After missing it in theaters and refusing to pay $19.89 for it, I began watching Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version) on Disney+. Almost immediately, I realized a big issue.
Sure, the film is shot extraordinarily well. It captures the epic score that Swift's “Eras” tour has.
However, this concert film fails in a key area. The flaw was big enough that I questioned, Why am I watching this?
Someday, I will find the time to finish the three-and-a-half-hour-long extravaganza. I just needed some space from the concert film after being let down by the opening numbers.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour's biggest flaw
As her “Eras” tour concerts begin, Taylor Swift: The Era Tour begins with a medley of “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” and “Cruel Summer,” the song radio stations play through the winter and stop in the spring.
Nonetheless, it quickly became obvious that Swift's concert film had a huge flaw. The film is horribly mixed. Before Swifties attack me for either A.) pointing out a minor flaw or B.) saying anything negative about Swift, hear me out.
Take “Cruel Summer,” for example. Every part of the song, from the backing track to the drums, sounds like they're evenly tuned. It's so stuffy and results in Swift's vocals becoming hidden amid all of the noise. Heck, the crowd noise may be mixed in louder than the actual music.
It's nearly suffocating, frankly. Are they attempting to hide Swift's voice? I'd somewhat understand the move considering she gives far from her best vocal performance on “Cruel Summer” (allowing the backing tracks to hit any high notes the song has). Even when Swift does belt out “Devils roll the dice/Angels roll their eyes” in the second pre-chorus, it's underwhelming, to say the least.
I am sure that Swift enlisted the best producers to mix the song. How such a blunder flew under the radar. That is unless the move was deliberate.
Not a dig at Swift's artistry
To be clear, this isn't a dig at Swift's artistry or her “Eras” tour. Sure, I think it's self-indulgent, but I enjoy a good Swift carpool karaoke session just as much as the next guy.
Maybe it gets better throughout the rest of the film. The opening notes, though, wouldn't suggest that.
Her previous concert film for Reputation suffered similar issues. That film was also atrociously edited, which made matters worse.
What is Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour?
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is Swift's latest concert film. Taped over three nights from her six-night stay at SoFi Stadium last year, the film captures her epic show.
Instead of going to movie studios for distribution, Swift went right to AMC Theatres. The theater chain distributed the film in fall 2023 and the bet paid off. The “Eras” tour concert film grossed over $260 million worldwide.
A new, extended version has hit Disney+ months after its theatrical run. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version) includes five songs omitted from the theatrical cut.
Taylor Swift's “Eras” tour is her most ambitious project to date. Over three hours and 40+ songs, Swift takes her fans on a journey through her discography. She will resume the tour in May with shows in France. Swift will the “Eras” tour across Europe before returning to the United States in the fall.
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