Hints and Easter Eggs to Help Decode if Taylor Swift Will Include TTPD in the Eras Tour

Now that TTPD has dropped to proverbial success, pop icon Taylor Swift is set to resume the Eras tour in Europe this week on May 9, leaving the internet abuzz with easter eggs and theories. Will Swift’s new songs from TTPD be included in the Eras tour set list? Will she sing So Long, London in London? What songs may be cut from the show to make room for the new tracks? We decode all the easter eggs and fan theories that have emerged about TTPD’s potential inclusion in Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.

Raise a hand if you’ve been dying to hear I Can Do It With A Broken Heart live since first hearing it on The Tortured Poets Department. Like many other tracks on Taylor Swift’s latest album TTPD and The Anthology, ICDIWABH provided a startling revelation into the songstress’ state of mind in the wake of her breakups with ex Joe Alwyn and decade-long situationship Matty Healy. Set to the high-octave and synth-rich beats that producer Jack Antonoff is known for, the song nonetheless painted the heartrending picture of a powerful woman beholden to extreme expectations, determined to not let her fans down.

With the song’s lyrics highlighting the strength and dedication displayed by Swift, who powered through the earliest performances of her Eras tour with a broken heart, fans are desperate to show their appreciation in kind.

This has naturally given rise to speculations that Swift might include TTPD in the Eras tour setlist. Numerous easter eggs, hints, and clues online (some dropped by Swift herself) provided additional fuel, with fans insisting that TTPD is definitely coming to the Eras tour.

There’s just one caveat, however: The Eras tour setlist is already over three hours long.

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The current Eras tour setlist

While it’s anybody’s guess as to what changes might be made to the Eras tour setlist come May 9, its current iteration incorporates fan favourites from Swift’s studio albums from Fearless to Midnights. The tracks are as follows:

Lover Era

Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince
Cruel Summer
The Man
You Need To Calm Down
Lover
The Archer

Fearless Era

Fearless
You Belong With Me
Love Story

Evermore Era

‘Tis The Damn Season
Willow
Marjorie
Champagne Problems
Tolerate It

Reputation Era

…Ready For It?
Delicate
Don’t Blame Me
Look What You Made Me Do

Speak Now Era

Enchanted
Long Live

Red Era

22
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
I Knew You Were Trouble
All Too Well (10 Minute Version)

Folklore Era

The 1
Betty
The Last Great American Dynasty
August
Illicit Affairs
My Tears Ricochet
Cardigan

1989 Era

Style
Blank Space
Shake It Off
Wildest Dreams
Bad Blood

Acoustic Surprise Songs

Guitar surprise song
Piano surprise song

Midnights Era

Lavender Haze
Anti-Hero
Midnight Rain
Vigilante Sh–t
Bejeweled
Mastermind
Karma

As of Swift’s last performance in Singapore this past March, the Eras tour setlist was composed of nine distinct eras spread out over forty-five tracks — excluding her self-named debut album. The exhaustive performances, which require Herculean preparation efforts on Swift’s part including karaoke-and-cardio sessions, typically go on for three hours and fifteen minutes.

With that in mind, it bears noting that it would be difficult for Swift to add new tracks from TTPD without subtracting some from her existing setlist.

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A tale of tracks: What could be in and what could be out?

Considering its role as the then-latest album to be added to Swift’s burgeoning music catalogue, Midnights received a large share of the allotted time for the Eras tour. Seven tracks were featured from the album, rounding off Swift’s performances every night. However, Midnights was not the only album that received special treatment and attention.

Released during the height of the pandemic, the sister albums of Folklore and Evermore were well-received. However, due to restrictions, Swift was unable to tour for them, instead adopting a low-key rollout strategy that resulted in beautifully intimate recording sessions, self-directed music videos, and a bucolic aesthetic that reflected the themes of the albums as a whole. And, while a Lover Fest had initially been announced in 2019, lockdown restrictions led to it being cancelled, and it joined Folklore and Evermore in the list of albums that did not receive the extravagant touring experience.

It made sense, then, that these albums received more time during the Eras tour. As it stands now, Folklore occupies seven tracks in the concert setlist, on par with Midnights. Kicking off the Eras tour performances each night, Lover opens with six tracks, whilst Evermore follows with a reasonable five.

A popular fan theory posits that some tracks may be cut from both the Midnights and the Folklore eras to make room for TTPD. And now that Evermore and Lover have both had their chance to shine, it is also possible that songs from these eras may also be swapped out, with less-popular tracks such as The Archer and ‘Tis The Damn Season potentially being shown the exit.

Like Evermore, 1989 also features five tracks, inviting speculation as to whether it may see setlist adjustments. While the 1989 era is full of bops that deserve to be applauded, Swift may opt to remove one or two tracks from the set to make room for her newer releases.

Red era loyalists may also find their setlist altered. While only four tracks are performed from Red, one of them is longer than the others — All Too Well (10 Minute Version). While the track has now become emblematic of the Red Era, one could make an argument for Swift swapping it out in favour of its shorter cut, which only runs for 5 minutes and 29 seconds.

Amidst the excitement, Billboard has also released a list of tracks it believes should be cut from the Eras tour: The Archer, Marjorie, The 1, The Last Great American Dynasty, Midnight Rain, and Mastermind. While it’s certainly possible for Swift to cut any of the above, it is unlikely that the superstar would give up the chance to sing Marjorie, given its place in her family History.

A part of the Evermore era, Marjorie was written as a loving homage to Swift’s grandmother, opera singer Marjorie Finlay. The song also features isolated soprano vocals from Finlay’s performances, and Swift has often expressed gratitude for being able to perform with her beloved grandmother in front of millions of fans.

Beyond direct cuts, Swift could also look at mashing up some of the songs within the same era to save time. She’s certainly no stranger to doing so; previously, Swift had performed mash ups of her surprise songs during the acoustic set of the Eras tour, to much critical success among Swifties.

While Taylor Swift and her touring company have remained mum on whether TTPD will feature in the Paris showing of the Eras tour, hopeful Swifties have already begun to light up social media with their theories, easter eggs, and hypotheses. Despite having 31 TTPD and The Anthology tracks to pick from, fans have largely agreed upon songs that deserve spots in the Eras tour: Fortnight, The Tortured Poets Department, Down Bad, I Can Do It With A Broken Heart, So Long, London, and Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me. However, a case can certainly be made for Florida!!!, So High School, and The Alchemy, as well as Swift’s now-infamous callout song, thanK you aIMee.

While it may be all fun and Games to speculate on which songs may be cut to make room for the Eras tour, Swift herself has dropped some pretty telling easter eggs.

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All the easter eggs and clues that TTPD will be included in the Eras tour

Brand new choreography and props

Shortly after the release of TTPD, Taylor Swift kickstarted the Fortnight challenge, asking Swifties to share scenes from the lives over a fortnight. On YouTube Shorts, Swift’s own post featured a black-and-white montage of footage apparently filmed during Eras tour practice sessions.

In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it segment of the 15-second clip, Swift was shown practicing moves with her dancers, showcasing choreography and props that appear brand-new to the Eras tour set.

TTPD logo sightings during practice sessions

Beyond the choreography, Swiftie detectives have also spotted a railing that appears to emulate the TTPD logo. While the evidence appears compelling, it is not indisputable, as half of the logo was covered by Swift herself.

The mystery of the white microphone

Photos have long existed online showcasing Taylor Swift’s colourful array of microphones, which she uses on the Eras tour. These microphones are colour-coded, each assigned to a specific era. Among them, a pure white microphone, which has yet to be used — until recently.

In the same YouTube Short, Swift was shown using a microphone that, for all intents and purposes, appeared white. And, considering the thematic hues of The Tortured Poets Department, which predominantly feature in shades of monochrome and white, this could very well be Taylor Swift’s personal easter egg to fans, signalling the arrival of TTPD in the Eras tour.

The ‘Koi Guitar’ takes a bow

As important as personalised microphones are to the success of the Eras tour, so too are Swift’s collection of beautiful guitars, many of which have featured during her performances. Among them is an iconic Taylor Grand Symphony “Living Jewels” Series guitar, which Swift uses during the Speak Now set.

However, a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) showed that the guitar was returned to the Country Music Hall of Fame, where it once sat on display between 2022 and 2023. While this could simply mean that Swift is swapping out her guitars, fans of Long Live are rightly nervous about the fate of the Speak Now set.

White set to take over the Eras tour?

A recent social media post by Swift’s longtime bass player Amos Heller has also raised eyebrows amongst Swifties hoping for a TTPD era in the Eras tour. In the post, Heller was pictured holding a white bass, which is perfectly in line with the colour and aesthetic of TTPD.

With the internet’s propensity for overthinking easter eggs and clues where Taylor Swift, TTPD, and the Eras tour are concerned, these little nuggets may be no more than a red herring. Thankfully, we won’t have long to wait until we’ll know for sure.

The European leg of the Eras tour kicks off on May 9 2024 in Paris, France, and will wrap up on August 20 2024 in London, United Kingdom.

(Main and featured image: Taylor Swift/Instagram)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What was Taylor Swift’s surprise song on the Eras tour?

During the acoustic segment of the Eras tour, Taylor Swift performs two surprise songs: One on the piano, and the other on the guitar. Read our full list of all the surprise songs Taylor Swift has performed here.

– What does Taylor Swift mean by Easter eggs?

Taylor Swift is known to hide easter eggs, clues, and hints about her upcoming projects in her music, interviews, artwork design, and social media posts. This has led to many a merry hunt by Swifties desiring to find out more about their favourite singer, resulting in fan theories and hypotheses on all subjects pertaining to Swift.