Taylor Swift shows off her big reputation with an unforgettable U.S. leg of her tour.
Taylor Swift closes out the U.S. leg of the Reputation Stadium Tour in Arlington, Texas on Oct. 5 and 6. Swift sure does know how to put on a show that will leave attendees speechless––literally––and having been to two Reputation Tour shows––don’t blame me, Swift made me crazy––I can confidently say that Swift’s tour was captivating, sparkling and snake-driven.
On the U.S. leg of the tour, Swift managed to snatch the record for the highest-grossing U.S. tour by a woman from the previous record holder––herself, according to Billboard. With the closing two nights in Arlington, Swift also became the first artist to play back to back nights in the AT&T stadium. These are only two of the many records Swift has broken this tour, and call it what you want, but I call it impressive.
The broken records are not the only things that make this tour so phenomenal, but the magnitude of production is insane.
According to The Industry Observer, the tour requires 52 semi-trucks of staging, 30 more trucks of steel and four cranes to make the show the spectacle that it is. The stage is 150 feet tall, incorporates massive snakes, thousands of LED screens, videography, pyrotechnics, fireworks, confetti cannons, a tilting stage, a working fountain and more.
These elements bring the show to life. They provide the audience with real-life experiences and make them ask, “How is this even possible?”
Swift’s self-motivation and tendency to always outdo herself is what cultivates such high-level creations, and I think this go-getter attitude is what steals the show.
While Swift’s broken records and production make the fans go wild, the tour has the same effect on Swift’s tour mates.
Charli XCX, one of Swift’s openers, explains that this tour is “one of the best tours ever,” and what makes it so impactful is the girl-power behind it.
“Not one, not two, but three bad*** women [Chalie XCX, Camila Cabello and Swift] all standing on one stage. That’s some girl power stuff! That’s what this whole tour is about,” said Charlie XCX while performing on stage.
Cabello, “Havana” singer and Swift’s second opener, explains that performing in front of the loudest people, Swift’s fan base, also referred to as “Swifties,” is like nothing she has experienced before.
Two amazing artists explaining the greatness of the Reputation Stadium Tour puts this tour’s eminence into perspective and shows just how jaw-dropping it was.
Swift also made it a point to connect with every attendee on tour, and that is what set Swift’s tour apart from every other major headlining tour.
Swift deliberately had every attendee wear a glow up bracelet that syncopated with the music so she could identify each individual, from the pit to the top of the stadium.
Swift also had two massive stages, called b-stages, in the back of the stadium. Swift travels from the front of the stadium to the back in a golden cage, lined with lights while she waves and sings directly to fans. Once at the first b-stage, Swift instantly makes the worst seats in the stadium the best seats.
Swift doesn’t stop there. Swift walks off the first b-stage and goes directly into the crowd. She makes an intentional effort to look into her fans’ eyes and squeeze their hands.
Being at night one of the Arlington shows, Swift grabbed onto my hand and made me feel as if I was the only one in the stadium full of thousands of people––which is what Swift strives to do.
Swift then makes her way to the second b-stage, performs and makes her way back to the main stage on a flying snake.
Swift talks and sings with an intentionality to make each individual attendee feel known and seen. Swift causes the thousands of people to disappear and makes each fan feel as if it is only them and her.
Swift understands the importance of each attendee and even dedicates a song to the fans.
“Every single one of us [Swift’s tour mates] have been wanting to do this since we were little kids…and we really wouldn’t get to be able to put on this show if you guys didn’t want to come to it,” Swift gratefully explains while playing the piano.
After years of social media put-downs, name-calling and pointless attacks, Swift used it for the better. Swift took the negative connotation of a “snake” and made it the central theme of her tour and broke records.
Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour has been a peak in her career and showed that the old Taylor is not dead, but that she is now truly alive.
Now on her way to Australia, Swift leaves glitter on the floor and legendary memories for all who attended.