An explosion of colors, new titles and a supercharged atmosphere: Taylor Swift delighted her fans Thursday evening for a first concert in Paris, before Lyon, Madrid, London or Munich, at the kickoff of the American megastar’s tour on the Old Continent.
“You were the first to hear songs from “The Tortured Poets Department”, her latest album released in April, said the 34-year-old singer. “Or rather, as I call it, ‘Female Rage: The Musical’.”
And rage was needed for these 3 hours 15 minutes of spectacle without pause, in front of some 42,000 spectators, some of whom had camped for several days at the foot of La Défense Arena.
“Being the first European date, we expected a lot” and indeed, “it was great and super surprising,” exclaims Caroline Vincent, 24, among fans in sequined costumes, cowboy boots, heart-shaped glasses and nails in the colors of his albums.
For this first concert in a series of four until Sunday in Paris, the artist sang half a dozen pieces from his latest album, in a Victorian and cabaret aesthetic.
Emerging in a puffy white dress, she sang “But Daddy I Love Him,” “Fortnight” and again, full of spirit, “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”
“The Tortured Poets Department” became the most listened to when it launched on Spotify, with one billion streams in five days. This was despite mixed reviews, with British music magazine NME calling it a “rare misstep”.
Taylor Swift has other surprises in store on the Parisian stage: ballet choreographies, lights, and extravagant new outfits throughout, widely commented on on social networks.
“Dream crowd”
To offer this sample of her latest opus, the singer cut short sequences from her precise show taken across the Americas, Asia and Australia, which until then retraced her first ten albums, since “Taylor Swift” in 2006.
They propelled her from a rising star in American country to the biggest international pop star, with 110 million monthly listeners on Spotify (compared to 70 for Beyoncé or Dua Lipa).
Given a standing ovation on Thursday evening for two long minutes after “Champagne problems”, she cracked the armor for a moment and shed a tear.
“I would have liked to do a longer tour in Europe. It’s a dream crowd” in Paris, underlined the personality of the year 2023 according to Time magazine.
“We could have filled 12 or 14 La Défense Arena without problem, we could have made two or three additional stadiums in Lyon,” Arnaud Meersseman, his French manager, told France Inter earlier.
The price of tickets is 180 euros on average, and some VIP packs go up to 1,500 euros.
After registering with his friends “22 different emails” to obtain places, Noah, a 20-year-old Frenchman, can attend the four Parisian evenings.
The languages are mixed, with 30% non-French, including 20% Americans, according to figures communicated by the room.
Christine Sloane, 53, and her daughters Alison and Mary, 12 and 10, do not regret the trip from Washington: “It couldn’t be better. It was completely different (from previous shows). I think she was inspired by the city.
The common point of this crowd: having been touched by the texts of an artist who has been singing about her joys and sorrows for 18 years.
“We know his biggest hits which are super +catchy+ (catchy, Editor’s note), very pop. But, when you look deeper into her discography, there are songs on which she opens up. Taylor Swift talks toxic relationships, impossible love, politics, mental health, and more I think we can all find a song that echoes our experiences,” testified Frenchwoman Chris, 30, on Wednesday, who did not wish to give her last name.
Taylor Swift’s sixth tour began in March 2023 in the United States. At the end of last year, “The Eras Tour” became the first in history to sell more than a billion dollars in tickets. This figure is expected to more than double by the time it expires in Canada in December.
Thanks to the Olympics
Taylor Swift, former America’s Little Bride who took a stand against Trumpism in 2018, is scheduled to travel to Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Lyon (June 2-3), the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland and Austria. Each time with a notable impact expected on the local economy.
France welcomed the superstar early because of the Olympics. La Défense Arena will also host two Olympic swimming pools from mid-May.
Before that, fans are still looking for a pass to the Parisian orbit. “No one has a seat that they won’t use for the Taylor Swift concert in Paris on Saturday?” asked astronaut Thomas Pesquet on Thursday on X.
pel-er-reb/rr © Agence France-Presse
