Think about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour as a super special event in the world of pop music. It’s kind of like a big puzzle – many people have tried, but no one can find a similar one. Remember when Taylor sang, “You won’t find anyone like me”? Well, she wasn’t just singing for fun – those words are really true!
On the business side of things, everyone agrees that what Taylor is doing is totally new and amazing. Imagine a score in a game – Taylor’s tour might be the first ever to score a billion dollars in ticket sales (that’s a lot of money!). Right now, someone else holds the record with $939 million. They’re saying Taylor could hit that billion-dollar mark around March, while she’s performing in Asia. And guess what? If that happens, she’ll reach this huge achievement seven months before her tour actually ends in Toronto in November 2024. It’s like finishing the raceway before everyone else.
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Don’t even wonder if anyone has been as popular as Taylor when it comes to selling tickets – she’s like a superstar magnet. When was the last time a singer had six sold-out shows at a big stadium in Los Angeles? People wanted tickets so much that even more could have been sold, and still, everyone would want to go. This kind of popularity is really, really rare and probably won’t happen again for a super long time.
It’s a bit trickier to say exactly how much Taylor Swift’s impact on culture stands out. Some people who aren’t really into Taylor might think that her successful tours are just part of a repeating pattern. They might compare it to other famous tours in the past, like Michael Jackson’s “Victory” tour after his hit album “Thriller,” or Bruce Springsteen and his band rocking out worldwide with their “Born in the USA” spirit. There’s also Madonna’s cool “Blonde Ambition” tour that was short but left a big mark, and U2’s interesting “Zoo TV” show during their “Achtung Baby” era.
I’ve seen all those tours when they happened, and now I’ve seen Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour four times. Let me tell you, while those other tours were truly special, they’re not quite the same as what we’re seeing with Taylor today. Actually, the only thing that comes close in comparison is a tour by The Beatles
Imagine this: The Beatles, who were like the coolest band ever, did go on tour, but those concerts were mostly known for the crazy screaming fans, not so much for their amazing music or connecting with the audience. Then, something really smart happened. The Beatles decided to stop touring before they made some of their best and most important songs. They wanted to focus on making awesome records instead of playing loud shows with not-so-great equipment and a lot of noise.
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This turned out to be a great move because we got incredible albums like “Sgt. Pepper,” the White Album, and “Abbey Road.” But, there’s a little downside. When the band broke up in 1970, they hadn’t gone on tour during their most creative time. Just think about it – what if they had stayed together a bit longer and did their own version of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour? It would have been like a huge burst of energy from fans who really wanted to hear their fantastic music together in a big, exciting show.
The Beatles were like the pioneers of bedroom pop, the kind of music that changes your life when you listen to it through headphones. But there’s something about rock ‘n’ roll that becomes even more amazing when you experience it with a super excited crowd who feels just as passionately about the music as you do. It’s like sharing a special moment with a group of people who all love and enjoy the same awesome tunes that you’ve been playing in your room.
As John, Paul, George, and Ringo continue to play live shows, it’s not as if they’ve been known to hold a concert where they read their songs album by album like Taylor Swift does. Who else thought of that in the last 60 years? But then again, who has a collection of songs that shows constant change and evolution, and is interesting enough to do so? Each of the two years represents a different strong feeling and style in their music.
If you’re not that old (and maybe some of us are, too), the Eras Tour will make you feel like you’re reliving Swift’s life — and your own, too, as Swift shuffled and didn’t play her songs in order. This growing sense of partnership rings true as the Beatles quickly transition from songs like “She Loves You” to “Helter Skelter,” and it’s just as true for the fast, era-defining journey from “Love Story” and “You Belong With.” I” to “vigilante shit.”
Taking a bit of a risk here, but I want to draw a comparison between Swift and the Beatles. Swift’s mix of amazing creativity and total domination of the music scene is something we haven’t really seen since around 1969. To say it straight: This feels like the first time since the Beatles’ final burst of fame that there’s a superstar who’s at the very top and also happens to be the sharpest talent in music right now. What stands out the most for me from the Eras Tour is seeing these two things come together in a big stadium – that’s what I’ll remember, even when I forget about the “Reputation” friendship bracelet I got at the end of the show at SoFi Stadium.
I’m used to getting concerned looks from friends who aren’t really into Swift’s music when I say that I think she’s an amazing songwriter, just like the legends we all admire – think about Lennon & McCartney, Irving Berlin, Carole King, Pete Townshend, Stevie Wonder, and the Gershwins. But honestly, no one has done more in this century to bring back the importance of songs – you know, the actual heart and soul of music – and our excitement to find meaning and melody in the very best ones. And guess what? She’s still getting even better.
One cool thing is that her setlist ends with songs from her “Midnights” album. Even if it’s not her absolute best album (I think “Folklore” and “Evermore” are tied for that), you can feel her skill as a songwriter getting stronger and stronger. The tunes have this smart and clever feel, whether they’re deep and personal like “Mastermind” or totally goofy and funny like “Karma.”
What’s really cool about Swift is that she doesn’t seem to care too much about getting all the credit she deserves for her amazing songwriting getting better and better. Well, let’s put it this way: I think she’d be happy if she won a Grammy for her “Midnights” album. But her show isn’t trying to be all “serious artiste” or anything, and that’s part of what makes her so awesome. Some older folks and people from Generation X might not fully appreciate her because she wears outfits that remind them of Vegas showgirls. Indie rock fans might be a little thrown off because she and her dancers smile so much – seriously, the women on stage with her, some of whom have been there for years, just can’t stop grinning.
And then there’s the music itself. The cool acoustic style she had in her albums from 2020? Well, that’s just one “era” of her music. The New York Times even re-shared their review of her album “Folklore” with a headline that didn’t really predict the future: “Taylor Swift: A Pop Star Done With Pop.” But seriously, has there ever been anyone less “done with pop” than the mastermind behind the Eras Tour? She jumped into the world of indie-sounding music – you know, the kind that might make that snobby guy she talked about in “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” nod in approval. And after conquering that, she’s back with the most lively and exciting show ever.
Trying to list all the fun and exciting things in this three-and-a-half-hour show would probably take about two hours, if not more. Every time you watch the Eras Tour, especially if you’re lucky enough to see it more than once, you’ll notice different cool moments. Like how Taylor Swift literally climbs up a ladder during “The Man,” which is the only time in the show she goes upward instead of outward. Or the big towers of white smoke that burst out when she rocks out to “I Knew You Were Trouble.” There’s this little pause she and her dancers make before sitting down on chairs during “Vigilante Shit,” and it’s kind of a flirty moment. She even uses a bright neon golf club during “Blank Space,” although she doesn’t actually do anything crazy with it. And how about those cyclists with a “Tron” vibe riding around the stage – that’s just wild. Plus, there’s this clever “Citizen Kane” inspired scene with a huge dinner table during “Tolerate It” that adds to the drama.
The stage is set up like a bunch of Broadway performances, but it’s not so complicated that you forget about the cool and epic energy in Taylor Swift’s performance. You’ll keep thinking about how awesome the songs are and how they’ve made you feel happy. And honestly, you could swap out a hundred other things for any of the examples I mentioned. It’s all about the big fun of the show and the memories the songs bring back.