Taylor Swift

[KevShmev]

Still pretty interesting to read about that kind of behind the scenes stuff, though. 

Notable as well that while her set list is broken up into eras, she is not doing them in chronological or reverse chronological order.  She has 10 studio albums and the order is:

7
2
9
6
3
4
8
5
surprise songs
10

Even though I am not a fan, the debut not getting its own era slot is still a little surprising, although she has already played a bunch from that in the surprise songs section, and I am sure she will hit all or most of the rest before the tour is finished in August.  My guess is still that not having a regular fiddle player in her touring band anymore is why more songs from the 00s aren't a part of the regular set.   For a tour like this, Our Song (a song from the debut I do like a lot) would have slayed in the regular set, and the crowd would have screamed that one every night, but it was not to be.

[KevShmev]

FYI, a new version of Midnights was released today, with the main features being:

-A remix of Karma with rapper Ice Spice (hard pass for me)
-Hits Different (that was originally on just the Target version, I think; this is a good rock song)
-Snow on the Beach featuring more Lana Del Rey lead vocals (Taylor heard the fans wishing Lana would have sang more on the original, so they went back in and did a new version with more Lana)

There is also a new song that will be available on just the CDs being sold at the NJ shows this weekend.  I suspect that song will find its way online sooner rather than later, and eventually be officially uploaded to streaming sites.

[Stadler]

^^  My daughter and I were talking about that yesterday.   I asked her to pick up a copy when she's at the show, and she's going to try, but I can imagine people buying 10 or more and then they're on eBay by Sunday afternoon.   I think she's great with the little things she does for her fans, but I think it can get out of hand pretty quickly.  Midnight hasn't been out for more than, what, six months?   I suppose it's not any different than if she released a CD single or an EP, and you can argue that this is more value - getting the whole original album to boot - but cost has to be a factor, and asking what is likely a younger audience to continually buy multiple copies of each album to get all the songs...

I know, I know, no one is putting a gun to anyone's head here, and I get that.  But as a completist for many of the bands I listen to - DT is one - let's just say I'm having reservations. 

[KevShmev]

No, no, I get it.  I will argue to the pain that she is an artist in the truest sense of the word, but she is also a smart businesswoman who loves to maximize profits and dominate the charts.  And she has figured out a way to blend the two worlds together, so props to her.  To harken back to the rain show thing, if Dream Theater or Rush or Maiden was releasing new version of songs like this along the way, we'd all be eating it up, so I think how much someone appreciates or is aggravated by this is correlated by how much of a fan one is of said artist, IMO.

[KevShmev]

Okay, I just looked and the good news is that the three new songs are all available to buy individually on iTunes.  So yeah, because I have the album already, there is no need for me to buy the whole thing again, so I can get the new Snow on the Beach and Hits Different for $1.29 each. 

[soupytwist]

What's funny is that if Dream Theater or one of the favorite bands here did a 3 hour and 15 minute show in driving rain and stuck it out for the fans and looked pretty happy doing it the whole time, the praise they'd get here would be borderline insane, but since only like five of us here like Taylor , it's a mere afterthought.  A shame, but it is what it is.

Not a huge fan, but clearly what Taylor and Beyonce are doing this year in terms of touring is outstanding.  Respect for both.

[MirrorMask]

The new version of Snow on the Beach is better than the original! I'll consider it the official version from now on.

[Stadler]

No, no, I get it.  I will argue to the pain that she is an artist in the truest sense of the word, but she is also a smart businesswoman who loves to maximize profits and dominate the charts.  And she has figured out a way to blend the two worlds together, so props to her.  To harken back to the rain show thing, if Dream Theater or Rush or Maiden was releasing new version of songs like this along the way, we'd all be eating it up, so I think how much someone appreciates or is aggravated by this is correlated by how much of a fan one is of said artist, IMO.

Honestly, I wrote that and sort of thought the same thing that you wrote.  No argument and I'm with you.  I do have a LITTLE problem with any artist that sort of makes you pick a format, though.  To this day, I'm cheesed that I can get HALF the initial Iron Maiden EP, The Soundhouse Tapes, on CD, but the other half is only available on 12" vinyl.  And some of it was sympathy for my daughter. 

[Zook]

Snow on the Beach is one of the better songs on Midnights. I still don't like the line "weird but fuckin beautiful", but I'm glad it's that and not what I originally thought that made me cringe: "weirdly fuckin beautiful".

Lana Del Rey does have a nice voice when she actually sings and isn't doing the drunk open mic night thing, but I can take or leave the new version. I've never heard the original with headphones so I don't know how different it really is.

I like the addition of the little hums in the chorus on the new one.

Sometimes she can be really wordy with her lyrics that ruins the flow. Not on this song, maybe almost, but there was another song my wife was listening to, and she was just saying way too much to fit in each stanza.

[KevShmev]

Not a huge fan, but clearly what Taylor and Beyonce are doing this year in terms of touring is outstanding.  Respect for both.

 

The new version of Snow on the Beach is better than the original! I'll consider it the official version from now on.

I think both are good. I don't see the new version as replacing the original in my digital version of the album, but I like having it. 

Getting a clean version of Hits Different is nice. I had that song stuck in my head all day yesterday.

On the flip side, the remix of Karma with the rapper was a complete waste of time.  Having one verse of her singing replaced with someone talking their way through a verse and having it sound totally out of place was a complete and total misfire.

No, no, I get it.  I will argue to the pain that she is an artist in the truest sense of the word, but she is also a smart businesswoman who loves to maximize profits and dominate the charts.  And she has figured out a way to blend the two worlds together, so props to her.  To harken back to the rain show thing, if Dream Theater or Rush or Maiden was releasing new version of songs like this along the way, we'd all be eating it up, so I think how much someone appreciates or is aggravated by this is correlated by how much of a fan one is of said artist, IMO.

Honestly, I wrote that and sort of thought the same thing that you wrote.  No argument and I'm with you.  I do have a LITTLE problem with any artist that sort of makes you pick a format, though.  To this day, I'm cheesed that I can get HALF the initial Iron Maiden EP, The Soundhouse Tapes, on CD, but the other half is only available on 12" vinyl.  And some of it was sympathy for my daughter. 

Well, I do all of my listening now via iTunes and uploading my HQ mp3s from iTunes to everything, so it is easy for me to cobble "my version" of an album together digitally to come up with the best listening experience for me personally, but I totally get how it can be frustrating.

[Stadler]

Kid said it was the best concert experience she's ever had last night at Giant Stadium (MetLife, whatever the fuck).  And she's seen Taylor twice before.

I got an incognito pic of Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Mariska Hargitay sat a couple seats away from her.  Apparently both were there.    She talked to Lin-Manuel, which is, in hindsight, somewhat creepy, since my daughter is 22, but I don't know if she talked to Mariska (who I have said before in the TV thread, I think is getting more and more attractive as she gets older). 

[KevShmev]

Nice!

I know Mariska Hargitay was at the Nashville Saturday show (the day after my show), but cool to see she is hitting other shows as well. I know she is a fan, and Taylor obviously named one of her cats after her character on SVU.

[KevShmev]

Below is a fun little moment from this past weekend where her mic malfunctioned and stopped working.  Great job by Ms. Swift as always in taking it in stride and having a little fun with it.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2u-k-NhRdmo

[KevShmev]

Because I know some are missing seeing this thread...

It's interesting that her next single will be Cruel Summer, which is from 2019's Lover.  It's not unheard of for a song to be a single years after its original release, but it's definitely not the norm.  It was always a song that had monster single written all over it, so this is a better late than never situation, especially since I don't see any of the other songs from Midnights as having monster single potential, following Anti-Hero, which is probably her biggest hit ever now; seven months later, it is still hovering around the top 10 and getting played all the time on the modern music station we usually having playing at work (although I do my best to turn on the 80s or classic rock stations since I am one of the four with access to the app ).

[Crow]

one of those "about damn time" scenarios yeah

the conspiracy theorist in me thinks this was poised to be a big summer 2020 smash but then covid happened and they just scrapped it entirely
then it just got popular again by sheer force of being. y'know, incredibly good

[KevShmev]

one of those "about damn time" scenarios yeah

the conspiracy theorist in me thinks this was poised to be a big summer 2020 smash but then covid happened and they just scrapped it entirely
then it just got popular again by sheer force of being. y'know, incredibly good

There are rumors that there will be a video as well, and it would be awesome if it was one that was shot years ago, but held in reserve because of how the Lover tour got cancelled due to the pandemic and promotion of the album truncated.  Once she started writing Folklore, there was no need to keep promoting Lover at the time.  But yeah, I would imagine Cruel Summer originally was pegged for a single release in the summer of 2020.

[Crow]

lmao i just got linked this
https://twitter.com/PopBase/status/1670240556004548609

[KevShmev]

Oh wow, her surprise songs tonight were:

Seven (with Aaron Dessner, who made a special appearance)
The Story of Us (quite possibly, my favorite song of hers, which is also one of her most rocking songs)

That's just unfair. 

[Cool Chris]

TAC, pg1067, and I have no idea who Aaron Dessner is.

[KevShmev]

I didn't know who Aaron Dessner was until about 2 1/2 years ago myself.  His main band, The National, has some songs I like, but I have had a difficult time really digging into a lot of it.  I think the combo of him and Taylor works well because he is great at writing melancholy, laid back music, and her biggest strengths are writing lyrics and melodies.  Granted, she has shown over time that she doesn't need anyone else to write songs, but working with Dessner allowed her to explore different moods and styles that might not have on her own.  That is the beauty of collaboration.

[SoundscapeMN]

Saturday's show in Minneapolis. Floor tickets being sold (on Stubhub) for $13,270 per ticket.

mind = blown.

[KevShmev]

Yeah, but you can get tickets up top for just under a grand!

I will reiterate that I think being elevated for this show is better, as it allows you to see everything.  If you are on the floor, you won't see any of the effects on the secondary stages or on the platform that raises numerous times (including when she first appears).  A lot of cool stuff going on there.

[KevShmev]

And since this got bumped, international dates for 2024 were announced this week, so get your passports ready!! 

[MirrorMask]

And since this got bumped, international dates for 2024 were announced this week, so get your passports ready!! 

She plays in Milan (more than) one year from now, at the stadium.

I already know I'm not gonna go in the end, the price is gonna be insane, but if by cosmic chance or luck I stumble upon a ticket in whatever reason.... I'd be all over the Folkore and Evermore sets, plus enjoying the other songs here and there that I like!

[KevShmev]

And since this got bumped, international dates for 2024 were announced this week, so get your passports ready!! 

She plays in Milan (more than) one year from now, at the stadium.

I already know I'm not gonna go in the end, the price is gonna be insane, but if by cosmic chance or luck I stumble upon a ticket in whatever reason.... I'd be all over the Folkore and Evermore sets, plus enjoying the other songs here and there that I like!

 

I hope you can find a way to go!  I know chatter about this either gets eye rolls or ignored by most here, but it really is a concert experience unlike anything else you will ever witness.

[XeRocks81]

no canadian dates announced, very disappointing. Not sure what the reason is, the Reputation tour had a 2 night stand Toronto so I expected that at least. 

edit: I guess there could be a second north american leg later in 2024 or 25 but I assumed the point of doing multiple nights in each city is to NOT do that.

[KevShmev]

no canadian dates announced, very disappointing. Not sure what the reason is, the Reputation tour had a 2 night stand Toronto so I expected that at least. 

edit: I guess there could be a second north american leg later in 2024 or 25 but I assumed the point of doing multiple nights in each city is to NOT do that.

I think playing multiple nights in each city was because of the demand, plus the tour was set up to do one city per week, so doing 2-3 shows in each city, most of them on just the weekend, was just the smart move.  The way it has played out has been so fun to follow.  Monday hits and its on to a new city, and it's fun to read the stories and tweets from people in that week's city as the anticipation builds throughout the week towards the weekend and the shows. 

I was a bit surprised to see no Canadian dates either, but it's impossible to go everywhere.  There is 2-month gap between Singapore and France in the late winter/early spring, so I do wonder if something will be added there.  And the last stops are in the UK in the middle of August, so there is always the possibility of fall dates somewhere.

[KevShmev]

Wow, Minneapolis won big time with last night's two surprise songs, Dear John and Daylight, the latter of which works way better when played by Taylor by herself on the piano.

As because I know there are others here who are fans, here is a running tally of the surprise songs that Taylor plays by herself at each show so far this year...

Guitar is always first, piano second, except where indicated.

Glendale, AZ night 1: Mirrorball and Tim McGraw
Glendale, AZ night 1: This Is Me Trying and State of Grace
Las Vegas, NV night 1: Our Song and Snow on the Beach
Las Vegas, NV night 1: Cowboy Like Me (w/ special guest Marcus Mumford) and White Horse
Arlington, TX night 1: Sad Beautiful Tragic and Ours
Arlington, TX night 2: Death by a Thousand Cuts and Clean
Arlington, TX night 3: Jump Then Fall and The Lucky One
Tampa, FL night 1: Speak Now and Treacherous
Tampa, FL night 2: The Great War (w/ special guest Aaron Dessner) and You're On Your Own, Kid
Tampa, FL night 3: Mad Woman (piano - w/ special guest Aaron Dessner) and Mean (guitar)
Houston, TX night 1: Wonderland and You're Not Sorry
Houston, TX night 2: A Place in This World and Today Was a Fairytale
Houston, TX night 2: Begin Again and Cold As You
Atlanta, GA night 1: The Other Side of the Door and Coney Island
Atlanta, GA night 2: High Infidelity and Gorgeous
Atlanta, GA night 2: I Bet You Think About Me and How You Get the Girl
Nashville, TN night 1: Sparks Fly and Teardrops on My Guitar
Nashville, TN night 2: Out of the Woods and Fifteen
Nashville, TN night 3: Wouldve, Could've, Should've (w/ special guest Aaron Dessner) and Mine
Philadelphia, PA night 1: Gold Rush and Come Back...Be Here
Philadelphia, PA night 2: Forever & Always and This Love
Philadelphia, PA night 3: Hey Stephen and The Best Day
Foxborough, MA night 1: Should've Said No and Better Man
Foxborough, MA night 2: Question...? and Invisible
Foxborough, MA night 3: I Think He Knows and Red (both on guitar, since her piano malfunctioned due to rain from previous night)
East Rutherford, NJ night 1: Getaway Car (w/ special guest Jack Antonoff) and Maroon
East Rutherford, NJ night 2: Holy Ground and False God
East Rutherford, NJ night 3: Welcome to New York and Clean (the only repeat thus far)
Chicago, IL night 1: I Wish You Would and The Lakes
Chicago, IL night 2: You All Over Me (w/ special guest Maren Morris) and I Don't Wanna Live Forever
Chicago, IL night 3: Hits Different and The Moment I Knew
Detroit, MI night 1: Haunted and I Almost Do
Detroit, MI night 2: All You Had to Do Was Stay and Breathe
Pittsburgh, PA night 1: Mr. Perfectly Fine and The Last Time
Pittsburgh, PA night 2: Seven (piano w/ special guest Aaron Dessner) and The Story of Us (guitar)
Minneapolis, MN night 1: Paper Rings and If This Was a Movie
Minneapolis, MN night 2: Dear John and Daylight

[XeRocks81]

surprised she hasn’t done Cornelia Street yet (unless I’m mistaken I read kinda fast).  Speaks to the depth of the catalog

[MirrorMask]

Seeing written like that, it shows how insane this undertaking is.

Sure, "a couple of acoustic songs" every night seems like a minor thing, but when you see how many songs she pulls out for one-offs on top of playing other 42 songs every night..... wow!

[KevShmev]

15 shows still to go in the US, so 30 more songs to go in the surprise slots!  Cornelia Street on the guitar seems like a given at some point, similar to how she did it at the Lover Paris show (that versions tramples the studio version).  She doesn't seem to be avoiding the pro-Joe songs since the breakup - she played Gorgeous, which was literally about what she thought about him the first time she saw him - so I figure that is a given at some point.  I think it goes without saying that No Body, No Crime will be played at the shows where HAIM is opening, although I would imagine that will be worked into the Evermore set rather than being a surprise song, similar to how Nothing New was inserted into the Red set at the shows where Phoebe Bridgers opened.  And I am still waiting to see if Justin Vernon makes an appearance or two so they can do Exile and Evermore.

[Pappy]

Not a fan of Taylor's music so much but I don't know how anyone can't respect the effort she's putting into this tour. I've had a few co workers go to some of the shows and I've heard nothing but glowing reviews. Her fans are having to deal with lots of ticket bs so it's good to see her giving all she can.

[KevShmev]

Not a fan of Taylor's music so much but I don't know how anyone can't respect the effort she's putting into this tour. I've had a few co workers go to some of the shows and I've heard nothing but glowing reviews. Her fans are having to deal with lots of ticket bs so it's good to see her giving all she can.

I have said it before and I will say it again: she is THE most fan-friendly musician I have ever seen, bar none.  She used to invite select fans over to her house for listening parties before the release of albums and would bake them fresh chocolate chip cookies herself.  Who else does that?? (that is just one of many examples)
   

[Pappy]

Not a fan of Taylor's music so much but I don't know how anyone can't respect the effort she's putting into this tour. I've had a few co workers go to some of the shows and I've heard nothing but glowing reviews. Her fans are having to deal with lots of ticket bs so it's good to see her giving all she can.

I have said it before and I will say it again: she is THE most fan-friendly musician I have ever seen, bar none.  She used to invite select fans over to her house for listening parties before the release of albums and would bake them fresh chocolate chip cookies herself.  Who else does that?? (that is just one of many examples)
 

That's amazing. Here I was thinking my favorite band Metallica was the most fan friendly. But Lars hasn't baked me shit lol. I have a friend whose wife used to work concert event's for the country radio station she worked for. She's met all the top country acts and said she was by far the nicest one.

[KevShmev]

Not a fan of Taylor's music so much but I don't know how anyone can't respect the effort she's putting into this tour. I've had a few co workers go to some of the shows and I've heard nothing but glowing reviews. Her fans are having to deal with lots of ticket bs so it's good to see her giving all she can.

I have said it before and I will say it again: she is THE most fan-friendly musician I have ever seen, bar none.  She used to invite select fans over to her house for listening parties before the release of albums and would bake them fresh chocolate chip cookies herself.  Who else does that?? (that is just one of many examples)
 

That's amazing. Here I was thinking my favorite band Metallica was the most fan friendly. But Lars hasn't baked me shit lol. I have a friend whose wife used to work concert event's for the country radio station she worked for. She's met all the top country acts and said she was by far the nicest one.

Yep, yep, by all accounts, she is a total sweetheart.  I think it was early in her career when she drove to a Nashville record store where fans were waiting for it to open to buy her CD that was coming out that day (back when we all still bought physical CDs ) and hung out with them outside the store while they all waited for it to open and then ended up hanging there for much of the day talking to the fans and signing stuff, just for the fun of it for both her and the fans.  When you hear stuff like that, it's easy to figure out why her fans love her so much.