In November 2022, Taylor announced her “The Eras Tour.” This announcement came a month after the release of her tenth studio album, “Midnights,” taking fans by surprise as she would be touring not just one album but all ten of her past albums. Swift’s discography spans 18 years of music, so a tour that would somehow condense nearly two decades worth of music seemed too good to be true. Every single one of Swift’s eras has its designated hair style, clothes, and energy, and each tour has featured a massive production revolving around that era and its respective album. The creation of “The Eras Tour,” exceeded expectations by creating nine intricate sets, each with its own unique choreography, outfits and set pieces, along with a set where she would sing two new songs each show.
Although Swift’s career has seen immense success over the two years the tour lasted, the end of “The Eras Tour” lacks any hints for Swift’s future plans. Closing with no new announcements, “The Eras Tour” ended with nothing to show for its impact except for an “up to 70% off” sale on all merchandise regarding the tour.
Swift’s tour had an unprecedented impact, beginning from the day tickets went on sale to the final day of the tour. To this day, “The Great War” for tickets to this beloved concert is remembered as one of the worst days in Ticketmaster’s history, stirring controversy regarding ticket prices and resellers. The buzz about the tour had already grown to be larger than ever before, and the tour would only start in March 2023.
The premise for the tour itself set itself apart from anything Swift has done in the past. Swift’s various eras have been discussed extensively by fans, especially by those who were too young to attend the older tours.. However, by allowing those fans to experience those eras in the present day in one 3-hour long concert, Swift exceeded expectations while also creating notorious demand for tickets. This sort of tour, however, seems to be something that will only occur once, making her regular tours seem lacking. The only reason Swift considered “The Eras Tour,” was due to the COVID-19 pandemic leaving three albums without a tour, resulting in her combining all her albums to do one big tour. However, going forward, Swift will be able to tour each album as they come out.
While Swift’s Reputation tour was also considered huge when it was occurring — breaking some of the same records as “The Eras Tour” — Swift’s popularity has grown throughout 2020, with the release of “Folklore” and “Evermore” during the pandemic, making “The Eras Tour” a much bigger event with a much larger fanbase.
In addition, Swift’s brand image has become synonymous with “The Eras Tour,” creating various pieces of media to accompany it, such as the movie. The movie became a global phenomenon itself, as those who could not get tickets to the tour itself rushed to theaters to experience it through a screen. “The Eras Tour” repeatedly came back with something that audiences would love, but it leaves no room for anything new in the future as this tour has done it all. By having an international theater release for a concert film, “The Eras Tour,” became much more than a tour, however, it seems future tours will not get the same treatment if they do not have the same appeal as a three hour spectacle.
The tour has also become a centerpiece of Swift’s personal life, as she supposedly met her current boyfriend, Travis Kelce, through the tour, forever cementing “The Eras Tour” as part of her relationship.
The relationship has created a more positive image for her than in years past. With the start of her relationship with Kelce Swift has heavily leaned into the high school aspect of her relationship, something she has previously explored in her music. The relationship is beloved by fans as it plays into the “head cheerleader/football star” dynamic since both Swift and Kelce are excelling in their respective fields. This relationship, however, is just another indicator of how “The Eras Tour” will forever be remembered for all the great things that it has done, leaving anything that Swift will do in the future to be compared to “The Eras Tour.”
No matter what Swift will create for the next tour, the presence of “The Eras Tour,” will be felt. The records that she has broken with “The Eras Tour,” will forever be mentioned in response to anything she will do in the future, placing pressure on anything she does in the future to either amount to or surpass this tour.
Swift has essentially backed herself into a corner on this tour, making it impossible to achieve things greater than what she has achieved with “The Eras Tour.” While the tour has caused her career to grow immensely, it leaves Swift in the shadow of it for the years to come in her career.
