The old Taylor Swift may be dead, but the singer’s reputation as a top-notch entertainer remains intact.
Swift performed at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday night for the “reputation World Tour,” and Swifties turned out to show their love for the singer and to witness the largest production to ever come to the stadium. But with about 90,000 people, Swift still managed to make her 19th concert in Ohio intimate.
Light-up wristbands connected everyone in the stadium and made the audience feel as though they were part of Swift’s show. The flashlights on the phone weren’t needed, and Ohio Stadium was in a constant glow. During the songs, the bands would flicker and change colors, proving that Swift goes to inventive lengths to make the event one to remember.
And everyone there won’t forget the fireworks, giant snakes and cage rides. A stage-spanning LED screen made the concert viewable from even the tops of the stadium, and two substages allowed Swift to address the sides of the crowd. Swift wanted to make sure everyone felt as if she were talking to them, which is the one quality found in all of her songs.
Swift makes relatable music. Her lyrics remind people of delicate times, of love stories and of haters who are going to hate no matter what. When Swift talked, everyone listened because it felt like a conversation. She talked about her hiatus and how much she appreciated the fans who stuck by her side while she tried to figure out who she was if she didn’t have her reputation.
For one night, 90,000 people weren’t strangers. There was something that connected them all — their love for a person who put feelings into songs and said it’s OK to feel that way. And there was something special about all of those people dancing and singing to old and new songs.
The stadium is still the Home of the Buckeyes, but for one night, it was the home of Taylor Swift.
Long live Taylor Swift.
