The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has been sweeping the nation as one of the most prolific tours in history.
Swift’s setlist includes 44 songs, spanning nine out of ten of her studio albums. But with 237 songs there are inevitably going to be some fan favorites that are left out. The concert is split into albums or “eras,” as Swift calls them, but she has added an acoustic set into her shows to play more songs than on the setlist. During the first night of the Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona, Swift described that “the plan would be to play different songs every single night and never repeat one so that when you hear it during the acoustic set you will know it will never be played again.”
Swift’s secret songs allow her to play some of her songs that aren’t on the setlist and have a little differentiation between her concerts. This has created a bit of a game for swifties, tracking songs and predicting if they will get to hear their favorites live. Each night during “secret song o’clock” Swift plays one guitar and one piano song for her fans. And with 57 shows under her belt in the US and Mexico leg, Swift has played 114 secret songs with only a couple of repeats. Today we are going to rank the top 10.
10.) LA Night 6 – New Romantics and New Year’s Day
The last stop on the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour was in Los Angeles, California. After six shows in the city, Swift ended her last night with a bang. Rumors of her announcing “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” had been floating around for months, but fans were delighted to figure out they were right.
Swift enjoys planning her announcements with significance, whether that be an important event in her life or a date just “the last night of the US leg of the eras tour, in the 8th month of the year, on the 9th day of the month and instead of just telling you about it, I’m going to show you.”
As the stadium lights up blue with “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” on the screen, Swift plays “New Romantics,” a song from “1989.” With lyrics like “the rumors are terrible and cruel but honey most of them are true,” which alludes to the speculation of her fifth studio album’s re-release.
The secret song then transitions into a song from Reputation, “New Year’s Day,” one of the only other albums that has not been re-recorded yet. With the end of the US tour comes the future for new music with the release of 1989 and the insinuation that “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” could possibly be next, Swift perfectly ended her first leg of the tour with the excitement of what is to come.
9.) Santa Clara Night 4 – Right Where You Left Me and Castles Crumbling
One of the most requested songs to be played at the Eras Tour was “Right Where You Left Me,” an “Evermore” deluxe track song. The song tells the story of a girl who struggles to recover from a devastating break-up, spending her whole life reflecting on that one relationship instead of moving on. When the song finally debuted at the Eras Tour, Swift said that she had been practicing for weeks so as to not mess up the song’s fast-paced bridge and complex wording. Swift brought out Aaron Dessner, her friend and co-writer, to help assist with the song.
Even though she messed up a small portion of the lyrics, the storytelling aspect and assistance from Aaron Desner makes this one of the most anticipated songs performed during the acoustic set. Paired with “Castles Crumbling,” a vault song from “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” this secret song pair was all about the fear that you are not good enough – in a relationship or a professional setting. Through the combination of those fears, Swift sings beautifully about her own insecurities in one acoustic set.
8.) Mexico Night 3 – Cornelia Street and You’re On Your Own, Kid
Though “You’re On Your Own, Kid” from “Midnights” has been played three times, the song is almost considered the anthem of The Eras Tour. The lyric “so make the friendship bracelet take the moment and taste it,” has started a fan project of making and trading friendship bracelets with one another. But the reason that this version of “You’re On Your Own, Kid” has made the list is because it’s paired with a second song, “Cornelia Street.”
Despite this being a song that fans never thought Swift would sing due to her break up with long-term boyfriend Joe Alwyn, she sang this song with the emotions of her heartbreak. “Cornelia Street” is all about how Taylor Swift fell in love with Joe Alwyn and if it ever ended, it would be a “heartbreak time could never mend” (Cornelia Street). With the breakup fresh on her mind, the audience could almost feel the emotions that Swift was singing with, allowing them to reconnect with their own experiences of breakups and heartbreak.
7.) Nashville Night 1 – Sparks Fly and Teardrops On My Guitar
Before the “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” announcement there was the “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” announcement at Nashville night one. Swift announced her third studio album with the song “Sparks Fly” which had lyrics like “drop everything now,” as her album is being re-released. This is the first time that Swift has announced an album on tour, adding to the excitement.
Similar to the “1989” announcement, the second song in the acoustic set was one from an album that is awaiting their re-recording. “Teardrops On My Guitar” is a song from her debut album, the only album that does not have a specific song on the setlist.
6.) Detroit Night 1 – Haunted and I Almost Do
Though I tried to keep personal opinion out of my ranking, Detroit night one was my biggest loss in regards to secret songs. Many swifties watch livestreams on TikTok or stalk their Twitter feeds during “secret song o’clock” in hopes that their favorite songs are safe for another day. When I got the notification that “Haunted” was being played I was devastated. Swift’s vocals on both “Haunted” and “I Almost Do” are unmatched.
5.) Cincinnati Night 2- Ivy, I Miss You I’m Sorry, and Call It What You Want
Cincinnati night two was a special night because this was the show that I attended. It was different from many other Eras Tour shows: Taylor took the stage an hour early due to weather concerns, forcing only one of the openers to perform instead of two. But Swift made up for it during her acoustic set.
Usually, there are only two songs performed during the acoustic set, one on the guitar and one on the piano. But since one of the openers, Gracie Abrams didn’t get to perform during the opening acts, Swift brought her back to the stage to sing one of her songs, “I Miss You I’m Sorry,” something that “has never been done on this tour,” according to Swift.She performed three secret songs instead of two and performed the only song on the tour that was not written by her.
Swift started out the acoustic set by bringing out Aaron Desner, who is from Cincinnati, to sing “Ivy” from her album “Evermore.” Instead of transitioning to the piano, she performed “I Miss You I’m Sorry” with Gracie Abrams. To end the night she went right into “Call It What You Want,” a song about long-term boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
This night was one of the most unique performances on the Eras tour, learning how to adapt and keep fans on their toes, really embodying the essence of the acoustic set in not knowing what is going to happen next.
4.) Houston Night 3 – Begin Again and Cold As You
With some songs, listening to the recording and listening live can be two different experiences. This is the case with “Begin Again” from “Red (Taylor’s Version).” The line “I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny, cause he never did,” got a new makeover when sung in a higher octave and different cadence than the original. This created a new meaning to the song, especially combined with the second song “Cold As You.” It told the story of heartbreak and moving on in relationships. But being performed live, it added a new layer of emotion.
3.) Tampa Night 2- The Great War and Your On Your Own Kid
The first performance of “You’re On Your Own, Kid” was a foundational moment on the tour. Fans spend hours making intricate friendship bracelets to wear and trade with people at the venue. A simple tradition that used to belong at summer camps took on a new meaning, bringing a sense of pureness and innocence to the tour.
It brought fans together with a small sign of friendship showing the global reach of Taylor Swift’s fan base with simple beads and string. So, when we heard the lyrics “so make friendship bracelets,” for the first time, it was an emotional experience that brought people together over a small act of comradery.
2.) Arizona Night 1 – Tim McGraw and Mirrorball
The first night of the Eras tour had songs that recognized the importance of the event. No one knew what was on the setlist and what to expect. This was the first time that Swift was on tour since the canceled LoverFest 2020 and people were excited. The first song, “Tim McGraw” was the first single that Swift ever released. Going from performing in coffee shops of 10 people to a sold-out stadium of 70,000, starting her secret songs with her first single recognizes where she started out compared to where she is now.
She ended the set with “Mirrorball,” a song she wrote when the world was shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “One of the songs that I wrote with you in mind during the pandemic. It was me writing about how badly I craved the connection I feel from the care you have directed my way,” Swift describes during the introduction to her song. She wrote about the feeling of performing and getting it torn away from you. inally being able to perform this song live was Swift’s way of saying thank you for staying during the struggles of the pandemic. It was a perfect way to open up her historic tour with songs that allowed Taylor Swift to get to where she is today.
1.) LA Night 4 – Dress and Exile
The reason this song is number one is purely vocals. Every time I come across Swift singing “Exile” at the Eras Tour I have to stop what I’m doing and listen to it. It scratches an itch in my brain and may be one of the best live performances Swift has done during her entire career. “Exile,” originally performed as a duet with singer and songwriter Bon Iver, turned into a duet with the crowd. While Taylor was singing her part, the crowd took over singing Bon Iver’s part. The videos show the crowd singing back to Taylor as she is performing her heart out.
Changing octaves and the pace of the song, Swift brought a new light to a semi-ordinary song. “Exile” is a duet about a failed relationship from both sides, but turning it solo, Swift sang her heart out, reminding people that not only is she an incredible lyricist, but also has impeccable vocals. I don’t think I will be able to function if I don’t get “Exile (Eras Tour Version)” on Spotify right this instant.
This is only a handful of performances and secret songs that Swift performed at her concert. But with the Europe, Asia, Australia, and second North American legs still to come, there are still going to be countless more performances as Swift continues on her tour. But she needs to continue to defy new heights to compare to the performances that are ranked on this list!
