an end , but her pervasive cultural impact obviously did not. Anticipation for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) continued to grow as the pop star announced new “From The Vault” tracks that included collaborations with Fall Out Boy and Eras Tour opener Hayley Williams of Paramore. Ahead of revisiting the Speak Now era, Swift attempted to temper Swifties’ bloodlust towards old boyfriends, especially given that fans had already put a target on the back of John Mayer , one of the presumed muses of that album. “I was hoping to ask you that as we lead up to this album coming out, I would love for that kindness and that gentleness to extend onto our internet activities. Right?” she said during her Minneapolis tour stop. Swift then added, “I’m 33 years old. I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19, except the songs I wrote and the memories we made together.”

Meanwhile, this month saw one of many celebrated on-screen Swift moments: The Bear’s big “Love Story” scene in a fan-favorite episode that followed Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Other shows that would capitalize on Swiftiemania in 2023 include The Summer I Turned Pretty and The Buccaneers .

July: Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

The release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) was July’s biggest occurrence in Swiftiedom, if not the world over. The re-recording experiment continued to give Swift a chance not only to own her work, but in some cases to rewrite history (like changing a problematic slut-shaming lyric in “Better Than Revenge”). But the new “From The Vault” tracks showed how consistent Swift’s favorite themes and motifs have been for over a decade now, particularly when it comes to her own reputation . The album release obviously brought on a slew of additional broken records, some of them genuinely monumental (her 12th number one album made her the female artist with the most number ones in history) and others completely obscure (she became “the only act with nine different albums to sell at least a half-million copies in a single week”). The reclaimed era was punctuated by another Swift-directed music video about reclaiming her Eras: the “I Can See You” video notably stars her ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner, subject of the Speak Now track “Back To December,” and Joey King and Presley Cash, stars of the “Mean” music video.

For those keeping track, July saw yet more Ticketmaster issues as Eras Tour tickets went on sale in Europe. Meanwhile, the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour continued to be the biggest event of the summer —a literal seismic occurrence. One notable attendee this month was Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce , who later lamented a missed opportunity to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. Luckily, he later found a way to get in touch with her ...

August: More announcements, more nominations, more and broken records

“August” is now another concept that belongs to Taylor Swift , with her song of the same name growing even more in popularity ever since its release in 2020 on the folklore album. She further staked her claim by having another huge month professionally, bringing the Eras Tour to Los Angeles (and getting a lot of credit for treating her employees to big bonuses along the way). Her impact was so profound that local politicians were imploring her to postpone her shows in solidarity with the hotel workers’ strike.

Though Swift didn’t end up postponing, she did make headlines for announcing another re-recording , 1989 (Taylor’s Version) . Fitting, because Swift’s increased levels of publicity and fame began to mirror that classic era wherein she first broke into pop music, though to even more extreme degrees of magnitude . She topped the list of nominees for the VMAs and announced Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in partnership with AMC , a concert event that quickly smashed first-day advanced sales records and had other films so scared they shifted their premiere dates just to get out of the way.

And as an August post-script, Swift’s enemies continued to suffer as a flock of Scooter Braun clients reportedly parted ways with the infamous manager . Swift would refer to this as “trash taking itself out.”

September: VMAs, Vault Tracks, and the Travis Kelce Era

In September, Taylor Swift expectedly swept the VMAs with nine wins (more than any other artist at the 2023 ceremony ). After enjoying some classic awards show shenanigans (girl loves to dance), she went on to do some next-level promo by taking over all of Google and getting Swifties all over the world involved in cracking the 1989 “Vault.” This led to the unveiling of a “From The Vault” tracklist that Swift claimed was her favorite of all the re-releases, including intriguing titles like “Suburban Legends” and “Slut!”

But what most excited Swifties this month was the singer stepping out with football player Travis Kelce , who had previously expressed an interest in her on his podcast. Apparently, shooting your shot pays off. And Swift showing up to watch him play payed off for both of them, as the NFL provided Eras Tour concert film promo and her presence provided promotional opportunity for pretty much everything else, including, bizarrely, “ ketchup and seemingly ranch ,” a meme that took on an entire life of its own. The relationship was instantly a cultural sensation, and even Kelce’s mother later commented on how beneficial it was for people to cash in on the overwhelming coverage .

October: Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and another #1

While Swift’s newfound football fandom continued to make headlines, anticipation for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film manifested in more than $100 million in advance ticket sales . The film ended up releasing early and had a star-studded premiere that included an appearance by Swift’s only rival for Queen of Summer 2023, Beyoncé , whose own concert film would follow in Swift’s footsteps two months later by releasing directly through AMC. Swift’s film was a critical and commercial success , as is Swift’s wont.

But Taylor Swift is never one to rest on her laurels, so she continued to work extra hard throughout the month, putting in appearances at Saturday Night Live and making a last push to put “Cruel Summer” —a song that was released three years earlier as a mere album cut—at the top of the charts. (Unsurprisingly, she succeeded .) As if that wasn’t enough, October also saw the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) , exactly nine years after the release of the original 1989 . And, by the way, she became a billionaire to boot.

November: Grammy nominations and monster sales

Taylor Swift ushered in November by tidily surpassing the original 1989 sales with 1989 (Taylor’s Version). She easily picked up six Grammy nominations , and now has the most-ever nominations in the Song of the Year category (thanks, “Anti-Hero”!). Should Midnights take home Album of the Year, she’ll become the first artist in history to win the award four times. Swift celebrated these milestones by taking the Eras Tour to South America, where she became quite literally as big as Jesus . Tragically, her Brazilian tour stop was overshadowed by the death of a fan as local Swifties (and the performer herself) complained of extreme conditions in the stadium caused by a severe heatwave.

Nevertheless, the Swift train kept on moving. An extended Eras Tour concert film was announced, and the Grammy nominee closed out the month by attending the Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé premiere in London.

December: Happy birthday to Time Person of the Year Taylor Swift!

As a birthday present—and, frankly, an accurate read of culture writ large—Taylor Swift was named Time’s Person of the Year for 2023 in December. The resulting profile was not only a victory lap but another opportunity for Swift to rewrite her own narrative to suit her current purposes, whether in terms of her love life or her previous experiences with “cancelation.”

I had the time of my life fighting dragons with youuuu 🫶 Celebrate 34 with me by watching The Eras Tour (Extended Version) including “Long Live” 🐉 “The Archer” 🏹 and “Wildest Dreams” 🩵 at home! PS troll me all you want about my excessive and literal millennial emoji use but… pic.twitter.com/NPny3rJlav — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) December 13, 2023

As an added bonus, The Eras Tour (Extended Version) hit SVOD, capping off a year of win after win that frankly shows no sign of slowing in 2024. Swift celebrated by sharing concert footage of the Speak Now track “Long Live”—as in, long live the queen.

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Taylor Swift Confirms This ‘1989’ Fan Favorite Is the Third Acoustic Song in Disney+ ‘Eras Tour’: Watch

The pop star previously announced that the film's streaming version will include "Maroon" and "Death by a Thousand Cuts."

By Hannah Dailey

Hannah Dailey

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You can hear it in the silence, you can feel it on the way home, and you can see it in the Disney+ extended cut of Taylor Swift ‘s Eras Tour film: “You Are in Love,” aka the third of four bonus acoustic tracks confirmed for the movie’s upcoming streaming version. 

Everything We Know About Taylor Swift’s New Album ‘The Tortured Poets Department…

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“You can hear it in the silence/ You can feel it on the way home,” she sings into a golden microphone. “You can see it with the lights out, lights out/ You are in love.” 

The Eras Tour movie will become available on Disney+ at 9 p.m. ET March 14. In addition to the four new acoustic songs, “Cardigan” will be shown for the first time. 

The “Anti-Hero” singer’s flick first premiered in AMC theaters in October, instantly becoming the top-grossing concert film in history with more than $92.8 million after just one weekend. In December, she made a slightly expanded version available to rent on-demand in celebration of her 34th birthday, featuring her performances of “Wildest Dreams,” “The Archer” and “Long Live.” 

Watch Swift sing “You Are in Love” in the new Disney+ sneak peek below. 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Disney+ (@disneyplus)

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Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Concert Movie) – Release Date, Runtime & Everything You Need To Know

As taylor swift continues her massive global eras tour, audiences are given a front-row seat to watch a performance on the big screen this october..

Ghezal Amiri

Official JustWatch writer

Watch it now

Taylor Swift is one of the biggest names in the music industry. Her 2022 album Midnights marked the tenth entry into her impressive discography and kickstarted the beginning of her Eras tour in March 2023. While on tour across the United States and Mexico, the 12-time Grammy winner pleasantly surprised fans on August 31 with an announcement of the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert movie. Tickets went on sale (and immediately sold out) that same day.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie is clearly the hottest event of this fall season. Here is everything you need to know about it movie before heading to the theater.

What to know about Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (concert movie)

The Eras tour takes audiences on a captivating musical journey spanning all of Taylor Swift’s unique "eras", paying homage to each of her albums. These albums are 2006's Taylor Swift, Fearless in 2008, 2010's Speak Now, Red in 2012, 1989 in 2014, 2017's Reputation, Lover in 2019, 2020's Folkmore and Evermore, and Midnights in 2022. You can expect to witness her perform some of the most celebrated songs within her catalogue including "Love Story", "Blank Space", and "Anti-Hero."

The movie offers audiences the opportunity to experience the wildly anticipated concert they might not have had the chance to see in person. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie filmed the initial trio of performances at SoFi Stadium in early August. As shown in the concert movie, this huge Los Angeles venue drew an astounding crowd of nearly half a million fans.

As the official concert movie for her Eras Tour, Taylor Swift wants fans to have an authentic concert experience when watching the movie in theaters. When she initially announced it on X, Taylor suggested  that fans should dress up in their best Eras attire, wear friendship bracelets and participate in singing and dancing, just like they would at a live show: "The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon.  Starting Oct 13th you’ll be able to experience the concert film in theaters in North America! Tickets are on sale now at http:// taylor.lnk.to/TSTheErasTourF ilm … . Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged. 1, 2, 3 LGB!!!! (iykyk)"

Where can I watch Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour?

If you are in the united states:.

AMC theaters have entered into an exclusive agreement with Swift, allowing only their locations in the United States to screen The Eras Tour movie starting October 13. Canadian theaters will screen the movie as well.

Within minutes of theater tickets for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour being released, the AMC app crashed with fans attempting to buy advance tickets for the movie. This marks the second instance this year where Swifties caused a major website to malfunction, with the first being during the sale for the actual Eras Tour itself. AMC is currently promoting exciting additions for your cinematic experience including Eras Tour-themed popcorn buckets for $14.99+tax and drink cups for $11.99+tax. Exclusive cardigans have, unfortunately, still not been announced.

If you are outside of the United States:

On Tuesday 26th September, 2023, tickets for the official Eras tour concert movie were announced in over 100 countries around the world. Taylor Swift made the announcement on Instagram, sharing that the film will be in theaters in those countries from October 13, 2023.

"The tour isn’t the only thing we’re taking worldwide…….. 🌎 Been so excited to tell you all that The Eras Tour concert film is now officially coming to theaters WORLDWIDE on Oct 13! Tickets available now at www.TSTheErasTourFilm.com or on your local theaters website!"

Tickets were available immediately after the Instagram post went live. AMC have struck a deal with sub-distribution partners for more than 7,500 movie theatres in order to show the film in theaters around the world. Across Europe, the concert movie will be playing at Odeon theaters. Odeon also announced a special pricing for the event:

"In a nod to Taylor Swift’s 1989 album and her favourite number, 13, tickets in the UK and Ireland will be priced at £19.89 / €19.89 for adults and £13.13 / €13.13 for children."

Will The Eras Tour be on Netflix?

Despite the concert movie's cinematic release on October 13, there has been no announcement about where to stream Taylor Swift: The Era Tour online. Until further notice, the movie is available exclusively in theaters. However, given the record-breaking demand for tickets, it is very likely fans will be able to watch The Eras Tour on streaming services after its theatrical run ends.

You can choose to get notified by JustWatch when a streaming release date is announced by heading to Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour and hitting the notification bell.

How long is Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour?

While an Eras Tour concert typically lasts over three hours on average, the official length of the concert movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes. This makes it much longer than previous Taylor Swift concert movies, such as Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour which is 2 hours and 5 mins.

Who is the director of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour?

Grammy-nominated Sam Wrench is the director of the upcoming concert movie. He earned the coveted nomination for directing Billie Eilish Live At The O2 in 2023. Wrench is best known for his ability in capturing the electrifying essence of a live music event, having also worked on  Lizzo: Live in Concert and BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage - LA . He boasts an impressive resume filled with projects from some of the biggest names in the industry including Mary J. Blige, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.

What records did Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour break?

Taylor Swift just keeps adding to her impressive list of record-breaking achievements. The Eras Tour movie shattered the record for the most money made from advance ticket sales in a single day at AMC Theaters, raking in a whopping $26 million. This surpasses the previous record-holder, 2021's  Spider-Man: No Way Home , by $10 million. Fans achieved this record-breaking feat in just three hours, beating  Avengers: Endgame 's record for the most tickets sold within the first 24 hours.

The Eras Tour movie is expected to have an incredible opening weekend, with a projected range of $100-125 million. The top five movies for the year's opening weekends include Barbie , The Super Mario Bros. Movie , Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse , Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania . These range between between $162 million to $106 million, which means the upcoming concert movie has the potential to have one of the best opening weekends of 2023.

Furthermore, the sudden announcement of the movie's release date caused other titles to change their release dates. The Exorcist: Believer , originally slated for the same day, will now premiere a week earlier. Producer Jason Blum playfully tweeted, "Look what you made me do. The Exorcist: Believer moves to 10/6/23.”

What are the other Taylor Swift concert movies?

For those who simply cannot calm down before the release of the movie, there have been a number of projects featuring exclusive access to Swift’s concerts that are available to watch right now. These include The 1989 World Tour Live, which was released on Apple Music in 2015, and 2018’s Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour which is available to stream on Netflix. There were also DVD releases of Taylor Swift: Journey to Fearless in 2010 and Speak Now World Tour – Live the following year.

Swifties alike must ultimately tolerate this Cruel wait with their Gorgeous Style they know Belongs to them. On the Bejeweled side, there are only a few weeks left before they are united by the greatest Love Story on the big screen: Taylor Swift with her Swifties. They are undeniably Ready For It.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour will be released in theaters on October 13, 2023.

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Looking back at Taylor Swift's ‘1989’ era, from the outfits to her dating history

Taylor Swift is taking listeners back to her "1989" era with the release of "1989 (Taylor's Version)" Oct. 27 — and by "1989," we mean 2014, when the album came out. Swift was 24 years old at the time.

Swift reflected on that time in her life in the 12-paragraph prologue accompanying the album. She said "1989" followed a time of complete "reinvention" for her, starting with her drastic haircut and extending to the city she called home and the sound of her music.

"How does a person reinvent herself, you ask? In any way I could think of. Musically, geographically, aesthetically, behaviorally, motivationally ... and I did so joyfully," Swift writes in the prologue.

Swift's albums are associated with eras , each with a distinct sonic personality, outfits, aesthetics, lyrical themes and romantic inspirations (because while Swift rarely speaks about her dating life in interviews, she does sing about it).

The "1989" era was marked by New York views, girl squad hangouts and seagulls — lots of seagulls.

In the prologue, Swift wrote her friend group photos were also her strategy to deflect the "slut shaming" she said she experienced in the years prior. Instead of dissipating speculation about her love life, she wrote that it created more, in a paragraph that seems to address rumors about her sexuality .

“Being a consummate optimist, I assumed I could fix this if I simply changed my behavior. I swore off dating and decided to focus only on myself, my music, my growth, and my female friendships. If I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn’t sensationalize or sexualize that — right? I would learn later on that people could and people would,” she wirtes.

Her fifth studio album is also known for its full-on shift to pop with an homage to 1980s synth sounds. While Swift began as a country artist, her music became more pop-infused with each album released in the lead-up to "1989."

With five new vault tracks coming out Oct. 27, fans are preparing to look back at a snapshot of Swift's life through a new lens. Here's a review of the "1989" era and what Swift was up to in the years 2012, 2013 and 2014.

What is '1989' about?

"1989" explores the feelings that come after a major move or life change. The songs focus on a young woman exploring freedom (“Welcome to New York”), fun (“Shake It Off") and flirtation (“How You Get the Girl”).

The songs aren't about lasting love — but they are about exhilarating and enlightening love. Many of the romantic songs follow life after a relationship has ended: "Clean" is about gaining closure after a breakup, "I Wish You Would" is about regret, "Bad Blood" is about a dead end. Others, like "Wildest Dreams," are about affairs the singer knows won't last.

In "Blank Space," one of the most popular tracks off the album, Swift also plays with her reputation as a serial dater with a wink through the chorus, "Got a long list of ex-lovers/ They’ll tell you I’m insane/ But I’ve got a blank space, baby/ And I’ll write your name."

Welcome to New York!

Swift moved to New York in early 2014, and her connection to the city is all over the album — most obviously in the opening track, "Welcome to New York."

“I wanted to start the album with this song because New York has been an important landscape and location for the story of my life in the last couple of years," Swift said in a YouTube video she shared in 2014 talking about the track. "I dreamt about moving to New York. I obsessed over moving to New York, and then I did it."

She said the city inspired the sound and the theme of the whole album.

“The inspiration I found in that city is kind of hard to describe and hard to compare to any other force of inspiration I’ve ever experienced in my life,” she said in the video. “It’s like an electric city.”

Swift and her girl squad

Her "1989" era was marked by Swift's outings with her friends. Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid are two of the many who made appearances with Swift at the time and are still seen with her today.

A roundup of her girl squad can be seen in the music video for "Bad Blood," featuring Kendrick Lamar.

The list of features on the video include many well-known names, including Gomez, Hadid, Hailee Steinfeld, Zendaya, Jessica Alba, Mariska Hargitay and Ellen Pompeo.

Friendship with Karlie Kloss

Fans who remember Swift's "1989" era inevitably also recall the close friendship between Swift and model Karlie Kloss.

Kloss and Swift were so close they had a nickname, Kaylor. The model and the singer first met in 2013 after a Victoria Secret fashion show, Swift told Vogue .

The two were inseparable — then they separated, or seemed to. Following a highly publicized friendship between 2013 and 2015, the two have not been seen in public together since 2016. Neither has commented on rumors of their friend breakup.

However, Kloss has dispelled rumors of a feud, saying in a 2018 video interview with Vogue , “Taylor and I are still really good friends.”

Nonetheless, fans were shocked to see Kloss at the last show of the first North American leg of the “Eras Tour,” where Swift announced “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”

Swift did not attend either of Kloss' two weddings to Joshua Kushner.

The classic '1989' outfit? Short hair and sunglasses

When you think "1989," think bob. She cut her hair around 2014 and styled it into a chopped lob almost 10 years later for the "Eras Tour" concert film premiere.

Red lipstick is another staple for Swift and is featured in "1989" art. Some of her other "1989" outfit staples have stayed in 2014, though, like the sunglasses.

Who was Swift dating back then? Songs were inspired by Harry Styles

Swift's relationship with Harry Styles was no secret. The young couple, often dubbed "Haylor," is still talked about to this day. For example, their brief reunion at the 2023 Grammy Awards sent Twitter spiraling .

The two dated for a few months in 2012, back when Styles was still part of the boy band One Direction.

Fans think their relationship bled into "1989," most notably in the track "Style," which seems to riff off his last name.

While she hasn't confirmed who the song is about, she has explained the story behind the relationship discussed in the lyrics.

"It’s basically one of those relationships that’s always a bit off. The two people are trying to forget each other, they both have been out with other people and are trying to forget one another. So, it’s like, ‘Alright, I heard you went off with her and you came back, and well, I’ve done that, too,’” Swift said in a 2014 interview with Ryan Seacrest.

She also said the song "sounds like that feeling felt."

"I love it when a sound of a song matches up with the feeling that inspired it," she said.

The reference to "paper airplanes flying" in "Out of the Woods" also seemed to be a nod to Swift and Styles wearing paper airplane necklaces.

Years later, Styles seemed to refer to their relationship in his track "Two Ghosts," with lyrical ties to "Style."

The lines "same lips red, same eyes blue" and "same white shirt, couple more tattoos" in Styles' track closely relate to Swift's lyrics "I got that red lip classic thing that you like" and "You got that long hair, slicked back, white T-shirt."

Dea is an editorial intern at TODAY.com and is frequently keeping up with pop culture news and emerging trends.

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

You Missed These Easter Eggs on the Eras Tour

After scrapping the two-city Lover Fest in 2020 due to the pandemic, Taylor Swift has taken the Swift Show back on the road for the Eras Tour, her first trek in five years. Each performance is a journey through the pop star’s, well, eras, with a 44-song set list pulling from all ten of her studio albums. A 146-stop worldwide Swift road trip also means so many Easter eggs. And everything is in play: The glittery costumes, the over-the-top props, the elaborate stage design, and even the dance moves hide clues about future projects (or nods to an earlier part of her career, depending which theory you choose). Since it can be difficult to spot them all during a three-plus-hour concert, whether there in person (probably weeping), following along afar through fuzzy TikToks, or through the cinematic experience of the Eras Tour film , we’re keeping an ongoing list of every Swiftian hint we’ve found from the mastermind herself.

Are the Swift dancers in on the Easter eggs?

Swifties (and obviously Swift herself) aren’t the only ones at the show dressed like old versions of Taylor — her dancers are too. During “ Look What You Made Me Do ,” Swift’s onstage crew are made to look like past versions of the pop star (a concept pulled from the song’s music video), with new additions like Folklore, Evermore, and Lover joining the party. However, the homage doesn’t come without a few tinfoil-hat theories for future rerecordings. During the performance, Swift walks over to a glass box holding the Speak Now dancer and unsuccessfully tries to break them out, which foreshadowed the Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) announcement that arrived in early May. But do the other dancers hint at the rerecording after Speak Now ? Three of the 12 dancers are in costumes inspired by 1989 a.k.a. the latest re-release (the “Shake It Off” cheerleader, the “I Know Places”/”All You Had to Do Was Stay” tour look, and the “Welcome to New York” tour look).

@tawn.gurnsey Look What You Made Me Do, Eras Tour, Night 2, Glendale, Erazona #erastour #erastourtaylorswift #swiftcity #taylorswift #tstheerastour #reputation #lookwhatyoumademedo ♬ original sound - Tawn Gurnsey

Those “22” shirts are burning red

The first two shows in Glendale, Arizona, had Swifties wondering whether their girl was leaving hidden messages in her own outfits. She wears a shirt that reads “A lot going on at the moment,” a variation on her lockdown-era Instagram caption “ Not a lot going on at the moment .” She wears another that reads “Who’s Taylor Swift anyway? Ew.” Both shirts had letters bolded in red (“A lot” on the former; “Ew” on the latter), which made fans like TheThriftieSwiftie wonder if the red letters would eventually spell out “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” Alas, we never found out, as the  Speak Now TV  news arrived before she got to finish. But maybe Swift will use this theory as an idea for a future announcement?

@thethriftyswiftie I see you, @taylorswift . I see you. #taylorswift #swifttok #taylornation #swiftietiktok #swifttoker #swifttoks #swiftliketaylor #taylorswiftlover #speaknow #speaknowtaylorsversion #speaknowtaylorswift #taylorswiftspeaknow #speaknowtv #speaknowtviscoming #taylorontour #theerastour #erastour #tstheerastour #taylorswifterastour #taylorswifttour #taylorswiftontour #theerastourtaylorswift #taylorontour ♬ original sound - Ginnie

Is Taylor hinting at more than just Speak Now (TV) and 1989 (TV) ?

When Swift announced Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) on May 5 and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on August 9, Swifties hoped for one final surprise to end the year of Swift. While they didn’t get the reputation (Taylor’s Version) announcement in Brazil, maybe something will happen when the tour kicks off in Tokyo in February 2024. After all, it is the setting for the “ End Game ” music video.

What’s up with the numbers 7 and 11?

Swifties know that every single detail with Swift is meticulously planned, and that includes her nails. TikToker JessByAThousandCuts recently noticed that after the tour’s 11th show, Taylor changed the color of her Lover- themed nails from pink to orange — and has since kept it that way. Dare we say it’s … Karma orange for her rumored 11th album? Plus, Swift is not so subtly hiding that specific nail color in her Instagram video promoting Speak Now (TV) . It was also in plain sight during the Eras Tour movie . So, how does seven play into this? Lover was Swift’s seventh album — and the first one she owned — and “Karma” is the seventh song on Midnights. And (stick with us) in the final song of the tour, Swift dances as a giant orange door descends behind her . She also dances on an orange tile during “Vigilante Shit” while the other dancers are on white tiles.

What does the lack of Debut Taylor mean?

Each Swift set list includes two surprise songs, one played on acoustic guitar and the other on piano. Opening night in Glendale Swift City saw “Mirrorball” and “Tim McGraw,” leading fans to believe that the latter was on the permanent setlist. However, the second night of the tour featured no Taylor Swift songs. In fact, she’s only returned to her debut a handful of times since then (for a total of 11 performances off her first record). So what does the lack of Taylor mean? Could a separate tour made entirely of her first album be on the way? Or perhaps a special similar to the Folklore: Long Pond Sessions on Disney+?

Don’t trust the set list online

Swift is refusing to let spoilers or live streams disappoint any future fans still waiting for their concert. After the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Swift added “Long Live” to the Speak Now section. She plays her Koi fish guitar as her original band members join her on stage. But that’s not the only permanent setlist change on tour. During the first night in Arlington, Texas at the beginning of the tour, instead of playing “invisible string,” Swift replaced it with another Folklore track, “the one.” “You think you can just scroll and know the setlist, you think you can come prepared,” said Swift on the setlist change. That wasn’t the only change in Texas; she opted for a new shirt during “22,” this time with the lyrics for “ We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together .” While fans are seeing if the new red letters are spelling out a secret message, we’re trying to figure out how many songs, choreography, costumes, and graphics Swift prepared if she continues with setlist changes throughout the tour.

Right now, we’re at 45, not including the surprise songs she sings solo. And during the first night with Phoebe Bridgers as an opener, the two surprised the crowd with “Nothing New,” temporarily adding another track to the 45-song-long set list. Plus, Haim helped Swift replace “’tis the damn season” with “no body no crime” during their West Coast shows. Maybe Hayley Williams will do the same with “Castles Crumbling” when Paramore opens the European leg of the tour.

What’s happening to surprise songs in 2024?

In Brazil, Swift explained that she’s resetting the surprise song counter, as she’s played 125 surprise songs during the first year of the tour. “I decided that in 2024, when we go back out on tour, I’m just gonna open back up all the songs for surprise songs,” she said during her final show of 2023. “Because for one year, we’ve really gone through a lot of songs. All the songs are fair game.” Does this mean we have to power through more devastating losses (looking at you, “RWYLM”)? Yes, but we will power through them together .

Can we predict the pairings of future surprise songs?

After night four of the Eras Tour, fans began to notice that the surprise songs were connected thematically. “Mirrorball” and “Tim McGraw” are about the legacy you leave with someone once you’re gone; “A Place in This World”and “Today Was a Fairytale” are about feeling like you’re in your own little world with the one you love; and “Mean” and “mad woman” are about people sucking and that it’s okay to be mad about it. So what does this say about future pairings? Will we get a “Red” and “Maroon” night? Or will she play an all-Mayer grouping of “Dear John” and “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”? (I’m personally hoping for a post-breakup “Question …” and “Out of the Woods” moment.) Swift said she’s going to repeat past songs in 2024, so anything is fair game.

The return of the hand hearts

During the Fearless and Speak Now era, Swift would hold up a hand heart in the air to her audience. She’s brought the gesture back for the Eras Tour — an Easter egg for the OG fans who remember teenage Taylor.

She’s gonna burn this house to the ground

In the Midnights era, Swift confirmed a theory after liking a TikTok post that said the dark night surrounding the Lover house is represented by Midnights , marking the house complete with her discography. However, Swift takes it a step further during her performance of “Bad Blood,” lighting the Lover house to the ground while finishing out the show’s 1989 section. Could this mean all of her rerecordings are finished and ready to go? Maybe Swift is preparing to take a break from music after the rerecording to focus on her film career. This could also just be an homage to “Ivy” (“He’s going to burn this house to the ground”) as it is not a part of the permanent setlist, but the idea of having all the re-recordings by the end of 2024 sounds more fun.

@xorainbowlouis lover house burning down 🙀 #taylorswift #eras #erastour #midnights #swiftok #swifttok #swiftcity #swifties #badblood #1989 ♬ original sound - ali 🌈

Making the whole place shimmer

Swift paid homage to Mikael Arellano’s “Bejeweled” TikTok dance by including moves during the song on tour, sticking to her promise that she’s listening to her fans about what they want to see. She even invited Arellano to some of the Philadelphia shows and gifted him the “22” hat , which he wore to do the “Bejeweled” dance.

@mikaelarellano I BARELY SLEPT!!! #taylorswift #swiftie #swifttok #theerastour #bejeweled ♬ Screaming crying throwing up Blank Space edit - Cowboy Han

@mikaelarellano I LOVE YOU TAYLOR ❤️❤️❤️ #taylorswift #swiftie #swifttok #tstheerastour #phillytstheerastour ♬ original sound - Mikael Arellano

Can you watch the Eras Tour at home?

Sure, you can watch the live show from a grainy livestream, but you’ll have to wait until February 2024 for the tour to start again. Beginning on December 13, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour will be available to rent for $19.89 on digital streaming services. Several songs were removed in the original theatrical run made their return in the streaming version (“Long Live,” “The Archer,” and “Wildest Dreams”). “No Body No Crime” and “cardigan” are still no where to be seen in HD.

Do the elaborate stage design and costumes hint at Swift’s future film?

This is a stretch, but I’m all about flexing the Taylor conspiracy muscles. Swift’s stage for the Eras Tour is an incredible mix of larger-than-life props, including large pine trees for Evermore and the Folklore cabin. But we must not forget that Swift is going to be a director of a feature-length film. Will her movie have fantastical production designs and settings, similar to how she sets the stage at her concerts? Will the film have sparkly costumes with hidden meanings? While she has not revealed the title or plot of the movie, maybe she’s been telling us about it all along.

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Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department is here, but it could be a logistical nightmare for the Eras Tour

Get ready for another Taylor Swift era.

The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) is the superstar's 11th studio album and is being released around the world today.

It'll be dropping the second the clock hits midnight on the east coast of America, which will be this afternoon in Australia.

• 2pm AEST : ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria
• 1:30pm ACST : Northern Territory and South Australia
• 12pm AWST : Western Australia

So far, we know the album is a whopping 16 songs (not including bonus vinyl tracks) and features multiple collaborations, including with Florence + The Machine.

We also know the first single will be Fortnight featuring Post Malone, with a music video dropping tomorrow morning as well.

Despite no singles being released in its lead up, clues point to TTPD seemingly being inspired by the five stages of grief : denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

Plus, many fans have speculated that the album title is a reference to the name of a group chat Swift's ex was part of – The Tortured Man Club.

And while The Tortured Poets Department could very well set new streaming records, it also poses a logistical nightmare for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour: how do you include yet another album into a show that is over three hours long?

Below, two ABC reporters and Swifties weigh up the likelihood of how the megastar might adapt her sell-out tour when it recommences in Europe next month.

We could lose some songs from every era to make room

Jessica : This seems like the most likely course of action. To put things into perspective, the Eras Tour includes songs from nine albums, but their airtime varies wildly. Lover, Folklore and Midnights have at least six songs, while Speak Now gets just two. So this might be a chance to balance things out?

Georgie : It would make the most sense to me. I can't imagine a tour that doesn't spend at least some time on the freshest music. But, this is a unique scenario. You have an artist who is essentially doing a greatest hits tour at the age of 34 while she is still churning out new music.

If she does cut music to make room for Tortured Poets, it will be very divisive. Every fan has their favourite era. But, I think if she was to I would hope she cuts songs she has already toured. You have to remember she put out four (now five) albums since her last tour and I imagine it would make the most sense for her to give more air time to Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights and TTPD.

Jessica : If you were in charge of Taylor Swift's setlist, which songs would you cull? I'd ditch The Archer from the Lover era so it ends with, well, Lover. I'd be ruthless and cut most of the songs from the Red era as nothing compares to All Too Well (10 Minute Version). But keep the Reputation portion as is! It's perfect.

What if smaller eras, like Fearless and Speak Now, got cut altogether?

Jessica : I love chaos so I would not bat an eye if Taylor Swift dropped the entire Speak Now era from her tour. (But Enchanted is such a core memory for a lot of fans.) I know this might be a wild concept but there's not one song from her self-titled debut album in the Eras Tour (justice for Our Song!), so make of that what you will.

Georgie : I think this will cause a major generational divide. The beautiful part about the Eras Tour is you have fans new and old coming together. Taylor has been making music since 2009 and the Eras Tour has been a chance for people in their twenties and thirties to dress up in glitter and be teenagers again while sharing the new music with teenagers today. I'm a folklore girl through and through so I am hoping if any eras get sacrificed it's the older ones. But I can't lie, it's pretty special to belt out Love Story with thousands of other people.

Could we lose the two surprise songs for a few Tortured Poets hits?

Georgie : Controversial opinion but I would be ok with this. Although, take this as you want because I have experienced the Eras Tour. But the section is a gamble anyway. You never know what she's going to play and someone is always disappointed or their top pick is played another night. If you cut this section, no-one gets hurt. Maybe she subs it out for three best songs from TTPD?

Jessica : I missed out on tickets for the Eras Tour altogether so I was taken aback seeing fans who did score tickets complaining about which night got "better" surprise songs. You can't please everyone! I agree, this would level the playing field and take the comparison factor out of the tour… but I wonder if that uniqueness is a marketing factor as some super fans attend multiple concerts in the same city.

Imagine if she just… didn't play her new album

Georgie : Don't say it or it might come true!

Jessica : I think this would be the riskiest option. Imagine the disappointment on the first night when the tour recommences in Paris on May 9. But some fans, especially in America, who witnessed the Eras Tour last year before this album was announced feel it's unfair if other countries get a different experience. But that's what happens with the passage of time!

Georgie : I see your point but you have to remember we're in an age where many people have watched the Eras Tour happen through TikTok and the cinema release. So is it really missing out when it's been inescapable for over a year? This could be a chance for the people who have waited so long for the Europe leg – who have basically watched the tour on streaming and all over TikTok – to have something unique and worth the cash.

Or she could just include the new album and make the show nearly *four hours* long?

Jessica : I think this option would please the most fans, but I genuinely don't know how she performs for hours on end each night and then travels through different time zones. Oh,  to be a billionaire with a whole team taking care of everything all the time.

Georgie : I don't see this happening. Costs would skyrocket and many stadiums have a noise curfew. That's new costumes, sets and dance routines.

Jessica : But I would eat up new costumes, sets and dance routines! A four-hour concert is outrageous, which makes me think she might very well pick this option. Time will tell.

Georgie : I'm obviously a Swiftie but when I found out about the new album and what that might mean for the tour I just felt… overwhelmed. I'm still processing the release of four albums and two Taylor's Versions in four years. And now she's putting out new music? It's simply too much! The concert is a marathon but if I did have to go to a four-hour show, I'd do it for Ms Swift.

The worst option: Swapping All Too Well (10 Minute Version) for the radio edit to save time

Jessica : Sacrilegious.

Georgie : The people would riot. Jake Gyllenhaal would be thrilled though.

Final thoughts

Jessica : With everything going on in the world, I think this is a fun problem to ponder, and an interesting one for Taylor to tackle. I wish her well in whatever form the Eras Tour takes, because fans are going to have strong opinions either way.

Georgie: I worry that Taylor needs a holiday but, as you said, she's a billionaire now so I think she'll be fine. I hope she tours future albums but I also support her having a rest. Go chill with the cats and Travis. You've danced in high heeled boots for two years.

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The Eras Tour Was Taylor Swift’s Biggest Outing Yet, But It Was Far From Her First

City by city, song by song, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has quickly become of the highest-grossing (and buzziest) tours in music history. Spanning the entire length of Swift’s discography, Taylor honors each of her previous musical/aesthetic “eras” with a dedicated section on her setlist, allowing fans to relive the feeling of each album, if only for a moment.

But while the Eras Tour brings each album together on one mega-tour, it’s hardly the first time Taylor has been around, or even the first time she’s embarked on a stadium tour. From humble beginnings to sold-out shows across the globe, here’s a breakdown of all of Taylor Swift’s tours, in chronological order.

Fearless Tour

As most Swifties know, Taylor’s first album was a self-titled country pop record with singles like “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Our Song,” and “Tim McGraw.” Taylor did tour during the release of Taylor Swift, but not as a headliner—she supported her first album by performing as an opening act for larger artists at the time like Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Faith Hill, and Keith Urban.

But while Taylor Swift was her first album, it wasn’t her first tour—that honor belongs to the Fearless Tour, which kicked off in April 2009 and ran through July 2010. The tour played a total of 105 shows (mostly across North America) including limited stops in Asia, Europe, and Australia. Kellie Pickler joined Taylor as an opening act, with artists like then-boyfriend John Mayer, Katy Perry, and Faith Hill appearing at certain performances as surprise guests. Though the tour didn’t get a concert film, Taylor Swift: Journey to Fearless was released as a 3-episode docuseries, documenting the behind-the-scenes of the tour.

Speak Now World Tour

Taylor’s first proper world tour, the Speak Now World Tour , began in February 2011 and featured a total of 111 performances, including seven in Asia and 12 in Europe. In addition to being her first world tour, Speak Now was also Taylor’s first stadium tour and featured more extensive set pieces, choreography, and costuming than the Fearless tour. Speak Now ‘s openers included NeedToBreathe, Hunter Hayes, and Hot Chelle Rae, and it was the first Taylor tour attended by yours truly. A concert film, Taylor Swift: Speak Now World Tour Live , was recorded to accompany the tour.

The Red Tour

Two years later, Taylor was back on the road with the Red Tour, which kicked off in March of 2013 and ran through June of 2014, with a total of 86 performances across the globe. In addition to continuing to bump up the tour’s production value through costuming, choreography, and set design, the Red tour also featured the introduction of surprise songs, which changed night-to-night. Certain Red tour dates also featured Taylor bringing out a surprise guest and singing one of their songs as a duet. Highlights of Red tour guests included Taylor singing “Jenny From the Block” with Jennifer Lopez, “You’re So Vain” with Carly Simon, and “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” with Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump.

Unlike previous installments, there was no concert film version of the Red tour.

The 1989 World Tour

Following Red was the 1989 World Tour, beginning in May 2015 and ending December of the same year for a total of 85 shows. The 1989 World Tour featured the return of the Surprise Songs mechanic, and hosted Vance Joy, Shawn Mendes, Rae Morris, and Haim as opening acts. Haim would also go on to return as an opening act for the Eras Tour, as well as guest star in the Bejeweled music video and feature on an evermore track.

One of the tour stops in Sydney was recorded for a concert film version of the tour called The 1989 World Tour Live —prior to the Eras Tour, that Sydney performance held the record for Swift’s most-attended performance, with 75,980 Swifties in attendance.

Reputation Stadium Tour

Though Taylor had previously performed at plenty of stadiums on tour, the Reputation Stadium Tour was Swift’s first all-stadium tour, playing May through November of 2018 for a total of 53 shows—her shortest tour to date. Openers for reputation included Camila Cabello, Charli XCX, and Broods, some of whom would join Taylor during the set for “Shake it Off.” As with her previous tours, reputation featured surprise songs at each show and a number of surprise guests at certain performances, this time including Troye Sivan, Selena Gomez, and Niall Horan.

A performance in Arlington was recorded for a concert film called Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour , which was released by (but recently taken off of) Netflix. Fans speculate that reputation leaving Netflix could be related to the fact that Taylor has yet to re-record her masters for reputation .

A sixth tour, Lover Fest, was originally scheduled for April through August of 2020, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour would’ve featured Swift’s then-first performance in Brazil, and would also have been the first time Swift’s tour dates included stops at previously organized festivals. Because there was no tour, there’s no Lover concert film, but Swift did release City of Lover , a recording of a one-off concert in Paris, as a tv special in May of 2020.

The Eras Tour

Last but certainly not least is, of course, The Eras Tour , which is currently ongoing and kicked off in March of 2023. We’ve previously done a full breakdown of the Eras setlist, which features glimpses into all of Swift’s previous albums, but focuses most heavily on those she was unable to tour because of COVID— Lover, folklore, evermore, and Midnights. A concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour , was released in theaters and is currently available to rent on streaming.

(featured image: Taylor Swift Productions)

• Nov 7, 2022
• 12 min read

100+ Taylor Swift Eras Tour Outfit Ideas + What to Wear to A Taylor Swift Concert!

Updated: Jan 17

It's been a long time coming but.... it's been a crazy few years for miss Taylor Swift. She's dropped hint after hint, easter egg after easter egg, song after song, music video after music video!! She's truly a great entertainer and artist, and genuinely one of my favorite musicians to fangirl over.

I got tickets to Taylor Swift's Era's tour, and am trying to decide what era I should go as. . I can't wait to see what Taylor Swift's concert outfits are for this tour!

What do I wear to a Taylor Swift concert? Especially to the Eras tour?

Attendees are planning to wear outfits inspired by their favorite Taylor Swift era. There are ten eras total: Taylor Swift (Self-Titled), Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, Reputation, Lover, Folklore, Evermore, and Midnights. Each era has its own vibe, color aesthetic, and specific pieces Taylor wore during those periods. For example, Reputation is an absolute classic, with snake print, black leather, and tons of sass. Or maybe the Red era? I mean, that one IS my favorite Taylor Swift album. Come as a sad autumn girl with a red scarf, black high-waisted shorts and oxfords— that's definitely a vibe.

But as I was thinking through this, I thought maybe I could make mood boards and help others find the perfect Taylor Swift outfits from amazon to wear to Taylor Swift's concert on her The Eras Tour! I assure you, while putting this list together, with each era I worked on I listened to the album ;) Guaranteed inspiration!

Because of each stadium's bag policy, concert-goers need to bring a clear see-through bag to the venue. Here are a few realyl cute ones I've found. The first is pretty simple, but you can find clear bags that are really stylized to fit your eras tour outfit!

I'm also seeing a lot of people at Taylor Swift's concerts wearing body glitter and hair gems! Here are some options online that are great for doing glitzy hair and makeup the day of the Eras tour concert. The hair gem style has been SUPER popular, and you'll find a lot of other gals at the tour that are rocking similar!

To start off, here are a few pieces that would be good for any of her eras. Concert attendees are wearing "Friendship Bracelets" (a nod to the song You're On Your Own Kid), and the era's charm bracelet as well, which are both available on Amazon!

Jump to Each Taylor Swift Era

If you click on each link, it'll jump to each era and has Taylor Swift eras tour outfit ideas for each. I'll even include items you can buy that fit into each outfit!

🦋 👢 Taylor Swift Era outfit ideas

💛 ✨ Fearless Era (Plus Taylor's Version) outfit ideas

✨ 💜 Speak Now Era (Plus Taylor's Version) outfit ideas

🧣 🍁 Red Era (Plus Taylor's Version) outfit ideas

🕶️ 🗽 1989 Era (Plus Taylor's Version) outfit ideas

🐍 🖤 Reputation Era outfit ideas

💘 💋 Lover Era outfit ideas

🌲🧺 Folklore Era outfit ideas

🌿 🍾 Evermore Era outfit ideas

🕰️ 🌙 Midnights Era outfit ideas

NEW UPDATE! Taylor Swift's Eras Tour stage outfits

Taylor Swift Debut Era

T-Swift's self-titled album is a classic, with songs like "Picture to Burn", "Stay Beautiful", and "Should've Said No". With so many Taylor Swift album era options, this one will surely stand out and be super identifiable.

Taylor Swift's debut album is a whimsical journey through the enchanting world of teenage dreams and heartaches. Bursting with charm and a sprinkle of country sweetness, the album encapsulates the essence of Taylor's early years as a rising star. The aesthetic is like a vintage photo album, filled with snapshots of innocent crushes, teardrop-stained diaries, and the magic of first loves. The vibe is undeniably cute, as Taylor's relatable lyrics and catchy melodies transport you to a world where love letters are written in glittery pens, and every emotion is felt with an extra touch of sparkle. It's a musical hug from the past that leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling and a desire to dance around your room like no one's watching.

How to dress in Taylor Swift (Self-Titled) era outfits

When you want to dress like the self-titled Taylor Swift album, you've got to transport yourself back to good ol' 2006! That means low rise flare jeans, floral dresses, and plenty of cowgirl boots. Taylor's look back then involved more soft, butterfly-like looks that harken back to her country roots.

The Taylor Swift Debut vibe: Teals, greens, butterfly, cowgirl, floral, low rise jeans, and flannels.

Where to find these Taylor Swift (Debut Album) outfits:

Moving onto Taylor Swift's sophomore album, Fearless...

Fearless Era (Plus Taylor's Version)

Fearless is when Taylor Swift really started to gain speed in the music industry, and the era evokes an true nostalgia for the early Tay years!

Taylor Swift's "Fearless" album, both the original and Taylor's version, exude a timeless charm that feels like a musical hug from a dear friend. The aesthetic is a blend of sunlit fields and starlit nights, capturing the essence of young love and fearless adventures. With a dash of country twang and a sprinkle of pop magic, the album's vibe is irresistibly cute, much like a handwritten love letter sealed with a kiss. Taylor's reimagined version adds an extra layer of nostalgia, like finding a cherished childhood toy in the attic. It's a journey back to a place where heartbreaks were mended with laughter, and every melody carried the promise of a new beginning. The vibe is like a cozy sweater, warm and comforting, inviting you to relive those moments and create new memories with the same wide-eyed wonder.

How to dress in Taylor Swift Fearless era outfits

She loves sparkly dresses. Always has, always will. But this was the first era to REALLY bring that to the forefront. Soft whimsical touches, earthy kind of feelings, with a little bit of edginess.

The Taylor Swift Fearless vibe: Golds, sparkly dresses, fairy-tale fluff, elastic headbands, cowgirl boots, and boho.

Where to find these outfits:

Next up is Taylor Swift's third album, Speak Now! You can get inspired by the original Speak Now era, or the new Taylor's Version.

Speak Now Era

A fairytale in a nutshell, Speak Now era is like a sparkly purple dream.

Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" album is a whimsical fairy tale spun with the threads of love, courage, and a sprinkle of daydream magic. The aesthetic is like a storybook come to life, filled with enchanted forests and castle walls where Taylor fearlessly takes center stage. The vibe is both daring and adorable, as if each song were a secret whispered in a moonlit garden. With a blend of country roots and pop melodies, the album dances through the pages of a romantic novel, where every chorus is a chapter and every bridge a thrilling plot twist. It's a musical adventure that invites you to join Taylor in a world where love conquers all, and each note is a charming invitation to step into a dreamscape where happily ever afters are set to a delightful melody.

How to dress in Taylor Swift Speak Now era outfits

I tapped into a few iconic Taylor Swift outfits from the Speak Now era, which welcomed in her love for oxfords, vintage pieces, and an overall romantic take on everything. Finding the perfect halter purple dress from Speak Now era is ESSENTIAL. I've added the one I found below!

The Taylor Swift Speak Now vibe: Purple EVERYTHING, the number 13, slouchy beanies, flannels, twee Oxford heels, whimsical dresses, and revenge. Lots of revenge.

Here are some more modern versions of the Speak Now era (now with Taylor's Version!!)

Next is my FAVORITE era, the RED era!

Red Era (Plus Taylor's Version)

Arguably the best Taylor Swift album, hands down. RED is my personal favorite from her discography, mostly because this is the era where I because a HUGE Taylor Swift fan, rather than just a casual listener. All of the raw pain and anguish in this album make this era (and the TV era!) probably what I'm going to choose for the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour!

Taylor Swift's RED era is a sartorial symphony of passion and bold statements. The clothing aesthetic is a captivating blend of vintage glamour and modern sophistication, reflecting the album's emotional rollercoaster. Taylor dons iconic red dresses that symbolize both heartbreak and empowerment, showcasing her fearless style evolution. Picture timeless silhouettes, chic high-waisted shorts, and classic red lips that become a signature touch. The vibe is a mix of retro vibes and contemporary chic, with Taylor effortlessly balancing elegance and edge. From the glitzy red-carpet gowns to the laid-back yet stylish streetwear, every outfit in the RED era tells a story of self-discovery and resilience. It's a fashion journey that captures the essence of love, loss, and the vibrant hues of a life lived unapologetically.

How to dress in Taylor Swift RED era outfits

This era probably has some of the most iconic fashion moments of Taylor Swift's career. The Taylor Swift red tour outfits were amazing. The "We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together" and "22" looks just scream 2012! Now ten years later in 2022, this style is still just as amazing and showstoppping... and iconically RED . Try to find a good striped shirt and some tailored high waisted shorts, and add a pair of red Keds to complete the look!

The Taylor Swift RED vibe: The color red (bright, like the original, or deep, like Taylor's Version), spectator Oxford shoes, heart sunglasses, fedora hats, high wasted shorts, and KEDS.

The "Not a lot going on at the moment" shirt is a classic for sure. You can buy it below. Also, with Taylor's new tour, she has a shirt that says "A LOT going on at the moment" too, which is featured here where I have some outfit ideas that are inspired by her concert looks from this Eras era!

During the show, Taylor gives her fedora-type hat to someone special in the audience. You can match her by wearing a black hat from her RED era!

From the RED Taylor's Version album cover, don a trench coat and a burnt Sienna newsboy cap, and the autumn leaves start to fall like pieces into place for your Taylor Swift concert outfit.

I Bet You Think About Me - Taylor Swift concert outfit idea

Something from RED Taylor's Version that is an instant showstopper: the I Bet You Think About Me outfit!

Here's where you can grab it:

Onto many people's favorite -- 1989!! This is the most recent Taylor's Version to come out. "1899 (Taylor's Version)" is not just an album; it's a captivating invitation to step into a lyrical ballroom where each song is a dance through time, and Taylor is the enchanting guide, gracefully leading us through the echoes of a century past.

A HUGE era for Taylor, commercially and her tour! She has so many fun and glitzy looks from this 1989 era. I pulled some Taylor Swift tour costumes from amazon that will make people double-take.... wait, is that Taylor Swift?? No? Shake it off!

How to dress in Taylor Swift 1989 era outfits

Be sure to wear plenty of sequins, shiny fabrics, and two-piece outfits for a true 1989 era look from Taylor Swift! Add on the quintessential white rayon-type sunglasses to look like a true 1989 fan.

The Taylor Swift 1989 vibe: Sequins! Lots of blues and silver sparkles, crop tops, white rayon sunglasses, and sparkly fringe.

One of these outfits is a callback to Taylor's look at the 2016 Grammy Awards. I think it's such a unique outfit to wear to the Era's tour, because it's not exactly a "era" look, but something SO iconic from that era! Also, can you GET more 1989 than a pair of white rayon sunglasses? They were a staple piece in Taylor Swift's 1989 era.

A callback to a Swift inside joke, the yellow "No It's Becky" shirt is available on amazon!

Seagulls everywhere, on everything. With the new 1989 Taylor's Version coming out, the coastal pale blue vibe is going to be a good choice.

If you want to be a little silly, you could come literally dressed like a seagull:

Reputation Era

This era is the most similar to my own personal style, so when I attended the Rep tour, I was living my best life!! All her songs have a pop edge to them, so make sure to dress accordingly.

How to dress in Taylor Swift Reputation era outfits

Wear as much snake print, black, fishnet, and combat-wear you can find. The more you look like a hell-raiser, the better for Taylor Swift reputation outfits. I've added in a few cool amazon t-shirts in here as well from the era!

The Taylor Swift Reputation vibe: Snake print, black sequins, camouflage print, chains, combat boots, and slicked back hair.

Much like her album cover, you can find a newspaper Reputation dress below!

Lover was all bright pink and multicolored, and it was AMAZING. The fun songs (and some deep love songs) created an incredible album from Taylor Swift.

How to dress in Taylor Swift Lover era outfits

Pink, lots of pink. Actually, all pink. Just kidding! I put together some outfit ideas that are inspired by some of her performance looks and music video outfits from the Lover era.

The Taylor Swift Lover vibe: Lots of pink, multicolor, fringe, pearls, iridescence, hearts, and sweetness all around.

Grab a hot pink jacket and pearl sunglasses to look like Taylor from "You Need to Calm Down"! Choosing to wear a pastel sky print is such a Lover look, similar to her album cover!

Check out these gorgeous Lover-esque earrings and accessories:

Just like in the "ME!" music video, you can wear a heart shaped top like Taylor for the concert.

Makeup for your Lover eras tour outfit

If you're wanting to dress up as Taylor's Lover era, it's a sweet detail to do the heart shape makeup over her eye like she does on her album cover! In order to do that, you'll need two main items: liquid latex and skin-safe pink glitter. You can find them here:

I've used the liquid latex above before and it works really well. All you'll need to do is outline the heart around your eye with the liquid latex, wait for it to get tacky, and then apply the pink glitter!

Folklore Era

If you aren't the sparkly-dress Taylor Swift fan, and want to be a sad cottage-core girl, here is your chance! This album screams alone-in-the-woods-and-in-the-feels.

How to dress in Taylor Swift Folklore era outfits

Tap into the cottage-core look and opt for some comfy sweaters, cardigans, and ditsy floral prints. I've grabbed a few items that look similar to the outfits she wore on some of her photoshoots from this era.

The Taylor Swift folklore vibe: Knit sweaters, plaid jackets, chunky boots, mushrooms, trees and a general folksy vibe.

Evermore Era

Am I crazy to say that Evermore is one of my favorite TSwift albums? It's definitely the most forgotten one, but WOW does it have some bops, both sad and lovely.

How to dress in Taylor Swift Evermore era outfits

This era was so short-lived, but it gave us some beautiful looks! An easy go-to would be the brown/orange plaid jacket from Evermore. (I've linked on similar) Also, the Willow music video is a huge inspiration for these, and other Swifties will know exactly what you're going for!

The Taylor Swift evermore vibe: Deep plaids, ethereal jewelry, greens, leather boots, turtlenecks, and flown dresses.

From the "Willow" music video, you can choose a more whimsical and fairy-like look to fit in with the Evermore era! Below you can also find a dark green velvet cape like she wears during her Evermore set at the Eras Tour!

Midnights Era

Midnights only came out a few weeks ago while I'm writing this, so I'm still reeling from this album release! I know from the second I hear "Anti-Hero" that it would be an instant classic.

How to dress in Taylor Swift Midnights era outfits

When it comes to the looks from Midnights era, they span from glitzy blue midnight dresses and plenty of sparkles, mixed with vintage looks that evoke a sense of 70s retro. Combining these all together will be the ultimate Midnights tour outfit!

The Taylor Swift Midnights vibe: Honestly, Taylor's Midnights aesthetic is all over the place, but can be boiled down to: 70s vintage, starry night, retro, oranges, blues, lavender, clocks, and anything, and I mean anything that is bejeweled.

Inspired by her 70's glam looks in much of the material for the release of her album midnights, you can don some burnt orange and corduroy and fit in well! The top and fur jacket look similar to the starry dress Taylor wore out when she was promoting "Midnights". For a more casual "Midnights" look, you can wear this sheer celestial top as well. Check out some of these that also scream "Lavender Haze"!

Where're ya going? You going out tonight? ;)

You can find a corset similar to Taylor's from her "Bejeweled" music video!

Taylor Swift's Stage Outfits

If you want to come to the concert the MOST prepared, you can dress like the current Era: the Eras era! Pretty meta, right? Here are some of the outfits that Taylor's been wearing on her tour that you can recreate in your concert outfit:

Stage outfit 1— Midnights era Lavender Haze jacket

Taylor wears a pink/lavender sparkly dress with a fun faux-fur lavender coat. You can find a super sparkly dress and add a lavender faux fur coat, and look just like Taylor!

Stage outfit 2— Evermore era pink dress

Taylor's whimsical pink dress during her Evermore era is GORGEOUS. Play up your own ethereal vibe and wear a similar dress to the Eras tour!

Stage outfit 3— Reputation era jumpsuit

Taylor wears this awesome one-legged jumpsuit with red snakes all over it. You can buy a black sparkly jumpsuit and attach red snake appliqués to create a look similar to it.

Stage outfit 4— Sparkly RED era jacket

The RED era (my favorite!) has Taylor donning a long red sparkle trench coat. You can look similar to this in either this red velvet long trench I've found, or a men's sparkly suit jacket!

Stage outfit 5— "A LOT Going On At The Moment" shirt

She's reinvented her own RED era look with a shirt that instead of saying "Not a lot going on at the moment" it says "A LOT going on at the moment"! I've found a shirt that says exactly that new phrase on Amazon. Taylor also pairs it with a pair of sparkly black bottoms and a black hat.

Stage outfit 6— 1989 era green two piece

A very Taylor typical outfit, more sparkles! And this time we're working with fun and bright green. She has a sparkle fringed two piece set on stage.

I hope you find some awesome inspiration on what to wear to Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour! See ya there :)

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14 Comments

Such cute outfits and a big help

Amazing! It really lifts my spirits that I've helped other Swifties find a good outfit for the Era tour. I hope your concert is epic!

This was so helpful I got so many compliments on my outfit

Yay!!!! I'm so, so glad this helped, it makes me so happy. I'm excited for my tour stop (Pittsburg!) to show off my Taylor Swift era outfit; I'm going with Red.

This is an amazing resource! I’m still looking for Red inspo. Do you have any pant/shirt ideas? I’m not into dresses that much.

Thank you so much! If I find anything worth sharing, I’ll put the links down here.

Paramore's Hayley Williams Is 'So Ready' for Eras Tour Amid Taylor Swift's 'Impressive' 'TTPD' Album Release

Hayley Williams is ready to hit the road with longtime pal, Taylor Swift ! The Paramore  frontwoman gushed over Swift's new album, The Tortured Poets Department , while offering a tease of the band's upcoming Eras Tour run. 

The 35-year-old musician took to her Instagram Story on Monday, after enjoying an electric Record Store Day over the weekend, to share a handful of her current favorite albums. Unsurprisingly, Swift's TTPD made the list. 

"Had me from the storytelling alone, my friend," Williams wrote. "Every one of us knows this kind of grief! It's so impressive to me how specific and colorful Taylor's words get without ever losing the universal thread. I'm so ready to be tour-mates." 

Also receiving honorable mentions from Williams were Beyoncé 's  Cowboy Carter , Brittany Howard's What Now , Rufus Wainwright's Want One , Bee Gees' Main Course , Tierra Whack's World Wide Whack , Radiohead's The Bends , The Smile's Wall of Eyes , Blonde Redhead's Sit Down for Dinner  and Idles' Tangk . 

Paramore is set to open for Swift on her Eras Tour when it resumes on May 9 in Paris, France. The band will continue to tour with her through her remaining international tour dates, which includes a whopping eight shows at London's Wembley Stadium . 

The dates come less than a year after Paramore's headlining This Is Why tour was derailed due to a lung infection for Williams. At the time, Williams shared with fans that she would be using her downtime to "dive head first into creating some better routines" and getting back into "the creative process." 

"For me, when we get into this mode it always feels nice to disappear in a way," she admitted in a post on Discord . "Maybe this time I will be able to find balance between the disappearing and yet not completely shutting out the world. But probably not." 

It was last summer that Swift, 34, announced that Williams' band would be joining her on the Eras Tour around the same time she dropped  Speak Now (Taylor's Version) . On the rerecorded full-length, Williams is featured on the from-the-vault track, "Castles Crumbling."

"Really can’t contain my excitement because… we’re adding 14 new shows to The Eras Tour," Swift shared in July 2023. "And I get to travel the world doing shows with Paramore!! Hayley and I have been friends since we were teens in Nashville and now we get to frolic around the UK/Europe next summer??? I’m screaming???" 

In  a recent interview  with  Jimmy Fallon on  The Tonight Show , Williams spilled details on how she and Swift first became friends back in 2008. 

"Me and Taylor met because both of us -- Paramore and Taylor -- were nominated for Best New Artist the same year at the GRAMMYS," she said. 

Though the late Amy Winehouse took the trophy that night, Williams and Swift ended up at the same after-party.

"We were at some GRAMMY party -- it was actually Timbaland's GRAMMY party. [It was] huge. I was very nervous," Williams recalled. "But a woman came up to me and she said, 'I'm Taylor Swift's mom and, you know, Taylor doesn't have a lot of friends her age that do music. And I would love to, like, you know, introduce you guys or get your number or whatever.'"

"So Andrea, the legend that she is, she connected us," Williams added, referencing Taylor's mom, Andrea Swift.

Swift's 11th studio album,  The Tortured Poets D epartment , and its lead single, " Fortnight " featuring  Post Malone , were released on Friday to much fanfare. 

In terms of traditional album sales,  Billboard  reports that Swift's  TTPD  sold 1.4 million copies --  including CD, vinyl, cassette and digital download versions -- in its first day alone. This surpasses her own biggest sales week, when  1989 (Taylor's Version)  sold 1.359 million copies. All signs indicate that  TTPD  will be making a massive, record-shattering debut when tracking for its first week concludes on Thursday, April 25. 

The 31-track collection --  which turned out to be a surprise double album  -- features a hefty helping of  heartbreak songs  following her splits from  Joe Alwyn  and  Matty Healy , as well as a few  sweet love songs  amid her current relationship with  Travis Kelce . 

"She has put her heart and soul into the music, just like with everything she does," a source told ET about the album, "and can't wait for her fans to listen to it and to share it with them."

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Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' is the messiest, horniest, and funniest album she's ever made

• Taylor Swift released her 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," on Friday.
• The standard edition's 16 tracks are reminiscent of "Midnights," but more textured and chaotic.
• The best tracks are "Loml," "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart," and "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?"

Taylor Swift's 11th studio album "The Tortured Poets Department" arrived Friday in all its messy glory after a pointedly low-key rollout .

In a prologue included with the CD booklet, Swift describes the album as "a detailed rewinding / For the purpose of warning / For the sake of reminding."

Swift frames "Poets" as a debrief of an ill-fated love affair, "a mutual manic phase" in the wake of a breakup — torrid, brief, yet creatively fruitful. "A smirk creeps onto this poet's face," she writes. "Because it's the worst men that I write best."

"Poets" is the first set of all-new songs that Swift has released since her breakup with Joe Alwyn, whom she dated for about six years before their split made headlines last April . Shortly after, she was linked to The 1975 frontman Matty Healy .

The follow-up to Swift's record-breaking 2022 album "Midnights" echoes the commercially favored pop-forward sound of its predecessor, with much of the album produced by Swift's longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff . Aaron Dessner, who worked extensively with Swift on sister albums "Folklore" and "Evermore," produced the remaining chunk of songs.

Two hours after the album's release, Swift surprised fans with "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," which contains 15 additional songs . However, for the purposes of our review, the standard-edition tracklist will be treated as the primary, cohesive body of work.

As Business Insider's senior music reporter , I listened to the new album on my own, jotting down my initial thoughts track by track.

Here's what I thought of each song on "The Tortured Poets Department" upon first listen . (Skip to the end to see the only songs worth listening to and the album's final score.)

"Fortnight" sounds like a vault track from "Midnights" (derogatory).

Throughout my life, pressing play on a new Taylor Swift album has been a treat. But as soon as the opening synths on "The Tortured Poets Department" hit my eardrums, I felt my body tense up.

Antonoff has caught a lot of flack from music critics and other skeptics for doubling down on his signature sound and failing to innovate, particularly when it comes to his creative partnership with Swift. I don't tend to agree — to assign all blame to Antonoff is to belittle his female collaborators — but alas, "Fortnight" is a prime example of this complaint. The song immediately sounds like a "Midnights" B-side: boring, banal, and exactly what I do not want from this album .

Worse still, "Fortnight" squanders Post Malone . The rapper-turned-earnest-dude singer is coming off an acclaimed set of duets with Noah Kahan ("Dial Drunk") and Beyoncé ("Levii's Jeans"), both of which offered the proper platform for Malone's surprisingly folksy voice. In Swift's world, however, he is rendered superfluous.

"The Tortured Poets Department" is a cringe-worthy song and an unworthy title track.

It is objectively hilarious that Swift released "1989 (Taylor's Version)" in October with a direct request to stop speculating about her personal life , only to name her new album after a song that invites us to speculate about her personal life — specifically her (alleged) fling with Matty Healy last spring.

"You left your typewriter at my apartment / Straight from the tortured poets department," Swift sings in the song's opening line, perhaps confirming her album title was inspired by a caption from Healy's now-deleted Instagram, " Gay Poets Society ." (I can't think of anyone else in Swift's social circle who's gleefully pretentious enough to carry around a typewriter.) "You smoked, then ate seven bars of chocolate," she sings later, likely a nod to The 1975's breakout hit " Chocolate ."

Not only does "The Tortured Poets Department" invite speculation, but in the bridge, it even names names.

"You told Lucy you'd kill yourself if I ever leave / And I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen," Swift sings. Note: Her friend Lucy Dacus (of boygenius fame) was filmed dancing with Healy at The Eras Tour . The second name almost certainly refers to Antonoff, who also coproduced The 1975's latest album, " Being Funny In a Foreign Language ."

"Everyone we know understands why it's meant to be," Swift adds in a teasing lilt. "'Cause we're crazy." No kidding!

This song is surely meant to be over-the-top corny and tongue-in-cheek amusing, and it succeeds on both counts. Even the title is an inside joke.

Unfortunately, lyrics like "We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist" and "I scratch your head, you fall asleep / Like a tattooed golden retriever" will haunt me until the day that I die. I can already see disparaging tweets about "Kidz Bop (Taylor's Version)" in my mind's eye. This is worse than the "sexy baby" fiasco .

Especially with its typical Antonoff production, this song sounds like an AI-created "Midnights" parody. Swift is right about one thing: This is definitely not the Chelsea Hotel.

"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" would be right at home on "1989 (Taylor's Version)."

"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" sounds exactly like the vault tracks from "1989 (Taylor's Version)" — which, you guessed it, were accused of sounding eerily similar to "Midnights" songs.

To be fair, I love all the "1989" vault tracks (especially " Is It Over Now? "), so this isn't necessarily a knock in my book. But it does mean that "My Boy" fails to stand out. It relies on a fast-dulling formula.

"Down Bad" is the "Slut!" sequel no one expected.

There were rumors The 1975 was meant to be featured on " Slut! " and Healy is even listed as a cowriter in some physical copies of "1989 (Taylor's Version)." (He met Swift a decade ago, around the time the album was originally written.)

Healy's contributions to the song were apparently erased after fans condemned their relationship last year . We assumed it would go down as a glitch in her legacy. But as always, Swift gets the last word .

Where Swift once sighed, "If they call me a slut, you know it might be worth it for once," now she fumes, "Fuck it, I was in love. So fuck you if I can't have us."

Both songs confront the disconnect between Swift's polished public image and her salacious desires, as well as the intersection of romance and delusion.

On "Down Bad," this album starts to pick up steam. Antonoff's sparkly synths and Swift's breezy vocals persist, but we're teased with a slice of her brain that's enthrallingly unhinged.

"So Long, London" illustrates the agony of a drawn-out goodbye.

In terms of sequencing, "Poets" is like the anti-"Midnights." Where the latter was front-loaded with album highlights, "Poets" kicked off by testing my loyalty. The first 16 minutes or so had me seriously concerned.

"So Long, London" marked a key turning point in my listening experience — a blessed wellspring of trust in Swift's vision.

Dessner's influence is immediately felt in the song's slow-burn pacing. As a production team, Swift and Dessner excel at creating tension and building toward catharsis. (Think "Exile," "Champagne Problems," " Would've, Could've, Should've ," etc.) "So Long, London" is another such success story.

Swift's lyrics mirror the production, mounting with urgency as the seconds tick away — as if her love is crumbling in real time.

"I'm pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free," she sings, her voice heavy with grief. "You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues? / I died on the altar waiting for the proof."

"But Daddy I Love Him" is a scorched-earth song where Swift really comes alive.

Last year, I wrote an article encouraging Swift to criticize her own fans , particularly those with an intense fixation on her personal life. At the time, this felt like a pipe dream. Swift has long embraced a laissez-faire approach to fan behavior, even when it's been obviously invasive, homophobic , or even threatening .

Now, my request doesn't seem so far-fetched. "But Daddy I Love Him" is the closest Swift has ever gotten to scolding parasocial Swifties, many of whom were vocal about their distaste for Healy .

After cracking some jokes at their expense ("I'm having his baby / No I'm not! / But you should see your faces"), Swift goes absolutely scorched-earth in the bridge.

"God save the most judgmental creeps who say they want what's best for me," she spits. "Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I'll never see / Thinking it can change the beat of my heart when he touches me."

The song plays like a grown-up, jaded version of "Love Story," where societal pressures and family feuds are no match for Swift's wildest whims. And she goes all-in: "But Daddy I Love Him" is the longest song on the album, stuffed with Shakespeare-level dramatics.

"Fresh Out the Slammer" is a fascinating tale of freedom and lust.

"Fresh Out the Slammer" kicks off with an Orville Peck-esque electric guitar, adopting a vintage Western-rock vibe. After flipping off her audience in the previous track, this feels like the ideal moment for Swift to assume the role of an outlaw.

The song title, a euphemism for getting out of jail, works in this context, with Swift using the phrase to evoke her newfound single status. She's recently left a relationship and she's eager to "run back home" to an old flame.

This is juicy on many levels when compared to the timeline of Swift's love life (at least, the timeline the public is privy to). But speaking broadly, this song is juicy no matter who it's about. Swift revels in her long-sought freedom, justifying her rebound with a loaded shrug: "I did my time."

I don't know the intimate details of Swift's love life, but I do know one thing. If you ever compare your relationship to jail time, my hope is that you'll run — as fast and as far away as possible.

"Florida!!!" includes a potent feature from Florence + the Machine.

"Florida!!!" is a fascinating outlier on this tracklist. The lyrics are rich yet cryptic, boasting clear traces of Florence Welch's creative touch.

Welch is a painfully underrated lyricist, so I'm thrilled she was given a proper feature on this album. (We all remember what happened with Lana Del Rey's wasted vocals on "Midnights.") I can only imagine that Swift heard recent Welch cuts like "King" and " Girls Against God " and thought to herself, "I wish I wrote that."

"Florida!!!" is ambiguous with its bottom line, but with a song that sounds this cool and spooky, it's hard to care if the story has a moral. Swift sings of a town that "reeks of driving myself crazy," while Welch fantasizes about getting drunk and drowning her exes in a swamp. "Is that a bad thing to say in a song?" they harmonize with a knowing smile, all but winking at the listener.

Welch infuses a jolt of mystic, curious energy into Swift's modern-pop diarism. Their duet is a fever dream, full of hedonistic pursuits and hallucinations. It's perfectly placed at the album's midway point, foreshadowing a descent into madness in its latter half. Both women succumb to Florida's charms like they're following a siren song — and they're beckoning us to follow.

"Guilty as Sin?" is somehow sad and horny at the same time.

For those who'll accuse this album of barely addressing Swift's longest public relationship, allow me to enter the first verse of this song into evidence: "My boredom's bone-deep / This cage was once just fine / Am I allowed to cry? / I dream of cracking locks / Throwing my life to the wolves, or the ocean rocks / Crashing into him tonight."

In just a few lines, Swift offers a more poignant portrayal of the " seven-year itch " than I have ever heard or read. In reality, falling out of love is a sluggish and bitter process.

Swift copes with this phenomenon by projecting her carnal cravings onto a clean, blank slate — a man who hasn't disappointed her yet.

"Someone told me, 'There's no such thing as bad thoughts, only your actions talk,'" she continues. "We've already done it in my head / If it's make-believe / Why does it feel like a vow / We'll both uphold somehow?"

To put it bluntly, these lyrics are bonkers. I cannot believe Swift committed these thoughts to paper, recorded them in a studio, submitted them to her label, and then released them into the world. She has been horny in her music before ("Dress," "Maroon") and she's been audacious in her music before (the entirety of "Speak Now"), but given her current level of fame, this is unprecedented.

To be clear, I mean that in a positive way. I'm eating this up. After all, Swift's been warning us for years that she's the maddest woman this town has ever seen . She had a marvelous time ruining everything, haven't you heard?

"Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" is an obvious standout.

Swift loves a self-righteous battle cry ("I Did Something Bad," "The Man," "Vigilante Shit"), but this might be the first time she's gotten it exactly right. Backed by warlike drums, Swift lays siege to the celebrity machine.

"Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" contains some all-timers in Swift's storied catalog of one-liners: "You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me" is a personal favorite, but every lyric lands like a bomb or a punchline: "Put narcotics into all of my songs / And that's why you're still singing along."

This song is everything that "Reputation" wanted to be: darkly funny, sharply observed, vulnerable, sinister, and formidable at every turn.

"I was tame, I was gentle, 'til the circus life made me mean / Don't you worry folks, we took out all her teeth! / Who's afraid of little old me?" Swift wails in the chorus, before adding coyly: "Well, you should be."

Indeed, if that question is coming from Swift, the answer is me. I am terrified of this woman for making me feel so demented and powerful with a five-minute package of pop melodies.

"I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" depicts Swift at a crossroads in her relationship.

As its title suggests, "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" begins to reveal the cracks in Swift's feverish love story. "The smoke cloud billows out his mouth like a freight train through a small town," she sings to open the song. "The jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud."

Although she spends the rest of the song pledging to "fix him," balking at any suggestion that she might be out of her depth, Swift's doubts taint the whole affair.

In a stroke of surreal brilliance, Swift paints her unlikable lover as an old-school cowboy — cruising down a Texas highway, hands calloused from his trusty pistol — calling back to her lawless behavior in "Fresh Out the Slammer."

"Loml" is the most heart-wrenching song on the tracklist.

"Loml" sees Swift reflecting on a doomed relationship, retracing her steps, watching helplessly as the "love of my life" becomes the "loss of my life."

"You shit-talked me under the table / Talking rings and talking cradles / I wish I could unrecall / How we almost had it all," Swift sings in the show-stopping bridge. "Dancing phantoms on the terrace / Are they secondhand embarrassed / That I can't get out of bed? Because something counterfeit's dead."

These questions recall " The 1 ," the opening track on "Folklore," which Swift began to perform on The Eras Tour after her breakup with Alwyn was made public.

"The 1" is all about existential probes and what-if doom spirals, all about "digging up the grave another time." In "Loml," Swift falls back into her old patterns: "Still alive, killing time at the cemetery / Never quite buried."

"Loml" is the only song on "Poets" that made me cry on the first play.

I'll admit I'm surprised there aren't more songs like this on this tracklist. But a love that burns, crackles, and explodes is much easier to obsess over (and write pop songs about) than a love that decays, resurrects, and dies again. That's what makes the painful precision of "Loml" even more impressive. Swift's grave-plotting memory is her greatest asset as a lyricist.

"I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" is extravagant, self-referential, and exhilarating.

"I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" might be the most pop-forward fit of maximalism on this entire tracklist. Against all odds, it's an album highlight.

This is a masterful exposé of a carefully constructed spectacle. Swift depicts her onstage performance as a kind of perverse wish fulfillment: "All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, 'MORE!'" (Fans will recognize this imagery from the "Folklore" standout "Mirrorball," which Swift performed acoustically on the opening night of The Eras Tour.)

We don't have time to unpack all the revelations in this song, but suffice it to say that "Broken Heart" succeeds as a satire, a confession, and an indictment of sexist double standards ("Lights, camera, bitch, smile!"), all at the same time.

Women in pop music are expected to refract sequin stars, hit their marks, fake it 'til they make it — even when they wanna die — while men are permitted to show up in T-shirts, stand still, and lip-sync . If this song makes you uncomfortable, it's probably meant to.

In the outro, Swift leaves little room for ambiguity, exclaiming deliriously: "I'm miserable! And no one even knows!" It's campy and it's vicious. She lands the punchline, but it feels more like she's twisting the knife.

"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" is a classic Swiftian takedown.

"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" is alive with malice, full of deliciously specific anecdotes: "You tried to buy some pills / From a friend of friends of mine / They just ghosted you / Now you know what it feels like." If someone had written that lyric about me, I'd be forced to fake my own death and start fresh with a new identity. And that's just the first verse. The bridge is positively lethal.

If you're surprised by the proficiency of this takedown — all for a man who was "gone by the morning" — may I remind you of Swift's magnum opus, " All Too Well ," which she reportedly wrote about a three-month relationship that blew up in her face.

This is where Swift thrives as a songwriter: the interpretive limbo between possibility and security; the yearning for what could've been; the aftermath of short-lived bliss, when all that's left is the future you once imagined.

"The Alchemy" is open to interpretation.

Much like "Mastermind," the closing track on "Midnights," "The Alchemy" could be interpreted as a love song or a metaphor for Swift's career .

"What if I told you I'm back? / The hospital was a drag / Worst sleep that I ever had," she sings in the first verse, poking fun at her own propensity to spin painful experiences into albums.

Indeed, the chorus plays like a tongue-in-cheek nod to Swift's dominance in the industry: "Ditch the clowns, get the crown / Baby, I'm the one to be," she winks. "Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?" She manages to toe the line between cheeky and sincere, tipping her hat to the fans who transformed her life and put her on the throne.

"Clara Bow" draws a parallel between Swift and the first "It Girl."

"Clara Bow" joins Swift's collection of songs about the peculiar experience of fame. (Think: "The Lucky One," "The Last Great American Dynasty," "You're On Your Own, Kid," etc.) To hear her tell it, Swift felt stardom beckon from a very young age, almost like an invisible string was tying her to the stage.

In the song, Swift dreams of glory and promises to be "dazzling." She even name-drops Stevie Nicks and her mysterious moonlit magic . But she also allows for a sliver of regret in retrospect: "Only when your girlish glow flickers just so / Do they let you know / It's hell on earth to be heavenly."

As the song winds down, Swift adds her own name to the succession of Bow and Nicks, doubling as the observed and her own observer. It's a fitting end to an album full of pomp and performance.

Final Grade: 8.4/10

Here's the thing: Swift knows that people will pore over the details of this album to dissect her romantic travails. I'm as guilty as anyone else, and I know it's not a noble practice. It's an obsessive storm Swift is willing to weather to do what she loves for a living.

But Swift did not become as big and beloved as she is because of that storm. In fact, I would argue she's successful in spite of it. 

Most people are not chronically online Easter egg hunters. Most people do not play Swift's music in the car, in the shower, or in a dark room after a bad day, over and over for years, because they crave the details of her latest breakup.

We don't listen to Swift's music because it necessarily is true. We listen because it feels true. She writes about characters we recognize and experiences we've lived, blowing everything out of proportion in the way we wish we could. The size of Swift's platform is directly proportional to the bigness of her feelings, whatever or whoever may have provoked them.

That said, don't let the "tattooed golden retriever" (the man or the lyric) distract you from the truth. Corny as some moments may be, this is a marvelously deranged pop album.

Despite the rough start, Swift builds incredible momentum from track four onwards, tossing out confessions and confronting hecklers with a tearaway, absurd kind of zeal.

Of course, there are still mid-tempo synths and simple earworms by the fistful. This is hardly new sonic territory — nor would I praise the album as an artistic risk — but "The Tortured Poets Department" is bolder and more berserk than Swift's previous pop achievements. "1989" was a tricky pivot at the time, but Swift still made sure to play by the radio's rules, sticking to traditional song structures and repetitive hooks. More recently, "Midnights" gestured toward interesting themes but ultimately felt thin.

On "Poets," Swift doesn't exactly break with her well-established, commercial-friendly conventions — but she does toy with her audience in interesting ways.

There's depth and texture in these songs, even shades of the guitar-forward rock sound that many fans crave. It's a pop album without an obvious radio hit. Swift's lyrics are surprisingly meta, packed with fourth-wall breaks and self-aware pouts. Her vocal delivery is varied, passionate, often performative. She shrieks and snarls and deploys a whisper that's dripping with lust, such that we've rarely heard. For a pop star with Swift's relish for mass appeal, this album almost sounds bloodthirsty by comparison.

"The Tortured Poets Department" won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's chaotic, verbose, and full of words that scream "I own a thesaurus."

It still works, because Swift is in on the joke.

At the end of the day, I'd rather have a sensitive and self-indulgent album than one that's trying too hard to be pretty and perfect. I can't relate to the woman looking statuesque onstage, with her polite grin and sequined silhouette. But I can relate to the woman who bares her teeth when the crowd demands, "MORE!"

Worth listening to:

"So Long, London"

"But Daddy, I Love Him"

"Fresh Out the Slammer"

"Florida!!! (featuring Florence + The Machine)"

"Guilty as Sin?"

"Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?"

"I Can Fix Him (No Really, I Can)"

"I Can Do It With a Broken Heart"

"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"

"The Alchemy"

"Clara Bow"

Background music:

"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"

Press skip:

"Fornight (featuring Post Malone)"

"The Tortured Poets Department"

*Final album score based on songs per category (1 point for "Worth listening to," .5 for "Background music," 0 for "Press skip").

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