It feels like no matter what you were doing last summer, there was always one person dominating headlines and the radio: Taylor Swift. Swift’s Eras Tour wrapped up its first leg in the United States just over a month ago and is now going overseas through November. The Eras Tour is projected to gross over $1 billion, making it the most successful stadium tour of all time. I think it is time that the world makes it official; 2023 is the year of Taylor Swift.
Taylor had amassed an electric fan base that was more excited for her music than ever before, and she responded with the Eras Tour: a nationwide stadium tour encapsulating all ten albums (or Eras) of Taylor’s music. The announcement was so successful that fans ultimately bought 2 million tickets on the first day (the most tickets ever sold for one artist in a single day) and ticket presales ended up frequently crashing the Ticketmaster website. Taylor started her U.S. leg in March of 2023 in Glendale, Arizona, where she opened to a crowd of nearly 69 thousand fans, the largest concert gathering for a female artist (snatching the record from even Madonna).
Last June, I attended night one of Swift’s Eras Tour at Soldier Field with my girlfriend, and it transformed me. Fireworks, confetti, proposals, and more; the energy of the stadium was unlike any other event I had ever attended. The concertgoers knew every single lyric and at times were the only thing to be heard. It was an unforgettable concert experience. Before the concert, I was just a simple Taylor Swift fan; but now, I am a certified “Swiftie.”
While Taylor continues to smash records, not everyone is easily convinced about being a “Swiftie.” The most common complaint I hear about Swift’s music is that it’s too repetitive or “all the same song.” However, one perk of Swift’s vast library is that she has many distinctive styles. There is a Taylor album for everyone, and it will certainly make you slightly more attractive in a party scene if you can talk with confidence about your favorite one. If you’re still not convinced, I recommend the following three songs as starting points for the uninitiated.
- “Reputation” is a great starting point if you fall in the previously mentioned “all her music sounds the same” category. It is one of Swift’s most important albums and my personal favorite.
- “Red (Taylor’s Version)” is a serene look into love, both the positive and negative; an easy top three in Taylor’s catalog and the best album for sulking and thinking about the ones who got away.
- “Midnights” certainly has a couple of misfires (sorry Snow on the Beach, I just can’t), but is perfect for rekindling your love for Taylor if you used to be a big fan but stopped listening.
Taylor may just be another artist, but she means much more to a lot of people around the world. She inspires and serves as a beacon of hope and glamor in a world that is all too hopeless and dark at times. I can say confidently that after one blockbuster tour, two album releases, and now even a movie on its way, Taylor Swift has captured our hearts and officially made 2023 her year, and I cannot wait for what else she has in store.