At this point, no one can doubt that Taylor Swift is one of the most important artists of our era. At least in terms of reception and ability to mobilize an audience, there is no one who has her reach. Everything she says is received as if it were declared in mass, everything she does is received as manna from heaven, and it seems impossible for her to stumble. Even if her latest album is received lukewarmly, with numerous criticisms about it, that only means it will be the best-selling album of the year. Because she is on another level.
This has also been demonstrated with her latest concert tour, The Eras Tour. A series of concerts that, even more than concerts, have ended up being a whole experience for her fans that transcended the merely musical. And now, she reveals this in a six-part documentary series called The End of an Era.
A musical revolution for movie theaters
The premise of The Eras Tour was simple. It was not going to be a tour where she limited herself to playing songs from her new album, but rather she would select songs from throughout her entire discography. Playing songs from all her albums, varying from concert to concert, the idea was to experience Taylor Swift in her entirety at each of the concerts, but always in a different and complete way. All the concerts would have the same personality, but none would be the same as another.
With choreography, pyrotechnics, and all the associated spectacle, these are absolutely spectacular concerts that have gathered tens of thousands of people around the world. But they have also had a significant impact where it was least expected: in movie theaters.
In October 2023, Taylor Swift decided to premiere one of her concerts from The Eras Tour in theaters. But she did it under a simple premise, which was not new, but aligned well with her idea. It would be a sing along. People would not only go to see the concert but also to sing their favorite songs, dance, and interact with other swifties, as if it were one of the concerts from the tour, but paying a tenth of what they would in those circumstances.
The success was overwhelming and resounding. Overcoming a season in which movie theaters were not having a good time, it achieved unprecedented success that others have wanted to imitate, such as the movie Wicked. And Disney+ capitalized on it by adding The Eras Tour to its streaming service.
Now, with the end of The Eras Tour, Disney+ has decided to close this chapter with more Taylor Swift. In the six episodes of the documentary, Taylor herself breaks down the concerts, the rehearsals, the preparations, and all the friends and companions she has had over the years. The first two episodes aired this Friday, December 12, but to see the next ones we will still have to wait: the next two will be on the 19th and the last two on the 26th. This gives the swifties something to sink their teeth into for a couple of weeks.
Although this is not the only premiere. Because along with the documentary, they will also release The Final Show, the last concert of The Eras Tour, recorded especially for the occasion. A true gift for all Taylor Swift fans, now available on Disney+, that you can’t miss.