Fans of the world famous singer Taylor Swift ,were ready to “make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it” when she announced her newest tour, The Eras Tour, back on Nov 1. After a five-year hiatus from touring due to COVID-19, her fans, famously known as Swifties, were excited to be swept into the magic of her music once again. 

The singer began her sixth headline concert tour in Glendale, Arizona, on March 18. The third leg was at the famous AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas; in fact, Swift is the first artist to ever perform three days in a row in that event center. She also broke the attendance record with over 200,000 Swifties singing her tunes. Keeping this in mind, it was time for The Eras Tour to rock Texas. 

The first opener was singer-songwriter, Gracie Abrams. This was her first night performing with The Eras Tour and she did a wonderful job. Her songs were ones fans could hum along to as they were preparing for the main event. The artist has also been the opener for Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” tour and will be headlining her own concert tour, “Good Riddance,” later this year. The second opener was Beabadoobee, a British singer-songwriter who specializes in alternative rock. Due to her accent and an echo in the arena, I wasn’t able to understand her songs and rock isn’t my cup of tea. After these performances, it was time for Swift to shine. 

Swift began the concert with “Miss America & the Heartbreak Prince,” starting the event off in the “Lover” era. While I recognized the song, I was more excited with the second piece, “Cruel Summer.” It just gives off the vibes of warm summer days that never seem to end. She continued through the “Lover” era with many popular songs such as “The Man” and “You Need to Calm Down.” 

The next portion of the performance was her “Fearless” album. These songs included “Fearless,” “You Belong with Me” and “Love Story.” Swift wrote these while she was still in high school, which made them more relatable to her younger audience. The idea of first love and wanting to be with someone forever while she is still so young is something that listeners can resonate with. 

The effortlessly glamorous “Evermore” era was up next. Swift talked about when she was writing this album during the pandemic, she didn’t know whether or not she would be able to perform it in front of an audience. She wanted to hear the audience sing along with her while she played on stage. As she sang fan favorites such as “Willow” and “Champagne Problems” it was nice to think of her writing these songs for this exact moment. 

After a calming atmosphere for multiple songs, Swift came back out with a bang. She began the radiant “Reputation” album that resulted in a dramatic change of pace. The fast paced “Ready for It?” and “Don’t Blame Me” had the Swifties screaming at the top of their lungs. It was a particularly enjoyable part of the show since this album first came out the last time the artist was on tour. 

“Red” came out with plenty of love to spare. This album took everyone back to 2012 when they first heard these songs. It began with “22” where Swift gave her hat to a boy in the audience. In her original “Red” tour where she did the exact same thing, making this a full circle moment. One of my favorite moments was when she sang “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” After this song gained popularity due to the release, many Swifties were hoping this would have its chance in the spotlight, and the artist delivered. There weren’t any bright lights or backup dancers, just a singer connecting with the audience, making it an unforgettable moment. 

Even though the setlist was mainly set in stone, one notable part of the concert was the two surprise songs. Each concert will include two songs that did not make the main list. For the third night in this stadium, Arlington heard “Jump Then Fall” and “The Lucky One.” She noted she fell in love with the two again during the re-release. It was the perfect way to start wrapping up the night. 

After playing these two on the piano, Swift proceeds to dive head first under the stage, which then lights up and makes it look like she is swimming underneath. When she came back up for air, it was time to begin the final act of the show, “Midnights.” With new found cult classics of “Anti-Hero,” “Lavender Haze” and “Bejeweled” representing her newest album, no one could doubt that this was what they were hoping for. As she ended the night with one last song, “Karma,” an overwhelming feeling of contempt hit the crowd and left fans in tears.

One highlight of this concert was the costumes of both the singer and the audience members. Swift reinvented many of her famous outfits from over the years. From the classic “22” t-shirt and fedora to the black and red snake bodysuit that gave “Reputation” vibes, it was exciting to guess what she will pull off next. The fans were also rolling out red carpet looks for this once in a lifetime experience. My personal favorites were an FBI agent from “Vigilante [sic]”  and a “Shake It Off” cheerleader. This concert was definitely a chance for people to dress up loud and proud, and that they did. 

The Eras Tour was the best concert I have ever attended. The only disappointing aspect was the fact that “Speak Now” only had one song played and her debut album “Taylor Swift” was only included in the surprise songs. This made it feel like it didn’t really have every era. Nonetheless, it was a concert I would rate 10/10, or rather 13/10.

Contact Bridget Nye at [email protected]