Experts say the Eras Tour was successful thanks to Taylor Swift building a smart image promotion strategy and carefully investing in show elements.
On November 27, Taylor Swift ended this year’s tour in São Paulo, Brazil. On the website, the singer announced to continue the tour in February 2024, opening in Tokyo, Japan. The Eras Tour began in March and has now been held in five countries including the US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil with more than 60 shows, an average of more than three hours per show. The tour is expected to end next December and will be held in many European and Asian countries.
Forbes said the show grosses about 14 million USD per night, experts estimate the tour’s revenue could reach more than 4 billion USD by the end of next year. According to research company AskPro, Taylor helps the places she visits attract tourists, contributing to generating $5.7 billion for the US economy.
In October, Taylor became a billionaire thanks to the success of the Eras Tour and reached 2.2 billion USD after shows in North America – surpassing Elton John’s record of 939 million USD. Singers earn about 85% of total ticket sales – a high rate that is rare in the music industry.
The Washington Post said Taylor is both a genius businesswoman and a performing artist. Experts and many newspapers commented that the Eras Tour “swept” the world thanks to its investment and smart image-building strategy.
According to Variery , the Eras Tour describes Taylor’s entire career and is the most invested in. The singer takes care of the show like a Broadway show, the stage, screen, choreography, and sound are of good quality. Every night, the singer performs about 44 songs and two songs that are not on the list to create surprises. She devoted herself to each performance, showing off her dancing skills, playing musical instruments, and expressive vocals.
Elements including lighting, stage effects, props, and backgrounds are all beautiful and highlight the spirit of the 10 albums. At the beginning of the show, Taylor showed off her sweetness when singing and playing the guitar with love songs from Lover under pink lights. Next, the singer and the stage stood out in yellow tones when singing Fearless, emphasizing their strength.
When performing Evermore , Taylor sat playing a moss-covered piano, surrounded by images of forests and oak trees, creating a magical atmosphere. Or by standing on a high red podium and wearing the same outfit, the singer conveys his anger in life as well as his burning passion for his profession through Red .
The Economic Times commented that the tour takes fans through many levels of emotions, paying tribute to each period of their 17 years in the profession. Audience member Grinnie Low said: “During the concert, I was transported to 10 different worlds”.
The singer’s costumes are also designed to represent the style of each period. She wears clothes from brands such as Atelier Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Etro, Elie Saab, Nicole + Felicia, Alberta Ferretti, many of which take more than 300 hours to complete.
On stage, the singer shines with sparkling and flattering outfits. When performing a sweet song like Enchanted , she wore a flowing dress. When singing vibrant pop songs, Taylor wears a bright bodysuit. Taylor also participates in the design stages to ensure that her costumes and those of the dancers and stage will be in harmony.
Besides, many experts say Taylor’s smart promotion and image-building strategy helps the tour attract attention. The singer took full advantage of social networks to promote the tour, constantly posting related photos, videos and schedules.
She also released a film to increase awareness of the tour. According to Box Office Mojo , The Eras Tour earned nearly 250 million USD at the box office, breaking the advance ticket booking record of the blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). The project is many times more profitable than the production budget of 10 to 20 million USD. The singer does not have to share profits with the studio because she produces and distributes it herself through AMC Theaters.
In Vietnam and many other countries, viewers sing, dance, and turn on flash lights as if they were directly participating in a concert.
Music expert Nathan Bubbard said: “Taylor is the leading marketing executive in the history of music. She is acutely aware of personal branding”.
The close relationship between Taylor and her fans helped the Eras Tour go viral. Harvard professor Alexandra Gold said the singer’s songs tap into the emotions of love, friends and relationships of listeners of many ages. Many fans grew up with those lyrics and took their children to attend their idol’s concerts.
On Psychology Today , researchers said feeling understood creates a strong connection, from which Taylor builds trust with the listener. People don’t just watch the show, they become co-stars. Poet Stephanie Burt said: “She has great musical ability and songwriting talent. Taylor’s lyrics can be imprinted in your mind and draw many stories”.
Taylor confided to fans on tour: “I wrote about what I’ve been through in life and felt very emotional. I thought I was the only one who felt that way until you guys sang the lyrics. And I’m not alone anymore”.
Responding to the singer’s love, every music night, more than 70,000 fans scream and clap to support their idol. According to a study, the audience at the Seattle show shook the ground equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake. Many stars came to watch the show such as Emma Watson, Cara Delevingne, Selena Gomez, Julia Robert.
Variety compares the singer’s success to the phenomenon of Beatlemania – a period when fans went “crazy” for The Beatles. Taylor shares the same success formula as the group when he retired from the stage for 5 years to focus on creating quality products. She experimented with the indie folk and alternative rock genres, thereby attracting new listeners.
After a long period of silence, since the release of the album Midnights in October 2022, Taylor has used the media coverage strategy well by regularly updating social networks. Many of Taylor’s songs became famous again after she re-recorded them with Taylor’s Versions .
She continuously wins big: Breaking records and receiving seven nominations at the 2024 Grammys, winning nine awards in the 2023 MTV VMAs category, and being the most listened to artist of the year on Apple Music and Spotify. The singer’s return stirred up the music industry and made many fans look forward to it. More than 200 fans camped in tents for 5 months to have the opportunity to stand first in the singer’s concert.
Variety says the 34-year-old singer is now at his peak and will continue to thrive, with his songs showing more and more sophistication and intelligence. She affirmed herself as an excellent artist, in an unmatched position in the current music industry.
Thanh Giang (according to The Economic Times, Variety, The Washington Post )
