“The Eras tour concert was genuinely one of the coolest experiences of my life,” said Maisie Smith-Zoe, eighth-grader on the Explorers team, who went to the May 13, Philadelphia concert.

Born in 1989, Taylor Swift has released 10 albums since 2006, starting with her debut album. With millions of fans worldwide, also called “Swifties,” she is known as “The Music Industry.” Taylor’s passion for music led her down a path of singing and songwriting. At just 12 years old, she began learning how to play the guitar and writing her own songs. 

The name, the Eras tour, represents a journey through the musical eras of Taylor’s career. 

“Her albums are Debut, 1989, Lover, Reputation, Folklore, Evermore, Red, Midnights, Fearless, and Speak Now,” said Arya Takalkar, eighth-grader on the Voyagers team. 

Taylor Swift has made a comeback on stage after five years, with her last concert tour being in 2018. Maisie and Arya are just two of the many students who have the opportunity to attend Taylor’s breathtaking Eras tour.

“I’m going to the Eras tour and I’m really excited,” Arya said. “It’s been five years since I’ve seen Taylor Swift and I never really got to appreciate it because I was so young.” 

The Eras tour that started on March 17 is ongoing until Aug. 9. 

“I went to the Philadelphia concert on May 17 and there were around 70,000 people,” Maisie said. Being around so many people was overwhelming but it was still incredible.”

Over 14 million fans stormed the Ticketmaster site for pre-sale tickets to the Eras tour causing the website to crash and millions of fans being unable to buy tickets.  

“I’m going to the Pittsburgh concert on June 17 and I’m wearing a purple Speak Now bedazzled dress,” Diya Doshi, eighth-grader on the Voyagers team says. “My favorite album is Speak Now and my favorite song is Haunted.” 

Taylor’s albums provide a wide range of music so there’s something for everyone.

“My favorite album is 1989 because it was the first album of hers that made me a swiftie but the album I relate to the most is Folklore because some of the songs are about her life and the stress of quarantine and I understand that,” Arya says. 

Mrs. Devyn Grimes, the orchestra teacher at RCMS is going to the Eras tour with her best friend who’s also a swiftie. She’s excited to have this experience with her. 

“Taylor Swift started becoming a thing when I was in high school, 2006, so I feel connected to her music as it evolved with stages in my life. The things she’s saying are relevant to me,” Mrs. Grimes says. “Shake it Off is my favorite song because it’s fun and resonates with me.” 

One of Taylor’s goals as a music producer is to create music that everyone can relate to or be inspired by and increase advocacy of women rights. 

“I find her inspirational because she talks about women empowerment through her songs like ‘The man’ from Lover,” said Arya. 

With some of Taylor’s music being about her past experiences, she has a way of warning younger fans about misconceptions to protect them so they don’t face the same troubles she did. She wouldn’t wish those negative feelings upon others because she knows how much pain it can cause. 

“She’s a good role model and good human. Sometimes we idolize people and we find out their jerks but that’s not the case with Taylor,” said Mrs. Grimes. 

Behind her love songs, Taylor shows that having a voice as a woman is really important. As someone who faces injustices, she uses her voice to speak up, not only for herself, but others as well.       

“She doesn’t really care what anybody thinks and she’s one of the most successful people in the music industry. Everyone thinks that she just writes about her boyfriends but it’s so much more than that,” said Arya. 

“And to all the haters out there,” she added, “we know you listen to Taylor Swift in the shower!”