So after a decade in the making, I finally got to see Taylor Swift at Wembley last month! Having been a fan of Taylor for a full 10 years, first listening to her music whilst I was at college, I have never had the chance to see her perform live before. When she toured with her last album '1989' in 2015, she performed at British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park, but I missed the chance to get tickets. At this show, she was joined on stage by: Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, Martha Hunt and Serena Williams during a performance of her hit song 'Style'....I was gutted to have missed it. I knew in this moment that the next time she toured the UK, I would go to see her. Fast-forward to the present day and Taylor is currently touring with her latest record 'Reputation'. The album was released in fall 2017, and it's pretty much all I've been listening to since it's release. The record is inspired, in part, but a certain American rapper and his reality tv star wife who seemed to take it upon themselves to bring about the demise of Swift by using dirty tactics on social media. Unfortunately for them, Taylor was not prepared to let her this incident end her career. Showing a high level of integrity, she took back ownership of her reputation and even started using the snake emoji as branding for her record. A genius move! The rest of the record is inspired by personal narratives about love and life.
I got tickets to see her at Wembley, and what a show it was! Yes I was so far back that I could barely see Taylor herself on stage, but honestly that didn't matter one bit. The second the intro of the opening song 'Ready For It' started playing, the entire stadium was on their feet...and it stayed this way for the entire show. It was an atmosphere like I have never experienced before at a concert, and i've been to many gigs and even Glastonbury on a few occasions. The fans were truly all in, no matter their age or gender. Taylor excited the crowd by playing on 3 separate stages, 2 of which were located on the pitch itself, meaning fans in this area had the chance to get super close to the popstar herself. The show really came alive as the sky darkened and the wristbands, which we received upon entry, all lit up in sync to the music. In regards to the setlist, I love that Taylor performed several tracks from her previous records, mixing them in with newer material to create a medley of archive hits. A personal highlight for me, was when Swift performed a surprise acoustic version of 'Fifteen', which was the first Taylor song I ever heard way back when. I also loved the fun performance of Shake It Off with Charli XCX and Camila Cabello, as well as 'Getaway Car' which had incredible visuals. The show ended, with huge applause, to 'This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things'
(above, Taylor performing 'Shake It Off' with support acts Charli XCX and Camila Cabello)
At a recent show at the rose Bowl in California, Taylor surprised fans by performing duets with: Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes and Troye Sivan. With her London date being at such a legendary venue like Wembley, I was fully expecting a special guest appearance...and my goodness Taylor did not disappoint. Cue Robbie Williams taking to the stage with Taylor to sing 'Angels'. I have NEVER heard a crowd cheer so loud, it was unbelievable. Angels in undoubtedly one of the most iconic British songs of all time so to hear that performed at Wembley, during the Rep tour, was totally unexpected and magical.
(above, Taylor performing 'Angels' with Robbie Williams)
What I love about Taylor, aside from her music of course, is that she carries herself with such a high level of grace and elegance. In a world where girls are constantly striving to look a certain way, post seductive selfies and dress provocatively - especially in the entertainment industry, it is a breath of fresh air to see such a successful young woman rise to the top of her game without compromising herself to conform to 'industry ideals'. When you watch Taylor perform, you can see that she is whole-heartedly in this industry for all the right reasons - she loves writing, recording and performing. There is no hidden agenda or deep desire for fame. I think we can all learn a lot form Taylor - she's smart, respectful and hardworking.
My Top 10 Taylor Tracks
1. Wildest Dreams
2. So It Goes
3. Enchanted
4. Red
5. Style
6. Delicate
7. Bad Blood
8. Getaway Car
9. Out Of The Woods
10. Call It What You Want
Phillippa x
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