Taylor Swift Gives Lucky 13 New Meaning

By Scott Murry

Show Review: Gillette Stadium, Sunday, May 21

Taylor Swift Gives Lucky 13 New Meaning

By Scott Murry

Taylor Swift began her show professing a love of numerology. 13 is her lucky number. She had her first arena show in Foxborough, Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium 13 years ago. Performing her final sold out night of a three-show stint on May 21, 2023, it was her 13th time in the venue (also the night of this author’s 13th wedding anniversary). All signs pointed to an excellent show from the start as she giddily smiled to declare that all of the dancing and screaming in the stands made her feel powerful.

Once stadium doors opened, the collective aura of the space held its breath in anticipation. As a clock counted down the singer-songwriter’s grand entry, everything fell silent. The sun retreated. Ambient wind held in place. Tall peacock feathers towered above a line of performers that strut down the stage runway. The fluid flock gently drifted to a center point of stage from which Swift emerged luxuriously sparkling in her Christian Louboutin boots and sequin dress. It seemed to catch every bit of light surrounding her. Beginning the nearly three and a half hour performance with tracks from 2019’s Lover, the costumes, set design, and lighting elevated the songs to a new level. With a powerful group of dancers and musicians swarming to every beat—the show integrates broadway elements beautifully. Swaying to her 2020 album Folklore, Swift sang from an flora-rich, ethereal roof. The whimsical solitude of the moments contrasted beautifully with the set for the 2017 album Reputation, in which sinister snakes became the darker motif. Having not been on a full tour in five years, Swift and Co. were pulling out all the stops. And on the final evening the Taylor Swift camp aimed to give everything they had.

Fans spanning generations dressed in their favorite era of Swift’s 13 album catalog. Friends held each other, snapping selfies and singing at the top of their lungs. Multiple moments throughout the evening, Swift paused to look around in amazement. With an outpouring of cheers and twinkling lights stretched from the floor to the top rim seats, she expressed deep gratitude for the shared moments. She poured this appreciation into each moment with a flawless performance. A hiccup emerged in her solo surprise songs as the flower-painted piano malfunctioned—the previous evening’s heavy rain dampened the instrument. This resulted in a playful pivot to give the audience her song “Red” as an acoustic performance instead. 

The evening took a nearly 70,000 person venue and sprinkled cirque du soleil with vulnerability and pyrotechnics for a uniquely intimate show. As fans raced out at the end of the show to “get ahead of traffic,” no amount of backup could stop the flow of love felt pumping to the primary artery of their hearts (disclaimer: this is hardly even hyperbole).

Gracie Abrams opened the evening donned in a Red Sox shirt, playing to the crowd in a quick four songs. Brief, but listeners old and new were quickly bookmarking her music on their phones. Phoebe Bridgers hit the stage about 15 minutes later. While the band were dressed in Bridgers’ signature skeleton jumpsuits, Bridgers held court in a cream 1970s-vibed suit with velvet piping and elaborate, pearl ruffles. Her silver seafoam curls flowed in the wind. With pop-up visuals on the screens behind the band, the aesthetic felt like a quirky, heartfelt children’s book. She addressed the female-heavy demographic, “What’s up? Are there any dads here? This one’s for you, don’t take it personally.” It garnered cheers and camaraderie, because good pop music is for all.