Who’s Who of the Eras Tour

Julianna Mullen, Staff Reporter
March 16, 2023

As Taylor Swift heads out to Glendale, Arizona, to kick off her sixth tour, which will last nearly 6 months, her fans – including many FHS students and teachers – are putting together a to-do list of things to get done before they see her. From outfits to friendship bracelets to exploring her long list of openers, the fans are making their preparations. 

The Eras Tour is a celebration of Taylor Swift’s 10 studio albums, including the most recent addition of Midnights. But on a larger scale, this tour will allow fans to congratulate Swift on re-recording her albums, which she finally owns again. It’s a commemoration of Taylor’s Version, her music her way.

Rather than plainly releasing an album, the 12-time Grammy winner is known for creating a world and atmosphere around each individual album. From the start, Taylor Swift has coordinated each album with a style. Every album has its own look, sound, and message which Swift has combined to create a unique feel for all her albums.  This can be seen in her public appearances, her Instagram feed, and of course on the cover of her albums.  

Evermore was the album that solidified Taylor Swift as a folk singer. Photo Courtesy of Vanity Fair.
During the peak of the album Swift leaned into the witchy vibe which can be seen in her Grammy’s Outfit and her Instagram feed. Photo Courtesy of Vanity Fair.

Fans have collectively decided to call each of these styles her Eras. So now when fans look back on the outfits or talk about the albums, they refer to Swift’s era of the time. Personally, my favorite is the Reputation Era which is all about Taylor finding her people. The message of her album encourages her fans to find the people who like them for who they are. On the surface it may seem very revenge-forward or look and sound very grungy, but when you truly listen you can hear the balance between love songs and pop anthems that reinvent the TS brand. 

“Flashback when you met me, your buzzcut and my hair bleached, even in my worst times, you could see the best of me,” Taylor Swifts sings about the fateful night of the 2016 Met Gala where she met Joe Alwyn, and the Rep Era publicly began. Photo courtesy of Fashionista.

The TS Brand is everchanging – instead of making a constant theme for people to associate with, she reinvents herself whenever she wants to change things up. Now that she has embraced the fan-given title of these reinventions, she’s ready to show them all off on tour. 

Already though, her 2023 tour has been surrounded by speculation. Will she be re-releasing her last few albums? Why did she pick the openers she did? Will she have special guests too? Everyone wants to know what the tour will be like but the number one thing on their minds is who exactly her openers are.  

Taylor Swift is ready for a tour filled with many perfect nights where she and her openers can “dress up like hipsters and make fun of [their] exes.” Photo Courtesy of Julianna Mullen.
Each opener fits into the mastermind’s grand scheme in one way or another. She has a mix of well-known names and up-and-coming artists, many of which have openly named Swift as an inspiration/reason they got into music while others are long-term friends of hers. I believe each artist fits into an Era and here is why, along with 4-5 songs per opener that will help you get into their music and prepare for the tour:  

Debut/Self-Titled = HAIM 

This was the start of Taylor Swift as a singer after she had been living in Nashville for two years. This explains why it has a very country tone because at the time she was a small-town girl who was pursuing her dreams. HAIM best represents this album because the band, which consists of three sisters, has fast and giddy songs that just prove Vintage Vibes are still cool.  

Songs to Listen to: 

Gasoline 

Pray to God 

Now I’m In It 

Want You Back 

The Wire 

Fearless = OWENN 

With Fearless, Taylor Swift began to enter the pop world, or at least the album gently paved the way for her to do so. The country vibe is still there but these songs are more relatable and catchier than the first album. The songs on Fearless became synonymous with the sparkly dresses and golden blonde curls of Taylor Swift – she started making a name for herself. OWENN best fits with this era because although he only has four released songs, what he does have is majorly R&B and soul inspired. His songs feel very youthful which goes in favor of Fearless as it’s all about girlhood. 

Songs to Listen to: 

Rest of My Life 

Show me 

Luv 

Baby Girl  

Speak Now = GAYLE 

Speak Now was the first time Swift used fantasy to tell a story within her album; she was finding her own genre-bending style. The vibe was fairytale. The color was purple. The energy of fairytale was matched by the sad poet Swift was becoming. Gayle best fits into this era because she is already a sad poet. Her songs are brutally honest and tell a story of her life. Gayle quite frankly isn’t afraid to speak her mind – as can be seen on TikTok. 

Songs to listen to: 

Luv Starved 

Ur Just Lonely 

God Has a Sense of Humor 

Indieedgycool 

Everybody Hates Me  

Red = Paramore 

With Red, Taylor Swift became a pop icon. But the album wasn’t all pop – it broke all genres and became her only true breakup album. She used red to advantage, it’s all she wore, and it symbolized her heartbreak. Paramore goes with this era because they have many upbeat songs about both heartbreak and love. Their songs are very pop-like. 

Songs to listen to:  

Ain’t It Fun 

The Only Exception 

Still Into You 

Misery Business 

CrushCrushCrush 

1989 = Muna 

1989 was the album where Taylor Swift embraced her transformation from country girl with a dream to young pop singer. The album is romantic and feels nostalgic but also has some revenge sprinkled throughout. She accepted her power and flaunted her sequins. Muna is big-time 1989 because they have embraced queer joy and sing both love songs and dance anthems. 

Songs to listen to:  

Silk Chiffon 

Anything But Me 

What I Want 

Home By Now 

I Know a Place 

Reputation= Phoebe Bridgers 

Reputation was released after a two-year hiatus from Swift, and with this comeback came yet another transformation. Taylor Swift was no longer America’s sweetheart, but she was back for revenge. Everything was black and dark. There was a lot of snake imagery. She even sung a song where she says the old Taylor has died. Phoebe Bridgers belongs in this era because she always dresses like a ghost, sings about death and love, and loss.  

Songs to listen to:  

Savior Complex 

I know the End 

Chinese Satellite 

Scott Street  

Moon Song 

 Lover = Beabadoobee 

Lover was colorful and dreamy. Taylor Swift created a world of color, energy, and most importantly love. Personally, my favorite album.  Beabadoobee belongs to this era as she is very colorful and sings many soft love songs. Although her songs are sadder than Taylor’s Lover songs, she is just as sweet. 

Songs to listen to:  

Death Bed  

The Perfect Pair 

Glue Song 

If you want to 

Coffee 

Folklore = Gracie Abrams 

Folklore was the album where Swift really put her storytelling skills to the test. Many of the songs on the album tell a fictional story tied together. The vibes of this album are immaculate. Very folk-like, woodsy, and cottage-core. The songs that aren’t telling a story are honest reflections from Taylor’s experiences. Gracie Abrams fits perfectly into this era as her song matches flawlessly with the sound of Folklore. Though Abrams’ songs don’t tell a fictional story, they are honest and raw. 

Songs to listen to:  

Feels Like 

I know it won’t work 

I miss you, I’m Sorry 

Where Do We Go Now 

Stay 

Evermore = Girl in Red 

Evermore is very similar to Folklore; in fact, they are sister albums. They were both surprise albums written during the pandemic. This album is more of the same woodsy vibe but a little more personal. Girl in Red rightfully belongs in this era as she too uses red to advantage and writes a lot about love, longing, and heartbreak. 

Songs to listen to:  

Bad Idea 

I wanna be your Girlfriend 

We Fell in Love in October 

Summer Depression 

Girls