It’s been a long time coming – literally. Some were quick to call it the Superbowl of the music industry, and oh how they were right. On Friday, March 17th, musical icon Taylor Swift kicked off her sixth concert tour in Glendale, Arizona – a crowd of almost 70,000 fans without any idea what to expect. A tour, that she proudly announced as the ‘Eras Tour’ – commemorating every ‘Era’ of her professional career.
10 album-eras later, the fans of Glendale, Arizona were the first to be part of the event that people are already calling a ‘career-spanning victory lap’ and a ‘triumph of spectacle and stamina’.
After roughly 3 hours, 45 songs and a poetic reading later, Swift puts it best: “I don’t know how to process how you all are making me feel right now.”
Long was the wait but now it is here, Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated Eras Tour. So, let’s look at 8 moments from the opening night of the tour that are burned into our minds ‘Forever & Always’.
1. a ‘Bejeweled’ Tik Tok Homage
It all started as a Tik Tok dance by creator Mikael Arellano, but soon enough became a huge trend all over the platform. Imagine being responsible for a trend that made the hands of thousands of fans ‘shimmer’. But it doesn’t stop there. The opening night has proven yet again, that the singer herself is deep in ‘Swiftok’. On her first-ever performance of ‘Bejeweled‘, Swift jumped on the trend train and incorporated the dance into her choreography. Have a look yourself.
2. Throwback Fashion
Apart from being a lyrical genius, Taylor Swift is known for her iconic fashion during each of her ‘eras’. May it be two pieces sets and mini skirts during her ‘1989’ era, the glistening tassel dresses with cowboy boots during her ‘Fearless’ era, or the hipster aesthetic, hints of red, graphic tees, black sequined short shorts and classic penny loafers for her ‘RED’ era. A feeling of nostalgia that wasn’t lost on the crowds.
3. Announcing the first bridge of the evening
If there is one thing we are sure to get when listening through the different musical eras of Taylor Swift, it’s a good bridge. Over the years, fans have been racking their brains about which bridge has earned the gold medal – is it the one in ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts‘, ‘Out of the Woods’ or the one in ‘Tolerate it’? Whichever you feel is most iconic, you will definitely not miss any bridges on the Eras Tour, and if you do, Taylor is quick to announce them, so don’t worry.
‘Cruel Summer’ is a song from the Lover era that did not make the cut to be considered as a single back in 2019. The fans were adamant, however, about their love for it and dying to hear it for the first time – It does have a pretty good bridge too, so might as well announce it, right?
4. Fan Fashion
Not only Taylor has shown homage to the fashion of her past eras. The stadium was filled to the brim with fans dressing up as their favourite era, showcasing their creativity and craftsmanship and having the best time of their lives.
5. The ‘Evermore’ mockery
2020 has definitely been an unprecedented year for all of us, the corona pandemic had us all rooted to our houses as it has to Taylor. But that surely did not stop her from being casually cruel and, totally unannounced, drop not one but two albums within the course of 6 months. ‘Folklore‘ and ‘Evermore’, are sister albums that are not at all what we are used to musically. In the past, Swift has made music that she says is autobiographical. With ‘Folklore‘ and ‘Evermore‘, however, she has created a fictional world.
Since its release in 2020, there have been numerous speculations and rumours that Taylor herself is not a fan of Folklore’s sister and that it is her least favourite album of all. Fans, however, haven’t taken Taylor into her account as she quickly defends her love for the 9th album on stage. “Evermore is an album I absolutely love despite what some of you saying on Tik Tok.”
6. A ‘Delicate’ inside joke
It wouldn’t be a Taylor Swift concert if not for some reoccurring inside jokes. In 2018, on the stadium tour of Swift’s 6th album ‘Reputation‘, a fan was screaming “1, 2, 3, let’s go, bitch” before the first verse of the song ‘Delicate’ started. The lines, however, do not appear in the original song. Instead, they come from 15-year-old Emily Valencia, who randomly shouted it during Swift’s May 2018 Pasadena concert and posted the footage on Twitter.
Ever since Pasadena, the joke has circulated through the web and is still going strong years later, even on the ‘Eras Tour.‘
7. Making History
The concert wasn’t even entirely done, and Taylor Alison Swift was already making history. For her opening performance at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona, she officially broke the record for the most-attended single female concert in US history (69,213). With this achievement, she obliterates Madonna at Anaheim Stadium in 1987 (62,986).
8. ‘Champagne Problems’ bridge
It almost felt like a bucket-list moment that she could not wait to check off. A few years back, in an interview with television presenter Zane Lowe, Swift talked about her 9th studio album ‘Evermore‘ and expressed a particular liking to the song ‘Champagne Problems’. Taylor Swift included in the album notes for this song, which she co-wrote with Joe Alwyn, that it is “the one where longstanding college sweethearts had completely different intentions for the same night, one to end it and one who brought a ring.” Essentially, the song tells the story of a failed proposal.
What the songwriter stressed most, however, is her anticipation for the bridge of the song, or more specifically, one verse of it. “She would’ve made such a lovely bride, what a shame she’s fucked in the head.”
If we have missed any other iconic moments, please let us know in the comments below. And if you like to read about Taylor Swift as much as we do, check out some other articles about her here.
