Which surprise songs is Taylor Swift performing during the Eras tour? A guide on what to expect

By Abby Amoakuh

Published Mar 6, 2024 at 06:14 PM

Reading time: 4 minutes

Email Facebook WhatsApp X Flipboard

Copy Link

Image courtesy of Taylor Swift via Instagram

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. I mean, where do I even start? At the billions of dollars it has grossed for the US economy, T-Swift dancing around in bedazzled costumes as she whisks us through her elementary musical eras, or perhaps the theatrical movie about the tour coming to Disney+ on 15 March 2024?

Don’t worry, this is not a sponsored article or another piece about how big Taylor Swift is. There are enough of them already, explaining why she is not only a giant and a once-in-a-generation talent, but an actual titan whose musical legacy will be revered by generations to come. Instead, this piece will uncover some secret nuggets Swift has incorporated into the individual concerts to spice them up even more.

We will be looking at all of the surprise songs the artist has performed so far and what fans can expect going forward. Here is a complete breakdown of the secret songs for Swift’s Eras Tour.

These aren’t brand new or unreleased songs, in case you were confused. Sorry to disappoint, but concertgoers will be treated to the musical catalogue that already exists. However, said catalogue is wayyyyyy too colossal for a three-hour concert. So next to the set list, Swift has chosen a couple of surprise songs to drop in.

Nowhere, otherwise it wouldn’t be a surprise.

Good question. In over three hours, Taylor Swift performs these Grammy-winning chart toppers that always have her OG fans and pop-era joiners screaming their lungs out. 

Let’s go in chronological order:

Taylor starts this musical Tour de France with the Fearless era. For most of us, it was the introduction to Swift as this is the album that contained the mega-hits ‘Love Story’, ‘Fearless’ (“I don’t know how it gets better than this”), and ‘You Belong With Me’ (correct me, I was wrong. This is how).

For the Speak Now era, Tay-Tay mesmerises us with a heartfelt performance of ‘Enchanted’ and an acoustic version of ‘Mine’—one of my personal favourites.

Moving on, she enters the Red era (the pre-teen in me is jumping right now). It includes ‘22’ (of course), ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ (yasss, and back then I didn’t even have an ex to be upset about), ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ (I knew from the beginning. He didn’t exist but I knew), ‘Nothing New’ (don’t know this one, but I’m sure it’s good), and the ten-minute version of ‘All Too Well’ (because any second less would be a crime).

Okay, excuse me for a second while I dig my old iPod out so that I can listen to this album on repeat, like back then when I transferred it on there from a library CD… How did I get so old? My earphones are in and I’m back. Let’s move on to 1989.

This era walks us through ‘Shake It Off’ (the haters are going to hate this one), ‘Style’ (I pray for a surprise duet with Harry Styles), ‘Blank Space’ (naturally), ‘Bad Blood’ (of course), and ‘Wildest Dreams’ (no objections here).

We are only halfway through, and I am already sending out invitations for a T-Swift eras singalong to my besties. But Abby can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Cause we’re entering Reputation.

Taylor is currently performing ‘Look What You Made Me Do’, ‘Delicate’, ‘Ready for It?’ and ‘Don’t Blame Me’ for this section. No comments, just awe and envy for everyone who has tickets.

Next on is Lover (*shedding a tear for Joe Alywn*). Prepare for ‘Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince’, ‘The Man’, ‘The Archer’, ‘Cruel Summer’, ‘You Need to Calm Down’, and ‘Lover’.

Let me put my red cardigan on. Our next stop is Folklore, with, you guessed it, ‘Cardigan’, ‘Invisible String’, ‘The 1’, ‘Betty’, ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’, ‘August’, ‘Illicit Affairs’ and ‘My Tears Ricochet’.

Now comes the sister album, Evermore. ‘Willow’, ‘Champagne Problems’, ‘Marjorie’, ‘Tis the damn season’, and ‘Tolerate’ is what concertgoers will encounter with this round.

And to complete the eras, Swift takes us through Midnights featuring ‘Anti-Hero’, ‘Lavender Haze’, ‘Midnight Rain’, ‘Bejeweled’, ‘Vigilante Shit’, ‘Mastermind’, and ‘Karma’.

Excellent question! I took it upon myself to not only investigate the most amazing surprise drops—you’re welcome, by the way—but I also ranked them and gave you an explanation of why these picks were so special. I am such a star, I know.

If ‘Love Story’, or ‘You Belong With Me’ didn’t put Taylor Swift on the map for you, this song might have. It was Swift’s first direct address to the haters. ‘Mean’ walked so ‘Shake It Off’ and the whole Reputation album could run. It was performed at her show in Florida.

This song, which was featured on the soundtrack for the 2010 film Valentine’s Day, was performed during Swift’s show in Houston, Texas. The singer starred in the movie opposite Taylor Lautner (one of the only exes I care about) and delivered a very heartwarming, even if awkward performance. While acting may not have been her strongest suit back then, singing certainly was. Hopefully, she’ll bless her fans with these little nuggets again.

You gotta love Swift’s country pop era and ‘Sparks Fly’ was released at its peak. It’s on her third studio album and is one of these songs that makes you want to call up your ex and ask them to give things another shot because “my mind forgets to remind me you’re a bad idea.”

Next in order is ‘Wonderland’, a major fan favourite on the 1989 album. Leave it to Swift to pay homage to a childhood classic and process a relationship that couldn’t last at the same time. Just legendary stuff here and nothing less.

Released in 2006 with the rest of her debut album Taylor Swift, Swift reminds us that she’s just a girl “trying to find a place in this world.”

It’s a soft ballad about a romance that is being rekindled with a music video that was shot in Paris and features Swift in a ball gown on a roof. Nuff said.

Ever been in a relationship and seen something better? So has Miss Swift. If this woman understands anything, it’s the complicated and excruciating nature of love. So she enveloped it in a playful and upbeat pop track that features the giggles and pronunciation of the word “gorgeous” by Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ daughter in the intro. Gorgeous!

“Every time you call me crazy, I get crazier, what about that?” Taylor questions, capturing the infuriating and maddening essence of being a woman in a misogynistic world. “What a shame she went mad, no one likes a mad woman, you made her like that.” The iconic nature of this song needs no explanation if you ask me. Just vindicating and breathtaking.

And that’s a wrap on the best surprise songs so far. Off to my sing-along now! I’ll be back if T-Swift digs out more memorable bangers.