Taylor Swift probably needs no introduction given how she’s one of the most listened-to and most influential artists in the world, breaking records left and right with everything she does. That includes the world tour she’s currently busy on, the Eras Tour—a spectacularly-crafted show that lasts more than three hours and spans the entirety of her career, from her debut album to her most recent work.
The Eras Tour kicked off last March in Glendale, Arizona, and officially wrapped up its first leg—the USA one—with six nights at Sofi Stadium in California, from August 3 to August 9. The very last concert, of course, finished with a bang as Swift announced the release of the newest album in her ongoing re-recording project: 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is coming out on October 27. The announcement was anticipated by a series of very Taylor Swift-esque details, including her switching to blue outfits on stage and the significance of the date—her last show at Sofi was on 8/9, after all.
Still, the Eras Tour has a long way to go. 2023 will see Swift traveling through South America, with dates in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. And once the new year arrives it will be time to go overseas—from Japan to Australia to Singapore, then a whole series of dates throughout Europe, and finishing stateside with nights in Miami, New Orleans, Indianapolis, and then Canada.
While there definitely might be some changes to the show for its international leg, it’s likely that the bones of the Eras Tour will remain the same. And that, of course, includes its setlist. Let’s take a deep dive into Taylor Swift’s setlist, breaking it down one era at a time.
The Lover act
The show kicks off with the section dedicated to Lover, her seventh studio album. Swift appears on stage and starts with “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” before going into “Cruel Summer”—which famously has the very first bridge of the night, as the singer herself tells the audience. Then it’s “The Man” and “You Need to Calm Down” with a whole ensemble of dancers before more stripped-down versions of both “Lover” and “The Archer.”
The Fearless act
The second act moves to Swift’s sophomore album Fearless, released back in 2008. After an obligatory costume change into something orange to represent this particular era, Swift performs “Fearless,” “You Belong With Me,” and “Love Story.” This act is also one of the shortest in the whole show.
The Evermore act
The third act takes things from country to witchy for Evermore, the singer’s second-to-last album. This era kicks off with “’tis the damn season” and continues with “willow,” “marjorie,” “champagne problems,” and ends with “tolerate it.”
The Reputation act
One of the most anticipated each night, the fourth act is dedicated to the 2017 album Reputation—which brought Swift back to the public eye after a series of scandals that threatened to end her career. Swift starts off with “…Ready for It?” and “Delicate” before “Don’t Blame Me,” which iconically transitions into “Look What You Made Me Do.”
The Speak Now act
The fifth—and shortest—act evokes Swift’s junior album, Speak Now, whose re-record was released right in the middle of the tour on July 7. The singer performs two songs—”Enchanted” and “Long Live,” which was added after the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)—while wearing a full ball gown, one of the most recognizable outfits from the entire show.
The Red act
The first song of the act dedicated to Swift’s fourth album, Red, is “22”—at the end of which the singer gives away the hat she’s wearing to a fan who is chosen in advance. Then it’s time for “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble”, before she finishes the act with “All Too Well.”
The Folklore act
The seventh act is dedicated to Folklore and it’s a triumph of cottagecore. The first song when the tour started was “invisible string,” which was replaced by “the 1.” Swift continues with “betty,” “the last great american dynasty,” “august,” “illicit affairs,” and “my tears ricochet.” The final song of this era is “cardigan.”
The 1989 act
The second-to-last act of the show starts with “Style” and continues with “Blank Space,” “Shake It Off,” “Wildest Dreams,” and “Bad Blood.” At the end of this act, there’s the famed acoustics set where Swift sits down to play two surprise songs—one on the guitar and one on the piano. The surprise songs have become one of the most recurring inside jokes throughout the tour, with fans guessing what the two songs of the night will be before the show and sharing their reactions after. Fans have also been keeping track of which songs have been played, though it’s likely that the count will reset for the international dates.
The Midnights act
The final act of the show is dedicated to the most recent album Swift released, Midnights. The act opens with “Lavender Haze” and continues with “Anti-Hero,” “Midnight Rain,” and “Vigilante Shit”—with its by-now iconic blue bodysuit and chair dance choreography. “Bejeweled” also features a TikTok-inspired dance move that has gone viral, and then Swift finishes off the show with “Mastermind” and “Karma,” and a healthy dose of fireworks and confetti, as all good closings should have.
Here’s the full setlist:
- Lover
- “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince”
- “Cruel Summer”
- “The Man”
- “You Need to Calm Down”
- “Lover”
- “The Archer”
- Fearless
- “Fearless”
- “You Belong with Me”
- “Love Story”
- Evermore
- “’tis the damn season”
- “willow”
- “marjorie”
- “champagne problems”
- “tolerate it”
- Reputation
- “…Ready for It?”
- “Delicate”
- “Don’t Blame Me”
- “Look What You Made Me Do”
- Speak Now
- “Enchanted”
- “Long Live”
- Red
- “22”
- “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
- “I Knew You Were Trouble”
- “All Too Well”
- Folklore
- “invisible string / the 1”
- “betty”
- “the last great american dynasty”
- “august”
- “illicit affairs”
- “my tears ricochet”
- “cardigan”
- 1989
- “Style”
- “Blank Space”
- “Shake It Off”
- “Wildest Dreams”
- “Bad Blood”
- Midnights
- “Lavender Haze”
- “Anti-Hero”
- “Midnight Rain”
- “Vigilante Shit”
- “Bejeweled”
- “Mastermind”
- “Karma”
(featured image: Emma McIntyre / TAS23 / Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Published: Aug 10, 2023 11:53 am