Not “sorry aboot it!”: Taylor Swift impresses in electric Toronto debut

She landed in the city with more excitement than a world leader. She effectively close a highwaydrew over 500,000 people to see her in Toronto and had everyone from the Prime Minister to police horses – the latter decked out in super large Eras Tour friendship bracelets – ready for her arrival.

And yet she lived up to the hype.

Taylor Swift’s long-awaited return to Canada, more than six years after her last time in the country, hit like a hurricane. And this is despite the lack of novelty: the more than three-hour Eras Tour show, already well-documented by superfans in one of the five continents she has reached since the beginning of the show last March, hit everyone the expected songs, outfits and high notes.

Admittedly, there were surprising acoustic mashups of My boy only breaks his favorite toys and That’s why we can’t have nice things, along with False God mixed with It’s the damn season. But really, the only really unique thing about the final part of her trip was a little turn to the cold north.

SEE | Tears, deafening applause greet Swift in Toronto:

Joy, tears and deafening applause as Taylor Swift takes Toronto by storm

Tens of thousands of ecstatic Taylor Swift fans rejoiced as the pop superstar played an hour-long set at Toronto’s Roger Center in the first of six sold-out concerts.

Swift kicked off the show with a shout-out to the country, calling its residents “the most generous, encouraging, welcoming, passionate, enthusiastic fans.” She went on to include the observation, “Doesn’t look like the whole thing Folklore era just belongs in Canada?,” then declared that “That’s why everybody loves Canadians” after a particularly long and ecstatic chant of her name. There was even a triumphant “Sorry aboot it!” from dancer Kameron Saunders for his iconic moment in We’ll never get back together.

To any other self-respecting nation, these would be crumb-worthy indulgences. But for a country so desperate to recognize it (jokingly) threatened with legal action having been omitted from the tour’s original stop, these references were a clever scene-setting homage.

That pandering also managed to distract from the lack of surprise guests (no Travis Kelce, Shawn Mendes or Kendrick Lamar sightings that some had hoped for), or album announcements (no Taylor’s Version announcement to match the Toronto and Vancouver stops — yet).

The lubrication worked to support what is Swift’s greatest talent, one she wields with skill unlike any other contemporary performer. It lies in her ability to make every fan from the floor to the nosebleed feel as if they are personally connected to her.

Carefully rehearsed and re-enacted moments – a hat given to an overjoyed little boy during 22or Swift’s apparently surprised and humbled reaction to rapturous applause during the introduction to The man – feel like they’re happening for the first time, in a 50-seat basement venue instead of a 50,000-seat arena.

That’s not to say Swift doesn’t have the talents of a pop star—she has them all. On Thursday night, she showed her power as a vocalist as she broke through Shake it offand seemed more comfortable with choreography than ever before Vigilante shit‘s chair dance.

It’s also true that she’s never been the world’s best in any of these areas—a fact that’s easy to miss amid pyrotechnics so hot you can feel them in your face all over an 800,000-square-foot venue . At the same time, it’s a confusing fact that the “Queen of Pop” might not actually be the best at the things pop stars are supposed to be good at. But it’s hard to miss the evidence when you keep an eye on it.

First, there’s how some of her idea-heavy skits come off as less Beyoncé, more theater kid — obviously works better on screen than in person. And at the same time, opener Gracie Abrams probably showed greater vocal command of the room with her final song Close to you than Swift managed all night.

But Swift is able to headline a show that inspires fans to pay $30 for drinks and occasionally, $33,000 for tickets for a reason. Few other stars would be able to put on what is essentially a reunion tour while still in their prime, while infusing each set with as much excitement as if it were a new lead single that was released that very evening.

That tension translates personally in a way that is difficult to communicate. The almost unbelievable hour-long marathon of acting, athleticism and radio hits makes the show feel more like a practiced stint in Las Vegas than a moving feat of engineering.

However, it’s mostly borne of the reaction of her fans: the sea of ​​intricately and lovingly designed costumes feels like Halloween with better attendance. Everywhere you look there are amorous faces that seem confused as to where they are. And the literally multi-generational audience shuts out any lyric as holy scripture.

Whether it’s the power of the words or the power of the audience’s reaction to them, it makes it hard not to get swept up in the moment. Is it a cult? Perhaps. But let’s be honest, there’s a reason people join them.