I must say I was a little disappointed by Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour. The production itself didn’t seem as grand as what she had done for Speak Now, and the way that it was shot and edited just gave me a headache. I’d heard great things about Netflix’s Reputation Stadium Tour for quite some time but only recently gotten around to watching it. Alas it has become a victim of digital only distribution and is now lost to time…unless you pick up a bootleg copy on Blu-Ray like I did. Now whilst we can debate the ethics of piracy another time, I think for now I’d like to talk about Taylor and her big reputation.
Filmed in Arlington, Texas, on the final night of the North American leg; Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour is a no-frills concert film experience, with an up close and personal view of the entire show.
If 1989 World Tour Live is any indication as to how you don’t make a concert film, then Reputation Stadium Tour is a prime example of how you do it right. Director Paul Dugdale has done a simple yet incredibly effective job of compiling the best shots from that single performance and put it all together in a way that has just as much passion and energy as Swift herself.
Filmed in Arlington, Texas, on the final night of the North American leg; Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour is a no-frills concert film experience, with an up close and personal view of the entire show.
If 1989 World Tour Live is any indication as to how you don’t make a concert film, then Reputation Stadium Tour is a prime example of how you do it right. Director Paul Dugdale has done a simple yet incredibly effective job of compiling the best shots from that single performance and put it all together in a way that has just as much passion and energy as Swift herself.
Reputation is an album that ruffled a few feathers when it released. In fact, the Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, does a great job of highlighting how difficult it was for Swift to write her next album following the massive success of 1989. For Reputation she tried to reinvent herself once again, embracing a darker side that she had never exhibited before, and at least initially the gamble didn’t pay off. Now whilst time has been kind to Reputation, with it now being seen as one of the pop stars greatest albums by her fans, there’s certainly no exaggeration in her lyrics “my reputation’s never been worse” when this was being filmed.
So, it’s even more impressive then when you see just how grand the Reputation tour is, and how aside from the recent Eras Tour, it’s Swift’s most theatrical and bombastic show.
The setlist is impeccable, featuring most of the songs from the eponymous sixth studio album, as well as a handful of songs from her previous albums.
Each and every song has some kind of spectacle to go with it, whether that be from the staging, the costume, or the choreography. It’s just so fun to watch, and the show has so much energy.
Speaking of choreography, it’s definitely worth highlighting just how much of an improvement Swift has had in her dancing abilities for Reputation. Whilst she had certainly made a decent effort with 1989, a lot of the show felt very stripped back from a dancing perspective. Reputation meanwhile sees her performing the most complicated routines she has done up to that point and performing them really well. Her timing has improved massively, and she does really well with the choreography. Corners have not been cut to make it easy on her, and whilst she still falls short in some areas, she more than makes up for those small slips with an incredible commitment to her performance.
So, it’s even more impressive then when you see just how grand the Reputation tour is, and how aside from the recent Eras Tour, it’s Swift’s most theatrical and bombastic show.
The setlist is impeccable, featuring most of the songs from the eponymous sixth studio album, as well as a handful of songs from her previous albums.
Each and every song has some kind of spectacle to go with it, whether that be from the staging, the costume, or the choreography. It’s just so fun to watch, and the show has so much energy.
Speaking of choreography, it’s definitely worth highlighting just how much of an improvement Swift has had in her dancing abilities for Reputation. Whilst she had certainly made a decent effort with 1989, a lot of the show felt very stripped back from a dancing perspective. Reputation meanwhile sees her performing the most complicated routines she has done up to that point and performing them really well. Her timing has improved massively, and she does really well with the choreography. Corners have not been cut to make it easy on her, and whilst she still falls short in some areas, she more than makes up for those small slips with an incredible commitment to her performance.
The staging is also top tier. A massive videowall adorns the rear of the main stage which opens up from the middle to allow new elements to be brought in or out during the performance, the most impressive of which is a giant snakes head with glowing eyes. Swift and her dancers also climb the wall at one point, using a set of scaffolding that’s strategically placed between panels.
We also see the return of the flying cradle from the Speak Now Tour which carries swift over the audience. It’s all just pure spectacle and it all feels well designed for each individual song. Compare this to the 1989 World Tour where there was just a rotating arm built into the stage, the multiple elements used for Reputation allow for a much more impressive and tightly designed experience.
I had high expectations for Reputation Stadium Tour following all the buzz I had been hearing for it, but this blew them away entirely. Bested only by The Eras Tour due to that shows sheer scale and breadth of content, Reputation is a show I wish I could have been there to see. I got so excited watching it from the comfort of my own home, and it’s absolutely going to be a show I watch again. It’s a huge shame that this has now been removed from Netflix, because as a Netflix original it can’t be accessed anywhere else legally, and very few people are going to go to the lengths I went to and order it on a bootleg Blu-Ray. This is a show that deserves to be watched, and whilst I don’t tend to condone piracy, I think it’s absolutely worth tracking down a bootleg copy wherever you can if you’re yet to see it.
We also see the return of the flying cradle from the Speak Now Tour which carries swift over the audience. It’s all just pure spectacle and it all feels well designed for each individual song. Compare this to the 1989 World Tour where there was just a rotating arm built into the stage, the multiple elements used for Reputation allow for a much more impressive and tightly designed experience.
I had high expectations for Reputation Stadium Tour following all the buzz I had been hearing for it, but this blew them away entirely. Bested only by The Eras Tour due to that shows sheer scale and breadth of content, Reputation is a show I wish I could have been there to see. I got so excited watching it from the comfort of my own home, and it’s absolutely going to be a show I watch again. It’s a huge shame that this has now been removed from Netflix, because as a Netflix original it can’t be accessed anywhere else legally, and very few people are going to go to the lengths I went to and order it on a bootleg Blu-Ray. This is a show that deserves to be watched, and whilst I don’t tend to condone piracy, I think it’s absolutely worth tracking down a bootleg copy wherever you can if you’re yet to see it.