“It’s been a long time coming”: UM students react to Taylor Swift tour setlist

Taylor Swift and ensemble perform “My Tears Ricochet” on the second night of the Eras Tour. Photo credit: Chris Willman/Variety, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Have you attended a three-hour long concert before? If not, get ready to partake in this unique experience with Taylor Swift’s “Eras” Tour.

Swift kicked off her highly anticipated tour on March 17 in Glendale, Arizona with a concert far beyond anyone’s expectations.

The setlist surpasses three hours and features 44 songs, with two surprise acoustic tracks each night. It’s clear that Swift designed the show with her fans in mind — the concert is a dream for OG fans.

The Grammy-award winning artist brings attendees along on a journey through her extensive “eras” to demonstrate how she has tackled different genres, obstacles and life experiences. Swift unexpectedly opens with “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” from the “Lover” album and cleverly ends the show with “Karma” from her latest album, “Midnights.”

Her setlist highlights popular singles from each era, such as “Love Story,” “22,” “Lover,” “Look What You Made Me Do,” “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero.”

Swift also performs many fan favorites that were not released as singles. Some of the most exciting songs on the setlist include “All Too Well (Ten Minute Version),” “august,” “champagne problems” and “Cruel Summer.”

Nicole Garcia, a sophomore political science major, shares that she was thrilled to see “The Archer” make the setlist.

Cassidy Martens, a sophomore psychology and Spanish major, was beyond excited to learn that Swift also performed “Don’t Blame Me,” “tis the damn season” and “Bejeweled” on opening night.

Surprise songs are not new to Swift’s concerts: the singer-songwriter also performed surprise songs for her “Reputation” stadium tour in 2018.

Each weekend, Swifties speculate on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter what the surprise songs might be. Past ones include “mirrorball,” “Our Song,” “State of Grace” and “this is me trying.”

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UM students weighed in on their dream surprise songs for the “Eras” tour.

Martens hopes her surprise songs are “ivy” and “Paper Rings, while Garcia would like to hear “Right Where You Left Me” and “Daylight.”

Aris Montero, a sophomore public relations major, noted that her ideal surprise songs would be “Sad Beautiful Tragic” and “Teardrops on My Guitar.”

Even with an extraordinary 44-song setlist, some fans expressed disappointment. No songs were included from Swift’s debut album “Taylor Swift,” but concert goers could hear a debut song as a surprise. Swift has already performed two songs from “Taylor Swift” during her acoustic set.

Fans online were also disappointed that only one song from “Speak Now” is on the setlist: “Enchanted.” A potentially purposeful move, Swift has hinted through multiple Easter eggs that “Speak Now” will be the next re-recorded album release.

The Eras Tour has surpassed expectations and already broken records. With raving reviews from critics and fans alike, obtaining the tickets was worth surviving “The Great War” with Ticketmaster!

While Swift recently performed in Florida, it’s not too late to see her in concert — the Eras tour will hit several states over the next several months including Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California and more. If you’re a dedicated Swiftie, peruse those resale sites for tickets and catch a show while you’re home for the summer!