Taylor Swift is fresh out the slammer, and right back into the Eras Tour grind.
Swifties everywhere had been anticipating her Thursday show in Paris because it’s the first concert of her worldwide tour since the release of her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, which dropped on April 19. Since she first announced the record, fans have wondered if she would incorporate it into her nearly three-and-a-half-hour Eras performances, and what songs may get cut or changed to accommodate it.
Speculation went into overdrive recently when Swift posted a YouTube Short of herself preparing for the tour that included what looks like a new mic, set pieces, and choreography — strongly implying that the first major changes to Eras were imminent.
Swift has made small tweaks to the show, like adding “Long Live” to the “Speak Now” section when that re-recorded album came out during the tour, or swapping out “Invisible String” for the “The 1” in the “Folklore” set in the wake of her breakup with Joe Alwyn. But adding a whole new era would be the most seismic shift yet, and all eyes were on the City of Light to see if and how the singer-songwriter did it.
So, come one, come all, [the Eras Tour] is happening again — and Entertainment Weekly has highlighted all of its changes below.
“Tortured Poets” added to the intro mash-up
While the introduction to the first Era of the evening, “Lover,” remained largely the same, the audio that plays before Swift takes the stage — which includes snipPets from all of the show’s featured albums — boasted a short bit from her new song “The Tortured Poets Department,” off her latest album of the same name. The singer also debuted a new orange-tinted bodysuit and matching jacket during the first era.
“The Archer” cut from the “Lover” set
The “Lover” set used to end with “The Archer” and go straight into Swift’s “Fearless” era, but no more. Now the set ends after “Lover.” But its stunning transition with the sparkler effect is still intact.
A new “Fearless” dress
Swift donned a shimmery fringe dress in her second album’s era.
The set order changed!
Instead of “Fearless” giving way to the “Evermore” era, Swift transitioned to the “Red” set — though the music box mime that previously kicked off the era is still in the show. This was the first indication of the night that major changes were coming to the tour, and it meant the entire performance will now unfold in a different order. The new order is:
“Lover”
“Fearless”
“Red”
“Speak Now”
“Reputation”
“Folklore + Evermore”
“1989”
“The Tortured Poets Department”
Surprise songs
“Midnights”
“Red” got some updates
Swift debuted a new shirt during the top of the “Red” set that reads: “This IS NOT Taylor’s Version.” She also made remarks to the crowd before performing the 10-minute version of “All Too Well.” Previously, she engaged with the audience like this during the “Evermore” era.
“Speak Now” got new visuals, but “Long Live” got cut
The era for Swift’s third LP, Speak Now, began with a new, prolonged choreographed number accompanying instrumentals from the album before the singer eventually showed up (in a new ballgown, naturally) to sing “Enchanted.” The visuals on the big screen were also new — but still very purple, of course.
However, fan-favorite Speak Now track “Long Live” did not survive this set, meaning “Enchanted” is now the sole song for this era.
“Folklore” and “Evermore” were combined
Featuring an updated intro with tweaked visuals and instrumentals, the “Folklore” set also started with a completely different song. Previously, the era began with Swift atop a cabin singing “The 1,” but now she kicks things off with “Cardigan.” But Swift — who also wore a new yellow dress for the set — still gave a little speech before performing “Betty.” Instead of going right into “The Last Great American Dynasty,” however, she revealed another twist: The eras for her 2020 sister albums, Folklore and Evermore, have officially been combined. She then proceeded to play “Cardigan.”
The setlist for this new sister era is:
“Cardigan”
“Betty”
“Champagne Problems”
“August”
“Illicit Affairs”
“My Tears Ricochet”
“Marjorie”
“Willow”
This means the following songs were cut from the “Folklore” and “Evermore” sections: “‘Tis the Damn Season,” “Tolerate It,” “The 1,” and “The Last Great American Dynasty.”
A new ‘fit for “1989”
The singer debuted a new multicolor separate set for this era, complete with mismatched shoes.
“The Tortured Poets Department” makes its Eras debut
After “1989,” new literary-themed visuals floated on the big screen, paving the way for the first new era of the tour: “The Tortured Poets Department.” Naturally, this meant brand-new choreography and costumes, as well as black-and-white visuals throughout — of a haunted house, alien spaceships, and the asylum from the “Fortnight” music video. The platform on the stage also seemed to move around the set in ways we haven’t seen before as the singer performed on top of it. At one point, Swift was picked up off the ground and forced to change on stage as circus-type music played in the background. She then segued this into “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” which featured several old Hollywood motifs and choreography involving top hats and canes.
The “The Tortured Poets Department” setlist includes:
“But Daddy I Love Him” and “So High School” mash-up
“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”
“Down Bad,” which segued into “Fortnight”
“Fortnight”
“The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”
“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”
Surprise songs
Nothing changed in this section of the tour besides Swift donning a new magenta dress. But she performed “Paris” on guitar and the TTPD track “Loml” on piano, officially confirming that the new album could be performed in the acoustic set from here on out.
A “Midnights” costume change
Swift debuted what seemed to be a new “Midnights” bodysuit during her performance of “Midnight Rain.” This era was otherwise unchanged.
New Eras Tour merch!
Immediately after the show, the singer’s website was updated with new merchandise featuring an Eras Tour logo with Tortured Poets art front and center — previously, a Midnights promo shot was used. The new merch curiously features names such as “The Eras II Tour Gray Crewneck.”
