For many, Taylor Swift is their childhood. She is a role model, an inspiration, an icon, a friend, someone you can count on to always be there. Swift’s music has transcended genres and her impact spans almost 2 decades. From the age of 17, her music has become the anthems of generations, many of whom have grown up alongside her. With hundreds of millions of followers and multi-record-breaking music, Swift’s impact is undeniable.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift released two sister albums, folklore and evermore. Last October, she released her 10th studio album, Midnights. Fans were blessed with three albums in two years, not counting the two Taylor’s Version re-recordings. Swift has admitted to “finding herself with five albums that [she] had not toured on”. She said that many people around her were curious as to how she would approach her next tour.
Swift was asked whether she was going to “do a tour that was all of the albums… like a three and a half hour long show.” The question was asked as a joke; however, in true Taylor Swift spirit, she responded, “Yes. That is exactly what we’re doing.” And so the Eras Tour was born.
“When she first came out, I thought I was going to pass out. Genuinely, I almost fell… because I could not believe it,” says junior Skye Cheney. Cheney is one of the millions who experienced the life-changing Eras Tour this past year. She is not alone in her reaction to Swift’s entrance. In a stadium filled with over 70,000 Swifties, emotions were running high for the entire show. “I was crying because it was real,” says junior Maris Morgan. Tears were shed. Voices were lost from screaming All Too Well: 10 Minute Version at the top of their lungs. Ears were ringing from the eight-minute standing ovation after Champagne Problems.
With three and a half hours of hit after hit, and a set list spanning 17 years of artistic mastery, Swift generated 2.2 billion dollars in ticket sales in North America alone. The Eras Tour brought in more revenue for local businesses than the last Super Bowl. Cities changed their name in honor of her arrival and for three days, Swift was the honorary mayor of “Swiftie Clara”. The truly remarkable thing is that 91% of concert-goers say that they would go again.
“The concert represents the unity that Taylor creates,” says Morgan. As Swift sings in her song You’re on Your Own Kid, Swifties “[made] the friendship bracelets”. People who had never met before bonded over their love for Taylor Swift. The sold-out stadiums represent the millions of people who connect with Swift’s music, and the millions with whom Swift’s exceptional songwriting resonates. For many, the feeling of being at the Eras Tour cannot be captured in words or any word other than “amazing”. It can not be described. Rather, it is a feeling. A feeling of warmth, of happiness, of home.
