The Taylor Swift concert in Kansas City this Friday was a really big deal.
There is no hyperbole hyper-enough. This may have been the biggest night Taylor, the Swifties, or the music industry have ever seen. But before we get into that, we need to tell The Taylor Swift story, the tragedy of “Speak Now”, and how Swift taught us all how to stand up for ourselves.
Let’s set the stage.
The year is 2010. Taylor Swift is already the voice of a new generation of singers, songwriters, musicians, and starry-eyed listeners. Swift released her groundbreaking album ‘Speak Now.’
Packed to the brim with hits ‘Speak Now’ is an important album to Taylor Swift for a number of reasons. First, it was her first album that she wrote entirely by herself. This was a major step for her as a songwriter, and it showed her fans that she was capable of creating powerful and personal music all on her own. She was on her artist’s journey and bringing us all along with her.
Furthermore, “Speak Now” was a huge turning point in Taylor’s career. It was the album that helped her to transition from being a teenage country star to a global pop phenomenon. The album’s mix of country, pop, and rock influences appealed to a wide range of listeners, and it helped to establish Taylor as one of the most important voices in pop music.
It’s hard to believe, but Swift, although always big, she was not always the monumental giant of an artist that she is now.
What happens years later, is not a bright moment in the Swift story.
In June 2019, Scooter Braun’s company Ithaca Holdings LLC acquired Big Machine Label Group and all of its recorded music assets, including the master recordings of Taylor Swift’s first six albums. This meant that Braun, a tech-bro with too much money and not nearly enough respect for women, now owned the rights to Swift’s most commercially successful albums, including “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” “1989,” and “Reputation.”
He essentially would be making a dollar off of every Taylor Swift album, song, and T-shirt. Taylor would be lucky to take whatever was left.
Obviously, Swift was not happy about this development, and she expressed her displeasure in a series of social media posts. She accused Braun of “bullying” her and her team, and she said that she was “grossed out” by the fact that he now owned her music.
Here is an artist, who doesn’t truly own their own work. Their own blood, sweat, and tears- the years and experiences lived in those songs.
Braun responded to Swift’s allegations, saying that he had never done anything to harm her and that he was simply a businessman who had made a deal. He also said that he was willing to work with Swift to find a way to let her own her masters.
However, Swift was not willing to work with Braun, and she announced that she would be re-recording her first six albums in order to own her masters. She also said that she would be donating all of the proceeds from the re-recordings to charity.
The feud between Swift and Braun continued for several months, and it became a major news story. However, in November 2020, Braun sold the master recordings of Swift’s first six albums to Shamrock Holdings for a reported $300 million.
The rich get richer, and Swift’s master recordings get further away from her hands. But who cares, because Taylor is better than ever. Her voice, stronger, her musicianship sharper.
Swift has re-recorded her first four albums, and she released them as “Taylor’s Version.” The re-recordings have been met with critical acclaim, and they have also been commercially successful, surpassing the originals and gaining new appreciation for Swift’s early catalogue.
Which brings us to Kansas City, July 7th, and the culmination of a decade and a half of screaming lyrics as music blares.
Now that the backstory is told, the table is set, we can proceed.
On Friday, July 7th, 2023, Taylor Swift released “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version” and celebrated this momentous occasion with a sold-out, Kansas City crowd.
Taylor’s setlist was a mix of her old and new songs, and she even threw in a few surprises. She performed “Love Story” from her debut album, and the crowd sang it so loudly that I thought the stadium was going to collapse. She also performed “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” from her Red (Taylor’s Version) album, and it was even more powerful than the original.
You don’t know emotion, catharsis, or strength until you hear 40,000 fans shouting:
“And maybe we got lost in translation
Maybe I asked for too much
But maybe this thing was a masterpiece ’til you tore it all up
Running scared, I was there
I remember it all too well”
Taylor’s stage production was incredible. There were giant screens behind the stage that showed videos and graphics that complemented the songs. Countless outfit changes, set pieces, and enough fireworks to make Oppenheimer spin in his grave, the show was nothing short of EPIC.
Confetti rained down onto the crowd as tears rained down from the eyes of fans who have grown up on this music. They’ve been with Taylor every step of the way. They have become one, and that is incredibly special and powerful and rare.
ERA’S TOUR KANSAS CITY NIGHT 1 SET LIST:
“Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince”
“Cruel Summer”
“The Man”
“You Need to Calm Down”
“Lover” “The Archer”
“Fearless”
“You Belong With Me”
“Love Story”
“‘Tis the Damn Season”
“Willow”
“Marjorie”
“Champagne Problems”
“Tolerate It”
“Ready For It?”
“Delicate”
“Don’t Blame Me”
“Look What You Made Me Do”
“Enchanted”
“Long Live” — the first surprise song of the night, played on the famed koi fish guitar
“22”
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
“I Knew You Were Trouble”
“All Too Well (10-Minute Version)“
“The 1” “Betty”
“The Last Great American Dynasty”
“August” “Illicit Affairs”
“My Tears Ricochet”
“Cardigan”
“Style”
“Blank Space”
“Shake it Off”
“Wildest Dreams”
“Bad Blood”
“I Can See You (Taylor’s Version)“ (music video)
“Never Grow Up (Acoustic)“ — surprise song
“When Emma Falls in Love (Taylor’s Version)“ — surprise song
“Lavender Haze”
“Anti-Hero”
“Midnight Rain”
“Vigilante S—”
“Bejeweled”
“Mastermind”
“Karma”
Taylor Swift’s concert in Kansas City was an amazing experience.
Saturday night, July 8th, at Arrowhead stadium will be no different.
Here are some of the things that made the concert so special:
- The energy in the crowd was electric. Everyone was so excited to be there, and it was contagious. The sheer amount of smiles, tears, and passion present was truly awe-inspiring.
- Taylor’s performance was incredible. She belted her heart out on every song, and she really connected with the audience. She is the world’s biggest performer for a reason.
- The setlist was perfect. Taylor played a mix of her old and new songs, and she even threw in THREE surprise songs, when normally only doing 2.
- The stage production was amazing. The fireworks and confetti gave me chills everytime.
If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, then you absolutely need to see her in concert. Of course, this is the hottest ticket in town, so prepare to drop a couple bucks on a ticket.
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