Will the Eras Tour feature the “real” Taylor Swift?

When I told my DoS that I had decided to go see Taylor Swift, even though I still had an exam ahead of me, he was not disappointed, but resigned. After all, I had compared her to Ovid in my personal statement, I am the event coordinator for CUTSAS and at any classic cocktail event you can usually find me drunk in the corner, extolling Taylor’s musical virtues to anyone who will listen. He’s used to it. And I assured him that I would study on the train.

While everyone else settled into the library for one last weekend, I headed to Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. I kept my word and made a valiant attempt to study for my final exam, Constructs of Classical Art, on the train. This was followed by a half-hearted attempt to read in the queue, distracted by exchanging friendship bracelets with other candidates and being bombarded by seagulls – the worst 1989 The most beautiful Easter egg ever.

“The film ‘Eras ​​Tour’ does not do justice to the shine of Swift’s sequin costumes”

Although I had been trying to stop thinking about Taylor all day and focus on the artistic performance, it wasn’t until the concert began that I realized all of this. There’s a tendency to look at Swift’s music like a puzzle that, when unraveled, reveals clues about her personal life, especially her latest album. THE DEPARTMENT OF FOLDED POETS. But, as Swift says, “These are songs I wrote about my life, but after tonight, I hope they’re about yours.” The emotional response from the crowd got me thinking about how we interact with music, how we associate songs with certain moments and give them feelings. This was especially noticeable when Swift launched into a surprise song, fan favorite “Getaway Car,” which sparked an avalanche of screams, sobs, and wild sing-alongs.

Of course, part of this investment does not go into the music, but into the concept by Taylor Swift. The Eras Tour is designed to make as many of the 73,000 attendees feel connected to Swift as possible. The stage is huge, and Swift stomps up and down so the whole stadium can get a glimpse of her. The film of the Eras Tour doesn’t do justice to Swift’s bright sequined costumes, which draw attention. When the real Swift isn’t on display, her image is everywhere: There are live shots on giant LED screens and pre-recorded tour images of Swift curled up in ball gowns or, in one spooky part of the 1989 Set, dancing in sync with the real Taylor. Talk about mise-en-abyme.

“Every time I saw Taylor in the flesh, I sobbed for the first half hour”

But the videos of Taylor can’t compete with the real concert. I sobbed for the first half hour every time I saw Taylor in the flesh. “She was so close to me!” is my excited response when asked how I felt about the show. Much of the appeal of concerts comes from this pursuit of authenticity — the emotional and physical proximity to your idol that comes with seeing them in person, the immediacy of hearing their music live. Yet a concert is a performance. Intimacy is a lot to ask of the biggest living pop star, especially with the Eras Tour having just wrapped up its 100th show. These are routines that Swift has performed night after night after night. This leads to some jarring moments, such as during “All Too Well,” when Swift, as her agitation mounts, repeatedly demands medical attention for a fan without missing a note. It’s not that these interruptions make the song insincere — but they remind us that Swift is a professional and this is a performance.

Swift doesn’t shy away from the performativity of the Eras Tour, she embraces it. She highlights the discrepancy between her performances and her state of mind in “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” where she is manhandled like a puppet while singing, “I’m miserable—and nobody even knows!” The concept of “Eras” allows for a series of constructed personas that break Swift down into different costumes, aesthetics, and albums. If we come to concerts looking for the “real” artist rather than a representation of her, does the Eras Tour represent the real Taylor Swift? Surrounded by images of Swift—even when she’s right in front of me—I can’t help but feel like I’m watching a careful representation. Given Swift’s staggering level of fame, perhaps that’s the line she needs to draw—but her personality has become part of the performance. The Eras Tour is fascinating in how Swift performs her art, but also how she constructs representations of herself.

So participating in the Eras Tour really counted as a repeat. And I So know Aristotle.