The U.S. leg of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” had a total of 1,982,304 attendees over the span of the 28 shows she performed. While almost 2 million fans – commonly called Swifties – saw Taylor live, there are millions who did not get the chance. This disconnect led to Swift’s team releasing an Eras Tour movie. As one of the lucky fans who attended the Eras Tour (Minneapolis, Night 2), I feel that I can fairly compare the movie Swift released versus the live show.
The live concert was an energy filled experience, being able to trade friendship bracelets and sing along with fellow Swifties made me feel so a part of a community. Swift is a phenomenal performer; I think her stage presence is unmatched when compared to other pop stars of this time. I can honestly say that Swift’s talent translated seamlessly from the live show to the movie screen. She was just as captivating, maybe even more on a big screen. The movie was a little disappointing, as fan favorite songs such as “The Archer” and “Wildest Dreams” were cut out, along with a few others.
I was disappointed, along with many other fans, when songs such as “Long Live” from her Speak Now album were cut, as it is a song dedicated to the fans. Swift has spoken many times about how she wrote “Long Live” to show her immense love and appreciation for her supporters. Originally for the Eras Tour, “Long Live” was supposed to be performed during the Speak Now set, right after “Enchanted.” Before her first show, Swift decided to only sing “Enchanted.” However, on July 7, upon the release of Speak Now: Taylor’s Version, Swift added “Long Live” to her setlist in its originally intended spot. Many fans who saw the concert before July 7, were very upset that they missed out on such a special song. Fans were even more upset when they found out “Long Live” was not included in the movie version.
Taylor had also made the decision to axe the song “cardigan” from her folklore set of the show. “Cardigan” was the leading single for folklore, and has gained lots of popularity over social media, namely TikTok.
The choice to leave “cardigan” out is interesting, as the story of the song intertwines with the song’s “betty” and “august.” These three songs come together to tell the fictional story of a love triangle between highschoolers: James, Betty, and Augustine. Swfities would have preferred other songs were cut over “cardigan” such as “the last great american dynasty” or “tolerate it.” These songs do not play a part in the storyline of James, Betty and Augustine.
Ultimately, fans understand why songs were cut for time, as the movie ran for two hours and forty-five minutes but were still disappointed that they could not get the full concert experience. I can imagine it was unsatisfying for fans who were unable to see the live show go into the movie and learn that their favorite song was excluded.