Taylor Swift launched her European leg of the Eras Tour with a bang in Paris, introducing a slew of exciting changes during her opening performance on Thursday, May 9.
Fans, eagerly returning after a two-month hiatus, were immediately struck by the alterations — from wardrobe shifts to tweaks in the setlist. Addressing the audience at the onset, Swift teased, "It makes us want to give you all sorts of surprises!"
Of particular interest to fans was whether she'd incorporate tracks from her latest 11th album, The Tortured Poet's Department, released in April. Swift's French tour promoter, Arnaud Meersseman, confirmed additions were on the cards, although specifics remained under wraps.
The tour's evolution kicked off promptly with an altered intro, transitioning from a mashup of her albums to including material from TTPD.
To make room for the new songs, she bid farewell to some fan favorites: "The Archer," "Long Live," "The 1," "Tolerate It," "The Last Great American Dynasty," and "Tis the Damn Season."
Fans voiced their discontent over the cuts. "She really axed some of my favorite songs :(" lamented one user via X (formerly Twitter). Another expressed frustration, "Why is she cutting the best songs? I'm so upset right now."
However, Swift officially ushered in a TTPD era to the tour, dubbing it "female rage: the musical."
She debuted the tracks "So High School," "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart," "But Daddy I Love Him," "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived," "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me," "Down Bad," and "Fortnight."
As for the costume changes, Swift unveiled a new array of outfits — a new Lover bodysuit, Fearless dress, and Enchanted gown graced the stage, accompanied by a new t-shirt for the Red era saying, "This is Not Taylor's Version."
Transitioning to the Folklore era, she stunned in a new yellow dress, while the 1989 was changed to a blue-and-pink sequined ensemble.
In a surprising twist, the sequence of eras underwent a shake-up. Evermore took the lead after Fearless, followed by Red and then Speak Now. Evermore and Folklore merged into a singular era.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
