The pop powerhouse has just kicked off the biggest tour in her entire career – and nobody could’ve anticipated what she did.
Taylor Swift is back on tour for the first time in five years.
But it isn’t just any tour. The ‘Eras’ tour, which kicked off at the weekend in Glendale, Arizona, is on track to become the highest grossing tour of all time, predicted to rake in $US591 million for the US leg alone.
And Swift, 33, has delivered an incredible show for the 52-date tour, creating what can only be described as a concert extravaganza with a 44-song strong setlist spanning well over three hours. That’s about twice the length of your average pop stadium show, which usually come it at around 20 songs and under two hours.
The Eras stadium tour encompasses Swift’s vast body of work from her entire career, with the singer sitting on songs from four albums – Lover, folklore, evermore and Midnights – that she’s never performed on tour before.
Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Picture: John Medina/Getty Images
The show is split into 10, non-chronological ‘eras’ for each of her albums, kicking off with Lover (she performs six songs from this album), before moving onto Fearless (three songs), evermore (five songs), reputation (four songs), Speak Now (one song), Red (four songs, including the 10 minute version of All Too Well), folklore (seven songs), 1989 (five songs), Taylor Swift (one song) and wrapping with seven songs from Midnights.
The multi-Grammy winner’s set is also peppered with dozens of costume changes to fit the aesthetic of her respective ‘eras’, with reputation considered her more edgy phase, while folklore represents bohemian whimsy.
The city of Glendale, Arizona was renamed to ‘Swift City’ in honour of The Eras Tour. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty
Swift pictured in her ‘folklore’ era. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty
Variety reviewed Swift’s debut show at the weekend, praising the cutting edge use of technology including a “media-Cinemascope screen” which directly mirrors what’s happening onstage.
The publication also described a “Chicago” style dance number for Vigilante S**t, in which Swift and her army of dancers straddle wooden chairs. Elsewhere, for the folklore section, a cabin set piece emerges onstage complete with smoking chimney.
Next up…. the Folklore era! Taylor is singing “invisible string”! #TSTheErasTour#GlendaleTSTheErasTourpic.twitter.com/Y54nO6d4Qj
— Taylor Swift Updates (@TSwiftLA) March 18, 2023
Swift is yet to announce global dates for the Eras tour, though her team says they will be imminent.
Swift was due to go on tour in 2020 in support of her seventh studio album, Lover, but she was forced to cancel the dates once Covid-19 hit.
Since then, she’s released a further three albums, including the hugely successful pandemic drops folklore and evermore, as well as her record-breaking tenth album, Midnights, which was released in October last year.
Swift has 52 dates locked in across the US until it wraps in August. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Swift last toured the world in 2018 to promote her sixth album, Reputation. The global tour netted the star a reported $US345 million ($AU516 million).
TAYLOR SWIFT’S ERAS TOUR SETLIST:
Lover:
Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince
Cruel Summer
The Man
You Need to Calm Down
Lover
The Archer
Fearless:
Fearless
You Belong With Me
Love Story
evermore:
Tis the Damn Season
Willow
Marjorie
Champagne Problems
Tolerate It
reputation:
… Ready for It?
Delicate
Don’t Blame Me
Look What You Made Me Do
Speak Now:
Enchanted
Red:
22
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
I Knew You Were Trouble
All Too Well (10 Minute Version)
folklore:
Invisible String
Betty
The Last Great American Dynasty
August
Illicit Affairs
My Tears Ricochet
Cardigan
1989:
Style
Blank Space
Shake It Off
Wildest Dreams
Bad Blood
Bonus song:
Swift promises to perform a different song on each night of the tour for this acoustic moment. On night one she performed Mirrorball, and on night two she performed This Is Me Trying and State of Grace.
Taylor Swift:
Tim McGraw (solo acoustic)
Midnights:
Lavender Haze
Anti-Hero
Midnight Rain
Vigilante S**t
Bejeweled
Src: news.com.au
