video review : Taylor Swift : The Eras Tour

video review : Taylor Swift : The Eras Tour

Speaking of Eras, Taylor Swift is probably the most popular singer, Man or woman, in modern times. This concert is actually a montage of shows performed during her newest Tour, but it’s limited to SoFi Stadium in California; a fact that should’ve been referenced in the overgeneralized title, which covers her “17 years of music”.

That she’s made so few good songs in all that time is almost beside the point. Taylor Swift is overrated when it comes to her music, but she’s a sexy Disney princess; who are all these lucky guys she’s falling in Love with; and her performances, at least when filmed and edited as cinematically as they are here, entertain.

The final act suggests this Tour would be even better if, like the previous ones were based on albums, it were limited to Midnights; the Lavender/blue colors of which are nice. She’s also sweaty from hours of dancing, which makes me wish she’d throw her fishnets in the crowd so I can catch and do naughty things with them.

my rating : 4 of 5

2023

audio review : Midnights ( album ) … Taylor Swift

audio review : Midnights ( album ) ... Taylor Swift

The title concept suggests a whole album of electro house music, which would’ve been a cool surprise after her departure into folk, but it seems Taylor Swift is still lost in the woods. Midnights is more synthy than her last two releases for sure; it would’ve been a fitting follow-up to Lover; but her music is still meandering.

There is, however, a song here that easily stands among Swift’s best. Vigilante Shit, which almost sounds aesthetically out of place compared to the rest of the set, is a hit. The vocals, the theme of which has to do with fashion and revenge, are slick and sinister. The beat; minimalist music; is a banger. Don’t sleep on it.

my rating : 3 of 5

2022

audio review : Evermore ( album ) … Taylor Swift

audio review : Evermore ( album ) ... Taylor Swift

I don’t know what made Taylor Swift think her Folklore album warranted a quick follow-up à la Justin Timberlake’s 20-20 Experience, but here it is; another album of middling folk songs.

Aaron Dessner is still at the helm; Jack Antonoff falls back for this one; so the soundscape is fittingly similar, along with that arid forest landscape Swift seems to be enamored with these days.

It’s called Evermore because “Folkmore”, while cute, would’ve induced smiles and Swift seems to take herself dead serious here. Even a song about Happiness pushes the feeling off into the distance.

To be clear, this album is mind-numbingly conventional. Swift’s singing, not her lyrics but her melodies, is bland, which isn’t to say that it’s bad. I can Tolerate It. For Evermore? That’s going a bit too far.

my rating : 3 of 5

2020

audio review : Folklore ( album ) … Taylor Swift

audio review : Folklore ( album ) ... Taylor Swift

If there’s a sense of Folklore surrounding Taylor Swift, it’s high school alumnae gushing to their acne-ridden successors over her “like amazing” musical talent. I’m much less impressed. She has some good songs, including False God from her previous album, but they’re far and few between. Her music is mostly middling and this album is no exception.

With Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff at the helm, it’s a solemn; in one case Illicit; affair. This isn’t pop music in the loud electro-synth sense. Taylor Swift tips a hat to her country and western roots on the opp-gender love ballad Betty, but these are mostly “like folk songs”, which makes for easy listening. It’s also thoroughly unremarkable and a little bland.

my rating : 3 of 5

2020

audio review : Evermore ( album ) … Taylor Swift