OT: Eras Tour (Taylor Swift) - is your wallet, commute, general well-being, etc being affected in any way?

[Clay Davis]

Honestly, if I'm Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, I'm seriously kicking myself for being "controversial" in the early 2010's when I could've just ridden the countrywave by being true to myself and be doing Taylor Swift numbers in the 2020s lol.

I believe that Miley Cyrus started doing a bunch of weird stuff because she thought that the best way to become an arch-pop star/the Madonna of her generation was to be as controversial as possible. The problem is, she did it with mere controversy and no personal rizz. Ironically, in shedding the skin of Hannah Montana to become Miley Cyrus, she lost the lustre of one and the genuineness of the other. She became neither (to her credit, she's now Miley Cyrus lol).

Taylor Swift is the Alicia Keys of this generation in the sense that she has a clean-cut, good girl image whilst navigating an extremely predatory industry and becoming the brightest star in the sky. Good for her. I respect the skill.

Taylor Swift's fame -- like the fame of every other major pop star -- is a wave. She caught the momentum and now she has to roll with it. With regards to her song-writing chops not really growing... when you're that big, you basically have a business mandate to not experiment. To continue doing the same thing. When you're at the top you'll stay at the top because you're at the top. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's why so many artist's whose music is meh continue to stay at the top. Music is a business, and the average listener is more of a consumer than a fan of art. They'll listen to it because it's popular.

The worst thing she can do is to change gear and to "flop"... since once you flop at the peak, people will assume you've flopped for good, and you're on the decline. The decline, then, will be a self-fulfilling prophecy, just as the rise and nadir were. Even if she drops this generation's Dark Side of the Moon, it won't sell as many records if she were to drop Middle-Class Heartbreak Vol XXII lol and it'll thereby be perceived as a flop. At the same time, it's pretty bad to drop Middle-Class Heartbreak Vol LXX (that's 30, right?) when the world got tired of you at Middle-Class Heartbreak Vol XXV. It's a taut rope that she walks, really... but eventually she'll fall. It is what it is.

If I were her I'd buy an island and start a cult. Or run for President... but I guess those are both the same thing in 2024 .

I read the whole post but still not sure has more rizz, Miley or Taylor.

You my brother. The rizz of Miley raised to the exponent of the rizz ofTaylor is insignificant to even the square root of your rizz.

[Westside Gunn]

I legit wish I could go but don't want to pay $3K for a ticket.

I was trying to help my wife get tickets that were released in the last 48 hours but no go.

I went to stubhub and was like "um no, that's like two mortgage payments..."

unreal.

Which makes me wonder, are people really that well off these days to be able to afford these tickets? Like, that's a LOT of people willing to pony up for it. Or are dads and moms being held hostage by their teens?

If you are a parent you should do it for them as long as you can afford it. They will remember you for it forever.

The current pricing is wild for a 2 hour concert but if you REALLY love Taylor Swift or any artist and you are financially stable to afford a price within reason, I think you should do it one time for the one time. Life's all about creating memories for yourself and others. The material stuff is mehh

[GP2]

I was trying to help my wife get tickets that were released in the last 48 hours but no go.

I went to stubhub and was like "um no, that's like two mortgage payments..."

unreal.

Which makes me wonder, are people really that well off these days to be able to afford these tickets? Like, that's a LOT of people willing to pony up for it. Or are dads and moms being held hostage by their teens?

If you are a parent you should do it for them as long as you can afford it. They will remember you for it forever.

The current pricing is wild for a 2 hour concert but if you REALLY love Taylor Swift or any artist and you are financially stable to afford a price within reason, I think you should do it one time for the one time. Life's all about creating memories for yourself and others. The material stuff is mehh

I think the concert is actually 3.5 hours, which is really long. Even with an intermission, if there is one. Add in the pre-show and post-show buzz/vibes and that's a core memory for any fan.

I'm really curious what strategies people used for ticket purchasing though, with 6 shows on the table. Is there a right one to target first? I watched a lot of videos of fans live-streaming the ticket purchasing process and it seemed super stressful.

[Coco Costanza]

I don't get it.

Why is the biggest pop star in the world 35? Did the Gen Z generation just not produce any stars or the labels just never pushed new ones? In the past you couldn't really be a pop star on this level past 30 years old. You either died or aged out of peak fame. I don't get this world anymore. Must be an old ****.

Madonna and Michael Jackson were still big when they were in their 30's.

Yes, but not at their zenith

Really? "Vogue" era Madonna? "Black or White" era Michael Jackson? Hell, "Ray of Light" era Madonna was still huge.

[bballsparkin]

I'm not a fan. I heard she does great shows though from a co-worker. To each their own.

[Basketball_Jones]

I do think clean cut Christian’s are also big fans, which can be a hard demographic to tap into. Basically it pays to be nice. Parents and their kids generation will be your fans and perhaps that’s what we are seeing. Music wise I don’t think she’s bad at all. I can digest her music and not be annoyed or find it awful.

[wegotthabeet]

Madonna and Michael Jackson were still big when they were in their 30's.

Yes, but not at their zenith

Really? "Vogue" era Madonna? "Black or White" era Michael Jackson? Hell, "Ray of Light" era Madonna was still huge.

yes really. those eras were not their apex. You think the "Black or White" era was bigger than "Thriller" or "Bad" eras? Still massively popular obviously in the 90s because both are top 10 legends in Pop, but peak popularity no.

[DelAbbot]

I guess I hear ya. But he are some of the biggest pop stars in the world right now and their ages in parentheses:

Taylor Swift (34)
Beyonce (43)
Rihanna (36)
Ariana Grande (31)
Ed Sheeran (33)
The Weeknd (34)
Drake (38)
Lady Gaga (38)
Justin Bieber (30)

That type of longevity is pretty cool imo.

Exactly. That’s my point. None of the biggest pop stars are young. It’s almost as if though Gen Z produced nothing. Something **** is happening here preventing new talent from emerging.

They did produce a few acts, but they're part of the "viral" generation. Meaning these artists and songs are more concerned with going viral on tiktok or whatever, than they are concerned with actual artistry. Shaking stadiums as been replaced with shaking asses. So these pop stars have become supernovas where they explode in popularity for a short while and then flame out just as quickly.

Also tbf, we're probably not as in tuned with the favourite artists of the 13-18 teenage generation. I know of Sabrina Carpenter through friend's daughters and sons. She's 25 and pretty big, but do I care? meh. Olivia Rodrigo (21), Tate McRae (21) and of course Billie Eilish (22) also are pretty big pop stars in their own right (though I could debate if Billie is really pop in the same way...she's like alt-pop lol).

Also, the emergence of other types of popular music, especially k-pop over the last decade or so, has stolen some of the thunder from the American music artists. BTS, Blackpink, Twice and previously 2NE1, Girls Generation, Big Bang etc all played a part in carving out a portion of the American music market, which meant less market share leftover between them and the established American artists, for Gen Z artists.

Sabrina Carpenter is a copy cat of doja cat, who is the real heavyweight. But she is fun to listen to as a fad.

[DelAbbot]

I was trying to help my wife get tickets that were released in the last 48 hours but no go.

I went to stubhub and was like "um no, that's like two mortgage payments..."

unreal.

Which makes me wonder, are people really that well off these days to be able to afford these tickets? Like, that's a LOT of people willing to pony up for it. Or are dads and moms being held hostage by their teens?

If you are a parent you should do it for them as long as you can afford it. They will remember you for it forever.

The current pricing is wild for a 2 hour concert but if you REALLY love Taylor Swift or any artist and you are financially stable to afford a price within reason, I think you should do it one time for the one time. Life's all about creating memories for yourself and others. The material stuff is mehh

Yes I agree, but your kids will remember that experience forever and not who paid for it - which is fine, as it's responsibility of parents who can afford it.

[DelAbbot]

What u care about her because she supports an NFL team?

Sorry I understand her view,.I'm just not into this fad that has started

She was the #1 artist before any of the NFL stuff. She's basically been at the top of the POP game since her 1989 album which came out in 2014.

Five of the album's singles—"Shake It Off", "Blank Space", "Bad Blood", "Style", and "Wildest Dreams"—charted in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, with the first three reaching number one. In the United States, 1989 spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and was certified nine-times platinum. The album has sold 14 million copies worldwide and received platinum certifications in many countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia–Pacific

She ruled country-pop for nearly a decade before that. If you're not into her music or whatever, that's fine, but you gotta put some respect on her name.

With 200 million units sold worldwide, Swift is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with a record seven albums that sold over one million copies first-week. She is the highest-grossing female touring act, the first billionaire with music as primary income, and the world's richest female musician.

The albums sold put her around the top 10-15 best selling artists of ALL TIME.

Saying you're not into "this fad" is like saying you're not into the "fad" that is Eminem, or Beyonce or Rihanna. Maybe you dont like the music, but they're no "fad".

It's funny, I always say I couldn't name, or hum along to, a single Beyonce song. I respect that Taylor writes her own songs unlike Beyonce and most of that genre, but I don't know any of hers either. Except the catchy hook of, we are never ever getting back together. There just aren't memorable timeless classics written anymore like those of the 70s singer-songwriters.

Someone can go ahead and post the old man/clouds thing.

Beyonce is this generation's Whitney Houston.

To me Taylor Swift is a reflection of this financial era of TINA - so much money chasing a good time, and There Is No (better) Alternative.

[duppyy]

She was the #1 artist before any of the NFL stuff. She's basically been at the top of the POP game since her 1989 album which came out in 2014.



She ruled country-pop for nearly a decade before that. If you're not into her music or whatever, that's fine, but you gotta put some respect on her name.



The albums sold put her around the top 10-15 best selling artists of ALL TIME.

Saying you're not into "this fad" is like saying you're not into the "fad" that is Eminem, or Beyonce or Rihanna. Maybe you dont like the music, but they're no "fad".

It's funny, I always say I couldn't name, or hum along to, a single Beyonce song. I respect that Taylor writes her own songs unlike Beyonce and most of that genre, but I don't know any of hers either. Except the catchy hook of, we are never ever getting back together. There just aren't memorable timeless classics written anymore like those of the 70s singer-songwriters.

Someone can go ahead and post the old man/clouds thing.

Beyonce is this generation's Whitney Houston.

To me Taylor Swift is a reflection of this financial era of TINA - so much money chasing a good time, and There Is No (better) Alternative.

In what way is Beyoncé this era’s Whitney Houston? Whitney Houston had one of the best voices(well other than Aretha Franklin) when she was alive and in her prime, I don’t think Beyoncé falls under that category. Unless you’re going based on star power. Lauryn hill would be my pick for Whitney Houston heir apparent. But that’s just my opinion purely based on singing chops.

[UnRealGM]

definitely once in a lifetime experience.. crazy how many hits she has, even the hits she did shortened versions as there are so many

[ciueli]

Yes, but not at their zenith

Really? "Vogue" era Madonna? "Black or White" era Michael Jackson? Hell, "Ray of Light" era Madonna was still huge.

yes really. those eras were not their apex. You think the "Black or White" era was bigger than "Thriller" or "Bad" eras? Still massively popular obviously in the 90s because both are top 10 legends in Pop, but peak popularity no.

Madonna had massive number 1 hits in the early 90s when she was in her 30s with Vogue (3x Platinum) and Justify My Love (Platinum), it's definitely the case that she was one of the biggest pop stars in the world at 32-33 years of age.

It's like you're asking why the Rolling Stones' tours in the late 80s, 90s, and 2000s were so successful they broke records in spite of the Stones being decades away from their last hit song or album, it wasn't some denouncement of modern music at the time, just the reality that the Stones had a well off loyal fanbase they accrued over decades that were willing to pay top dollar to see them live.

And Gen Z absolutely has star artists like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, they just don't have access to the massive age range of fans that Swift does because they haven't been around for that long, you're not getting people in the 30s or 40s paying thousands of dollars to go to their concerts for nostalgia reasons.

[ontnut]

I'ma head downtown today with my Taylor Swift 1989 tour t-shirt and see if I can join in the festivities. #YOLO.