Photo by Mark Angelo Sampan on Pexels
What am I listening to right at this very moment? Not something that was released this year. It was actually first released in 2012. And then, in a brilliant marketing and business move, it was re-released in 2019 (in a much longer 10-minute version) when the singer re-recordered and released her fourth studio album.
Have you guessed it?
“All Too Well, Taylor’s Version,” from Taylor Swift’s Red album.
As you may have noticed from my previous posts, I recently discovered that I am actually a Swiftie. And as you can also see, I’m continuing my previous rule-breaking with my “end of year” posts by writing about music not even remotely released this year.
How do I justify this particular pick? Well, I’m not just picking “All Too Well.” I’m actually picking the full Eras Tour setlist, a total of forty-five songs. And because the tour started in March of this year, it absolutely belongs on my end-of-year best of list. The setlist goes through all of the eras of Taylor’s discography. Given that she’s been in the music industry for almost two decades, her oeuvre covers a wide range of genres, styles, and musical maturity. From country music to pop to indie, Taylor’s music covers the gamut, leading fans to pick and then dress up in their favorite era as they go to her concerts.
I’m as indecisive as they come, so there’s absolutely no way that I can pick a favorite era or even song. And, honestly, because the songs cover so many moods and feelings, my favorites vary depending on my own moods and feelings on a particular day.
Am I feeling vengeful and full of inner strength? “...Ready For It?” from Reputation it is.
Feeling a little low and unappreciated? “tolerate it” from evermore.
I wait by the door like I'm just a kid
Use my best colors for your portrait
Lay the table with the fancy shit
And watch you tolerate it
Feeling like I’m ready to shine and ready to make “the whole place shimmer”? It’s time for “Bejeweled” from Midnights.
What I would honestly love is to actually have the live versions of each of these songs. Watching the snippets of the performances on TikTok, you can feel the emotion and passion that she put into the songwriting. The recorded songs are great, but the performances are raw and moving in a way that the studio recordings just can’t quite capture.
So with “diamonds in my eyes,” my selection for best music for 2023 is the entire setlist for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour.
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