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Accompanied by pop artists Camila Cabello and Charli XCX, Taylor Swift kicked off her reputation Stadium Tour this month.
Swift released her sixth studio album reputation on November 10, 2017, featuring the singles “Look What You Made Me Do” and “Gorgeous.” Her purely pop album beat out Ed Sheeran’s Divide as best-selling album of 2017 after just four days.
She returned to the Bay Area for the seventeenth time, performing May 11 and May 12 at Santa Clara in Levi’s Stadium. Swift performed nearly all of the songs from her latest album, but she also performed older hits like“Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” In honor of Mother’s Day on May 13, she surprised her fans with her cherished 2008 song “The Best Day.”
She’s willing to be herself and not care what other people think,
— Sadie Higley
Around fifty-five thousand loyal fans attended, with most wearing merchandise, costumes from recent music videos, or self-made posters with song lyrics. Fan Emma Brumm previously attended Swift’s 1989 World Tour.
“She’s awesome,” Brumm said simply, wearing a wide smile along with a signature grey reputation sweatshirt. “I’ve been a fan for a really long time.”
Many fans wore bold outfits representing their country or culture, with people traveling from Mexico, Australia, Turkey, and Britain to see their idol live. Meghan Partin, wearing a colorful flower-patterned shirt and lei, flew all the way from Hawaii to attend Swift’s concert.
“She’s a really good role model,” Partin stated. “She’s got a huge fan group, a really diverse fan base, from old to young, from boys to girls.”
Creating music ever since she was 16, Swift released her self-titled debut album in 2006. Many current high schoolers grew up with her music, including sophomore Sadie Higley.
“She’s willing to be herself and not care what other people think… She’s a [strong] individual,” nine-year fan Higley mentioned. “I think it’s really important to be yourself and to share what you love with other people.”
However, with Swift’s attempt to retaliate at the media’s portrayal of her, some high schoolers disapprove of her evolution into a pop persona.
“She’s super problematic and has gotten into a bunch of fights over petty stuff with other celebrities,” Roxy Reid, a sophomore, declared, alluding to Swift’s long-term feuds including Katy Perry, Kanye West, and Kim Kardashian.
Nevertheless, Swift’s dedicated fan base has certainly helped maintain both her metaphorical reputation and album reputation at the top of the charts.
“I decided to take a little bit more time off to figure out what my life would be like without a spotlight on it all the time,” Swift intimately told her fans. “Thank you for understanding I needed that. And thank you a million times for being here when I came back.
“When I’m feeling down or lonely, just know that I’ll be thinking of this night,” Swift expressed to her crowd, flashing a classic red-lipped smile. “I’ll think of all of you.”
