When walking into the third night of the Eras Tour during Taylor Swift’s run in Foxborough, Massachusetts, I had no idea what to expect. There is no way to truly prepare for a Taylor Swift show. I had been watching TikTok live streams of the surprise songs and feeling the pain of her singing my favorites, but still the joy that a whole other audience of listeners had the chance to witness those moments. The Eras Tour has already become a cultural phenomenon, and the North American run is only halfway through. We could start here or, in the spirit of revisiting the past, we could start at the beginning.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing Taylor Swift three times before. I skipped the last day of third grade to take the train to New York City to see her on the “Today Show” in 2009 with my mom. It was pouring rain for most of it, but when she emerged from her trench coat into a sparkly blue dress, I was in awe. At nine years old, I was too short to really see, but even just watching through iPad and phone screens was enough for me.
Fourteen years later on May 21, 2023, I was greeted by the sound of music over the speakers and small video insights into the making of her most recent music videos and their respective albums on a beautiful Sunday evening. The energy was electric as over 60,000 people poured in. Patriot Place was packed with fans of all ages trading friendship bracelets in line for merchandise and complimenting one another’s outfits. The level of joy in the open stadium was through the roof, creating core memories for every ticket holder and even those without who sat on the steps and watched the big screen from outside.
Gracie Abrams was the first to take the stage, warming up the crowd. The pop singer-songwriter was excited as ever as she energized the crowd. Her songs contained a mix of emotion-filled lyrics and catchy melodies. A fellow Aaron Dessner collaborator, it was great to see her shine on stage as she wore a Red Sox t-shirt. One of the highlights was the entire stadium screaming ‘sorry’ back to her during “21,” to her excitement. It was hard to believe that she hadn’t played stadiums regularly with her confidence, singing to the crowd as if they were her own. She’s an up-and-coming artist that you don’t want to miss.
Next, Phoebe Bridgers took the stage and the crowd by storm. Walking out to “Down With The Sickness” by Disturbed, she dove right into “Motion Sickness,” much to the crowd’s excitement. Her voice filled the stadium along with a full band – including a trumpet that melded perfectly with her sound. Massachusetts welcomed her with open arms as the crowd sang every lyric back to her, clearly connecting with her melancholy sound and meaningful lyrics. This was the second to last weekend that Phoebe was on the Eras Tour and had been changing her set nightly with one surprise song, similar to the style of Taylor’s own setlist. She was winding down touring her Punisher album and announced that this would likely be the final time she’d play the titular track before going into the angelic melody of the song about the complicated relationship between fan and artist. From there, she went into “Graceland Too” where fans grew teary-eyed as they sang the line ‘She knows she went through it to get to this moment’ – a sentiment that touched the people in the audience who have been waiting years to be right there.
Following the previous night’s performance in the pouring rain, the sunshine was welcome weather as colorful wings emerged during an intro that went through all of her eras. The flowy fabric that the dancers used pulled back to reveal Taylor Swift as she sang “It’s been a long time coming” while the stadium erupted in screams. It had been five years since her presence had graced Gillette Stadium and it was well worth the wait. The Lover era welcomed the crowd in – likely an ode to Loverfest, her shows that were canceled due to the pandemic. She was shining like the star she is, donning a bedazzled bodysuit as she sang to the crowd. She proudly announced her first bridge for “Cruel Summer,” and it was very likely that the entire town of Foxborough heard the words ‘He looks up grinning like a devil.’ It was even more special when, before “The Man,” she recognized how incredible it was that she was performing her 13th show at Gillette Stadium. Gillette Stadium has always had a special relationship with Taylor, seeing as it was her first rain show and her first stadium. Thirteen years later, the crowd was just as excited to be spending the night with her as she was with them. The set ended with a beautiful rendition of “The Archer” where she reminded her fans that while others may leave, they stayed.
Next, we arrived at the Fearless Era, which was extra special, seeing as it was her first re-recording. The set began with “Fearless” where she sang her heart out as she played the guitar, her hands forming a heart for the audience, just like on the Fearless Tour itself. She revisited “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story,” two of her biggest hits, while the entire audience jumped up and down to sing with her. It felt surreal to sing the songs that she wrote as a teenager with her as we’ve all grown up. Swifties young and old sang in unison as it hit us that we were in for a magical night.
Trees rose from the ground as Swift transitioned to the evermore era. Beginning with “‘tis the damn season,” Swift sang about a hometown love before transitioning into “willow” with her own cult of witches. This is where Swift’s creative vision excels, with small glowing orbs integrated into the choreography to look like the dancers and Swift are truly doing magic. The music had been reworked to be more haunting and dramatic as Swift donned a cape, smoke filling the stage. This was the first album that had not been played in front of an audience at all with the exception of “willow” being integrated into her Grammys medley. During “marjorie,” an ode to Taylor’s grandmother, the stadium lit up completely – this time due to phones rather than her signature light bracelets. The most anticipated moment of the set was when the singer sat at a mossy piano in a dome of trees to sing “champagne problems” while the arena screamed back to her the words “What a shame she’s fucked in the head.” The crowd cheered for three minutes and thirty-six seconds, according to TikTok user milehighbrendan who has been tracking the longest cheers of the tour. Gillette Night 3 managed to snag the number two spot before being cut off by Swift. She remarked on how she knew this was “not normal” to her, a sentiment echoed later in the set by her and Phoebe Bridgers.
As snake imagery flashed across the screen, the light bracelets coordinated to put together a snake that slithered across the audience. Suddenly, I was brought back to July 2018 when Gillette Stadium was last graced with Taylor Swift’s presence for the “Reputation Tour.” The set began with the familiar three-hit beat of “…Ready For It?” while the crowd erupted. As the final high note hit in the song, steam came up from the stage to create an even more powerful moment. “Delicate” was a song that was ushered in with the chant of “One, two, three, let’s go bitch” popularized by a fan during the “Reputation Stadium Tour” and now a tradition embraced by Swift herself. The set ended with a rendition of “Look What You Made Me Do” as Taylor performed with dancers dressed as herself from all of her past eras. She goes from one caged dancer to another, trying to free her past selves from where they were being held captive.
From snakes emerged purple sparkles and echoes of “Please don’t be in love with someone else” as the opening notes of “Enchanted” played. The only track from Speak Now in her main set, Swift emerged in a pink floral dress to deliver one of her best vocal performances of the night. Surrounded by beautiful dancers, the singer was elevated up on a platform as she belted. If this is only a taste of the vocals that she’ll be bringing to Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the fans are in for a treat.
The Red Era brought us to the second re-released album of the night, beginning with 22. During the song, Taylor handed her hat to a fan and held their hand, creating a core memory for the lucky one that was chosen. The real shining moment of the set was when Taylor donned a sparkly black and red jacket and her guitar. She spoke about the process of rerecording her albums and how scary it was for her – unsure if the fans would even care. But the fans proved that they did care, with both rerecordings now amassing more Spotify plays than the originals. One of the most exciting parts, according to Swift, was being able to go back to the songs that didn’t make the cut. When doing so, she was able to collaborate with one of her favorite artists who just so happened to be one of the Eras Tour openers – Phoebe Bridgers. She joined Swift to sing their song “Nothing New,” and there wasn’t a single dry eye in the crowd. Not many artists can perform a ten-minute song, but Taylor Swift took on the challenge for every night of the tour and made All Too Well (10 Minute Version) a staple in her set. Not only was she singing for ten straight minutes, but she was also playing the guitar, a feat in itself. The song itself was one of the highlights of the entire night.
The seasons changed from fall to winter and then spring as a cabin emerged with Taylor laying on the roof to usher us into the folkloric forest. The set began with “the 1” where Swift reminisces about a love that she wished would’ve lasted. From there, she transitioned into “betty” where she spoke about the teenage love triangle that she’d created before diving into the second song in the trio. For Foxborough, “the last great american dynasty” was extra special, given that it takes place just an hour away from the stadium. There was a special moment when Swift locked eyes with the dancer representing Rebekah Harkness, the woman who the song is about, right after singing about how she bought the house, becoming “the loudest woman this town has ever seen.” Taylor Swift was the embodiment of effortlessness during “august” where she floated across the stage. I personally was ecstatic that she included “illicit affairs” in the setlist, falling to her knees during the song. “my tears ricochet” had the dancers in a funeral procession for Swift’s metaphoric wake. The folklore set ended with Taylor Swift singing “cardigan” – some of the last words being uttered being ‘You’d come back’ – with a shy smile on her face as she looked back at the crowd who did indeed come back.
The 1989 era might have been the most anticipated one of the night by the screams as “Style” began. Swift was sparkling as she strutted her way down the catwalk, proving that she indeed “never go[es] out of style.” This was a set of dancing, the entire crowd on their feet – some never having sat down since the moment she came out. “Shake It Off” made the crowd go wild, singing their hearts off as Taylor danced with them with a smile. During “Bad Blood,” they brought out the pyrotechnics which made the stadium heat up with jaws dropping at the production. She encouraged fans to join her in chanting the lyrics to the Kendrick Lamar remix of the track – mouthing along as attendees shouted “You forgive, you forget, but you never let it go.”
Afterward, the production went away and Taylor Swift alone made her way to the end of the stage. This part of the show was where Taylor shined the most. She picked up a guitar to begin one of her two surprise songs – where she switches up songs every night and takes a dive through her discography to play for the audience. The first thing she said about the first track was that she never played it live before, gasps echoing across the stadium. The next hint she gave was how it was written with Jack Antonoff, being a frequent collaborator of hers. The last hint she gave was that it was off of the album Lover before diving into “I Think He Knows” where she couldn’t help smiling as she sang. The bracelets lit pink as she belted the chorus, pure joy emanating all around. Next, Swift moved over to the piano where she began to test the chords to the following song. However, the piano had been damaged from the previous night’s rain show and began playing keys on its own. Like a pro, she moved to the guitar and took all of 30 seconds to adjust and begin the titular track off of Red. It was just another example of how skilled of a musician she is, effortlessly able to pivot when mishaps happen.
Midnights was the final set of the night, full of sparkles and joy. “Lavender Haze” was filled with floating clouds and Taylor’s dreamy vocals, dancing all the way through “Anti-Hero” as she made her way back and forth across the stage to sing to sections that she hadn’t before. One thing about Taylor Swift is she’ll make sure everyone feels like they’re being sung to personally, connecting with every fan in the audience. “Midnight Rain” featured a costume change where Taylor fell into the arms of her dancers as they covered her with umbrellas, one of the dancers performing in front with the umbrella for a beautiful solo. A sparkly dress was replaced with a midnight blue bodysuit. “Bejeweled” was a joy-filled performance, featuring an interpretation of Mikael Arellano’s famous TikTok dance. Taylor Swift proved that she can indeed “still make the whole place shimmer.” The choreography during “Mastermind” was beautiful, with the dancers shining during this number. To end the evening, everyone donned sparkly fringe jackets for “Karma” as fireworks went off above the stage. It was obvious that everyone on stage, from the dancers to the singers and musicians to Taylor herself, was having the time of their life during this number.
Taylor Swift’s shows are jaw-dropping. She puts on a spectacle and invites the audience in to enjoy her music and have as much fun as she is. There’s a real sense of community at these shows, from fans trading friendship bracelets in line for the bathroom to the collective gasp at the reveal of the surprise songs. The stamina that every person on this tour has is remarkable. There are very few people who could perform for nearly three and a half hours and even fewer who would still have more music they could play after the fact. With this tour, Swift proves that she’s at the top of her game. There truly is no competition when it comes to the question of who is the world’s biggest pop star. Not only does she show just how hardworking she is and how skilled of a musician she is, but she still takes the time to highlight everyone on stage with her. Taylor Swift is a musical legend, showing all of her contemporaries that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Each time you doubt her, she’ll prove you wrong every time. The Eras Tour is truly a night to remember, and if you’re privileged enough to snag a ticket to this tour, you’re in for one of the best nights of your life.
