She’s a record-breaking artist who’s won 12 Grammys, holds over 100 world records, caused earthquakes in cities, and is currently on the highest-grossing tour in the world. She is none other than Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift started her Eras tour in March of 2023. Since then, her concert has left a raving impression on her audience, with Hayden Werner, a junior, describing it as “truly incredible” and “incomparable to any event.” Her concerts have allowed people to experience something that Sophomore Hannah Moffa, would describe as “surreal” and has allowed many Swifties such as Chloe Souliere, a junior, to “sing all the songs with thousands of people around who were just as big of fans.” Taylor’s ability to perform is remarkable, with a flawless and ethereal quality that captivates audiences. Additionally, her talent extends beyond the mere execution of her work. Taylor has a unique ability to engage viewers and create an unforgettable experience, allowing many fans to go as far as making friendship bracelets for people they have yet to meet. Along with Swift turning every stadium into a sold-out show, she has also transformed it into a giant family. You feel connected to everyone there because many grew up listening to her. Mr. Houvourous, an art teacher here at AHS, illustrates her impact perfectly, conveying how it is “unprecedented in concert and pop music history, seeing tens of thousands of women supporting another woman.” Taylor Swift’s fans have witnessed both her impressive performance skills and the challenges that come with extended performances.
Her genre-bending tour has caused many fans to experience sensory overload in a way so profound they lose recollection of the event. Hannah Moffa said she “ did experience memory loss” and doesn’t “remember the evermore section” due to the immense emotions from singing. Hayden Werner gave another insight into why sensory overload may occur “3+ hours of fully produced live performances is bound to be draining on anyone.”
This statement may be true for some; it prompts the audience to ask themselves what improvements could be made and why some people are hesitant to attend despite positive reviews. Caley McClure, a senior, addresses this by commenting, “Her tickets are pricey and many simply couldn’t afford to go.” She also noted that “people were reselling tickets for more than intended.” This a hard-hitting truth many Swifties had to face waiting over six hours on Ticketmaster only to find out their tickets were sold out or resold for over 2,000 dollars. Another issue with the Eras tour was what Caley McClure would describe as the “Taylor Swift hate bandwagon.” Some individuals who opposed her Eras tour were unaware of her skills or had criticized her for past mistakes. Mr. Houvourous gave more insight into this with the example of a comedian who apologized after experiencing the Eras tour for “doubting her [Taylor Swift] musicianship because he didn’t realize what a great performer she was and what great songs she had,” In addition to this, many had criticisms about the stadium’s management and fans. Hayden Werner gave his take on the stadium management describing how there was a “45-minute line just to exit the stadium” and the fans around him were less than ideal singing “to the point where I could barely hear Taylor perform.” While it can be agreed that it is reasonable for the fans to be screaming their heart out to Taylor, it doesn’t seem appropriate to drown out the singer herself. Regardless of the slight criticism, those who went would highly recommend it.
Despite losing her voice and experiencing ringing in her ears, concertgoer Chloe Souliere said the Eras concert “was absolutely worth it.” Hannah Moffa would agree, expressing it was “definitely worth going to the concert because I had been listening to her my whole life” and mentioned the overall concert made up for the memory loss. Overall, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour is truly remarkable and lives up to the excitement surrounding it, leaving a memorable impression.
