You have fought to be here. As you await Taylor Swift’s stage entrance for her Eras Tour, a wave of calm washes over you — you’ve made it.
Grossing $2.2 billion, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has claimed the title of the highest-grossing tour ever, impacting the music industry in the process.
Swift has broken numerous records with her music, and the Eras Tour is following suit.
Caroline Heater, an NC State alumna who helps run popular local venue Q House, said Swift’s music has created community through her music and marketing.
“People want to rep Taylor Swift [merch] because it’ll connect them with another community,” Heater said. “It’ll draw in the people that already enjoy being around fans of live music, fans of Taylor Swift, and it creates a social community. The sense of community that you feel when you attend a show like that, when you’re with people that align with what you like.”
For Swifties, the Eras Tour is not just seeing Taylor Swift live, it’s about the experience. Eras Tour attendees spend an average of $1,300 on travel expenses, outfits, food, housing and tickets according to a study by QuestionPro.
Jana Thompson, a second-year studying chemical engineering, dressed as Swift’s album “Speak Now” for the concert.
“‘Speak Now’ is my favorite album,” Thompson said. “I decided to dye my top purple to match the album art. I glued butterflies to my arms and chest and wore a skirt and boots. It felt very mystical. I think there’s a culture at Taylor Swift shows. It’s a privilege to be there, so a lot of people dress up for their shows like their favorite era.”
The Eras Tour has raised the bar for other high-grossing artists’ performances.
“She’s modeling a kind of work ethic — there’s not many musicians that play a 3.5-hour show,” said Kristen Turner, a lecturer in the Department of Performing Arts and Technology. “It’s going to be hard for another superstar to come out and not do a really long show. If they don’t put on this supersized show, what’s going to happen? Also, the way she’s treating her crew, the $100,000 bonuses she’s been giving people, that sets the bar for other musicians.”
Over the past few years, Swift has been re-recording her past albums to attain full ownership of her songs. When Swift announces the release of a “Taylor’s Version” album, she is not only announcing a new version, but also the release of multiple songs from “the vault” that haven’t been heard before.
“I’m not aware of anyone who’s decided to do what she’s done, which is re-record [albums], which she can only do because she owns the publishing rights,” Turner said. “I wonder what is going to happen with other musicians who can’t buy back their own masters. Those masters that are owned by some holding company somewhere, they have lost significant value because people are going to buy the new recordings, which are a little bit different. It’s made clear to fans how exploitative the music industry is to new artists.”
Swift’s large range of music is part of the reason she is so impactful. Moreover, Swift’s ability to connect to fans through her songwriting throughout her different eras creates a unique bond between her and the listener.
“[Swift’s] music helps people understand their world,” Turner said. “It either reflects their own experiences or helps them understand their experiences that they’re having. When they listen to a Taylor Swift song, it’s like ‘Oh that’s what it’s like to fall in love,’ or ‘That’s exactly how I felt when I got dumped.’”
As the Eras Tour comes to a close, its impact continues to be present on campus. Soldiers of the Eras Tour march to class wearing their prized uniform from the hour-long merch lines and many anticipate the drop of “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”
This tour celebrates an artist reclaiming her music, taking control of her narrative and validating topics that have been minimized due to their appeal primarily to women. Swifties or not, many can expect to see a shift in shows, marketing and performances on a local, national and international level as a result of the Eras Tour.
