If there were any doubts left over as to whether or not Taylor Swift is the current queen of popular music, they were erased in blazing red on March 19 at the Scottrade Center. Swift, on her third stop of the Red Tour, dazzled and sparkled in front of a packed house of 14,000 screaming mostly-young female fans. They sang. They danced. They soaked up every word Swift said. And, boy, did they scream.
Taking to the stage singing “State of Grace,” Swift, dressed in red with red shoes and blazing red lipstick, paused only to take in the applause. Even after the millions of albums sold and numerous awards earned, Swift, 23, still seems to be in awe of the adoration.
Swift said simply, “Hi, St. Louis. I’m Taylor.”
She then explained why she chose the color red for her album and tour name.
The singer joked that, in fact, there was so much red simply because of the St. Louis Cardinals. After a thunderous agreement from the crowd, Swift divulged the true reason.
“Blue, to me, means sadness. Gray means loneliness. And to me, love, frustration, intense jealousy, confusion, all of that in my mind, all those emotions are red.”
And from that point forward, her fans got to experience everything that the singer has experienced since hitting it big at the age of 16.
From heartbreak (“I Almost Do”) to new love (“Begin Again”), from broken dreams (“Lucky One”) to dreams come true (“Love Story”), Swift charged through her discography. Intertwined with the music were stories of her childhood singing adventures to confronting her critics to, of course, getting over lost love.
Say what you want about Swift’s singing and songwriting capability, and plenty has been said, but there is little down that she can entertain.
The show was at times more Broadway than arena rock concert. Among the choreographed moments in the show are a jazzed-up version of “You Belong With Me” that harkens to the 1960s, dancing toys from a wind-up toy box for “Treacherous” and “Stay Stay Stay,” a high school party for “Sparks Fly” and “22,” a masquerade for “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and an all out circus to close the show with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” That particular song featured enough confetti to nearly hide Swift and her dancers.
But those weren’t the only tricks Swift had up her sleeves.
Included in the over two-hour show were pyrotechnics, rising stage parts, and two moveable platforms that put the superstar within inches of her ecstatic fans. Swift was kind enough to oblige several of them with handshakes, something not always seen in high-profile shows today.
Swift was smart, too, to remember her roots. She was carried to the back of the arena to perform an acoustic set, including a duet of “Everything Has Changed” with opening act Ed Sheeran, and played banjo to lead her band in the smash-hit “Mean.”
But perhaps the most electric moment of the night came when Swift told the crowd what St. Louis reminds her of – the Arch, her family, and Nelly, who appeared on stage to sing his new single “Hey Porshe” with the 23-year-old.
Boy, did the fans scream.
