here are the must-see places to see if you are a fan of the singer

“ I Know Places » … In 2014, on the twelfth track of his album 1989Taylor Swift sang where she could “ to hide “. In other compositions, the singer of all records, expert in the art of telling stories in music, tells herself through many places. Some are dear to his heart for obvious reasons (notably Nashville in the United States), but others are more enigmatic – and fuel the almost endless flow of fan theories… Because the artist knows how to maintain mystery.

And the one who would also play a significant role in American politics is also noted for its impact on the economy of the countries which host its concerts. The places highlighted in her songs also benefit from Taylor Swift’s fame. A few hours before the start of his “Eras Tour” in France (more than three hours of show on May 9, 10, 11, 12 in Paris and June 2 and 3 in Lyon), here is our overview of the places essential for every self-respecting Swiftie (read, fan of the singer).

In the footsteps of Taylor Swift in the United States

NEW YORK

In his tube Welcome to New York on the album 1989 (2014), Taylor Swift is categorical. The lights of New York will never blind him. On the contrary: the Big Apple represents a very important part of the singer’s life since she moved there in 2014 and recorded her albums there. It is also the city that she cites the most in her songs, all albums combined. Many titles, such as Holy Ground, Come Back… Be Here, False God, Daylight or Hoax mention it in particular.

And Taylor Swift portrays her accurately through certain lyrics. So the song Cornelia Street taken from his album Lover is devoted entirely to this street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, where the singer rented a house during the summer of 2016. She lived there for several weeks when she was dating Joe Alwyn. In this title, Taylor Swift explains that she could never again take this path, symbol of a budding love, in the event of a breakup. The title was a huge success and Cornelia Street even became a place of “recollection” in April 2023, when fans learned that her relationship with Joe Alwyn had ended. Several swifties then left bouquets of flowers in front of the singer’s former house.

It’s not the only New York location dear to Taylor Swift’s heart. Coney Island, a famous seaside resort in Brooklyn, also inspired a title named after it. The singer recounts her thoughts, sitting on a bench at “Coney Island”. Then, the long walk All Too Well of ten minutes evokes the Brooklyn neighborhood while Cardigantalks about the High Line, the famous tourist urban park established on old Manhattan railway tracks in the early 2000s. The world-famous Madison Square Garden stadium is also mentioned in The Lucky One, where the superstar talks about the limits of fame. His latest released album, released on April 19, 2024, also pays homage to New York. The legendary Chelsea Hotel is featured in The Tortured Poets Departmentfinally the title The Bolter depicts a boat ride on a Saturday in Central Park.

NASHVILLE, FLORIDA OR CALIFORNIA

There’s more than just New York in Taylor Swift’s heart. If she has since tried her hand at pop and indie folk (with her albums released during the pandemic Evermore And Folklore), it was with country music that the artist began. Wanting to encourage her in this path from a young age, her family moved to Nashville when she was only eleven years old. The capital of Tennessee undoubtedly left its mark on her, and she pays tribute to him on several occasions. In 2019, she tells the beginning of a budding love story in I Think He Knows (Lover) and mentions the 16^e Nashville Ave. On the same album, she hides another reference to the one nicknamed the State of the Volunteers in London Boy, singing about his affection for Bruce Springsteen, faded blue jeans and Tennessee whiskey. A year later, in Invisible String (Folklore), Centennial Park, home to the city’s Parthenon, is in the spotlight.

On the East Coast, Florida (very recently) had its quarter of an hour of glory among the Swifties. In his latest album, The Tortured Poets DepartmentTaylor Swift devotes an entire song to the (nicknamed) Sunshine State, Florida!!!. The West Coast is not left out in the discography of the woman who was elected personality of the year by the very prestigious Time magazine in 2023. Several titles including The Lucky One, The Very First Night, This The Damn Season, Invisible String,When Emma Falls in Love Or Clara Bow, to name but a few, pay homage to Los Angeles. Note that White Horse specifically mentions Hollywood, and I Bet You Think About MeBeverly Hills.

And Taylor Swift is not Miss Americana (the documentary in his honor released in 2020) for nothing: many other places in the United States are mentioned in his texts – among others, Texas, where his family has roots. Jumbled together, we can cite Saint Louis in Missouri and Rhode Island in The Last Great American DynastyTupelo, Mississippi in Dorothea (Evermore), Pennsylvania in Seven (Folklore), Las Vegas in Karma (Midnights) or the Appalachians, mentioned in the song Carolinewritten for the film’s soundtrack Where the crayfish sing.

In the footsteps of Taylor Swift in Europe

FROM LONDON TO IRELAND

The Old Continent also has its share of must-see places for Swifties. “Tay Tay”, as her fans call her, gives pride of place to England, and more particularly to London, in many titles (Come Back… Be Here, Message In A Bottle, Beautiful Ghosts, So Long, London). In London BoyTaylor Swift evokes emblematic places of the English capital, such as Camden Market, the green Highgate district, the vibrant SoHo, West End – spot for London musicals –, Shoreditch, Hackney, Bond Street… But also Brixton, already made popular by The Guns of Brixton by The Clash (London Calling1979).

It has even made certain businesses iconic. In The Black Dogfrom his latest album The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift sings about a breakup (supposedly the one with actor Joe Alwyn) and mentions a pub, The Black Dog. It didn’t take very long for the most seasoned Swifties to investigate and deduce that she was referring to The Black Dog pub in London, where the couple lived. And the owner of the bar located in Vauxhall removed all suspicion by ensuring that a “certain blond” was a regular there. Since then, the pub has been riding on its recent celebrity, offering cocktails linked to Taylor Swift and playing her songs in the background. Not sure we’ll see Joe Alwyn there again anytime soon…

In Flolklore, Taylor once again puts the United Kingdom in the spotlight. In The Lakesshe sings Take me to the lakes, where all the poets went to die (“Take me to the lakes, where all the poets have gone to die”), following in the lineage of Romantic poets who lived in the lake district of northwest England during the first half of the 19th century.

The place, located in the county of Cumbria, is famous for its picturesque landscapes. Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry (“These heights on Lake Windermere look like a perfect place to cry”), she also writes, paying homage to Lake Windermere specifically. Finally, in Sweet Nothing (Midnights), the pop star is referring to the town of Wicklow, on the Irish east coast.

PARIS OR SAINT-TROPEZ

France, and Paris in particular, does not leave the 34-year-old American indifferent. Taylor Swift dedicates an entire song to him in her album Midnights (2022), simply named Paris. She does not mention specific places, but describes an ideal atmosphere and a place where “the culture is intelligent”, in her words.

But his attraction to the capital is not recent and already appears in his album Redwhen she films the clip of Begin Again in Paris in 2012. She can be seen roaming the streets of the 6th arrondissement, from the Pont des Arts to the Square du Vert Galant, via the Palais Royal and the Quai de Conti. Eleven years after its release, the clip still produces its effect. In the video, we see the singer seated at the Café de La Palette, famous for having been frequented by Cézanne and Picasso. Since then, Swifties have been repeat customers. “In low season, there are around ten people per week, mostly foreign tourists, who come mentioning Taylor Swift. In high season, we easily reach the twenties», Explains one of the café managers. Elsewhere in France, the singer only gives credit to Saint-Tropez, mentioning it in her title The Manon his album Lover. You will have understood: the destinations to follow in Taylor Swift’s footsteps are numerous, the popstar focusing on intertwining romantic feelings and geographical locations.