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What to expect from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour musical extravaganza

American pop superstar Taylor Swift will close out the Asia-Pacific leg of her record-shattering The Eras Tour with six concerts at the Singapore National Stadium from March 2 to 9. The Straits Times highlights what you need to know “all too well” about the musical extravaganza, named for the different “eras” of her career.

ST GRAPHIC: LIM KAILI
  • More than US$1 billion (S$1.34 billion) grossed so far over 60 shows in 2023, making it the first concert tour to pass this mark.
  • 151 shows in 22 countries, all held in large-capacity stadiums.
  • Venues with the most shows: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the United States, in August 2023; National Stadium in Singapore in March 2024. Both venues would have hosted six Eras Tour concerts by the end of 2024.
  • 45 songs over more than 3½ hours.
  • 9 to 10 Eras across 10 acts, depending on the songs performed during the acoustic set.

The Eras Stage

ST GRAPHIC: LIM KAILI

A. Main stage

Catch the backup singers and instrumentalists at the wings, flanking the main screen.

For the most part, the main screen depicts what is happening on stage. But it will occasionally display special video footage during certain songs, such as Anti-Hero (Midnights).


Highlights:

  • Look What You Made Me Do (Reputation) features Swift’s backup dancers and singers trapped in glass boxes while dressed up as previous versions of her. 
  • Tolerate It (Evermore) showcases Swift acting out a crumbling relationship over a dramatically long dining table.

B. Diamond stage 

Keep an eye on this rhombus-shaped segment of the stage, as Swift spends most of her time here.

Highlights:

  • Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince (Lover) kicks off the concert, with Swift appearing from under a canopy of giant feathers.
  • Delicate (Reputation) showcases LED screens which line the stage floor and “shatter” during key moments of the song.

C. End stage

Highlights:

  • Karma (Midnights) ends the concert with a confetti shower over the stage and stadium floor.
  • 22 (Red) sends Swift and her posse of dancers to the end stage, so that she can bestow the fedora she is wearing on a concertgoer.  

D. Notable details

1. Dynamic lights: Roving spotlights and lights along the perimeter of the stage ensure that Swift is always well-lit. They also create stunning visual effects that can be seen even by those sitting in the nosebleed sections.

2. LED floor panels: People in the stands enjoy a visual feast in the form of a light show on the stage floor, which is lined with LED tiles. During Swift’s viral dive, for instance, the tiles are lit to resemble crashing waves.

3. Hydraulic platforms: These Lego-like blocks move up and down throughout the show, giving Swift a high vantage point from which to belt out her hits.

Highlights: Vigilante S*** (Midnights) and Ready For It (Reputation).

4. Epic dive: To set up the concert’s Midnights finale with a bang, Swift takes a leap into the stage. Footage on the floor panels then shows her “swimming” towards the main stage.

5. Acoustic set: Swift performs two surprise songs – which are different for every concert – accompanied by a guitar and a piano painted with flowers, respectively.

Striking Set Design

Lover House

Each room of the Lover House represents a different era. Watch out for the house “burning down” during Bad Blood (1989). PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Folklore Cabin

In the seventh act, Swift performs from inside the cabin and on its roof. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Tay Map: Where Swift Will Strut On Stage When Singing These Songs

ST GRAPHIC: LIM KAILI

Swift Swag

Friendship bracelets

ST PHOTO: YAMINI CHINNUSWAMY

Inspired by the lyrics of You’re On Your Own Kid, off the 2022 album Midnights, fans have taken to making beaded bracelets to trade with one another. These are often colour-coded according to the era, and might feature a song title, acronym, phrase or other “Swiftie” in-jokes and references. 

LED wristband

PHOTO: PIXMOB

All attendees will receive a white wristband, powered by infrared signal technology, which lights up in different colours throughout the concert. Pay close attention during Look What You Made Me Do (Reputation), as the wristbands create an effect of “slithering snakes”. 

Altogether Now: Fan Chants & Gestures

Here are some of the chants and gestures that fans will collectively partake in during the concert

Song: You Need To Calm Down (Lover)

Moment: After “control your urges to scream about all the people you hate”

Chant: “‘Cause shade never made anybody less gay”

Song: Fearless (Fearless)

Moment: After “it’s flawless, really something, it’s fearless”

Gesture: Make a heart with your hands

@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

Song: You Belong With Me (Fearless)

Moment: “When you know you’re ‘bout to cry”

Gesture: Double clap

@suannyfabyne The double clap during You Belong With Me 👏👏 #ybwm #theerastour #swifttok #metlifestadium ♬ som original – suannyfabyne

Song: Marjorie (Evermore)

Moment: Throughout

Gesture: Switch on your mobile phone’s flashlight and wave it in the air

@taylorswiftspeaknowtv1 The crowd waving their phone lights during marjorie on mothers day #taylorswift #swiftie #theerastour #marjorie ♬ original sound – Cameron

Song: Delicate (Reputation)

Moment: After the first “but you can make me a drink”

Chant: “One, two, three, let’s go b****”

Song: All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Red)

Moment: After “And you were tossing me the car keys”

Chant: “F*** the patriarchy”

Song: Blank Space (1989)

Moment: After every line of the bridge, starting from “boys only want love if it’s torture”

Song: Bad Blood (1989)

Moment: After the first “If you live like that, you live with ghosts”

Chant: “You forgive, you forget, but you never let it go”

@jocelynljz The crowds were screaming bad blood chant out loud!! #badblood #badbloodtaylorswift #badbloodtaylorsversion #1989 #1989taylorsversion #erastourtaylorswift #erastour #tstheerastour #taylorswift #theerastourtaylorswift #swifttok #rainshow ♬ original sound – Junzhu

Song: Anti-hero (Midnights)

Moment: After “Like some kind of congressman?”

Chant: “Taylor, you’ll be fine”

Song: Karma (Midnights)

Moment: After “Karma takes all my friends to the summit”

Chant: “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs”

@tayvisnationn “Karma is the guy on the chiefs” taylor singing Karma Night1 Syndey. ——- #taylorswift #swifttok #taylorsversion #taylornation #swiftie #swifties #traviskelce #chiefs #taylorswifttraviskelce #traviskelcetaylorswift #tstheerastourfilm #erastoursyndey #sydney #karma #erastourtaylorswift #erastour #jasonkelce #kyliekelce #newheightspodcast #newheight #tayvis #tayvisnation #swelce ♬ original sound – Tayvis World

By: Yamini Chinnuswamy
Originally published at: The Straits Times



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