By Andy McFerren
I would not consider myself a Swiftie. I am a casual fan. I know that is a rarity, but that’s the truth. However, as a millennial and general lover of music, I can track my entire life through Taylor Swift’s career.
My Taylor Swift sojourn began with her self-titled first album which was released on October 24, 2006, just days after my 14th birthday. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment when I was aware of her, but growing up in Texas where country music was more than prevalent, I was aware of her from the beginning.
In 2009, Fearless was released. “You Belong With Me” played on a constant loop to the point that when I hear it to this day, I can still hear the out-of-tune shrill of teenage girls belting, “She wears short skirts. I wear t-shirts. She’s cheer captain, and I’m on the bleachers.”
November 2010. I was a senior in high school and Speak Now was released. I made a sarcastic comment to a friend to which she replied, “You know the song ‘Mean’ by Taylor Swift? Well, that song has to be written about you.”
August 2012. I was 19, sitting in an internet cafe in Chile while on a mission trip for my church. I was convinced that my friend was trying to pull a fast one on me by saying that the new Taylor Swift single was called “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” I thought it was a joke. Too on the nose to be real. But it was.
October 2014. I turned 22, and everyone’s birthday wishes included a link or at least a reference to the song.
November 2014. At 6:15 in the morning, the girls on my college swim team convinced our strength and conditioning coach to play 1989 nonstop while the team lifted weights. This happened several times during the season and tainted my view on Taylor Swift for a couple years. I eventually recovered.
November 2017. I was in my first semester of law school. My Civil Procedure professor took five minutes at the beginning of class to discuss Taylor Swift’s new album, Reputation.
August 2019. Lover is the one album I don’t have a specific memory for. I was just trying to finish law school.
In 2020, Folklore and Evermore were the two tiny lights in the dark of a terrible year. I remember seeing the surprise announcement that she’d be dropping Folklore at midnight while trying my best to coach a swim practice during a pandemic (we did the best we could).
October 2022. Taylor Swift released Midnights on my 30th birthday. I broke up with my girlfriend a week later. I’m now convinced it’s me. Hi, I’m the problem. It’s me.
And now on the brink of my 31st birthday, I have one more thing to add to the list. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie.
I was shocked with how much I enjoyed the movie. Love her or hate her, the concert is such an impressive feat of entertainment. The physicality of it. The wardrobe changes. Its length. The musical quality. The props. The visuals. The choreography. A one-time show would be incredible, but when you take into account how many times she’s done the show, it’s even more impressive. I would love to see the behind the scenes of the tour.
It’s impossible to talk about the achievement of this concert without acknowledging where Taylor Swift started. She began her music journey at a time when most artists’ live performances were disappointing, herself included. I think we sometimes forget how far she’s come as a live performer. She’s worked hard to get to this point.
Outside of her own performance, however, there are a few things that really lend to the whole experience. The first is how loud the movie is. It is a wall of sound assaulting you from the very beginning. It’s small and may seem obvious, but it’s so effective at grabbing your attention.
Secondly, her backup dancers and vocalists are working overtime. They are over-acting their asses off, and they bat 1000. They are the supporting actors whose performances take a good movie to a great one. This production does not work without them.
Finally, the editing of the movie, the way its cut keeps you engaged. It’s over two and a half hours long, and it would feel a whole lot longer if not for the masterful editing. More importantly, it guides your focus to the concert’s strengths and draws your attention away from its weaknesses. For example, Taylor Swift, as talented as she is, is not a good dancer. The editing prevents you from focusing on this.
I saw this by myself on a Thursday afternoon at 2:30 PM. I was one of three people in the theater, and I was engaged nearly the entire time. I was almost tempted to get up and dance. If I had a little more main character energy, maybe I would have. The best I could muster sober at 2:30 on a weekday was tapping my foot and swaying in my seat.
My favorite moment from the movie was probably “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).” It comes after a relatively otherwise lackluster Red era. And my least favorite moment was definitely “Shake It Off” because I think that is her most overrated song.
Having said that, even the music I was less familiar with was enjoyable, to the point where I can see people who don’t really know her music enjoying this movie. If this movie was a campaign video designed to persuade undecided voters to vote for Taylor, I’d have a hard time believing that anyone would vote against her, excepting pre-existing biases that are most likely based in sexism. Bottom line, I don’t know how someone could watch this movie and not come away from it with more respect for Taylor.
If by the time you are reading this, you still haven’t seen the movie, I’d highly recommend it. And if you don’t like it, then you might just hate happiness.
The film is currently available to rent or purchase on demand.