Netflix: Taylor Swift Reputation Stadium Tour

There’s no denying that Taylor Swift knows how to put on a concert. Her millions of fans can attest to that. I’ve been fortunate enough to see Taylor in concert three times earlier in her career. The first time, I watched from the nosebleeds in McKenzie Arena (Chattanooga, Tn) as she beat on trashcans to “Should’ve Said No.” The second time, I watched from the 100s in Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tn) as she played an acoustic set before doing a 13-hour meet and greet – unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet her. The last time, I watched from the floor of Bridgestone as she put on the most theatrical concert I’d ever seen for her Speak Now Help Now benefit concert for the Nashville floods. Never have I gone home disappointed.

I haven’t been able to make it to a Taylor Swift show since the Speak Now Help Now concert, but thanks to Netflix, we can all watch the final stop of her Reputation Stadium Tour in full. Here’s why I think you should watch… and maybe catch her next tour.

The Production & Visuals

Giant snakes, graphics, pyrotechnics, lighting, videos, tilting stages, jumbo screens, light-up bracelets, costume changes, dancers, aerialists, her band, floating through the stadium multiple times, two hours’ worth of songs (new and old) and heartfelt speeches – all of this makes up Swift’s Reputation stadium tour production. Stadiums are huge areas to fill, but Swift, her crew and the fans take advantage of every square inch it seems.

There were three stages – the main stage that’s over 100ft tall with a video screen floor, and two B-stages right in the middle of fans. Then there were also “flying cages”, one sparkly and the other a snake skeleton, that sent Taylor over the crowd. Giant screens made sure that even fans in the nosebleeds could see everything. Taylor, her dancers and her band flitted across every section of the stages, even on top of/in the middle of and behind the giant screens! Even the fans played a role with their light up bracelets that were synchronized with every performance and song so that she could see every single fan in the crowd.

One part of the show that was conceptually appealing, were the visual and audio representations of what the Reputation era is all about. Like right after performing a medley of old songs, there were graphics to sort of give life to the infamous “the old Taylor is dead” (quote from the “Look What You Made Me Do” single) concept with a distorted video of “Love Story”, signifying that footage was being destroyed.

Probably my favorite visual concept, however, are the visuals, specifically shot for this tour, accompanied by an audio of Taylor reciting one of her own poems called “Why She Disappeared”. It’s important to note that the poem itself essentially sums up the meaning of the Reputation era, why it’s important and how it’s different from the previous ones. The visuals played under the poem, though, had more to do with the next song on the set list, “Getaway Car”.

The good thing about this Netflix special is that we get to see the details that fans might not have gotten to witness up close at the show. Like intricate choreography, stage sets and costumes. Or the clear bond she has with everyone who’s on stage. Or the look on Taylor’s face during certain songs and as she hears the crowd sing back to her. Taylor designed a theme and concept that was perfect all the way down to her snake studded microphone and facial expressions.

The Appreciation

Another thing I loved about this show is Taylor’s genuine appreciation for, not just her fans, but for her entire crew. The dancers. The band. The back-up singers who also danced. The entire crew – including the 300+ who stay on the road with her, the 3,000+ who volunteered, and the security team. She took a minute in between songs to thank and give a round of applause to everyone who helped make the show possible.

Not only that, but Swift made sure that her dancers and band got ample time to show off their skills. She introduced some of the ladies that were dancing with her. Gave them the stage during costume changes. The dancers and musicians were as much of a focal point as the fans or even Swift herself.

The Speeches

If there’s one fact that we all know, it’s that Taylor Swift has a way with words. We hear it in the lyrics of her songs, and fans get to hear it in heartfelt speeches between songs during shows. Aside from her lyrics and big stage performances, Taylor really connects with her audience when she takes moments to get personal while introducing a song. Here are a few quotes from the special:

“I think the things that can scare us the most in life are the things we think will threaten the prospect of us finding something real. For example, having a bad reputation, in our mind, could get in the way of you finding real friendship, real love, real acceptance, people you really fit in with.” – introducing ‘Delicate’

“In my brain, there’s the life of this song where this song was born out of catharsis and venting and trying to get over something and trying to understand it and process it. And then there’s the life where it went out into the world and you turned this song into something completely different for me. You turned this song into a collage of memories of watching you screaming the words to this song or seeing pictures that you posted to me of you having written the words to this song in your diary, or you showing me your wrist, and you have a tattoo of the lyrics to this song underneath your skin.” – Introducing ‘All Too Well’

The Fans

Swifties show up and they go hard, y’all. They sold out two shows in a row at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (seats 60,000!), which had never been done. They showed up to the show dressed in costumes raging from Winnie the Pooh (I didn’t get this reference. Someone want to fill me in?) to themes of Taylor’s songs and music videos or simply dressed in tour merch. Even Miss. Swift made sure to let them know she was impressed after walking through the crowd from one stage to the next.

I’m glad the Netflix producers (and Taylor) made sure the fans were prominently featured in this special. Watching them was one of my favorite parts. It shows just how much Swift’s fans adore her and how much she adores them back. They cried. They held each other. They screamed every lyric at the top of their lungs – especially fan-favorite “All Too Well”. But they also knew when to quiet down for Taylor’s speeches or a broken-down performance. They danced their little hearts out with smiles from ear-to-ear.

Throughout the show, Taylor manages to have intimate moments with a crowd of 50,000. It’s clear with every aspect of this show that Taylor created, her fans were at the forefront of her mind. The way she approaches her concerts and how she relates to her fans is more like a friendship than a fandom. The love and respect between Swift and her fans is a beautiful thing to witness… even through a television screen.

Taylor Swift is a class act and a total superstar on that stage. She’s letting go of all the bs and bluster of what all her haters think about, and embracing who matters: her friends, family, and fans, but most importantly… herself. Anyone who needs proof of that can just watch this special.

“And in the death of her reputation, she truly felt alive”

GIF Credit: tayorswift and taylorswizzle

Also, special thanks to Swifties Courtney, Michelle and Daynia for helping me get some information straight. 🙂