Holly Shaum
Chief Copy Editor
It is time, once again, for another Taylor Swift hot take. Over the past year, she’s been front and center on our screens, both big and small, taking up brain space some of us didn’t know we had. She most recently graced the public eye with her presence when her current boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and his football team, the Kansas City Chiefs, won the Super Bowl over the weekend. Her name has been on the tip of our collective tongues for quite some time. Everyone has an opinion on her, whether positive, negative or somewhere in the middle. Now, allow me to contribute to the pile.
Last year, Swift kicked off her most recent tour, the Eras Tour, which has taken her all across the United States and South America, with more international dates this year. It has created unprecedented buzz and profits. The three-hour shows consist of Swift performing songs from every album she’s released, chronicling every “era” of her career. For someone who’s been in the public eye since the age of 16, that’s a pretty extensive set-list!
Thanks to Swift, the term “era” has made its way into the pop culture lexicon with palpable force. Some would argue that the Eras Tour is merely a celebration of all she has achieved. But I think the true meaning of “eras” is to celebrate where you are, where you’ve been and where you’re going in life. I believe that’s the crux as to why this tour, in particular, has brought so much joy to so many people.
Swift’s life story, as told through her music and top-notch lyricism, is one that everyone can relate to in some way. The themes she explores are tantamount to the human experience: love, heartbreak, self-doubt, anger, sadness. Swift has had her fair share of struggles, and so have I. But despite our missteps, we find a way to pick ourselves up and keep going. Resilience is what has propelled Swift to the top of the music industry, and I think this quality is something we all possess. What Swift communicates is universal, encapsulating the human experience into transcendent art.
I am a second-semester senior who has been thinking about her own journey quite a lot lately. And as my “Midwest Era” begins to come to a close, I can’t help but reflect on all of the steps I’ve taken, the previous “eras,” that have led me to this one. Personally, the past “eras” of my life have taught me to embrace the good and the bad because you wouldn’t be who you are today without it. I see that reflected in Swift’s attitude towards her art, career and life. I think if we can all take this lesson and apply it to our own lives, maybe we will find ourselves a tiny bit closer to America’s favorite pop star and be able to live out our own “Self-Love Story.”
