Taylor Swift came out of tour hibernation on March 17 and 18 in Glendale, Arizona, for the first two nights of The Eras Tour. After all of the Ticketmaster troubles, I’m sure fans and Swift alike were relieved to finally make it to the show. Her opening night even broke Madonna’s record for most attended female concert in history.
Swifties took to every social media platform to share photos, videos and spoilers for those of us living vicariously through those lucky enough to have already attended. While I have seen nothing but amazing feedback, I am not going to lie. I was kind of surprised by her setlist.
When I saw the setlist, the last song I expected to see at the top was “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” I love this song, but I loved the idea of opening with “Out of the Woods” and even opening with her first song “Tim McGraw” would’ve been emotional. I was also surprised that on opening night she only sang one song each from “Speak Now” and her debut album; however, it is very possible it is because she doesn’t own those albums. Some fans think she might release the re-recorded versions during the tour which would most likely result in seeing them more on the setlist.
Also, I adore what she is doing with the surprise song. Each show, she sings one random song between “1989” and “Midnights.” This gives fans something to predict, look forward to and it definitely personalizes their experience. So far, the surprise songs have been “mirrorball” and “this is me trying” which would be amazing live.
As we all know, Swift is a mastermind ahead of the game. She is known to plant “easter eggs” that reveal hints about upcoming music or merch. Currently, Swifties are predicting that the shirts she wears during her “Red” era on stage is an easter egg to announce “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” Honestly, sometimes I think the lengths fans go to make an easter egg out of nothing is hilarious, but this time I really think they’re onto something. Both shirts have red letters on them that, when unscrambled, can spell “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” I love this and can’t wait to see if it still works after her next show.
The last thing that Swift did absolutely correctly was the outfits. The purple and blue bejeweled bodysuit for her “Lover” set is everything and more. It perfectly captured the essence of that album. During that set she also changed into a bedazzled blazer to sing “The Man” which was just perfect. The catsuit for “Reputation” was also on theme; the red snake-like figures against the black made the look. While I loved the “Speak Now” gowns and the whimsical “Folklore” dresses, my favorite is going to have to be the “Midnights” dress with the purple fur coat.
This 3 hour setlist full of easter eggs, surprises, throwbacks and stunning outfits is top tier. I’m so excited to see more reactions, photos and videos from the rest of The Eras Tour.
Layne Rey is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.
