INGLEWOOD, Calif. − Tens of thousands of sequined young people sing and chant in unison. Many cry, others scream uncontrollably. All eyes are trained on the woman in the center, the person many credit with changing their lives for the better.
No, it’s not a cult or a religious revival (though you might be forgiven for thinking so). It’s the final show of the first leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, the culmination of a monumental musical odyssey both for the singer and the more than one million fans who attended − and one sure to go down in music history.
Over the past five months, Swift has performed her over three-hour-long set of nearly 45 songs despite a Ticketmaster debacle, pouring rain, a rumored break-up, a rumored new relationship and another rumored breakup. She had a heartwarming moment with Kobe Bryant’s daughter, gave life-changing $100K bonuses to her truck drivers, set the record for No. 1 albums by a female artist, boosted the economy according to the Federal Reserve, might become the first artist to have a tour gross over $1 billion and perhaps single-handedly brought more sequins to football stadiums across America than any other person in history.
And Swift shows no signs of slowing down. During her last performance at SoFi Stadium in Southern California Wednesday night, she announced − to the delight of thousands of attendees − her next album re-recording: 2014’s “1989,” home to her hits “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space” and “Welcome to New York.”
“Here we are, on the last night of the U.S. leg of the Eras tour, in the eighth month of the year, on the ninth day (of the month),” Swift said to frenzied screams, before art for the upcoming “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” due Oct. 27, flashed on the gigantic screen behind her. Leave it to Swift to drop the “1989” news on Aug. 9, AKA 8/9.
More:Taylor Swift reveals ‘1989’ as next rerecorded album at Eras tour in LA
Taylor Swift follows ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ announcement with stripped-down ‘New Romantics’
Swift’s “1989” announcement segued into her first surprise song of the night: “New Romantics,” from the “1989” album. Swift played the raucous pop hit on an acoustic guitar. It was a more stripped-down version of the song − but that didn’t stop Swifties from scream-singing and dancing along.
She then gave her second surprise song: a tender performance of “New Year’s Day,” from her 2017 album “Reputation.” As she accompanied herself on the piano, the crowd sang along while swaying back-and-forth.
“Hold on to the memories / They will hold on to you,” she sang: These lyrics seemed to hold special significance for Swift as well as for her fans seeking to savor every final moment of the tour’s first leg.
Swift clearly felt the electric buzz in the air. Following a performance of “champagne problems” from her 2020 album “evermore” early in the show, she teared up while earning a deafening standing ovation that lasted about eight minutes.
Fans welcome Taylor Swift to LA:See the friendship bracelets, glittery outfits
Fans flock from all over the world, united by friendship bracelets
Fans traveled far and wide to attend the show, bearing friendship bracelets on their wrists as well as attire that nodded to the various eras of Swift’s career. Some even went for costumes that referenced niche lyrics, such as Peter Pan (“Peter losing Wendy”) and a moth holding a match (“He was a moth to the flame / She was holding matches”).
College student Alexa Avalos attended with a friend, both of whom came from Tijuana, Mexico. Together, they made over 200 friendship bracelets over the course of four months in anticipation for the event. Swifties famously trade the home-made jewelry among each other at concerts.
“It means the world to me,” Avalos, who wore a “Reputation” shirt, says of the show. “This is like an asteroid for today’s pop culture. … She’s the music industry right now.”
Television writer Katie Lunskis says she got last minute “miracle” tickets two weeks ago thanks to a surprise Ticketmaster email while on the way to the dentist. She couldn’t stop smiling − or talking − about the tickets through her appointment, much to her dentist’s chagrin.
She attended with her friend, TV literary agent Melissa Darman, who compared the Eras tour to a musical moment akin to Woodstock or other shows of historic caliber.
“My dad saw the Beatles at Fenway Park, and, to me, I still think about that,” Darman says, noting the Eras tour will be a similar experience for her.
What’s next for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour?
All good things must eventually come to an end. But, luckily for Swifties, the Eras tour isn’t over yet. On Aug. 3, Swift announced more North American dates for late 2024 in a second leg, starting Oct. 18-20 in Miami. She also has shows set for New Orleans, Indianapolis and Toronto.
Later this month, Swift will take her Eras tour to Mexico, then restart in South America in November. Throughout 2024, she’ll perform in Japan, Australia, Singapore and Europe.
