“My name is Taylor, and I’ll be your host this evening,” Taylor Swift announced.
It had been a long time coming, and those words were finally heard by every seasoned and new Swiftie gathered in the Singapore National Stadium on 2 March to watch the global superstar kick off her six-night residency in the Lion City for The Eras Tour.
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Having been on the road since August 2023, it was impressive to see the ‘Cruel Summer’ hitmaker still brimming with energy and unwavering style.
Although the 35-hectare stadium is already a sight to see in Singapore, what was housed inside the dome was a different league altogether. A phenomenal wonderland that unraveled 10 chapters of Swift’s discography over the years since her debut – from Fearless (2008) to Midnights (2023) – we were transported through time and space, uncovering its mesmerising narrative, era by era.
Together with Sabrina Carpenter as the opening act, the 34-year-old took us through a hefty three-and-a-half-hour spectacle that kept us on our toes.
“I’m so excited to get to say these words to you. Singapore, welcome to The Eras Tour! I’m so incredibly lucky to have both groups (local and international fans from Southeast Asia) here tonight. I’m so honoured that you want to spend your Saturday night here with us on The Eras Tour,” Swift exclaimed.
With over 3 stages, 10 outfit changes, and 45 songs performed, the first Singapore show was certainly one for the books and we’re here to break it down “one era at a time”. Are you ready for it?
SABRINA’S ‘NONSENSE’ OUTRO HITS HOME
With every new city that the American singer visited, it’s tradition for Carpenter to spontaneously switch up the final verse of her smash hit ‘nonsense’ off her emails i can’t send (2022) album.
Using a nod to one of Singapore’s horticultural spots, the 24-year-old sang: “Gardens By The Bay, I wanna go there / Then I’ll take you somewhere that has no hair / Singapore, you’re so perfect it’s no fair”.
Her lyrical cheekiness aside, the ‘feather’ act’s set fluctuated from a pump of energy with tracks like ‘feather’, and ‘Read your Mind’, to heartwarming tunes including ‘Tornado Warnings’, ‘opposite’, ‘because i liked a boy’, and a solemn cover of ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’.
“I can’t believe I’m able to see the show as many times as I have, I’m so grateful and lucky. I wanna say thank you to Taylor for having us on this tour, it really does feel like a dream. Everybody here in Singapore looks so beautiful, wow,” Carpenter said.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WILL YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE LOVER ERA?
As the countdown clock struck 7 PM, the 55,000-strong crowd roared with excitement as seven crew members strapped with large-spanned floral fans made their way on stage and created a captivating visual and flowy sight. Shortly after that, they gathered at the centre of the rhombus stage with each petal hunched over and stacked on top of each other, slowly revealing the appearance of the star in a star-studded bodysuit and knee-high shimmering boots.
Wasting no time, Swift delivered the first two tracks of the night in the Lover (2019) Era, ‘Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince’ and ‘Cruel Summer’, eliciting an echo of the latter’s bridge from the crowd.
“Singapore, you are making me feel amazing right now,” Swift exclaimed, hyping up the stadium before gearing them up for ‘The Man’. As she put on a silver blazer coated in diamonds, Swift gradually made her way up to a three-tiered structure taking the form of a corporate office, eventually taking a seat at the top.
When it was time for the GRAMMY Award-winning artist to slow down the pace after the adrenaline-pumping introduction, Swift whipped out her pastel pink acoustic guitar to serenade us with the romantic lyrics of ‘Lover’, before wrapping up the Era with ‘The Archer’.
THE FEARLESS ERA: IT’S FLAWLESS, REALLY SOMETHIN’
In what seemed to be one of the most nostalgic chapters of the night, Swift brought out the prominent tunes of the early 2000s in the Fearless (2008) Era that unlocked a wave of memories.
Clad in a bodysuit with dazzling tassels, Swift skipped onto the stage with a bedazzled acoustic guitar and flawlessly carried ‘Fearless’ with support from four guitarists. The moment when she sang “It’s the first kiss, it’s flawless, really somethin’ / it’s fearless”, Swift proudly cupped her hands to make a heart and held it up for the fans to reciprocate.
With no breaks in between, Swift graced the stage with the timeless classics of ‘You Belong With Me’, which has hit over a billion views on YouTube at the time of writing, and wrapped up the set with ‘Love Story’.
EVERMORE ERA WAS A WORK OF ART
After leaving behind the vibrant gold hue of the previous set, we were transported to a forest during the Evermore (2020) Era. Taking us on a soundtrip of folk music, it was clear that we were about to witness a different side of the songbird. Dressed in a flowy orange dress, Swift whisked us away with ‘’tis the damn season’ as she stood at centre stage solo.
Shortly after that, little did we know that one of the most theatrical acts of the night was about to be served. With the absence of all forms of light and warmth, an eerie hum blasted through the speakers as Swift’s backup dancers slowly linked with her at the centre, and adorned a green cape over her shoulders. As she dramatically swung her cape, the arena plunged into total darkness after she commanded: “Meet me after dark.” Glowing orbs then lit up the stage, along with shades of midnight blue hue lingering in the forest – a captivating opening for ‘willow’.
Switching up to another hushed tune, Swift nestled under a canopy of a large and intertwining tree root with her moss-covered piano. “I’ve been hearing about Singapore my whole life, and so to get to come here and play a show this big, with so many generous people just honoring my family like what you just did (flashlights in the air) with that song (‘marjorie’), it means the world and I already love you, we’re gonna have a blast tonight,” she said before breaking into ‘champagne problems’.
ARE YOU READY FOR THE REPUTATION ERA?
Next, the prominent sounds of high heels clacking on the ground and a hissing snack echoed through the speakers, which meant that we’d glided our way into the Reputation (2017) Era.
Also a distinctive change in vibe, energy, and persona, Swift brought her claws out as she strutted on stage with an asymmetrical suit embellished with red slithering snakes, and opened the chapter with ‘...Ready For It?’.
Powering through a high-octane set with dynamic dance moves, Swift refused to let her vigor falter. If anything, it was clear that she was charging up for the remainder of her set with ‘Delicate’, ‘Don’t Blame Me’, ‘Look What You Made Me Do’.
SPEAK NOW ERA, WE WERE ENCHANTED TO MEET YOU
Short and succinct is the best way to describe the Speak Now (2010) Era. Although it only featured two songs, the inclusions were enough to leave us entranced. The moment the stadium glowed purple, Swift returned to the stage dressed in a lavender ballgown and charmed the crowd with ‘Enchanted’. Accompanied by her backup dancers, also clad in tulle dresses, she delivered a romantic spectacle that got Swifties cheering and singing along.
Carrying along her unwavering vocals, Swift moved on to dedicate ‘Long Live’ to attendees as she beamed with a cheerful smile.
WE WILL REMEMBER THE RED ERA ALL TOO WELL
With specks of red pulsating throughout the stadium, we knew all too well what we were in for. Kicking off the Red (2012) Era with ‘22’, Swift sported a black fedora and a white t-shirt with a reference to the song’s lyrics, “Who’s Taylor Swift anyway? Ew.” When the time came around for the last chorus, Swift made her way down the runway with her dancers to embrace a hand-picked fan and present her with the fedora. In return, the young Swiftie gifted Swift a handmade friendship bracelet in which the latter immediately wore on her wrist throughout the rest of her performance.
After another peppy performance – and a whole lot of dense haze blasting into the air – of ‘We Are Never Getting Back Together’ and ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’, Swift announced: “There’s one more song on Red. Do you happen to have 10 minutes spare?”. The crowd immediately erupted into uproarious cheers as Swift carried the initial strum of ‘All Too Well’ on a black acoustic guitar, ending on a bittersweet note to wrap up the Red Era.
A MARVELOUS TIME IN THE FOLKLORE ERA
Strapping up for one of the lengthy sets for the night, Swift took us on a seven-track adventure as she resides in a cozy cabin with a mossy roof and smoking chimney in the Folklore (2020) Era. Drapped in a cream gown, Swift thrilled the crowd in a fairytale-like chronicle and mesmerised Swifties with her whimsical imagination of fictional characters in the album.
Getting things underway with ‘the 1’, Swift rested on the roof of the cabin and steadily delivered the track off her eighth studio album before moving on to other tracks like ‘betty’, ‘the last great american dynasty’, and ‘cardigan’.
“I started writing this album about two days before the pandemic. I think everybody in the world was looking for a way to kinda stay in their imagination and just try to find a way to cope. For me, that was Folklore and I was writing a bit differently,” Swift shared.
WE’LL NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE IN THE 1989 ERA
The sight of a neon skyline on the LED screen was a sign that we had entered the 1989 (2014) Era. As the famed opening of ‘Style’ pounded through the speakers, Swift rose to the rhombus stage with a gleaming orange tank top and a matching mini-skirt, ready to make a statement.
Thereafter, the song seamlessly transitioned to ‘Blank Space’, where Swift stood at the diamond stage which slowly elevated to reveal digital versions of herself on the LED screens. Although divided into different variations of the same outfits, the on-screen Taylors were united and synchronised in dance moves and gestures in real-time.
Keeping up the zest, Swift decided to vent her frustrations with ‘Bad Blood’ as she belted out the lyrics ferociously. Escorted by her six backup dancers, Swift flaunted her sassiness to the diamond stage while the Lover House burned down in the background. Talk about a grandiose end to an Era.
“SINGAPORE, WELCOME TO THE ACOUSTIC SESSION”
“This has become my favourite part of the show because it gets very chaotic and it’s become a challenge to think of new things to do for every single city and I just hope I’m doing something that you guys might like,” Swift said, now in a vibrant canary dress with a wooden acoustic guitar.
Before breaking our curiousity about her first secret song, she continued: “It’s been a blast. This whole tradition that I started on The Eras Tour to play as many songs for you as I can, so I invented the crazy acoustic session. And it’s been a lot of fun and I hope it stays that way.”
Then, Swift brought us back to the past with ‘Mine’ from the Speak Now album and ‘Starlight’ off the Red album. Next, she moved on to work her magic with ‘I Don’t Wanna Live Forever’ and ‘Dress’ behind a piano painted with flowers.
After a brief session of flaunting her ethereal and powerful vocals, Swift expressed her gratitude to the crowd as she blew a kiss and dived under the stage.
DIAMONDS GOTTA SHINE IN THE MIDNIGHTS ERA
Finally, the Midnights (2022) Era began when Swift returned in a glittering purple dress, topped with faux fur coat.
Her delivery of ‘Lavender Haze’ was nothing short of spectacular as she stood on an elevated platform with thick cloud props revolving around her. From the otherworldly cries of the first track, the set smoothly transitioned to ‘Anti-Hero’.
Another highlight of the night was her sultry performance of ‘Vigilante Sh*t’ with her backup dancers as they served a burlesque chair dance on a dynamic stage that ascended and descended seamlessly.
Wrapping up the night with ‘Bejeweled’ and ‘Karma’, Swift exclaimed: “Thank you so much for being with us on a Saturday night. We love you, we love you so much!”
Taylor Swift’s first show The Eras Tour show in Singapore was a stunning visual extravaganza to say the least. The superstar left us on a brand new high with the amount of thought and effort she had put into celebrating her musical craftsmanship over the years. Needless to say, this experience was one that was beyond our wildest dreams.
Relive the first Singapore show of The Eras Tour here:
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Setlist for Taylor Swift The Eras Tour in Singapore on 2 March 2024:
Lover Era
1. Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince
2. Cruel Summer
3. The Man
4. You Need To Calm Down
5. Lover
6. The Archer
Fearless Era
7. Fearless
8. You Belong With Me
9. Love Story
Evermore Era
10. ‘tis The Damn Season
11. willow
12. marjorie
13. champagne Problems
14. Tolerate It
Reputation Era
15. …Ready For It?
16. Delicate
17. Don’t Blame Me
18. Look What You Made Me Do
Speak Now Era
19. Enchanted
20. Long Live
Red Era
21. 22
22. We Are Never Getting Back Together
23. I Knew You Were Trouble
24. All Too Well
Folklore Era
25. the 1
26. betty
27. the Last Great American Dynasty
28. august
29. illicit Affairs
30. my Tears Ricochet
31. cardigan
1989 Era
32. Style
33. Blank Space
34. Shake It Off
35. Wildest Dreams
36. Bad Blood
Secret Songs (Acoustic)
37. Mine / Starlight
38. I Don’t Wanna Live Forever / Dress
Midnights Era
39. Lavender Haze
40. Anti-Hero
41. Midnight Rain
42. Vigilante Sh*t
43. Bejeweled
44. Mastermind
45. Karma
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