Taylor Swift has proven that she can transition from country to pop music and still reign over the music industry. Swift has become more than a music sensation, she has created a towering musical empire. Her ‘1989 World Tour’ is the corner stone of that rapidly expanding empire.
For some of the people in attendance this was their first concert experience. They have never heard a crowd of thousands cheering, experienced the thrill of when the lights are turned off for the main act or the excitement of waiting for an encore. Taylor Swift, with her '1989 World Tour' delivers not only a unique concert experience but gives back to her incredibly devoted fans with an over-the-top spectacular show. This tour is complete with the audience using selfie sticks and Snap Chat; it's a rock 'n' roll stadium tour for a younger generation.
Opening the show was Shawn Mendes, who sounds like a musical cross between Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber. Mendes took the stage with just an acoustic guitar and was able to not only hold the attention of fans but showed off his talent as a musician. Mendes will be one to watch on the pop charts as this tour goes on.
Vance Joy followed Mendes as the second opening act and played a variety of singles off of Dream Your Life Away. Joy brings in indie rock elements with a more soulful vocal that combines in a relaxed catchy rock tune. Joy did feel like a slight departure from the music that this audience was used to. When he closed out his set with his current hit, “Riptide” it re-energized the audience and brought them back into the performance. Joy was relaxed on stage but it was clear that he is still developing his on stage energy and showmanship.
After two hours of opening acts and intermissions, complete with Swift explaining her 1989 album via video messages and Swift trivia, the lights dimmed and the crowd reached an ear piercing decibel with their screams in anticipation for Swift.
From the moment she stepped out on stage, she is the complete focus. Despite having such an elaborate stage show, complete with massive video screens, backup dancers, choreography for every musical number and fireworks, this show is all about Swift.
This concert is more of a musical performance. Swift explained at the start of the show that this was her telling a musical and visual story. This tour is a fully engrossing experience for the audience; from the wristbands that everyone in attendance is given which glows along with the music to Swifts extravagant outfits, every aspect of this tour has been planned and created with her master vision in mind.
Swift performed almost every track off her latest album, 1989 and changed a few fan favorites to have more of a 1989 vibe. She played “Love Story” with an electric keyboard and added a hard rock vibe to “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Hits like “Out of the Woods” and “All You Had To Do Was Stay” highlighted Swifts vocal range and showmanship. This is a tour for her fans and as she often reminds the crowd that she is thankful that 51,000 of her friends would like to hang out with her on a Saturday night.
Swift continued a trend that she started a few tours ago, she is known for bringing musical guests for certain songs during her tours. About halfway through the performance she announced that Imagine Dragons had taken a day off of their tour to come and sing for the Detroit audience. The band and Swift performed their chart-topping hit “Radioactive.”
During set changes and wardrobe transformations, a video montage of her best female friends was played on the screens surrounding the stage. Featured in the video were Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez, HAIM and Cara Delevingne. The ladies explained how they met Taylor, what is like to hang out with her and encourage the audience that girls can be friendly and help each other advance in life, instead of fighting and holding one another back. This was a theme throughout the 1989 tour, Swift empowered the audience to embrace who they are and not to be worried with labels that others place on them. She added that was the reason she wrote “Blank Space” she wanted to address the rumors about her and explain that she understands how the media portrays her but she isn’t that person.
The show ended with her hit single “Shake It Off.” Swift and her dancers appeared to be having a great time performing the song and seemed like, despite the complex planning and choreography, the goal of this tour is to have fun and interact with fans. So much so that the stage was designed to be raised and turn, in order for everyone in the sold out stadium to get to see Swift in person.
Despite the hundreds of interviews, awards shows and appearances that Swift makes, seeing her in concert is the best opportunity for fans to connect with who she is and experience her music in a fully interactive way. She takes the time to talk to the audience and thank them for their constant support. Swift could change her sound a hundred more times and still have dedicated fans filling stadiums from the front row to the back row. Fans have fallen in love with her, not just her music and that is clear when 51,000 fans in a sold out stadium are singing along with every word to every song.
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