Taylor Swift is “the music industry,” the late Barbara Walters said in 2014, ahead of her sit-down interview with the superstar. At the time, Swift had just released her fifth studio album and first entirely pop LP, “1989” (2014). Nine Octobers later, with the premiere of “The Eras Tour” film adaptation, this sentiment remains true. On opening weekend alone, the film grossed over $125 million at the international box office.
In the last 17 years, Swift has not only dipped her toe in diverse musical waters but successfully tread until she controlled the current. Pandemic-born records “folklore” (2020) and “evermore” (2020) saw her experimenting with, and subsequently popularizing, indie-folk music. Albeit artistically fulfilling, Swift’s decision to constantly reinvent herself originated out of necessity.
“We do exist in this society where women in entertainment are discarded in an elephant graveyard at 35,” Swift said in her documentary “Miss Americana” (2020). “Be new to us, be young to us … but only in a way that we find to be equally comforting but also a challenge for you.”
With every album cycle, Swift would don a unique aesthetic to sustain excitement. On the precipice of her 20s, she grew weary of this “burnout” curse. However, the remarkable success of “The Eras Tour” has made the songstress invincible.
The live spectacle spans over three hours, consists of 44 songs and showcases this multifaceted mastery. Since her “Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour” (2018), the “Cruel Summer” (2019) singer has put out four albums and more than half of her re-recorded efforts, famously coined “Taylor’s Version.” In celebrating each era one by one, Swift appeals to fans both young and old, cultivating an environment where every shade of “Swiftie” can dress up, exchange friendship bracelets and rejoice over “the music industry” herself.
“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” directed by Sam Wrench, follows the performer on stage at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The film clocks in at 2 hours and 48 minutes, with footage of hits such as “cardigan” (2020) and “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” (2021) cut for time. While some eras lit up the screen and audiences more than others — the energy of the “reputation” (2017) set is unmatched, accentuated by cinematography and subtle snake CGI — each one has something special to offer.
Although nothing can replicate the experience of attending the “The Eras Tour” live, this 2D event is immersive in its own right. Not to mention, Swift’s intricate costume and set piece details are easier to see and appreciate on a big screen. A year ago, everyone struggled to secure their tour tickets during “The Great War” of the Ticketmaster smart queue. Now, they get camera angles from every seat in the house.
Swifties from around the globe have gotten “Bejeweled” (2022) to see their favorite “millennial woman covered in cat hair” — her words, not mine. Wearing themed attire, exchanging trinkets, proposing to one’s significant other during “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” (2021) and belting “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” till vocal chords fry are long-standing Swift tour traditions, which have carried over to the cinema. Whereas the outfit selection at previous tours was limited to the color palette of a singular era — “The Red Tour,” for example — “The Eras Tour” is a multicolor free-for-all. This unspoken dress code is reminiscent of the hot pink palooza that was the “Barbie” theatergoing experience.
Anyone who is active on TikTok, occasionally scrolls or even has a friend with the app will understand that theater etiquette does not apply here. “Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged,” Swift wrote in her Instagram announcement post.
Videos of Swifties singing, dancing and chanting niche fandom lingo — the piercing cacophony “1, 2, 3, let’s go, b****” occupies the space between the opening and the first verse of “Delicate” (2017) — have gone viral online. At AMC North Dekalb 16, the theater for my Saturday matinee, we were all on our feet in the isles. Get this: I collected two more friendship bracelets to add to my collection of 33 from the tour!
The demand for “The Eras Tour” broke Ticketmaster last November, less than two weeks after Swift dropped her record-shattering tenth studio album “Midnights” (2022). And ever since some 73,000 concertgoers flooded State Farm Arena on opening night this past March, the world has never been the same. “The Eras Tour” is a cultural phenomenon, but its economic and political impact is also unprecedented. “The View” co-host and former Donald Trump staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin claimed that, given her astronomical height of popularity, Swift could win the presidential election.
Swift broke the curse she wrestled with for over decade — “Ask me what I learned from all those years/ Ask me what I earned from all those tears/ Ask me why so many fade but I’m still here” she sings on “Karma” (2022). If her legacy is cemented and crown is safe, some might wonder what the incentive behind releasing a concert film is. According to her friendship-bracelet-strung end credits message: “The most generous, thoughtful, loving fans on the planet. This is all because of you and for you.”
Swift will resume her international leg of “The Eras Tour” on Nov. 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Do yourself a favor: See the film and bask in the gift that keeps on giving, the omnipresent “Anti Hero” (2022).
