Anticipation hung in the air inside Paris’ La Défense Arena on Thursday night as a clock counted down to Taylor Swift‘s first European date of the Eras Tour.
Yes, the record-breaking tour had been running for over a year and was very well-documented — Swift even released a concert film of it in October that is now streaming on Disney+ — but tonight was different. Just under a month ago, during a break from the tour, Swift had released her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” and this show would mark its live debut.
No one could be sure of how it would fit into her set — would it be an entirely new era or just included in the “surprise songs” portion? Would she kick off the show with it or put it at the end? I had my money on the former, but when the lights dimmed and Swift sang “It’s been a long time coming” — signaling the beginning of the “Lover” era — I was proven wrong.
But even early on, there were plenty of changes made to the set to accommodate the new songs, and new outfits throughout. She debuted a new orangey-pink bodysuit for the “Lover” era, complete with a matching blazer for “The Man.” However, one of her prized track No. 5s, “The Archer,” was removed from the setlist. Next, in the “Fearless” era, a new black-and-gold fringed dress made an appearance — but the real first surprise of the night came when the “Red” era followed, instead of “Evermore.” During “Red,” Swift also debuted a new T-shirt which read, “This Is Not Taylor’s Version.”
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Heading into the “Speak Now” era, Swift debuted a new intro with purple flower visuals, cut “Long Live” and went back to just doing “Enchanted” as the sole song of that album’s set. The “Reputation” era remained unchanged, with Swift even sticking to the same outfit as before — an asymmetrical black-and-red snake bodysuit.
Fans erupted into applause when the “Folklore” cabin appeared on stage, signaling the start of that era. However, Swift then revealed that she would be combining the “Folklore” and “Evermore” sets from now on. “We have now reunited the sisters and combined them into one chapter,” Swift said. She then proceeded to flip-flop between the two albums, beginning with “Cardigan” and “Betty” but then moving to a moss-covered piano for “Champagne Problems.” The song was greeted with several minutes of cheers, causing Swift to get emotional and mouth “I love you” to the crowd. She then went back to “Folklore” for “August,” “Illicit Affairs” and “My Tears Ricochet” before ending with “Evermore” songs “Marjorie” and “Willow.” The casualties of the new combined era included “The 1,” “Tis the Damn Season,” “The Last Great American Dynasty” and “Tolerate It.” “1989” followed, with the only difference being a new pink-and-blue two-piece outfit.
As unfamiliar visuals came across the screen, it became clear that it was now time for “The Tortured Poets Department.” Assorted pieces of furniture — a chair, a lamp, a door — floated from the sky alongside pieces of paper, which then evolved into a desert road where the fixtures crashed onto the floor. Swift then appeared in a white corset dress with cursive writing adorning its skirt and a chunky Vivienne Westwood choker. First up was “But Daddy I Love Him,” followed by a snippet of “So High School” that segued into “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” The set’s graphics were mainly in black-and-white, and included a UFO that looked like it was about to abduct Swift and a filter that whited-out her eyes, giving her a demonic look. One chorus of “Down Bad,” during which Swift rotated around the stage on a spinning metal block, led into “Fortnight,” where a “TTPD”-emblazoned bed was brought out and Swift’s dancers dressed in nurse costumes. As Swift sat across from a dancer on a typewriter, the bed was tilted every which way, creating a fascinating display. She then donned a marching band jacket for “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” as her dancers followed her with drums.
All of the stylings for “The Tortured Poets Department” were vaguely Old Hollywood — perhaps a reference to Clara Bow? — but Swift really hammered that home with a minute-long skit in the middle of the set, in which two of her dancers fling her around like a doll while old-timey music plays. During the skit, Swift’s dress is removed — revealing nothing but a two-piece black set — and she is dressed in a gold jacket and matching heels. “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” followed, furthering the Old Hollywood theme with feather props and a marquee displaying “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.” As Swift and her dancers left the stage, a visual reading “The End” displayed across the screen.
The surprise songs were next, at an unusually late place in the set. Wearing a new pink dress, Swift sang “Paris” — naturally — on the guitar, and then turned to the piano for “Tortured Poets Department” tune “loml,” which marked a tender moment of the set. Swift ended the show, as always, with the “Midnights” era, the songs for which remained the same, though she wore a new blue bodysuit.
Leaving the venue that night, one couldn’t help but feel that they had just witnessed an entirely new show, proving Swift’s expertise in reinvention. She could have just tacked “The Tortured Poets Department” songs onto the beginning or the end, but that would have been too easy. Instead, with more changes sure to come throughout its European leg, she gifted her fans with another reason to come back and see the Eras Tour again and again.
See the full setlist below.
LOVER
“Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince”
“Cruel Summer”
“The Man”
“You Need to Calm Down”
“Lover”
FEARLESS
“Fearless”
“You Belong With Me”
“Love Story”
RED
“22”
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
“I Knew You Were Trouble”
“All Too Well (10 Minute Version)”
SPEAK NOW
“Enchanted”
REPUTATION
“…Ready for It?”
“Delicate”
“Don’t Blame Me”
“Look What You Made Me Do”
FOLKLORE AND EVERMORE
“Cardigan”
“Betty”
“Champagne Problems”
“August”
“Illicit Affairs”
“My Tears Ricochet”
“Marjorie”
“Willow”
1989
“Style”
“Blank Space”
“Shake It Off”
“Wildest Dreams”
“Bad Blood”
THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT
“But Daddy I Love Him”
“So High School”
“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”
“Down Bad”
“Fortnight”
“The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”
“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”
SURPRISE SONGS
“Paris”
“loml”
MIDNIGHTS
“Lavender Haze”
“Anti-Hero”
“Midnight Rain”
“Vigilante Shit”
“Bejeweled”
“Mastermind”
“Karma”
