February 27, 2024, 06:11 PM
Here's your reminder that the long-awaited "The Eras Tour" will kick off this weekend in Singapore.
Like other A-listers Coldplay and Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift will be performing at the National Stadium.
We've already covered the hard rules concert attendees should be aware of; but perhaps you've noticed "The Eras Tour" attendees decked out in colour-coordinated outfits, or chanting aloud oddly specific phrases - and you're confused because you're new to the fandom.
For the beginner Swifties (what Swift's fans are called) — or *gasp* non-fans, understanding the fans' lexicon can seem a little tough, even daunting. If you're still on The Outside of this cultural language, here are 13 things you should know about Swift and Swifties so that you can have The Best Day at the concert!
1. She has 10 albums - or "eras"
Swift's extensive discography contains 10 studio albums, spanning over 17 years of her career. Swift herself has shared that she enjoys "slinking across genres," and her works have moved through different genres, covering country, pop and indie folk.
While this isn't uncommon in the music world, Swift refers to each of her albums as an "era", where every era delimits and embodies her reality at different points in her life.
So far, there are 10 eras:
- Taylor Swift (2006) - also known as "debut" by fans
- Fearless (2008)
- Speak Now (2010)
- Red (2012)
- 1989 (2014)
- Reputation (2017)
- Lover (2019)
- Folklore (2020)
- Evermore (2020)
- Midnights (2022)
2. She performs songs from nine eras
In case you were wondering why her concerts runs for over three hours, that's because Swift is performing songs from (almost) all of her eras!
This means you get to relive the most iconic performances in her career, from "Love Story" to "Blank Space," as well as enjoy new songs she's never performed live before, such as "Anti-Hero," "illicit affairs" and fan-favourite "Cruel Summer."
Interestingly, though, the main setlist is devoid of "Debut" songs. The eras are also not performed in the order of her discography.
3. Each era has a distinct aesthetic
Swift's eras are marked by a distinct visual and sartorial identity - and Swifties love to dress according to their favourite era aesthetic.
If you need inspiration for your "The Eras Tour" outfit, an easy frame of reference for each era's aesthetic is the album's cover colour:
- Green for "Taylor Swift"
- Yellow for "Fearless"
- Purple for "Speak Now"
- Red for "Red' (duh)
- Blue for "1989"
- Black for "Reputation"
- Pink for "Lover"
- Grey for "Folklore"
- Brown for "Evermore"
- Dark blue for "Midnights"
@mothership.nova We can’t decide on our favourite era so we tried everythinggg ✨ #tiktoksg #theerastour #erastour #taylorswift #swifties #taylornation #taylorsversion #ootd #fitcheck #erastouroutfits ♬ Taylor Swift megamix lyrics and song titles part 7 - Silvy | Taylor Nederland
Swift's first three albums, being country pop records, are often associated with fringed dresses and cowboy boots. On the other hand, fans pay homage to the alternative pop albums "Folklore" and "Evermore" with floral designs and cottagecore outfits.
4. Exchanging friendship bracelets is a thing
You've probably seen pictures of fans making and exchanging friendship bracelets at the tour. A non-Swiftie might think that the 2000s are back, but this practice was actually prompted by a lyric in Swift's 2022 song, "You're On Your Own, Kid."
Image from victoriaisslay/Pinterest.
In the song, she sings: "Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment to taste it."
Swifties' creativity really shines through when it comes to these bracelets. The letters on the beads typically spell out song and album titles, quintessential lyrics, and even inside jokes. The colour of the surrounding beads are often chosen based on the aesthetic of the album the words are inspired by.
@mothership.nova Because Taylor said I was bigger than the whole sky ⛅️ P/s: Two of our lucky followers will be walking away with one mega friendship bracelet each 🫶 All you have to do to participate is: 1. Follow @mothership.nova on Instagram & TikTok. 2. Like this post and tell us why we should pick you in the comments The giveaway ends on Mar. 1, 12pm. Winner will be announced by Mar. 1, 3pm. ⚠️ T&Cs in comment section. #tiktoksg #taylorswift #taylornation #taylorsversion #erastour #theerastour #bracelet #whattoplay ♬ som original - Ana (Taylor's Version)
5. No two shows are the same
A tradition of her concerts at this point, Swift makes each show unique by having a segment that rotates randomly between songs from her discography. Dubbed "surprise songs," these could be any of Swift's works, as long as they're not already part of the main setlist.
Typically, there would be two surprise songs per night, one played on guitar and the other on piano. However, she's occasionally switched this up, by playing both songs on one instrument, having three songs, and bringing a guest singer onstage (such as producers and fellow songwriters Aaron Dessner and Jack Antanoff).
@popsugarau Sabrina Carpenter joins Taylor Swift onstage to perform a mashup of "White Horse" and "Coney Island", the second surprise songs of the night. Sabrina's opening set was cancelled for night 1 due to delays from the weather 💔 #erastour #taylorswift ♬ original sound - POPSUGAR Australia
For the concert's 2023 run, Swift's said that she would not repeat surprise songs, with the exception of tracks from her 10th album "Midnights" - or unless she screws a song up. However, she recently declared during the Australian leg of her tour that this rule no longer applies, and she's performed increasingly more mashups of her songs.
You should also be warned that she's changed the set list before. For example, she's swapped out "invisible string" with "the 1", and added "Long Live" to the list. In short, nothing is set in stone.
6. She has other surprises up her sleeve
They aren't called surprise songs for nothing.
Previous "Eras Tour" attendees were greeted with surprises including new album announcements, music video premieres and guest performances like Ice Spice for the set of "Karma."
Most recently, she's announced new versions of her upcoming 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department" during a show in Australia.
This leads us to wonder: what does she have in store for her six Singapore shows?
7. Start memorising those fan chants
"The Eras Tour" isn't merely about watching a performance; it's also about participation. Swifties have invented numerous fan chants to increase the engagement they have with Swift during the electrifying experience.
For example, fans unanimously scream "1, 2, 3... let's go b*tch" during the start of "Delicate," and rap Kendrick Lamar's line "you forgive, you forget, but you never let it go" from the "Bad Blood" remix during the performance of the song.
@jessicastearsricochet Replying to @nikki (taylor’s version) #swifttok #taylorswift #erastouraustralia #erastour ♬ original sound - Jess ✨
Other interactions are prompted by the singer herself. During "Cruel Summer," Swift will invite you to sing the bridge as loud as you can.
Doing these in unison with thousands of like-minded fans can be a source of both catharsis and connection. If you're looking for a way to bond with your Swiftie friends, learn these chants. Don't worry: they're simple!
8. Hand hearts!
You've probably seen Swift holding her hands in a heart before:
@dduhnisse the way everyone puts their 🫶🏼’s up i’m 🥹 @taylornation @taylorswift #taylorswift #tstheerastour #erastour #tstheerastourtampa #swifttok #tampatheerastour #theerastour #fearless #handheart #swifties #taylornation ♬ original sound - denise
This gesture, symbolising love, is something Swift's been doing roughly since 2011 - and it's now popular among Swifties. It's also associated with the "Fearless" era as she does this while singing the titular track for "The Eras Tour."
9. Someone will receive the "22" hat
During the "22" set on the tour, a very lucky guest will have the honour of being handed the hat Swift wears for the performance. Standing at the very front of the stage, the guest will also get the opportunity to receive some personal attention from the singer.
@karmaisacat.1989 I’m so so happy for her 🥹 #tswift #taylorswift #traviskelce #swiftie #swifttok #erastour #erastourtaylorswift #tayvis #taylorsversion #eras #theerastour #traviskelce #chiefs #taylorswifttraviskelce #australia #sydneytstheerastour #sydney ♬ original sound - carly
Note: it's usually a kid that gets to be The Lucky One, though.
10. Welcome to "The Errors Tour"
With so many moving parts simultaneously happening, the three-hour long production is bound to contain a few technical difficulties and minor slip-ups.
For example, Swift occasionally messes up the words to her own songs, a humorously memorable example being "if you plail to plan, you plan to fail" on the set of "Mastermind."
@devotedly.yours Taylor Swift also apparently left HIS scarf at his sister’s house. Gotta love these cute moments 🥰 #erastour ♬ original sound - Nuha
She's also accidentally swallowed a bug while giving a heartfelt speech during the "Evermore" segment of the show, and her piano's malfunctioned on one rainy night and ended up playing notes on its own. Even Swift seemed freaked out by the Haunted piano.
However, Swift always takes these accidents in her stride, and usually laughs it off in her usual dry humour. Fans have also teasingly dubbed the tour "The Errors Tour", and you can easily find video compilations online.
@tsxplr #taylorswifterastour || draft bc im bored isk #fyp #taytay#taylorswift#erorstour#era#erastour#fyp#taylorswift#midnights#fyp#tsxplr ♬ original sound - ?
11. People are simping for Taylor's dancers
While Swift is the star of the show, fans have also started taking notice of her backup dancers. One, for instance, has been praised for his physique.
Fans also love the dancer that makes a humorous comment at the end of the "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" bridge.
@katmeetsmagic Which was your fave? ❤️ #erastouraustralia #erastourmelbourne #erastour2024 #taylorswiftaustralia #aussieswifties #aussieswiftie #wanegbt ♬ original sound - Kat ✨
12. Taylor's buddy is opening her show here
About an hour before Swift takes the stage, her friend and fellow pop singer Sabrina Carpenter will be performing on all nights of the Singapore run.
Her set list contains ten songs, including the viral hit "Nonsense" - the outro for which Carpenter is known to switch up for every show and tailor to the country she's in.
@heypeybey Melbourne N2 nonsense outro! #erastour #australia #melbourne #nonsense ♬ original sound - peyton
13. 13 is her lucky number
Of course, we've saved this one for the 13th point.
In a 2009 interview, Swift explains what the number means to her:
"I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first #1 song had a 13-second intro. Every time I've won an award I've been seated in either the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section or row M, which is the 13th letter."
Basically, she believes that the number brings good things to her, contrary to several cultures' superstition. She's since incorporated the number 13 as an Easter egg in several instances; for example, her seventh studio album "Lover" was released on the 23rd of the eighth month of 2019 - add two, three and eight together and you get... 13.
Fans continue celebrating this "13" tradition through hand paintings at "The Eras Tour."
Image from rosierosexoxox/Pinterest.
By the way, her 13th show of 2024 will be taking place on Mar. 3 in Singapore.
Hmmmmm.
Top images from Taylor Nation & rosierosexoxox/Pinterest
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