By Zach Goins
April 29, 2023
Photo: Blue Amber / CLTure
If the standstill traffic didn’t give it away, then maybe the Swifties clad in light pink, purple, sparkles, and cowboy boots did. If not that, then certainly the billboards around Atlanta marking the city’s transformation from the ATL into the A-Tay-L gave it away.
Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour took over Atlanta for the first of three sold-out shows Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Over the course of three-plus hours, Swift delivered a career-spanning performance featuring a massive 44-song setlist that journeyed from early hits like “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” to her latest chart-toppers “Anti-Hero” and “Karma” from 2022’s Midnights.
Atlanta marked the sixth stop on the Eras Tour, which meant that by Friday, Swifties had all of Taylor’s schemes mapped out to perfection. Swift has long been known to tease fans and plant hints and easter eggs in everything she does, and her devotees eat up every bit of it. Anyone who finds themself on SwiftTok– a hashtag on TikTok dedicated to videos of the 12-time Grammy-winner– has likely seen bits and pieces of what to expect on each tour stop.
Following opening performances by Gracie Abrams and beabadoobee, a brief intermission was needed to ready the production. When fans seated towards the back corner of the stage erupted, that could only mean one thing: a janitor cart had been spotted heading backstage. Thanks to the power of social media, Swift’s secret transportation to the stage has been revealed. Moments later, Lady Gaga’s “Applause” began playing over the speakers– another indicator Swifties have discovered that Taylor is near.
Coinciding with Swift’s latest album, Midnights, a ticking clock soon appeared on the sprawling LED screens, providing a two-minute countdown until the clock struck midnight. With 10 eras to explore, Swift got the night started with the Lover era, leading off with a shortened version of “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince,” before immediately transitioning into the long-awaited bop, “Cruel Summer.” The latter quickly had fans showing just how loud they’d be throughout the night, with the lyrics echoing throughout the stadium, thanks to the crowd participation.
Behind Swift on screen was a multi-colored house filled with 10 distinct rooms– each representing an era of the singer’s career– and as she transitioned from one album to the next, the rooms grew larger and more prominent. The visuals on screen combined with multi-level sets and the diamond-shaped catwalk spanning the length of the stadium allowed Swift to keep the presentation of each song fresh and unique throughout the night.
Starting with “Lover,” Swift took her time guiding fans throughout her career, pausing between eras to introduce albums and talk through what each one has meant to her over the years. With each nugget of information Swift shared, it was clear from the beginning she had the audience in the palm of her hand. With 60,000-plus in attendance, Swift worked every part of the stage, making sure fans from every angle got a good look.
While the eras were not presented in chronological order, each was still self-contained with Swift singing all of her Lover songs before proceeding to play each song from Fearless, and so on. Folklore and Midnights each led the way, with seven songs a piece, followed by Evermore and Lover with six each. Meanwhile, 2010’s Speak Now, the highly-speculated next album for Swift to re-record, was only featured for a single song (“Enchanted”). No songs were played from Swift’s debut self-titled album, leaving fans of her earliest work a little disappointed.
Highlights of the night included the opening combination of “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince” and “Cruel Summer,” an intimate performance of “Champagne Problems,” a ten-minute version of “All Too Well” from Red, and Swift’s two surprise songs of the night: “The Other Side of the Door” and “Coney Island,” both of which were live debuts.
Update (8/31): Taylor Swift has announced The Eras Tour concert film in theaters beginning October 13. Find out where it will be screening in your city and get tickets!
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Setlist:
Intro
“Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince”
“Cruel Summer”
“The Man”
“You Need to Calm Down”
“Lover”
“The Archer”
“Fearless”
“You Belong With Me”
“Love Story”
“’tis the damn season”
“willow”
“marjorie”
“champagne problems”
“tolerate it”
“…Ready for It?”
“Delicate”
“Don’t Blame Me”
“Look What You Made Me Do”
“Speak Now”
“Enchanted”
“22”
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
“I Knew You Were Trouble”
“All Too Well” (10 Minute Version)
“seven”
“the 1”
“betty”
“the last great american dynasty”
“august”
“illicit affairs”
“my tears ricochet”
“cardigan”
“Style”
“Blank Space”
“Shake It Off”
“Wildest Dreams”
“Bad Blood”
“Surprise Songs”
“The Other Side of the Door”
“coney island”
“Lavender Haze”
“Anti‐Hero”
“Midnight Rain”
“Vigilante Shit”
“Bejeweled”
“Mastermind”
“Karma”
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