Review and Gallery: Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour at MetLife, a Twinkling Dance Through Time
“IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING” — is the first line fans hear when Taylor Swift emerges for her first tour in five years. The Eras Tour, one of the most anticipated and publicized tours of the decade, came to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Friday, May 26 for the first of a three-night run. Swift played for a crowd of over 72K adoring fans, who danced and cried throughout the three hour and 40 minute set, as they welcomed four albums worth of new content to the stage. Swift is an artist who never sacrifices quality for quantity, and the exuberant production, performance, and setlist of The Eras Tour were no exception.
Hands adorned with the number 13 (an ode to Swift’s lucky number) filled the stadium, as others dressed as obscure details from her songs. One concertgoer wore face paint and a full-body dog suit, dyed green in reference to a “key lime green” dog in folklore’s “the last great american dynasty.” Light-up wristbands were distributed at the entrance to the stadium, which would later palpitate and change color to the beat according to the respective era.
Fan-made chants that accompany songs such as “Delicate” (“1, 2, 3, let’s go bitch!”) serve as concert rituals. Most endearing of all, fans traded friendship bracelets sporting song names and quirky Swift-related phrases as I stood in the photo pit. For a stadium show, the energy felt pleasantly communal and cozy, which was acknowledged by Swift herself. Speaking on touring in the past, she described how connecting with the crowd this tour “has redefined that experience for me.”
The night began with two openers, launched by GAYLE, who played a short but amplified set including “everybody hates me” and “abcdefu.” Phoebe Bridgers, a musical inspiration and collaborator of Swift, followed, walking out to heavy metal music to juxtapose her serene voice while decorated in skeletal motifs. Although the venues Bridgers typically plays are a fraction of this size, “I Know the End” was delivered like it was designed for a grand stadium, topped with its signature cathartic scream. As the coolness of the night time air crept in, the crowd was warmed up.
Swift was dedicated to the theme of her eras, dividing her set album by album as she traversed her expansive discography. The outfits, lighting, and stage props corresponded with the world of each album impeccably. Opening with Lover, fans were able to hear songs they have been waiting for since 2019, after the heavily anticipated Lover Fest tour was canceled due to the pandemic. “Cruel Summer,” one of the token songs in Swift’s expert bridge-writing catalog, especially made fans erupt.
Through eras such as 1989, the featured songs were expected, as the bedazzled radio hits including “Blank Space,” “Shake It Off,” and “Bad Blood” were delivered with vibrant dancers and flashy outfits. For others, songs that I would never have forecasted were spotlighted. Evermore boasted the most unpredictable delivery to me for various reasons. “’tis the damn season” kicked off the era, and deep-cut “tolerate it” concluded it as Swift sat at a dimly-lit dining room table opposite an unappreciative partner, crawling across the furniture bidding for the admiration she deserves. During “willow,” the album that typically feels reachable and down-to-earth became mythological, flaunting witches and spells.
Folklore transported concertgoers to the depths of a forest with a whimsical and encapsulating stage design, as Swift shared tales of her own in her speeches. She explained that she began writing folklore soon into 2020’s lockdown, detailing that writing this album allowed her to pretend she wasn’t “a millennial woman who disinfects her groceries.”
Clever, sharp-witted lyrics swathed in infectious pop melodies are a staple of Swift’s appeal. Her ability to captivate others with her words and actions travels far beyond her songwriting. From the famous Easter eggs fans try to dissect in her music videos and social media posts to the enchanting monologues she delivers to crowds, Swift knows exactly how to keep people’s attention. The amount she filled up the stadium’s massive stage was equally impressive. Folklore’s life-size cabin can especially attest to that.
The only breaks in her performance occurred as she swiftly traveled from one era to another, and even then, there was always something to entrance the audience. After reputation, a snake slithered away to reveal a hazy purple screen, hinting at Swift’s third studio album, Speak Now. Introducing RED was a dancer opening a large box teasing snippets of the album’s various tracks. Swift’s performance becomes even more impressive when you realize she does this on consecutive nights.
The most notable points of the evening included the impressively smooth transitions between songs and Swift’s stellar pacing as she abbreviated tracks in order to execute a long list of 44 tracks across the night. “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” however, was awarded its full-length glory as miniscule snow-like confetti trickled down and dusted the audience. Lengthy for a chart-topping track, the wordiness and poignance of the song is addictive.
The most stunning, gut-wrenching parts of the night included folklore’s blissful and sun-kissed “august,” followed by Swift’s twirling and gleam suddenly dropping, and she unexpectedly breaks into the striking and confrontational bridge of “illicit affairs,” coming back down to earth from a sugar-coated memory. During the evermore set, “Marjorie,” a song about Swift’s late grandmother — which features the opera singer’s voice vibrating throughout the stadium — led fans to raise illuminated phone flashlights in synchrony. Swift acknowledged the motion after the song concluded, deeming it a “telepathic” communication within the audience “that’s creating a very emotional experience for me.” “Champagne problems” generated a roaring standing ovation that lasted over three minutes in length as Swift stood in silence, basking in the applause. “You will get a treat later for that,” she finally chimed in.
Though her setlist remains nearly unchanged each night, the two acoustic “surprise songs” of each show — a fan favorite part of the tour — give each show a unique twist. Swift noted that she has yet to repeat a song, though that changed during night three, when she sang “Clean” for the second time this tour. But MetLife night one was treated to “Getaway Car” and “Maroon,” both of which were considered a win by fans. The crowd received extra special surprises during this segment, with a music video premiere for “Karma” featuring Bronx-born Ice Spice (who later joined Swift on stage to perform the show’s closing song), and a surprise “Getaway Car” duet with producer, multi-instrumentalist, and proud New Jersey native Jack Antonoff.
Midnights closed the show, her most recent release that merges confessionals such as “Midnight Rain” with shimmering, sugary pop tracks such as “Karma.” Penultimate song of the night “Mastermind,” one of Midnights’ more mellow tracks, felt fitting for the occasion, with lyrics “What if I told you I’m a mastermind?” It felt like Swift was getting to have her moment, and served as her thesis of the night after having spent over three and a half hours on stage with every move, prop, dancer, and monologue executed with great precision and intention.
Colorful confetti as an ode to each album era bidded fans farewell. The evening affirmed what we already knew: Taylor Swift is an industrious performer, an intellectual, and a true professional — and she knows exactly what she is doing.
View a full gallery from the evening below.
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