A flame is caught. And I simply cannot sleep. In fact, I would have screamed in excitement if it had not been the awe that kept my mouth dangling.

I am going to Taylor Swift’s Era’s tour.

You might think of me as yet another overzealous Swiftie that is willing to spend hundreds of dollars on an overrated pop artist that “only” cares about her exes. That I am out of mind for being willing to fly for hours just to stand in a crowd filled with 70,000 blaring fans. Or, that the exaggerated number of friendship bracelets on Swifties is nothing more than gaudy plastic sleeves.

Don’t worry, because you and I share the same doubt.

When I read this article about how Taylor Swift has conquered the world, I was reassured of the fact that the concert tour has become so much more than just an 3-hour entertainment. It’s the passion for a singer that takes cake of the entire acoustic history. It’s the embrace for new eras of popular culture. It’s the acceptance of different races and sexualities. Ben Sisario puts it in a perfect way: “For fans, the shows are a pilgrimage.” Taylor’s tour, along with any musical tour, is not just a pilgrimage for fans. It is also the “pilgrimage” of the artist – their very own prolonged journey of personal growth.

Swiftie or not, we all await in bated breath for what’s next for pop culture.

…Ready for it?

A flame is caught. And I simply cannot sleep. In fact, I would have screamed in excitement if it had not been for the awe that kept my mouth dangling. 

I am going to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. 

You might think of me as yet another overzealous Swiftie that is willing to spend hundreds of dollars on an overrated pop artist that “only” cares about her exes. That I am out of my mind for being willing to fly for hours just to stand in a crowd filled with 70,000 blaring fans. Or, that the exaggerated number of friendship bracelets on Swifties are nothing more than gaudy plastic sleeves.

Don’t worry, because you and I share the same doubt. 

When I read this article about how Taylor Swift has conquered the world, I was reassured of the fact that the concert tour has become so much more than just 3-hours of entertainment. It’s the passion for a singer that takes the cake of the entire acoustic history. It’s the embrace of new eras of popular culture. It’s the acceptance of different races and sexualities. Ben Sisario puts it in a perfect way: “For fans, the shows are a pilgrimage.” Taylor’s tour, along with any musical tour, is not just a pilgrimage for fans. It is also the “pilgrimage” of the artist -- their very own prolonged journey of personal growth. 

One can even say that it’s a “pilgrimage” for pop culture – we just don’t know where it’s headed. So swiftie or not, we all await in bated breath. 

…Ready for it?