In the midst of the superstar’s huge stadium tour, a video of Taylor Swift performing the US National Anthem from before she became a stadium sellout sensation has made its way back online.
In Philadelphia, before Game 3 of the World Series, the future superstar sang a stunning version of the Star Spangled Banner while strumming a shimmery acoustic guitar. When viewers in 2024 saw that her rise to stardom began with such a humble performance, they were even more astonished.
Another video of country-turned-pop queen Taylor Swift playing her fan-favorite song “Cruel Summer” live from her record-breaking Eras Tour has gone viral. After this live performance went viral, fans couldn’t get enough of this music from Taylor’s 2019 album “Lover,” and in the summer of 2023, she finally released it as a single. You can see why this video has both admirers and critics going crazy: it has 2.25 million views in just three months on YouTube.
Launching her 152-date pop festival with a monolithic aura of class, “Cruel Summer” was the second song of Taylor’s 46-song repertoire (don’t worry, some of these tracks were trimmed!). The 33-year-old singer glistens in a sequined bodysuit, gloss nude tights, and white knee-high cowboy heels as she performs on a gigantic cube-shaped platform in the middle of the runway.
As her enthralling second chorus fades out, the platform falls, and Taylor strides onto the stage to the verse that has become her signature, “the first bridge of the evening.” Her performance is mesmerizing, embodying the goddesslike beauty and self-assurance that has propelled her to pop music dominance for more than a decade.
The bouncy synth pop of “Cruel Summer,” co-written by St. Vincent and produced by Jack Antonoff (whose credits include Lorde and Lana Del Rey), masks a tale of imperfect, hidden love. With both the original and Olivia Rodrigo’s cover version going popular online, it became Taylor’s 41st single to crack the Top 10 on US charts.
