She Served, but at What Cost? | Taylor Swift Eras Tour Review

Reviewing the Saturday show of the Eras Tour

Well, it finally happened. The letter you’ve been waiting for. The time has come for me to review the notorious Eras Tour. Or as my mom said, “how was THE RACIST?!” Like I told my mother, these tickets were bought before she was even allegedly with said racist so at this point, I just had to suck it up and enjoy myself. I figured I would figure out where my stanning lies after the concert because what else was there to do.

I will be going album by album and providing a gallery of pictures that I took. I tried really hard to get some good pictures since I knew y’all would be waiting for this letter. This post will definitely be too long for your email so make sure you click view entire message or download the substack app to see the entire thing.

Me and my bestie Micheal who became best friends after binging all of Taylors videos on random night in 2019. I went as Reputation (I almost just wore my haim shirt but I thought this would be cuter) and she went as a mix of Lover and Debut.

---

Pre-Concert

The clock came on at 7:53pm. Taylor said we have a schedule!

Me and Micheal got to the stadium pretty early. After all the concerts I’ve been too this month I did not want to deal with an annoying crowd, so I wanted to get there before it got crazy. Besides the bus we were supposed to take breaking down and then having to take another bus that put us on the side of the road. Which made us walk around the stadium next to the highway. I would say arriving to the area honestly wasn’t as bad as I was expecting.

All the Swifties were dressed in the different eras. It was a good mix, but I felt like I saw mostly: 1989 (gold sequined dress), Speak Now (purple dresses), Midnights (Multicolored Jewels), and Reputation (black/newspaper). The Swifties are still drawing the 13 on their hands that was a shock. Kids who weren’t even old enough to remember when Taylor started doing that! That was a shock. Swifties really do their homework. I did the math and the younger Swifties have to be 17 or older to be ALIVE when debut came out. I’m truly getting too old for this shit.

I was kind of giving her a side eye for playing About You by the 1975 twice before the show. But I was happy that she played 3am and My song 5 by Haim. I did laugh hearing In ha Mood beforehand. But as we know I think she actually likes Ice Spice, so I was just laughing along with the mess.

Gracie Abrams was cute! I didn’t know what she said but she was cute! I did make a joke that she sounds like what Olivia Rodrigo thinks she sounds like. Unnecessary but true. Phoebe was good as expected but I did go to the bathroom after Kyoto because I knew the line was going to be long. good thing I did because Taylor actually started like 7 minutes early.

Lover

This section ate. Everything I could have wanted. I mean I would have loved the entirety of Miss Americana, but I’ll take what I can get. Cruel Summer was worth the wait. One of her best bridges but i’m sure y’all know that. With the big seashell looking props that the dancers had it was really giving cirque du soleil and I was here for it! The choreo during the man was giving Haim.¹ a little bit. I could have done without the Archer but that was for the Lover stans. I also have to mention that it kind of hit me how cool it is that Taylor is aligning herself with gay people because she is literally the biggest pop star in the world. Even if You Need to Calm down is kind of cringey during the concert I was like okay that’s cool.

Fearless

that was real fire mixed with the backdrop

This section was perfect. No notes. The dress. The transition from lover into Fearless. hearing You Belong with Me and Love Story for the first time was life changing. Bitch I was in my best dress Fearless!!!! Definitely healed my inner child.

Evermore

She got on the table during tolerate it. If there is one thing taylor is its a performer.

This section was actually less of a snooze than I thought it was going to be. I was shaking my ass a little bit to tis the damn season and willow! I loved the witch propaganda since I kind of dressed like a witch a little bit. I did sit down during Marjorie RIP to her though. This section wasn’t enough to make me want to listen to Evermore though. But she gave it her best shot. I realized after that I didn’t really see anyone dressed up as Folklore and Evermore. I think I saw literally one person dressed as Evermore.

Reputation

This was Taylor in her element. I would do anything for Reputation Taylor to come back. The picture of little Taylor and big Taylor is really funny to me

This is what I was waiting for. ….Ready For It was perfect. Her outfit was perfect. Delicate was perfect. Don’t Blame me actually was fun! She was really feeling it during that one. She really did all the ad libs at the end and everything. Look What You Made Me Do was such a banger live. Forever kicking myself that I didn’t go to the reputation world tour. The only thing that could have made this perfect was if she did, I Did Something Bad. Or Getaway car but I’ll get to that.

Speak Now

Or should I say Enchanted section. Enchanted was really cute and her dress was super pretty. This section was honestly gorgeous. The dancers really sold it. She really dragged it out. Now I can see why people weren’t complaining about the Speak Now section because she really distracted them. But not me. I am still mad about her only playing one song each night. But until I see some of my notes applied it doesn’t make sense for me to make more! All I know is Crazier better be on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) or I will have to bring her to the red table again. That’s like your best song Taylor²! Don’t piss me off!

Red

Her hair this era is giving Red Taylor and I love that. Natalie if youre reading this this section is dedicated to you.

At this point I was just riding the high of the concert. 22 and We are Never Getting Back Together were such bangers live. Seeing her in the iconic 22 outfit won me over I’m not gonna lie. I love I Knew You Were Trouble, so I was excited about that. She had to cut the second verse to make room for All Too Well (10 Minute Version). Listen, I’ll be the first one to say that people need to stop playing this song in public.³ But hearing it live was honestly life changing. It doesn’t feel like 10 minutes every time it’s played. I’ll give her that. I even started tearing up during it. I mean the song is emotional as hell. The part that always gets me is “you said if we would have been closer in age maybe it would have been fine. And that made me want to die” because that was so REAL. She also brought out Phoebe to do Nothing New and that was really cool.

Folklore

This dress was my favorite of the night. The Underwater picture gives "I levitated" from the Lemonade Film ajkdnjsnn

This was also what I was waiting on. Hearing the 1 live was worth the wait. Honestly all of them were worth the wait. My tears ricochet is one of my favorite Taylor songs and I was so happy that it was on the set list. Truly thought I was going to lose my voice by how loud I screamed “when I’m Screaming at the sky.” I could have done without Last Great American Dynasty, but I know she loves that song, so I wasn’t shocked. Betty made me super emotional because she talked about how she made it because she loves writes songs about when teenager boys apologize. Because that never happens. Cardigan also made me cry. Ugh Folklore is just such a good album. I have to mention that the 13-year-old girl that was next to me sat down during the entire Folklore section and even asked me what the first couple of songs were. Then she told me that she didn’t really know any of the songs on that album. I have to note that she came dressed as Fearless Taylor. An album that she was probably barely even old enough to remember. Anyway, this was worth all the stress this woman has put me through.

1989

The bikes were lit up and for a second it was really giving Tron: Legacy

So, 1989 was the album that made me truly fall in love with Taylor. Like for me there will never be another time like how obsessed I was with this album. My favorite Taylor Swift song is Clean. So, to say I was excited for this section was an understatement. Style was definitely worth the wait. Even Shake it Off and Blank Space were super fun in the moment. Wildest Dreams is a great song, so I was bopping. Bad Blood gagged me. She didn’t do any of the verses and during the last chorus fire shot up out of the stadium as she walked down, and it was so fucking cool. It happened so fast that I didn’t even get a video or a picture. I was also gagged that the crowd did the Kendrick part during the bridge. Something I knew that they did that but, in the moment, I forgot, and it was very funny. I wish she brought out Kendrick to do his part lmfao. I have to note that at the end of this section I looked over and the little girl next to me was gone. I had to give it to her. I can’t blame her for leaving during Shake it Off.

Secret Songs

this dress was cute too. She looks really good in green.

Alright here is where we have to talk miss swift. During all of the highlights and the show I somehow forgot about the secret songs by the time we got there. She did Holy Ground and False God. Both of which I was fine with! Holy Ground is iconic and False God is a great song. False God has actually been in my head since the concert. Both have lyrics about New York, so it makes sense. It wasn’t until I found out that she did Clean AGAIN at the Sunday show. Then I got mad. I didn’t even think that was an option! She already did Clean, so she literally broke her rule of not repeating any songs. I just. I can’t. This is why I said she served but at what cost. The cost was my sanity. Like I said Clean is my #1 favorite Taylor song. So, this is just a personal dig. She said that she did Clean because when she did it the first time it was in a lower key, so she wanted to do it again⁴.

Yes, she did Welcome to New York as well which sucks, but I wouldn’t have been mad if I got Clean. That was a low blow miss swift. One thing I think I’ll never be able to get over. Then again being disappointed in her is something I am used to at this point. It also stings because she did Getaway Car with Jack Antonoff on Friday. While these songs were good, I can’t help but feel like I got cheated. Especially since the 27th was the actual first day that was on the tour and the other two were added⁵. I hate when artists don’t do anything for the original days. Cough cough Charli XCX during the Charli tour cough cough⁶. I think that the Sunday show honestly got cheated the most because they got Welcome to New York and then they didn’t even get a song that she didn’t do before. So honestly, I should just sit here and eat my food because at least we got 2 songs that she hadn’t done before. But idk I just can’t let her off the hook that easy. For the next tour Taylor how about, you stop making Suprise songs that should just be on the set list and then this can all be avoided.

Midnights

The costumes for this section were really pretty. Ice Spice looked incredible. Her outfit was just perfect.

This section was honestly super fun! Truthfully, I listened to Midnights once and then again once prepping for the concert. But this made me want to go back and listen to it! When she did the chair choreo during Vigilante Shit I kind of lost it. I have never seen her be convincingly sexy and that convinced me. I wish we could put videos on here because she really ate that. I am SO happy that Ice Spice came out. I couldn’t hear a thing that she was saying because everyone was screaming so loud. But she looked amazing like holy shit. This satisfied me knowing I won’t be seeing her at Gov Ball because I will be seeing Haim and they are at the same time. Ice Spice just always looks like she has something better she could be doing and honestly, I love that. Let women be nonchalant! This section succeeded in making me want to listen to Midnights again. I haven’t yet. But I might eventually.

---

Overall, the concert was honestly incredible! I have my same notes from before but in the moment, I just let loose and tried to enjoy myself which I can definitely say that I did. I would give the concert a 9/10 because of my notes that were not applied and because of how hurt I am that I didn’t hear Clean during the secret songs. The sheer production value was unbelievable. I mean this woman has all the money in the world, so I didn’t expect anything less than extravagant. But seeing it all in person is insane. We were on the floor so we couldn’t see the actually stage the entire time, but it was lit up and was a part of the show and it was so cool. Taylor is a really incredible performer, and no one can take that away from her. I just hope next time there isn’t as much drama surrounding her tour and that she doesn’t piss me off as much leading up to the concert👩🏿‍⚖️

1. IYKYK

2. I know most swifties will say its All Too Well (10 min version) which is objectively true but I just want more swifties to talk about crazier because that is one of her best songs idc.

3. This song is so emotional! Sometimes I don’t want to be on the verge of tears right before the Sabrina Carpenter concert!

4. MY boss and I think that this kind of proves that she is going to release some sort of live film, album, or something. So, she needed to do clean again so they can use that take and not the other one. Which makes sense. But it still makes me mad.

5. I’m pretty sure this is true but I need a hardcore Swiftie to fact check

6. This is beef from 2019 but basically Charli brought out people for the show before mine and did nothing for our show. She even noted that we were the actual first day and didn’t even bring out the drag queens for Vroom Vroom.